Three Mods to Secure Your Cargo Van and RV
Most people in Vancouver have seen the ubiquitous white cargo cans roaming the city. They come in different shapes and sizes but they’re essential for small business and big businesses alike. Commercial cargo vans are everywhere in Vancouver which makes them easy targets for vandals and thieves. After all, they basically advertise what’s inside and items like tools are easy to resell on the black market through websites like Facebook Marketplace and eBay.
The purpose of this article is to discuss three modifications you can install to upgrade the security of your cargo van. This article will be of interest to small business owners, fleet managers and also overlanding/stealth campers to use the same cargo vans for recreational vehicles and homes-on-wheels. We have listed them in the order of ease of installation.
As always, if you have any questions or comments, please call or text me at 604-363-2760. You can also email me at alex@locksmithvancouver.com. Our Downtown Vancouver Key Store is open Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm and we offer mobile locksmithing services from 8am to 11:30pm everyday. Just a reminder that our Tri-Cities location is mobile only and not open to the public.
Easiest to Install – Slick Locks
Slick Locks are a trademarked product that are still Made in the USA. The company is based in Chicago, IL. Their unique feature is a cover that freely spins over the puck lock. This makes it much more difficult to drill the surface or to vise-grip the lock.
In addition, Slick Locks are easy enough to install that you can do it yourself without the help of an automotive locksmith. The mounting brackets are designed to fit onto existing bolt holes from the vehicle manufacturer. However, depending on your model, you may need to drill and tap one or two extra holes – particularly on the rear cargo doors.
In terms of ease of use, I find Slick Locks are like standard puck locks – easy to forget to use. The lock has to be removed completely to open the door so a lot of people in the trades just leave them off for the day which negates their protection.
Since they are not permanently attached to the mounting brackets, it’s not unusual for clients to get in the habit of forgetting to use them and losing them somewhere after a prolonged period of time.
In terms of protection, I find that Slick Locks will defeat most of the casual thieves. These are criminals who roam around town with limited tools which are probably just a few pieces of spark plug caps, window breakers, or a small pry bar.
These vandals are opportunistic and focus on smash-and-grabs. Smash your window and grab what is in plain view.
However, Slick Locks will not deter hardcore thieves with a better tool set. The mounting brackets that facilitate easy installation also are fairly easy to cut off with a sawzall or a hack saw. With a decent power tool and blade, a thief will defeat the device in under a minute.
As a result, while Slick Locks are easy to install, there are better options for those who desire higher security.
Moderate Difficulty to Install – Tufloc
Tufloc is another Made in USA product that is quite popular in Vancouver – particularly with larger fleet vehicles. I believe it’s because some of the brands (i.e. Ford) allows their vans to be configured with the Tufloc installed from the factory or the dealership’s outfitter. The Tufloc company is based in Canton, Ohio.
Tufloc has several advantages over the traditional puck lock or it’s cousin the Slick Lock:
- Permanently attached to vehicle
- No exposed mounting brackets
- Allows for high security cylinders
Tufloc is quite a well known brand in the Law Enforcement and Military sphere and their products are truly heavy duty. Their mounting brackets are made of hardened steel and not easily damaged. Due to their slim profile and free spinning carbide locking bolts, the lock is not only visually non-intrusive, but also very difficult to cut off even with power tools.
Tufloc locks are also permanently attached to the vehicle. As a result, employees and users will have little reason to lose the lock (i.e. puck and Slick Locks) or not use it every time they close doors.
Finally, one of the best reasons to get a Tufloc is that their default cylinders are High Security Cylinders. You normally order them with a Medeco or an Abloy Cylinder and can order them Keyed Alike/Keyed Differently or Master Keyed.
This is not really an option with most puck and Slick Locks. With those, you are stuck with cylinders that are:
- Easier to pick open
- Easier to drill open
- Does not last long when exposed to the elements
The Medeco version is a fine choice. However, for Canadian clients, I recommend the Abloy version. The Disc Detainer design allows water to flow out of the cylinder and not be trapped in the cylinder. As such, they are less prone to rust/corrosion and not likely to ice over in the winter.
The two downside to a Tufloc system is:
- You should never lose your keys.
- Moderately difficult to install.
First, Tufloc locks are very secure. So if you lose your keys, it will be very painful and costly to open your cargo van doors. With high security cylinders, lockpicking is not an option. Only a powerful Sawzall with a carbide blade will do the trick and this act will definitely damage your vehicle.
Second, the Tufloc mounting brackets require 6 holes to be drilled into your vehicle per lock and mounted using carriage bolts. They also require careful hole placement to ensure proper operation.
If you are not comfortable drilling holes into your van, I highly recommend leaving installation to a professional with experience doing so. Your commercial van dealership should have an outfitter who specializes in this sort of thing.
Finally, if you lease your vehicle and plan to return it, please check with your lessor before making such a permanent aftermarket change. While a Tufloc is a security improvement, your dealership may view it negatively if the vehicle is not returned in the original configuration.
Difficult to install – Thunderbolt
I grew up in an era where most vehicles used manual keys to unlock and lock the doors. However, as we transitioned into remote controlled car locks and push button starts, I can’t see myself ever going back to manual keys.
In addition, I am a fan of simplicity and find many of the puck locks to be quite visually intrusive and ugly. So for those clients seeking a fob controlled security upgrade for their cargo van that does not require a change to the aesthetics, I recommend the Thunderbolt.
Thunderbolts are another Made in the USA product. The company is based in Chicago, IL, like Slick Locks.
I came across the company nearly a decade ago while I was considering which lock system to install on my new cargo van. It seemed expensive and painful to install so I decided to go with something else. That something else turned out to be not having a cargo van with a business logo on it. Turns out advertising to thieves that there were lots of power tools and burglary enabling tools inside was not a good idea in East Vancouver.
Recently, I took another look at the Thunderbolt system and saw that the prices have come down significantly and the installation process seems to have been streamlined. In addition, with its wider acceptance, there are many more vehicle outfitters with the parts and experience to install it properly for you.
I think the best part of the Thunderbolt system is that you can ensure the additional deadbolt is engaged with a click of a button. Ever walked away from your vehicle and wondered if you really locked your car? It happens to me when I’m always about 10 meters away from the vehicle.
Walking 10m back with all your tools and pants in hand gets annoying and tiring pretty quickly. Over a 20 year career, this can add up to a significant amount of wasted time and strain on a worker’s body. The Thunderbolt eliminates that waste with a click of a button.
Finally, if you are concerned of not having a visually striking puck/Slock/Tufloc on your van doors to deter thieves, Thunderbolts come with vinyl labels indicating that the vehicle is armed with a Thunderbolt system.
Conclusion
In this article we discussed three products to increase the security of your vehicle. Will these prevent someone from breaking a window and looting the driver’s cabin? No.
However, these additional safeguards will protect the higher priced valuables in the cargo area of the van. This will also be of particular interest to overlanders and campers whose entire lives may be contained in the cargo area of their RVs. We’ve seen the horror stories of Overlanders who have their entire lives robbed from them in lands far from home.
Please note that all of these products are Made in the USA which means that they will be affected by the tariffs. I recommend reaching out to local vehicle outfitters to see if they have any pre-tariffs products still in stock. You may find a great deal hidden in someone’s stockroom.
For questions or comments, please call or text me at 604-363-2760 or email me at alex@locksmithvancouver.com. As previously mentioned, our Key Shop near Waterfront Station is open Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm. Mobile Vancouver Locksmith Services like Emergency Lockouts are available 8am to 11:30pm every day including most holidays.
