Paranoid About Security: Attempted Breakin

[SST]

I sleep in the back of my Ford Ranger in an urban environment. I only have one way in and out of the back of the bed, since I don't have a slide window between the cab and camper, or side windows on the camper. A couple nights ago, someone tried to break-in to my truck cab while I was sleeping in the back. After a couple minutes of him messing with the passenger lock, I yelled as loud as I could "YOU ****!" He got in his SUV and drove away. Now I'm a bit paranoid and looking for suggestions on how to feel more empowered if this ever happens again. Having a firearm is not an option I want to consider. A dog is out of the question, as I'm doing this full time while going to school.

I've looked over some of the older posts to get ideas on how to lock my shell from the inside, locking the tailgate, and having a dog/gun for protection. What would have you done if this happened to you?

[BIGdaddy]

Whether living in a house, or living in a car, theives will exploit every opportunity to rip you off...

Some common themes come up as deterrants:

-Nothing flashy, the more normal you can seem the better

-Highly lit exterior -Same idea on a house as parking under or near a bright source of light. The more visible you are, the less of a target you'll be. You'll obviously have to balance this with being seen by those who would turn you in for "urban stealth camping".

-Theives hate witnesses. They'll find the most deserted urban area to steal from, to "up the odds" that they won't be disturbed or observed. Consequently, parking on a busier street, that is at least lightly travelled or parking in a lot full of travelers (wal-mart for example welcomes RV's to park in certain parts of their lots) is a great deterrant.

-You talk about not having a gun or a dog, but lets be honest here, both are very good deterrants. Lets take them one by one.
1. A dog, or to be more specific, the fear that a dogs bark creates in people is very effective. Why risk getting bit when you can just move to different "dogless" target. Maybe you could consider a device that can emit a dog's bark if you hit a "panic" button in the middle of the night, if a dog simply isn't an option...

2. Guns are great weapons because you don't have to close on your opponent to use one. Could there be an alternative to a gun that would work the same for you, that the law would expect to find in a working man's pickup? Shovel, machete, axe, crowbar, high-quality hardwood walking stick/cane? Or would you consider something like a crossbow that wouldn't attract attention due to noise? I'd check your local regulations on those things, as well as less-lethal weapons like tazers as well.

Just some thoughts.

[Treenail]

You could wire a switch in the back that allows you to turn on the head and clearance lights. A manual horn switch would work too.

Tom

[keezer37]

If you can afford a slider rear window, that and a can of bear spray might do the trick. Or you could go for the kinder, gentler pepper spray so the would be burglar can't sue you.

[TFRI]

.40 caliber is my first choice.
What about a car alarm? One with a panic button on the fob.

[bmxer06pa]

Be careful spraying bear or pepper spray in an enclosed area like that. You might get in your eyes also.

[RangeBrover]

I'd rig up a way to keep the hatch closed from inside and would keep my .45 close by. I find that a large caliber handgun is universal for go away. If a gun isn't a possibility I'd go for a bat or even stealthier a shovel, either one will do plenty of damage at close range. The mace or pepper spray seems like a bad idea for an enclosed environment.

[Toyotero]

I've been planning to install a simple alarm in my 4Runner.

I'll be looking for an alarm with a shock sensor and an electrical sensor to wire to the dome light to trigger it when a door is opened.

BTW, in my previous 4R, I had problems with the alarm starter cut-out circuit failing to enable the starter, leaving me nearly stranded (push started it), so I'll never again touch the factory wires required to make a vehicle run. (Note, it was installed by a big box electronics store :-(

It your case, it would be nice to have the remote panic button to trigger the alarm while you are inside the vehicle. This could help you to avoid an engagement with the perp.... as nice as it would be for the rest of us that you would remove him from the gene pool, it would put you at more risk than simply turning on the alarm and watching him run away.

Something like this for $40 would do the job: http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...er-SP-101.html

[SST]

I decided to purchase a 130dB personal alarm, pepper spray, baseball bat, and pop-n-lock tailgate lock. Still working on how to secure the rear hatch. Thanks for all the suggestions.

How legal would it be to shoot someone if they're trying to break in to your car? Don't you have to try to flee first and only use deadly force if threatened with deadly force?

[BIGdaddy]

I decided to purchase a 130dB personal alarm, pepper spray, baseball bat, and pop-n-lock tailgate lock. Still working on how to secure the rear hatch. Thanks for all the suggestions.

How legal would it be to shoot someone if they're trying to break in to your car? Don't you have to try to flee first and only use deadly force if threatened with deadly force?

In California:

A house = domicile/residence. Within a domicile/private residence, so-called castle doctrine's apply where you are not required to flee. You can stand and fight, INSIDE your home, OR once you are off of a public right of way, which does NOT include an unfenced front yard.

This fight could very well include shooting to STOP an intruder from causing you or a family bodily harm. You have a right to shoot until the threat is no longer posing a GRAVE AND IMMEDIATE risk. if they are heading back out of your car or house, they are no longer a threat and you could totally be prosecuted if you shot them because technically they are disengaging and should legally be allowed to flee, or detained.

When staying in a hotel or sleeping in a tent in a campsite, those rules also apply.

In your situation, if they aren't inside the car with you and you shoot them OUTside the car, you likely be in hot water. (Not to mention you wouldn't be really be able to identify your target.

You need to look and see if a vehicle that is not registered as a RV (or even one that is) would be covered under California "castle doctrine" rules. My thinking, is that, no, it probably is not.

You'd likely be prosecuted for these misdimeanors/felonies among others:

-posession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle
-discharging a gun within city limits
-public endangerment
-manslaughter/murder/attempted murder, etc... for the person you shoot and miss, shoot and hit as well as any bystanders that are hit in the houses you're sleeping next to, once the pellets/bullets pass through the thin sheetmetal/fiberglass of your vehicle and continue on their path.


So yeah, your first ideas are better ones.