I just got kicked out of my boondocking spot

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My old van doesn't have a chipped key (thank god). I don't much care for them as it is something else to break. Can you even buy a vehicle with hand crank windows anymore? Standard shift is getting pretty rare too except for the truck and hotrod crowd. Get stick shift if you don't want it stolen. I bet most younger people have never seen a stick shift much less driven one.

A hide-a-key in a hard to get to spot works for me. If someone finds it and takes the van, shame on me for not hiding it better or they broke in and hotwired it. I don't think any vehicle can be made theft proof.
 
Zork said:
If you don't know how to break into your own vehicle and start it up without a key, you are unprepared.

I guess Im unprepared as well if thats the goalpost. Modern vehicles arent as simple to hotwire as older ones, and I have no desire to learn how to do it. If one wishes to destroy their steering column in the name of being prepared and being able to start their vehicle without a key, be my guest. I keep a spare chipped key in an undisclosed location as well as a couple unchipped keys, one always on me, and the remote not attached to the ignition key. Seems less work and trouble than breaking in and hotwiring my own vehicle.

Again, Im continually surprised at how few people plan ahead in such a simple thing as having a spare key on them, and not leaving the key in it OR the doors unlocked when doing seemingly innocuous stuff like getting gas. If I get out of the vehicle the key is out and in my pocket, and doors are locked at all times Im either getting gas or turn my back on the vehicle. No deviation, and no reason to other than laziness and refusing to accept that one isnt so cosmically awesome that random miscreants wouldnt possible have the audacity to steal from them.

If one hasnt been paying attention, one of the new rackets is crouched down low, coming up to the opposite side door of some oblivious person getting gas, opening the generally unlocked passenger side door, reaching in for a purse or anything not nailed down and potentially valuable, and leaving quietly. Many people dont have a clue theyve been robbed for some time or how it happened. The other thing is leaving the keys in it and then you are basically giving away your car for free when they strongarm or dash and drive your car away. Leaving a vehicle running when running in a store quickly is the absolute height of foolishness in offering your car to any jerk that decides to take it, and the cars can be pretty trashed or wrecked, IF they are recovered. Please be smart folks, its really pretty simple to avoid all sorts of unpleasant situations with just a SMALL amount of common sense and thinking ahead.

Having a spare key is a really simple precaution and step in the right direction of taking care of your stuff. When living in your rig, it would seem even more important to think one step ahead of something so simple as a lockout.
 
I didn't realize when I updated from a '05 to a '16 express. If you lock the doors with no weight on the drivers seat and close the doors with a key in the ignition it will unlock the dr side door automatically. That said, the day I bought it I got a 3rd key. Put it in a hide a key taped it closed, hid it then spray coated the hole under side (including hide a key)  with several coats of 3m (green can) under coat. You'd have no clue what your looking at. Still there after all these years and 30,000 miles
 
MrNoodly said:
I have a hide-a-key stuck to the frame of my van. I've had to access it a handful of times.
Yup, I've got a key safe bolted to the frame of my van for just such an unpleasant experience.  
It's not super easy to get at, but then that's probably a good thing. 
I don't keep it there all the time.  Just when on road trips or camping, when I know I'll be in and out of the back a lot and will be far from home. 

So far I haven't locked myself out, but if you have the door locked while inside, then get out, the door will re-lock if you close it.  

I don't carry a spare key with me because my key is chipped and the remote is built into the key, which makes it bulky.
 
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