How would you hide camera gear in a Grand Cherokee? (Page 6): Pile it all in the "way back" and throw a set of bagpipes on top of it. No one will go near it. (Sorry, old musicians joke)...

Dannj

Pile it all in the "way back" and throw a set of bagpipes on top of it. No one will go near it.
(Sorry, old musicians joke)

CPR Loc: Nature Coast of Florida

My Dad was a news photographer in Washington DC so it was hard to keep gear in the car. He had a station wagon so built a heavy wooden box and bolted it to the floor in the back. The rear hatch door when opened allowed access.
He left all the doors unlocked and frequently left the windows rolled down - a local resident smashed the wing window anyway to open the unlocked door...............

balticvid Loc: Queens now NJ

jonsommer wrote:

My Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit came with blacked out windows on the 2nd row back to and including the tailgate. It also came with a roll out cover for the 'way back' area. When the cover is rolled out anything under it kinda disappears. If your Jeep didn't come with these options, I'm pretty sure that a visit to the parts department at your dealership will have you fixed up in seconds.

Perfect. My son races bicycles, his vehicle is set up the same way.
He had a shop add the black out windows.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

CPR wrote:

My Dad was a news photographer in Washington DC so it was hard to keep gear in the car. He had a station wagon so built a heavy wooden box and bolted it to the floor in the back. The rear hatch door when opened allowed access.
He left all the doors unlocked and frequently left the windows rolled down - a local resident smashed the wing window anyway to open the unlocked door...............

thieves are not smart. If they were, they wouldn't be thieves. . .

Bear2 Loc: Southeast,, MI

SteveR wrote:

I'd like to take the Jeep on a trip, but if we were to take a hike and not take all the camera gear, just how do you secure valuable items in a Grand Cherokee? The other option is to take the car and secure the gear in the trunk. The Jeep would be preferable, though, for some of the roads.

Do you have the shade that overs the back compartment? (About a hundred dollars)
Go to Joanne Fabric and buy a yard and a half of black felt for twenty bucks, and cover everything in the back.
I am driving my sixth Jeep, and no issues.
Hope this helps.

Duane

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

FRENCHY wrote:

This is one of the best on the market and for almost all vehicles

http://www.truckvault.com/sub/Jeep/Wrangler_Unlimited/

Then they will steal the truck.

I have seen ATMs, old phone booths, parking meters, etc stolen. I had a motorcycle that I thought was safe chained to a thick wrought iron fence post - the next morning there was a hole in the ground where the post was anchored, and both the post, the post's foundation and the motorcycle were gone - the bike was 15 yrs and wasn't worth more than $500, but they went through the trouble.

These so called security and anti-theft devices are minor deterrents, and people who buy them believe they will work, until the inevitable happens. Take the camera gear with you.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

SteveR wrote:

Thanks for the excellent advice. It also helps to assure me, since we'll only be in one place that I'm concerned about and it will be a National Monument. Do thieves really hang out in National Monuments???? Besides....how could I argue with a guy named Steve??

46 Days, 21 hours, 46 minutes until Michigan-Ohio State

Call the NPS and ask about thefts from cars at national monuments.\

This is written for those who rent cars, but easily could be more broadly applied to anyone who is visiting another place, with out of state license plates:

https://www.smartertravel.com/2016/09/09/how-to-avoid-rental-car-theft/

"Almost all stress that you shouldn’t leave attractive target items such as cameras, computers, smart phones, and jewelry in plain sight when you park a car and leave it for a while. Don’t leave guidebooks and maps in plain sight. They even suggest hiding charging cords, which indicate that there’s something tempting nearby. They note that thieves tend to focus on spots with heavy visitor traffic, such as parking lots for national parks, famous monuments, and airports. One source even suggested leaving a copy of a local newspaper on the seat to try to show you’re a local."

bob fleer Loc: Annapolis, MD

I use state farm insurance they required invoices for equipment and serial numbers their coverage is 100% no matter stole, lost, damaged or dropped overboard on a ship. My cost is $105.00 per year to cover about $7000.00 of gear. it is written on its own policy not part of any other policy. I am sure other insurance companies have a similar policy check with the company you use.

Big Bill Loc: Phoenix, AZ

jerryc41 wrote:

Remember the poster who said his insurance didn't pay because there was no sign of forced entry?

That wasn't his insurance; it was a rented car, and the insurance came with the car, IIRC.
My insurance (USAA) would have paid for it.

carl hervol Loc: jacksonville florida

Make a plywood box the size of the back floor of the jeep and cover with the color of the carpeting that in the jeep that's what I did .just for the equipment not the camera bags ,the box is only 5 in deep and it looks like the floor.

GEANNIE

I have a cargo cover in my Kia plus with tinted windows you can't tell if something is in the back.

Gpa-15 Loc: Tinton Falls, NJ

bob fleer wrote:

I use state farm insurance they required invoices for equipment and serial numbers their coverage is 100% no matter stole, lost, damaged or dropped overboard on a ship. My cost is $105.00 per year to cover about $7000.00 of gear. it is written on its own policy not part of any other policy. I am sure other insurance companies have a similar policy check with the company you use.

--------------
Hi 'Bob Fleer'... Thanks Bob, THAT is precisely the 'info' that the 'Jeep-Owner' needs.!.!.!

lowkick Loc: Connecticut

SteveR wrote:

I'd like to take the Jeep on a trip, but if we were to take a hike and not take all the camera gear, just how do you secure valuable items in a Grand Cherokee? The other option is to take the car and secure the gear in the trunk. The Jeep would be preferable, though, for some of the roads.

I drive a 2012 Chrysler Town and Country van. I carry my gear in a rolling Pelican case, from which I fill my camera bag. I have 2 luggage locks on the case itself. Then I use a heavy duty cable for locking a bicycle, along with a heavy duty lock. I loop the cable through the floor points that the seats clip into and wind it through the end handle of the Pelican case, around the case and through the side handle of the case, then lock the two ends of the cable together with the bike lock. Then I cover it with a dark blanket that is hard to see through the darkly tinted windows of the van. That way, a smash and grab type theft is almost impossible. To grab the whole Pelican case would take a great amount of work, and the case is locked, making it difficult for them to open it and just grab the contents. While nothing is 100% perfect, this is the most secure setup I could think of. This setup requires a bit more time and effort to access my gear and re-secure it, but it gives me the most peace of mind when I have to leave expensive gear behind in the van.

katbandit Loc: new york city

leave it at the nearest hotel in their safe ..then drive to your hiking location..there is no way i would leave any gear in a car ..hidden or not i always say my car has insurance for theft but try proving your camera gear was in there..besides would you want to lose your memory cards etc along with it..

Paul J. Svetlik Loc: Colorado

Another possibility might be to reduce the equipment so you can carry it with you?
In most cases I can expect what is really needed to take for the shorter trips and that is what I usually do even with my large format cameras.
Tripods are a different issue - but they are easier to hide under some rags or plastic bags on the floor.
BTW the car interior gets pretty hot - not good for cameras left in the vehicle.