Imagine scouring Trade Me and Marketplace for weeks looking for that perfect 4WD vehicle. Then imagine spending months getting all those camp mods perfected, the off-road upgrades dialled. Put your heart and soul into the rig, planning a long-term relationship with it.
Now envision waking up one morning and it is gone. This is a reality that many 4WD owners are dealing with, these days more than ever. This happened to our good friend Big D, who had just put the finishing touches on a beautiful black high roof Safari. He was only able to do one short trip to test out all his work before it disappeared into the night.
As passionate 4WD enthusiasts, we understand the deep attachment and pride we feel towards our vehicles. Unfortunately, the issue of vehicle theft, especially of sought-after 4WDs from the 90s, remains a persistent concern. In Christchurch, for instance, the situation has reached alarming proportions. In July 2023 alone, more than 600 vehicles were stolen and sadly it’s not uncommon to come across stripped, burnt out 4WDs dumped along the rivers or on quiet country roads. It’s not just a Canterbury problem; AMI Insurance stated that, in New Zealand as a whole, vehicle theft numbers in 2022 were up 54 percent from 2019.
The appeal of 4WDs to both enthusiasts and criminals has led to an alarming increase in theft rates. Their scarcity, high resale value, and ease of illegal parts resale contribute to their desirability among thieves.
Parking security
One of the most easily avoided mistakes is parking a vehicle in vulnerable places. Leaving a vehicle unattended in insecure or isolated areas significantly increases the risk of theft. (Just ask Big D. Or maybe don’t, it’s a sore subject!) Criminals target places where vehicles are less likely to be noticed or monitored. Finding a secure parking spot for your 4WD is crucial to preventing theft.
Whenever possible, park the 4WD in a locked garage, a well-lit area on the property, and behind a locked gate.
Consider using motion-activated lights in the driveway or parking area to increase visibility and discourage unauthorized access. Installing security cameras and alarms around the property can serve as a deterrent to potential offenders, though personally I aim to keep my vehicle from being stolen in the first place, not having a grainy video of it driving away.
When parking in public areas, choose well-populated, well-lit, and CCTV-monitored locations: parking spaces near entrances of buildings or under streetlights make the vehicle more visible and less appealing to criminals. Park close to other vehicles or in the line of sight of security personnel or parking attendants.
Enhancing physical security measures
Bolstering physical security measures adds an essential layer of protection.
A decent alarm system and immobiliser offers a crucial level of protection. These systems provide both audible and visual alerts, discouraging thieves and making it more challenging for them to start the vehicle. Look for alarms with multiple sensors, such as motion detection, glass breakage, and tilt sensors, as they provide the most comprehensive coverage. Many systems will add remote locking and unlocking to my early ‘90s 4WD.
Installing a GPS tracking device allows the owner to remotely monitor the location of a 4WD. In the unfortunate event the rig is stolen, this technology can help the Police to find and recover it. Devices with real-time tracking capabilities can provide accurate and up-to-date information.
People are putting Apple Air Tags on everything these days, so why not your 4WD? I would put the Apple Air Tag into the category of “hey it’s better than nothing.” They are comparably cheap versus a real GPS tracker. The Air Tag must be within 30m of someone’s iPhone but given the proliferation of iPhones there is a chance that your air tag would ping a location before your pride and joy is stripped. Just remember to hide the tag away and ensure the battery is replaced every year or two.
While steering wheel locks seem a bit antiquated, they can be used as a simple deterrent against opportunistic theft. These visible devices make it difficult to turn the steering wheel, hopefully discouraging the attempted theft.
While having some form of an immobiliser system is a great, determined thieves can still bypass them. Installing a hidden kill switch that interrupts the vehicle’s ignition system can thwart attempts to start the engine, even if they have managed to bypass the regular immobiliser system.
As passionate 4WDers, we need to make a concerted effort to ensure our vehicles can continue to provide us with countless memorable adventures.
