Top 7 Theft Prevention Mods & Tips For Protecting Your Overland Rig In The City

Theft Prevention Mods for the 5th Gen 4Runner & General Tips for Protecting Your Overland Rig in the City

Owning an overland rig that also serves as your daily driver is a great way to adventure without the added expense of a dedicated vehicle.

However, it does come with its drawbacks, especially if you’re living in a major city where break-ins are common and theft is almost unavoidable if you leave your truck on the street. We see a ton of cool mods and wheeling videos online, but how does this fare for us city-dwellers and weekend warriors? Can we experience the fun that overlanding has to offer while living in the concrete jungle?

My answer: Yes! But, there are some things to consider and extra precautions you may want to take. Here are some tips I’ve learned from living in three different neighborhoods in Philadelphia, PA. I am sure other inner city areas are worse so take the tips below with a grain of salt, however, these tips have helped me avoid common city theft.

If you live in a major city, you’re going to want to think about the accessories you have mounted both inside and outside of your 4Runner. Things like recovery boards, GMRS radios, rooftop tents, and even rock sliders or roof racks are all targets for thieves and vandals. Luckily, we urbanites have strategies you can implement to prevent or reduce the likelihood that someone messes with your rig.

1. Secure Garage or Parking Lot

Vehicle Tracking Mods

• Cube Vehicle GPS Tracker: Check Price
• Apple Air Tags: Check Price
• Linxup Fleet GPS: Check Price

The best recommendation I can offer is to park in a secured garage or lot – day and night.

I just don’t mean a place with a security camera. Ideally, it should be a fully secured lot with either a 24/7 on-site employee presence or a secure gate. In Philadelphia (Northern Liberties at the time), I parked in a lot with a camera and no locking gate for less than a week, only to have my catalytic converter stolen.

Depending on your neighborhood, you may be okay parking in an unsecured lot or even on the street, but I don’t recommend it. Crime happens everywhere, and nothing stops thieves from going into “better” neighborhoods to find targets.

Even vandals find their way into these parking garages and secure parking lots so just because your truck is parked in a “safe” area doesn’t mean it’s safe from theft. Sometimes these criminals specifically target garages and lots with nicer vehicles because they offer a dark location and quiet areas for them to take their time. Sometimes it’s not enough to just park in a safe and secure lot – but it does help. The more secure, the better.

Look for paid parking lots with a full-time gate operator, security cameras, and gates on the entrance and exits. 

This will be your best bet for keeping the criminals at bay.

If all else fails and someone gets access to your rig, you may want to consider the main theft prevention and or theft monitoring devices. Some of those include GPS or Bluetooth-enabled tracking devices, battery kill switch, hidden ignition kill start/mod, steering wheel locks, brake pedal locks, or anything else that initially stops them from literally stealing the vehicle.

2. Lock Your Gear

Recovery Board Locks

• MELIPRON Bracket for Recovery Traction Boards: Check Price
• MaxTrax Mounting Pins: Check Price
• MaxTrax MAXLOX: Check Price or any other Heavy Duty Lock

When it comes to preventing the theft of accessories on your off-road vehicle, there are various products that can help keep your gear safe. One such product is the MaxTrax lock. MaxTrax is a popular brand of recovery boards used by many off-roaders. These boards are expensive, and unfortunately, they are also a popular target for thieves.

To help prevent theft, MaxTrax offers mounting pins and a lock that can be used to secure the boards to your vehicle. Their mounting pins allow a padlock to be attached to prevent theft. Other companies also offer locking mounting solutions, such as MELIPRON.

Rooftop Tent Locks

• Thule RTT Locking System: Check Price
• iKamper Mounting Bracket Locks 2.0: Check Price

Another product to consider is a rooftop tent lock. Rooftop tents have become increasingly popular in the off-road community, but they are also expensive and can be easily stolen if not properly secured. Many manufacturers offer locks specifically designed for their tents.

For example, the Tepui brand offers a locking system that can be used to secure the tent to your vehicle. The system consists of two cables that run through the base of the tent and attach to your vehicle’s roof rack. A padlock secures the cables in place, preventing the tent from being removed.

By using a lock like this, you can prevent someone from stealing your tent and ruining your camping trip. iKamper also makes locking security mounts for their tents. Keep in mind, though, that a determined thief could likely break these locks and cables with bolt cutters or other tools.

Anti-Theft Nuts 

• IJDMTOY Anti-Theft Nuts: Check Price
• Security Nut System: Check Price
• KC Lights Security Nut System: Check Price (most unique pattern)
• Baja Designs Anti-Theft Nuts: Check Price

In addition to the tent locking systems, there are anti-theft nut systems as well. Some of these are well-known patterns though, like the triangle pattern off Amazon; however, some are a little more unique like the one from KC Lights or Baja Designs. If you’re looking for a good security solution for tents, roof racks, light bars, ditch lights, and other bolt-on gear – these anti-theft nuts are awesome for preventing quick thieves with minimal tools from getting your gear. The only downside to these nuts is that they’re extremely expensive for what they are.

3. Cover Your Windows

Window Covers

• Strawfoot Window Screens: Check Price

There was a post a while back on window screens for keeping the 4Runner cool when out exploring, or around the city. Not only do these covers keep the 4Runner cool, but they offer a bit of privacy from people looking into your vehicle. The Strawfoot window screens are great for preventing thieves from easily seeing what you have inside your 4Runner.

This is a great product for someone looking to eliminate any “see-though” for thieves looking into your 4Runner.

Although some arguments have been made that covering your windows might cause someone to break into your vehicle even more because you’re hiding something. To each their own on this one.

4. Center Console Safe

Locking Vehicle Safe

• Boss StrongBox Console Safe: Check Price

Also seen here on Trail4Runner.com was a post covering the Boss Strong Box center console safe.

There are many different types of safe systems out there but this is one of those peace-of-mind mods if you have extreme valuables in your 4Runner when you leave it parked in the city. In most situations, thieves are usually looking for a “quick grab” and won’t bother with trying to pry open a safe in your center console… hopefully. In the situation where you have something extremely valuable, a center console safe can add a ton of security to your 4Runner while you’re out of the vehicle.

5. Battery Disconnect For Winch

Switch Systems

• Warn Power Interrupt Kit: Check Price
• Blue Sea Systems 3000 HD-Series Heavy Duty On-Off Battery Switch: Check Price

If you have a winch on your vehicle, you should consider a battery disconnect cutoff switch. This switch can be used to completely disconnect power to your winch, preventing someone from using it without full access to your vehicle. If they were to power on your winch, they could potentially steal your winch line or do other damage to your overland rig.

A switch can be easily installed near the battery or even on your dash depending on the model. It can quickly disconnect power when you’re not using the winch. This can also help prevent accidental winch activation and battery drain. If your winch manufacturer doesn’t make such a security switch, my friends at Main Line Overland recommend a switch from Blue Sea Systems.

6. Armor

Find It Online:

• RSG Metalworks Cat Skid Guard: Check Price
• Cali Raised LED Cat Skid Guards: Check Price

After my catalytic converter was stolen, I had an anti-theft steel skid plate installed over it to deter thieves.

Ideally, you’ll have skid plates covering most of your undercarriage, both for theft prevention as well as protection from rocks and debris on the trail. If you’re building out your overland rig over time like I am, I would start by protecting the most valuable parts first.

Both C4 Fabrication and RSG Off-Road offer built-in cat protection guards on their skid plate line. If you do not have one of these skid pates, then consider something like the Cali Raised LED Cat Skid Guards. Catalytic converter theft is very popular among the 4Runner, Tacoma, and Tundra due to its ease of access.

7. Vehicle Clearance & Parking Garages

Aside from theft prevention, you’ll need to worry about vehicle height clearance in the city.

For example, if you have a lift, big tires, or a rooftop tent, you may not fit in older parking garages. This can be a significant inconvenience if you plan on driving your vehicle in the city regularly. Many garages around Philadelphia are between 5′ and 6′ tall. That’s well under the 78″ height of my TRD Pro, and that’s with the stock 1.5” lift and TRD Pro roof rack.

However, anything is doable if you plan ahead. For example, the garage in which I park has an 8′ clearance. If I’m driving somewhere across town where I haven’t been before, I’ll see if street parking is an option ahead of time.

Or, I’ll call a garage in the area to ask for their clearance. Many garages will list their clearances on their website or Parkopedia. If all else fails, there’s always Uber and Lyft!

Final Thoughts

Owning an overland rig in a major city is challenging, but not impossible. You’ll just need to consider the possibility of theft and how to prevent it, figure out where to park, and make some good contacts around the city so that you have secure places to park.

By taking these precautions and planning ahead, urbanites can enjoy the full benefits of owning an overlanding vehicle despite living in the city. Also, make sure you have a good insurance policy if something goes wrong!