- Thread starter
- #1
I recently installed the cargo area safe from Console Vault and wanted to share some information and pictures for anyone considering it for their Bronco. This is the one that installs flush with the cargo floor and will not prevent the Bronco doors from being stored in the cargo area.
Ford accessories image:
My concern with this safe/vault was whether or not it would be secure enough to store anything of value. I have a soft top, which I know can be cut or removed. I may have the top down and be away from the car. I've even read that some people leave their soft top cars unlocked to avoid damage by someone intent on breaking in.
I couldn't find any install videos or reviews for this vault so I went through some extra effort before installing it, just so I could understand how it worked and how secure it was.
A normal installation would be very easy and take about 10 minutes. All you need is a 10 mm socket with a small ratchet. All you do is place the vault into the cargo area plastic insert and secure it by opening the vault door, reaching in and securing 6 screws from the inside of the vault. The screws go through the plastic insert to secure the vault.
Here is a picture of the underside of the vault:
Unfortunately I wasn't sure if the screws were going to hit anything substantial or if the vault could be easily lifted out along with the plastic insert, simply by unbolting the plastic insert.
So I removed the built in floor liner by removing the four "lasso" hooks in the corners of the cargo area. Once that was lifted up and out of the way, the four bolts holding down the plastic insert could be removed. With the floor liner down, the two bolts toward the front of the car that hold the insert down are visible but difficult to get a wrench or socket on to. That's the first challenge for a would-be thief that might want to try to unbolt the plastic liner and remove it with the vault.
Liner door lifted up:
Liner lifted up:
After removing the plastic insert, I looked for any nearby metal that I may be able to tap into with longer screws but nothing looked usable or easy. Then I realized that they key to this method of securing the vault is that the screws are long enough to go under the metal cargo floor in every direction.
This picture is after placing the vault in the plastic insert and screwing in one screw. I wanted to see how far they stick out.
The vault walls have thick, threaded screw holes. So the screws are securely connected to the vault walls. The connection to the plastic insert is mostly cosmetic because the way this thing really stays put is by having the screws extend below the metal floor.
If someone wanted to remove the vault, I hate to think about the damage they would do to the floor and plastic insert but they would likely leave frustrated. I also got under the car to see if the screws could be cut off but I couldn't get a single glimpse of a screw. The vault sits right over the muffler, which is under a heat shield. There's just too much stuff in the way. Score another point for security!
I'm pretty happy with it. It's solid and heavy. It comes with two keys. A standard installation could NOT be easier.
Pros: The metal is very heavy. It fits perfectly. Installation is easy. It's somewhat hidden. It would be very difficult to remove by someone not familiar with how it is secured.
Cons: It's not screwed into solid metal.
Ford accessories image:
My concern with this safe/vault was whether or not it would be secure enough to store anything of value. I have a soft top, which I know can be cut or removed. I may have the top down and be away from the car. I've even read that some people leave their soft top cars unlocked to avoid damage by someone intent on breaking in.
I couldn't find any install videos or reviews for this vault so I went through some extra effort before installing it, just so I could understand how it worked and how secure it was.
A normal installation would be very easy and take about 10 minutes. All you need is a 10 mm socket with a small ratchet. All you do is place the vault into the cargo area plastic insert and secure it by opening the vault door, reaching in and securing 6 screws from the inside of the vault. The screws go through the plastic insert to secure the vault.
Here is a picture of the underside of the vault:
Unfortunately I wasn't sure if the screws were going to hit anything substantial or if the vault could be easily lifted out along with the plastic insert, simply by unbolting the plastic insert.
So I removed the built in floor liner by removing the four "lasso" hooks in the corners of the cargo area. Once that was lifted up and out of the way, the four bolts holding down the plastic insert could be removed. With the floor liner down, the two bolts toward the front of the car that hold the insert down are visible but difficult to get a wrench or socket on to. That's the first challenge for a would-be thief that might want to try to unbolt the plastic liner and remove it with the vault.
Liner door lifted up:
Liner lifted up:
After removing the plastic insert, I looked for any nearby metal that I may be able to tap into with longer screws but nothing looked usable or easy. Then I realized that they key to this method of securing the vault is that the screws are long enough to go under the metal cargo floor in every direction.
This picture is after placing the vault in the plastic insert and screwing in one screw. I wanted to see how far they stick out.
The vault walls have thick, threaded screw holes. So the screws are securely connected to the vault walls. The connection to the plastic insert is mostly cosmetic because the way this thing really stays put is by having the screws extend below the metal floor.
If someone wanted to remove the vault, I hate to think about the damage they would do to the floor and plastic insert but they would likely leave frustrated. I also got under the car to see if the screws could be cut off but I couldn't get a single glimpse of a screw. The vault sits right over the muffler, which is under a heat shield. There's just too much stuff in the way. Score another point for security!
I'm pretty happy with it. It's solid and heavy. It comes with two keys. A standard installation could NOT be easier.
Pros: The metal is very heavy. It fits perfectly. Installation is easy. It's somewhat hidden. It would be very difficult to remove by someone not familiar with how it is secured.
Cons: It's not screwed into solid metal.
Sponsored
Last edited:
