Cargo "alarmized"
Thread Starter
5 Year Member
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 1,723
Likes: 567
From: Denton County TX
Cargo "alarmized"
I came up with an idea and very simple mod today. But, a little explanation first. My Regular cab pickup has an open bed, and I sometimes make trips, in some cases 1600 miles one way and overnight stays away. I frequently have tools/eguipment in the bed that I'm always concerned about being "easy pickings" in a motel parking lot.
so today, I found that I could unplug the connector goes to the "hood alarm switch". When the hood is closed, this is a closed, or short circuit. So, I made up a simple 2 wire harness that hooks up to this plug, run the new harness underneath and up into the bed through an existing hole. Then weave the wire around and through my cargo.
if anyone try's to remove/steal anything, they'll have to cut the wire, setting off the alarm horn and lights.
this functions much like the big box stores use out front for the gas grills, lawn mowers, etc.
break the circuit, alarm triggers.
then when back home and unloaded, plug the hood switch back in and remove the simple harness.
so today, I found that I could unplug the connector goes to the "hood alarm switch". When the hood is closed, this is a closed, or short circuit. So, I made up a simple 2 wire harness that hooks up to this plug, run the new harness underneath and up into the bed through an existing hole. Then weave the wire around and through my cargo.
if anyone try's to remove/steal anything, they'll have to cut the wire, setting off the alarm horn and lights.
this functions much like the big box stores use out front for the gas grills, lawn mowers, etc.
break the circuit, alarm triggers.
then when back home and unloaded, plug the hood switch back in and remove the simple harness.
Beeps and Boops
Joined: Oct 2020
Posts: 2,670
Likes: 1,786
From: Iowa
Well now they'll be able to pop your hood and disconnect your battery so that the alarm doesn't go off! 
I found a bed cover on Facebook for $70 last month, new ones are ~$400. If someone swiped the contents of your bed, how much would it cost you?
While far from impenetrable, it would at least prevent you from having all of your goodies wide out in the open.
I found a bed cover on Facebook for $70 last month, new ones are ~$400. If someone swiped the contents of your bed, how much would it cost you?
While far from impenetrable, it would at least prevent you from having all of your goodies wide out in the open.
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,703
Likes: 542
I've had a BakFlip hard tonneau on all of my trucks in the past ten years or so, and stay at hotels quite a bit for business travel. Average of about forty-plus nights a year, when I'm driving my truck. Fortunately, I've never had anything stolen.
"Out of sight, out of mind", works pretty good when you're just one of a hundred vehicles in a parking lot.
"Out of sight, out of mind", works pretty good when you're just one of a hundred vehicles in a parking lot.
I came up with an idea and very simple mod today. But, a little explanation first. My Regular cab pickup has an open bed, and I sometimes make trips, in some cases 1600 miles one way and overnight stays away. I frequently have tools/eguipment in the bed that I'm always concerned about being "easy pickings" in a motel parking lot.
so today, I found that I could unplug the connector goes to the "hood alarm switch". When the hood is closed, this is a closed, or short circuit. So, I made up a simple 2 wire harness that hooks up to this plug, run the new harness underneath and up into the bed through an existing hole. Then weave the wire around and through my cargo.
if anyone try's to remove/steal anything, they'll have to cut the wire, setting off the alarm horn and lights.
this functions much like the big box stores use out front for the gas grills, lawn mowers, etc.
break the circuit, alarm triggers.
then when back home and unloaded, plug the hood switch back in and remove the simple harness.
so today, I found that I could unplug the connector goes to the "hood alarm switch". When the hood is closed, this is a closed, or short circuit. So, I made up a simple 2 wire harness that hooks up to this plug, run the new harness underneath and up into the bed through an existing hole. Then weave the wire around and through my cargo.
if anyone try's to remove/steal anything, they'll have to cut the wire, setting off the alarm horn and lights.
this functions much like the big box stores use out front for the gas grills, lawn mowers, etc.
break the circuit, alarm triggers.
then when back home and unloaded, plug the hood switch back in and remove the simple harness.
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Dielectrically 5w30
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 13,263
Likes: 5,465
From: Oregon
This does seem a little swallowed a spider to catch the fly.....
Having 'free stuff' on display in your bed, wire through it or otherwise, is about as brash and dare i say, daft as i think it can get.
Having something, albeit insecure, covering up the stuff in the bed, will work for the purpose by order of magnitude more so and be useful as well. Best to get *any* kind of cover for the bed, anything but this.
Having 'free stuff' on display in your bed, wire through it or otherwise, is about as brash and dare i say, daft as i think it can get.
Having something, albeit insecure, covering up the stuff in the bed, will work for the purpose by order of magnitude more so and be useful as well. Best to get *any* kind of cover for the bed, anything but this.