Damage when parked in secluded areas?
- Thread starter trex9K
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Apex Overland
New member
Nope
RoadDogT4R
New member
I normally don't see a lot (if any) of vehicle vandalism where I work and I cover a lot of rural areas with many trail heads and state game lands. People normally keep to themselves however if you leave your doors unlocked don't be surprised to find yourself the victim of theft. About 90% of thefts from vehicles or thefts of vehicles for that matter could have been prevented by simply locking your doors.
In a secluded area a thief isn't willing to break a window?
Took my 2013 Trail to 2 different very remote ranger stations in the Smokies and left it for 3 days during backpacking trips, no problems. I was more worried about a black bear trying to take it for a spin than any vandals
bloodninja
New member
Why expend the energy when you could just as easily open an unlocked door. The kind of person that leaves a door unlocked is the same kind of person that leaves easily craigslist-able things lying around the car (gps, phones, etc).
Most thieves are lazy.
Knight-Errant
New member
I go hiking all the time and have never had an issue, and I don't worry much at all.
Thieves are usually about crimes of opportunity; meaning a quick and easy opportunity for theft just happens to present itself. Driving out to the middle of nowhere, and hoping to come across a vehicle, and then hoping that vehicle might have something of value in it (worth more than enough to cover the time and expenses [gas] to make it out there), isn't exactly a crime of opportunity.
This is why roof bike racks have the option to add locks; the locks are probably enough to prevent a crime of opportunity if you've parked in a reasonably well traveled area (running in to buy a coffee at a interstate rest area during the day? You're probably ok.); if a thief really wants your bikes and you're really careless about where you park, they'll be gone even with the locks.
I'm not saying crime/theft/vandalism will never happen if you leave your car alone at a trail head, I'm just saying it probably won't happen to you. The vast majority of people respect property and the law.
Thieves are usually about crimes of opportunity; meaning a quick and easy opportunity for theft just happens to present itself. Driving out to the middle of nowhere, and hoping to come across a vehicle, and then hoping that vehicle might have something of value in it (worth more than enough to cover the time and expenses [gas] to make it out there), isn't exactly a crime of opportunity.
This is why roof bike racks have the option to add locks; the locks are probably enough to prevent a crime of opportunity if you've parked in a reasonably well traveled area (running in to buy a coffee at a interstate rest area during the day? You're probably ok.); if a thief really wants your bikes and you're really careless about where you park, they'll be gone even with the locks.
I'm not saying crime/theft/vandalism will never happen if you leave your car alone at a trail head, I'm just saying it probably won't happen to you. The vast majority of people respect property and the law.
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RoadDogT4R
New member
Hey I said 90% lol, I'm just going off of incidents that I handled. You have to remember that 99% of people are good. I rarely see criminal activity in rural secluded areas but what I do see is the percentage of forced entry is a heck of a lot lower than entry because a door was left unsecured. I do a lot of hiking, biking and kayaking and I have never had any issues with leaving my truck parked... Now I have to go find some wood to knock on.
Knight-Errant
New member
...A question I might ask, if you're afraid to park your car alone, how on earth do you have the courage to go for a hike in the woods? 
)
I'm willing to bet that statistically you're probably far more likely to have some sort of situation (injury, animal encounter, weather encounter) on your hike than have somebody vandalize your car.
Probably far more likely to have a car accident on the drive to the trail-head too.
Just some food for thought)
) I'm willing to bet that statistically you're probably far more likely to have some sort of situation (injury, animal encounter, weather encounter) on your hike than have somebody vandalize your car.
Probably far more likely to have a car accident on the drive to the trail-head too.
Just some food for thought
)
RoadDogT4R
New member
Exactly.
J-BlickPhoto
New member
Damage to the vehicle no. Most people that are venturing out to trail heads etc are of the "non douche bag" demographic. I would definitely hide and lock everything though...bike racks, bikes, cases, etc. Most are crimes of opportunity and people walk around trying open unlocked doors or look for windows to slip through. If you're really nervous about where you're going, you can google search the trail or trailhead you're going to. Usually if there has been suspicious activity, someone has reported it. I've found out some pretty interesting things about places I was going this way. 
olice:
olice:
Knight-Errant
New member
Actually...I've been responsible for most of my vehicle's body damage P Branches scratch up the pain you know ) luckily the scratches have all polished out...so far ;o)
P Branches scratch up the pain you know ) luckily the scratches have all polished out...so far ;o)
Jeremy556
New member
I would say it depends on your area. Back when I lived near Atlanta and a trail head was a couple miles up a graded dirt road that any one could access in any vehicle, I would expect a break in. When I park over 12K feet where access is limited to a few specific, or highly modified vehicles, or several days of backpacking/hiking/climbing to access, I leave the key in the center console and don't lock the doors. More likely that I fall off a cliff and my wife needs to drive out, than a crack head rifling through the 4runner.
Around here there are so many trailheads for hiking and mountain biking that are relatively close to town that the low life's routinely drive out to trail heads just to car prowl. Tremendous property crime problem. Just don't leave anything in view or leave your garage door opener or house keys inside. More than one person has had his garage door opener taken and his house hit while hiking. That's northwest Washington for you.
yeah, I hear that!
Close to town doesn't mean many other people are out there.
