Howdy, just drove home my new 2019 GMC Denali pickup, really wanted that new tailgate. Previous had 2011 Avalanche that was never tampered with. My question is how theft prevention implemented on these new vehicles. Thinking of taking the new truck to So. Padre for a couple of days. What are the chances of theft there? Any proactive steps to take to prevent theft? Thanks!!!

Puryear Playboy said:

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When I am concerned about that possibility with my trucks I pull the fuse for the fuel pump and either hide it in the truck or take it with me.

No fuel pump, no driving away with my truck. They can break the lock cylinder, hot wire it, whatever...the starter will even crank and crank.

When I leave one in a questionable area I have been know to put a blown fuse in that slot too so that it's not immediately apparent a fuse is missing.

In my youth I might have occasionally taken the rotors out of my brothers distributors. It was alway fun watching them try to figure out why their car wouldn't run and they had to borrow mom's for a big date...or the prom.

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How you shall now be pictured...

have an f150....the tailgate is a popular item for thieves. several ways to help deter them. Yes parking up against something works b/c they need to be able to lower fully to remove it. But that's not always an option

here's an option that I have on my truck....can do even cheaper with a hose clamp but I figured those would be easier to cut if they really wanted. My hope is if they lower tailgate and see this they'll simply move on

https://www.amazon.com/Master-Lock-Tailgate-Stainless-8253DAT/dp/B007OSL3DY

Mark Fairchild said:

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Howdy, just drove home my new 2019 GMC Denali pickup, really wanted that new tailgate. Previous had 2011 Avalanche that was never tampered with. My question is how theft prevention implemented on these new vehicles. Thinking of taking the new truck to So. Padre for a couple of days. What are the chances of theft there? Any proactive steps to take to prevent theft? Thanks!!!

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Sadly beaches are magnets for derelicts and addicts so you should probably plan accordingly. Also is that tailgate as amazing as it looks on TV?

trip98 said:

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have an f150....the tailgate is a popular item for thieves. several ways to help deter them. Yes parking up against something works b/c they need to be able to lower fully to remove it. But that's not always an option

here's an option that I have on my truck....can do even cheaper with a hose clamp but I figured those would be easier to cut if they really wanted. My hope is if they lower tailgate and see this they'll simply move on

https://www.amazon.com/Master-Lock-Tailgate-Stainless-8253DAT/dp/B007OSL3DY

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A coworker had one of those on his F150 and still had his tailgate stolen while parked at a nice hotel parking lot near the Med District in Dallas. In his words "the thieves were at least nice enough to leave my lock (unlocked) and sitting in the bed of my truck for me." They either picked it or there are a limited amount of key combos for that lock and the thieves had all of them.

Don't know if you'd be better off with a hose clamp with the edges ground flat and the head JB'd full.

Last time someone tampered with my truck it was near medical center in Dallas, too, and I live in Round Rock. They stole my gas cap and left me with some POS cap instead. I didn't notice it until that evening when I pulled in to get gas, and opened the cap to find the plastic retainer cord for it, which hooks on the fuel door while fueling, was missing. That's odd I thought....then I started looking at it. Thieves suck!

I had someone steal my tailgate once, so I bought a tailgate lock that helps with it. It is not the one shown above. I will try to look for it, and post a picture. I have had my tailgate ever since.

edit...it's more like this one:

https://www.carid.com/pop-lock/gate-defender-tailgate-lock.html?offermpnid=697787534&view=123456&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlLP95OS34wIVCr7ACh1P3QP2EAQYASABEgJddPD_BwE

rootube said:

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Do I understand your post correctly. Someone was garbage enough to steal your gas cap and thoughtful enough to replace it with an inferior version of a gas cap. We live in strange times.

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Yes, their replacement was a cracked piece of crap too. Why would someone want to steal something that costs $7-10?

Quote:

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Why would someone want to steal something that costs $7-10?

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You just defined the life of a crack head.

A dollar here, 5 there, enough to buy the next high.

That area of Dallas doesn't seem to have a shortage of loser drug addicts either, so you are most likely correct!!!

I put a kill switch in. If u dont want to do that pull the ecm, starter or fuel fuse. Though doing that alot will wear out the fuse holder.

As for stuff, i cram so much nasty garbage in there that a thief would take 30 minutes to find something worth stealing. When traveling i also make sure to leave dirty socks and underwear lying all over everything while at the hotel.

Works like a charm.

Aggieangler93 said:

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rootube said:

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Do I understand your post correctly. Someone was garbage enough to steal your gas cap and thoughtful enough to replace it with an inferior version of a gas cap. We live in strange times.

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Yes, their replacement was a cracked piece of crap too. Why would someone want to steal something that costs $7-10?

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I know. This thread makes me sad. I had no idea stealing tailgates was a thing let alone gas caps.

When you are stealing a 10 year old gas cap off a 2006 truck, what are you actually gaining?

rootube: Yes, the tailgate is amazing. Looking at anti theft stuff for it, but reading these posts just confirms that if the bad guys REALLY want it, they are going to get it. There are not many of these 'gates' out there yet so perhaps that is an advantage, the F 150 is so much more popular that perhaps that is why they go for those.

Everytime my truck has been broken into I had an overnight bag visible. Keeping things out of sight seems to be a fairly good way to prevent it, most often. I travel a lot with a lot of equipment and keeping things out of sight is not always possible. I've moved toward getting dark bags or leaving a rain jacket in the back seat. I put the darkest items on top, dark side up or cover things with the rain jacket. I also have a hard BakIndustries bed cover.

Other than locking the doors I've never taken further preventative measures for actual truck theft.

Ultimately what it boils down to is if they want it they'll get it.

Aggieangler93 said:

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rootube said:

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Do I understand your post correctly. Someone was garbage enough to steal your gas cap and thoughtful enough to replace it with an inferior version of a gas cap. We live in strange times.

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Yes, their replacement was a cracked piece of crap too. Why would someone want to steal something that costs $7-10?

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When I was in high school, someone swapped out the gas cap for my truck with a locking gas cap. Found out as I'm at the pump sitting on an empty tank.

Recently bought a new ram, the tailgate locks when you lock the doors and it has LoJack. From what i understand about LoJack it must be stolen to be activated. .