Soft top down unattended?

[CT203]

I’m wondering how many people leave their Bronco unattended with the top down when they go into work, a store, the gym, etc. This is my first time having a soft top and I guess I’m a little paranoid. I know I see people in jeeps do it all the time. Obviously I know not to leave anything in the Bronco but what’s everybody’s thoughts and experiences? Thanks.

First rule is just to never leave anything of value in there.
Top down, windows up, doors locked If you want to keep anything like sunglasses or whatever from being grabbed. It takes some real effort to climb in to get something. If there’s not much or nothing to take, who cares. They’re not going to steal it.
As others have said it also depends a little on where you are.

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[BlueOvalBandit]

I left my door unlocked for 30 minutes after forgetting to relock them. Guy walked up my driveway, which is normally gated, and stole an ID card I had in the covered console. Mind you I have cameras all over and the only reason I left the gate open and forgot to lock the door was spectrum was over doing an install and I just moved my Bronco over. Shit bag people will just look for opportunities to exploit, don't give them one.

 

[Jawbox]

One nice thing about having the top down is that no one will slice open a window. Had that happen on a Jeep.

 

[Marauder]

We are speaking of 2 different items. One is theft, which opportunity drives most of it. How easy it it to get how much reward is it once they have it, ex $20 book vs someone’s iPad.

The other is vandalism which can be done with any vehicle inside or out. Broken windshield taillights or touch screen.

It’s all relative. If you leave a bike on your porch, it could get taken. If you have an Antenna Ball, prepare for someone to eventually take it.

if you have something nice and new, prepare for some irrational douche to not respect your stuff.

Frankly, I am far more concerned with the center dash screen than leaving any article behind.

Check that… I may even concern myself with some a-hole messing with a kids seat. So, qualify me on the side of limiting dickhead moments.

It wasn’t that long ago videos of DBags licking produce was going viral.

 

[JaxGtc]

One nice thing about having the top down is that no one will slice open a window. Had that happen on a Jeep.

Sorry that happened to you. I hear that concern a lot, but I actually don't hear about it happening nearly as often.

 

[Jawbox]

Sorry that happened to you. I hear that concern a lot, but I actually don't hear about it happening nearly as often.

Things happen and thieves suck. It's mostly frustrating when they damage things like that. Had a lock pried out of my old YJ's hard doors when I had it parked with the hardtop once too. Living at an apartment complex, at the time, and it was a magnet for that kind of thing. All to get a cheap aftermarket stereo that didn't even work!

Better than they guys who left work to the sound of straight pipes when their Cats were sawed off.

 

[JaxGtc]

I made the mistake of leaving something of value in plain sight with my soft top/door jeep and it was gone the next day. My brother-in-law used to call it a "stupid tax". I unfortunately paid it.

 

[First BaseMan]

If its nice out I'll leave my top open (hard top but same idea). I have a couple of classic convertibles that so long as it doesn't rain I'll leave the top down. Never had any issues with anyone touching or damaging anything. Also keep zero things of value (or,anything really) not locked away out of sight.

I've left the Oldsmobile outside the mall, movie theater, parked downtown for hours on end.

Delta 88?

 

[Big Barney]

Couple years ago a co-worker parked his topless Jeep in the company parking lot and went out at lunch to find two young interns sitting in it taking selfies. He told them to get the hell out of his vehicle and one of them pulled the entitled “do you know who I am” shit. My buddy replied “no, but suppose you tell me”. Turns out it was the CEO’s niece, so my buddy goes straight to his office and reports the incident to his assistant. Next day she was gone and the other one was demoted to the mail room. We found out later that the CEO had his Harley damaged once by some ninny hopping on it for a selfie.

 

[BostonGuy]

Just don't leave anything in it you don't' want stolen, even in decent areas it's a good habit. I also leave my glove box and center console unlocked after having both broken into years ago in a jeep.

 

[Cable Guy]

Living near to (within miles) the George Floyd riots and the subsequent outrageous and sustained increase in all levels of crime (made worse by the worthless mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul) I would ‘t sit in my Bronco, in my locked garage while armed and assume it won’t be stolen within 10 minutes.

 

[ByrdDogX]

In my Jeep, I leave the top and doors off. Only had one problem in 5 years and that was in a sketchy part of town. Ill probably be looking at a proximity alarm at some point.

 

[indio22]

I learned more than two decades not to leave anything unsecured in a soft top vehicle that I wasn't willing to lose. It might not happen, but there's nothing stopping anyone either.

If you have things you don't want to lose that you need to leave in the vehicle, get some kind of locking vault to secure it.

EDIT: If you just are concerned about sun damage, UV will fade damage things over time. That I can live with. My Fiat has the top down all summer, but I park in a garage.

Yep I learned some people will steal just to steal. Anything that's not nailed down. They will take some worthless piece of junk from the vehicle, just because.

I left the top down on my CJ-5 all the time, even in dicey areas of Chicagoland. But then, I only paid $1,400 for that CJ, which honestly was quite liberating, causing me not to worry much about it.

Mischief was the main thing. Top down seems to invite certain people to toss things into the vehicle ... empty soda can, lunch bag, etc. Or I'd find that someone messed with the manual shifter, or glovebox door was hanging down. A few times I'd returned to find kids playing in it, lol.

Probably worst thing was, someone took a spare quart of oil laying on the floor of my CJ, and poured it down the fuel filler. After that, I became a big fan of locking gas caps, locking hood, and leaving nothing in the vehicle to give people ideas.

Leaving the top up won't stop a determined thief, but it could reduce some mischief.

 

[adrencg]

I look at this way...if you leave it open (even with the doors off) there has to be someone in the vicinity actively looking for that type of opportunity, which is probably a low chance depending on which neighborhood you're in. The odds will go up the longer its left alone.

But if someone wants in they're going to do it regardless of top up or top down.

 

[The_Viking]

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