Back in the news: Tailgate thefts on rise

[Crunch]

At least that's what the local news in North Texas is reporting. I wonder if the number of tailgate thefts have really dropped over last few years, or if that story is just due up in the news rotation again. But it did remind me that the last time I saw it a few years ago I meant to do the hose clamp "fix", but clearly forgot about it. Now I'm thinking of actually doing it, but part of me is saying that if I were out stealing tailgates I'd like to think I was smart enough to bring a nut drive along.

But that also reminds me of another theft story I heard last year. I stopped at a dealership in Oklahoma to buy the light board for the rear turn signal/brake/backup lights. As I was entering the parts/service area there was a very angry man complaining about something being the second one he had stolen in a short period of time, and that they cost him several thousand dollars for the two. The manager took him to a more private room to deal with the situation and after he was gone I asked another employee what he had stolen twice. Turns out it was an exhaust filter, which is one more reason I'm glad I have a 2003 truck. Several months ago I was telling this to someone else and they told me about a dealer somewhere who had several of them stolen off trucks over a weekend.

 

[jgillott]

Catalytic converter thefts are big here right now. There was just a rash of them at one of our local shopping malls.

 

[shorthorn]

Catalytic converter thefts are big here right now. There was just a rash of them at one of our local shopping malls.

Indeed Cat Convertor thefts are huge in my area too... Crooks are dump though, they are targeting little cars. They would have a gold mine if they stole my cat (I kind of wish they they would!)

I do have a Pop Lock on my tail gate handle.. Crooks could still steal it if they wanted, but at least they have to work for it.

 

[Crunch]

I just got back from the Home Despot and installed the recommended band clamp. For those interested, it was the 3/4" - 1 3/4" size, and was only 98 cents. Like I said earlier, if I were in the tailgate stealing business I'd like to think I was smart enough to bring a nut driver along. But criminals do tend to be stupid, and the band clamp does provide more than 98 cents worth of deterrence insurance so it is definitely worth a buck and 10 minutes of time to do. Kind of like the Club back in the day. The device itself didn't provide true security, but its visibility provided a deterrence effect. I remember people trying to sue the Club people for not honoring their warranty because they wouldn't pay off if thieves used a hacksaw to cut through the steering wheel and removed the Club through the cut. Their defense was that the device didn't fail so it wasn't their problem. I don't know how the lawsuits fared, but I haven't seen the Club on cars for many years now and I'm guessing that the Club manufacturer won their lawsuit battles, but lost the war when people stopped buying their product.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

I install the hose clamp so I have to tighten it from underneath the truck with a socket and long extension. I also paint it body color so it is less obvious.