Soft top security?

[BroncoBurgerWithCheese]

It's not difficult to put in or remove, but it's heavy and awkward to get in and out by yourself

So if you wanted to take it out, putting aside the weight and awkwardness issues, how long would it take you to disconnect and remove?

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[zombie]

A few years ago I had someone smash the passenger window out of my mustang so they could steal a friend's sunglasses and jacket... (I was lucky they didn't take my military kit that was in the back seat)

but not before they tried to pry the "door" open from the top (they were actually trying to pry the rain gutter since they clearly hadn't see frameless windows in a door before) then tried to pry near the latch with no luck.

They did $3,500 damage to the door/roof before they got frustrated/scared/bored and smashed the window that would have cost me a couple hundred to replace.

Ever since then, I don't even bother locking the doors.

 

[SolidSnake]

So if you wanted to take it out, putting aside the weight and awkwardness issues, how long would it take you to disconnect and remove?

10-15 min. Probably little longer if you have a ton of stuff to take out because you pull the draw out when taking the 4 bolts off. Probably faster if you leave the legs installed

 

[JakeC]

Here. I went and took some pics

Have to ask: What’s up with the funnels? Oil-change on the trail?

 

[SolidSnake]

Have to ask: What’s up with the funnels? Oil-change on the trail?

. I live in an apt so just easier to keep the funnels in the bronco in case I have to add any fluids. Not easy reaching them with just the bottle with sasquatch

 

[Panaran]

Thanks for the tips. I hadn’t even thought about the windows!

Goddamnit, me either until just now lol.

 

[HarderCorer]

Not a stupid quesion at all Mark. The tops are designed to be a bit loose as the weather will cause them to shrink, or loosen. As far as security, if a criminal wants to break into a vehicle they will, no matter the top. Just keep valuables out of sigh as most vehicle break-ins are what us old LEO's call a "crime of opportunity". Basically they don't have any intentions to break into any particular vehicle. But if they see some real good stuff why not take it, and move on.

I've owned soft top vehicles for years, and I never leave anything, and I mean anything in sight. Don't even leave your sun glasses where a crook can see them. It might be a sunny day, and they have the sun in their eyes.

Congratulations, and enjoy that Bronco.

This is great advice. Most the time you'd be better off with the roof and doors removed security wise. If they wanted to damage the car, they can do that with a brick already. If there isn't anything to grab, they'll just move on.

 

[The_Viking]

This just happened to a buddy a few days ago (in Denver, "secured" parking garage)...

This is why we cant have nice things.

 

[DUSTYcazOREGON]

It's a soft top, it's not meant to be secure. You're overlooking an even more blatant "security" flaw, the rear panels are easily removed from the outside of the vehicle without tools, simply pull the velcro for the roof away and access the plastic clips, undo the 3 clips and you can literally take just about anything you can reach.

If security is/was anywhere near the top of your list of priorities, a soft top is not a very good choice.

Yep....there is no security with a soft top. The use to get sliced into all the time around here......the main reason I don't want one!!! So the 2 door MIC continues to..................................WAIT!

 

[Longbow]

Wouldn't a motion alarm inside scare most idiots away? not sure if those can sense through windows or not.... I would hate false alarms. Leave doors unlocked and alarm set? Maybe one that sends me a notification to my phone so I can sneak out and put the fear of god in them. =)

 

[CMillBronco]

I've had a few Jeeps and one thing is for sure with a soft top, scumbags target them. I had tried everything form hiding things to an alarm with proximety sensor, none of that worked. The only thing that worked for me were steel lockable bolted down center consoles from Tuffy.

I even hid a beer under my drivers seat up in the seat springs once, was gone for an hour at night and when I came back it was gone.

 

[bodean]

As others have said. Soft tops, always left the doors unlocked with no valuables inside.

Otherwise you always risk your top being slashed.

 

[BrentC]

Trunk monkey FTW.

j/k - thanks for putting up some good ideas for security. Not sure what I’m going to do yet because I’ll need to have skis in the back and the lockable box won’t help me much there.

Likely I’ll just use my F150 to go to the hill. Interesting to note, I’ve had a soft roll-up box cover on my F150s since 2000, and I’ve stored everything in there without incident. The out of sight, out of mind concept holds true.

 

[FlyingBronco]

This just happened to a buddy a few days ago (in Denver, "secured" parking garage)...

I live 15 away from downtown Denver. “Secured” garage? That’s sketchy, brazen a-holes in the city, the events over the last 18 months have only emboldened criminals. Luckily, I’m in a house and have my own garage. This is a good reminder to always be aware of where you are going and to never leave items in the open. You almost have to tell yourself that there is no top at all. I had a buddy in college who had a soft top mustang, they slashed his top and took his Sirius radio. Cops were like

My aunt lives in Atlanta and has street parking. Drives a Grand Cherokee. Windows are always busted out in her area, which isn’t even a bad area. The police says criminals pay attention to cars they think a male would drive, because of the possibility somebody leaves a firearm stashed away. Kinda crazy.

 

[Wanted33]

"Trunk Monkey", everybody should have one. lol

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