Leave trail prepped rig in airport parking garage?

[pnwtrdpro18]

Hey folks -

Does anyone regularly leave their trail rig at the airport when taking trips for business or vacation? Have you ever had issues with external components getting stolen (lights, racks, wheels, etc)?

PS - most interested in if you leave it in a covered / secured garage. I'd never leave it out in the economy parking wasteland. Bonus points if experience at Portland airport.

...Apologies if there has been another thread on here. I promise I did search... without luck

 

[stphnman20]

Leave the rig home. Uber to the airport. :guitar2:

 

[pnwtrdpro18]

Leave the rig home. Uber to the airport. :guitar2:

stop that with your rationality. seeing my t4r when I land is one of best parts of the week.

...though, I may need to just not do that.

 

[Ron4RNevada]

I leave mine in the economy wasteland. Never have a problem. Reno/Tahoe Intl.

 

[Jeffy]

I've left mine in economy at OAK a few times with no issues. Got nervous about that and started taking Uber instead (which my company reimburses).

Bonus: This means I can drink on the flights home too :guitar3:

 

[mscot]

I take Lyft for biz but park in an off airport lot with covered parking when we travel with the boy.



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[jordanrb81]

How long are you talking? 3 days? a week? I happen to know that there is a storage facility in the area where you can rent basically a garage that you can lock yourself, it is also gated cameras etc. I think it was $150.00 for 30 days. cheaper than the airport by a mile. however if you're not leaving for a LONG time then it's a bit much.

 

[RAD4Runner]

If so concerned, yes, Uber.

 

[pnwtrdpro18]

I've left mine in economy at OAK a few times with no issues. Got nervous about that and started taking Uber instead (which my company reimburses).

Bonus: This means I can drink on the flights home too :guitar3:

Ha. Very true.

I find that driving myself home helps me not get in trouble with my wife for enjoying those free drinks and then being useless when I get home.

 

[jbjones85]

I never had issues with mine (lights, rack, other small stuff). I now Uber though due to the parking just being a pain as the demand for spots has gone up quite a bit over the past couple years. Plus alot cheaper. (this my vary depending on your proximity to the airport)

 

[LandCruiser]

I always laugh at the people who leave thousands of dollars of recovery gear strapped to their truck in public places like the mall or airport.

It's super easy to steal all that and you even give them a shovel to get into your truck with.

I don't even leave my jack on the roof rack when I'm not heading off road.

 

[AINOMOATACO]

I always laugh at the people who leave thousands of dollars of recovery gear strapped to their truck in public places like the mall or airport.

It's super easy to steal all that and you even give them a shovel to get into your truck with.

I don't even leave my jack on the roof rack when I'm not heading off road.

LOL so true! They leave on RTT, shovel, jack, maxtraxx, rotopax, etc. Gives them the “i off road brah” look. Yet their mud terrains are shinier than the ceramic coat that they apply to their paint every week.

 

[wcjeep]

Don't forget dealing with door dings.

 

["krax"]

I personally wouldn't want to leave it vulnerable for that long, but I've had worse luck in hotel parking lots than airport garages.

At the very least, I'd move anything that doesn't require a tool to remove to the inside of the truck and cover it all up with a dark blanket. Then park it next to a more expensive vehicle. You don't have to outrun the bear.

 

[mscot]

I always laugh at the people who leave thousands of dollars of recovery gear strapped to their truck in public places like the mall or airport.

It's super easy to steal all that and you even give them a shovel to get into your truck with.

I don't even leave my jack on the roof rack when I'm not heading off road.

People driving around with their shackles on is a big thing in denver area. I don't understand it myself.

 

[2112 R]

A lot of it depends on where you live.
In San Diego we have to consider how close we live to the Mex border.

Two of my coworkers (Chevy pick up truck and Tundra pick up) had their rigs stolen from off site long term parking while away for work.

There are 3 huge lots off site in San Diego, with shuttle service to the airport. They are pretty nice, covered parking, on time shuttles, 66% cheaper than on site airport parking etc.
Dudes will climb the fence, or enter the lot with another car, then 3 dudes get out and they all break into vehicles. Drive to the cashier and say they lost the ticket. They pay the max amount and then leave the lot and drive across the border.

The same thing can happen in a covered / secure lot as you're asking about. It's not that hard to get in. The key is checking the parking lot policy on driving out without a ticket. Do they take a copy of your drivers license? Picture of the driver? Verify proof through some other means?

I uber/lyft/taxi whenever I can to the airport because if I'm gone more than 2 days it pays for itself round trip with ground transportation, but not everyone lives that close.

So you have to weigh the risks depending on where and for how long you park.

In regards to the comments about gear, I agree. All my gear is kept at home unless I'm hitting the trail... and even then, I have it all on locks or anti theft bolts.

 

[Jeffy]

People driving around with their shackles on is a big thing in denver area. I don't understand it myself.

I do that :behindsofa:

I just leave them in the mounts on my front bumper. They're very cheap so I'm not too worried about them being stolen, and it saves them from rattling around in the storage area. Plus my winch line is secured onto one of them.

 

[LandCruiser]

I do that :behindsofa:

I just leave them in the mounts on my front bumper. They're very cheap so I'm not too worried about them being stolen, and it saves them from rattling around in the storage area. Plus my winch line is secured onto one of them.

My hitch receiver shackle is locked in place with a hitch locker and threaded with red loctite.

I'm sure someone with a torque wrench and a lot of spare time could unscrew it and steal the rusted ass thing that has been in an accident and save themselves 6-12 bucks if they really wanted to.

 

[Inv4drZm]

Are you going on a trail on the way home from the airport?

Just remove everything, it should be easy to do.

 

[Drunner97]

I strip mine down when I come home from the trail. The only things that stay on are the gas cans and spare tire on the swing out because they both have cables and locks attached to them. Cans are always emptied into the tank before the drive home so you can't even siphon them. If you want my cheap Amazon lights off the side of my rack, go for it. I'll pick 2 more up for 10 bucks and rewire them.