Camp for free and stay secure!

1. Nothing inside

I park my Suburban on the street. At one point, I thought, wouldn’t it be nice to load most of my camping gear the night before I leave, so I can be ready to go in the morning. That was not a good idea and I ended up having to replace most of my camping gear AND repair a broken window. So, I do not leave any gear or bins inside my Suburban when it is parked at home.

2. Chain it down

Cables are no match for bolt cutters. That is how I parted ways with my first Pelican cargo box. Now, I use chains to secure my gear. Hexagonal chains and shrouded padlocks provide the best protection from cutting, but they don’t always work well together.

3. Self-defense

As this photo demonstrates, I am often camping alone in the middle of nowhere with no cell reception. I highly recommend the use of some form of safe personal protection. Also, I always lock the doors when I am sleeping inside, and I also try to keep the driver seat free of gear so I can get in that seat and drive away if needed.

Cargo rack

I am not too worried about someone taking the time to unscrew the eight nuts required to remove the rack, so I just use a cable and padlock to secure this to the Suburban’s side rail or cross bar.

Hitch cargo carrier

I use a locking trailer hitch pin to secure the hitch cargo carrier. To secure the bins, I use a hexagonal chain placed lengthwise and padlocked to the cargo strap holder. I connect one side then pull it tight, wrap the end around the bar, and then lock it down. Be sure it is tight and on both sides of the tie down so it can’t slide either way. The chain does not always eliminate access to the camping gear bins, but it does prevent their removal and it keeps the lids secured while traveling.

Campsite security

If I am leaving a campsite for a while, or I am leaving gear outside overnight, then I stack the bins up to 4-high, and lock them together with a cable lock. There are slots on the lid and lip of the bin and these cables locks fit through them. You can also loop in other camping gear like chairs and a table. Then, I loop a hexagonal chain over the top and lock it to something heavy, such as a picnic table. This is mostly a deterrent, as it will not stop someone with bolt cutters, so if I am leaving for a long time, I will usually load all my camping supplies in the Suburban and take it with me.

Cargo box

I have a chain wrapped in pipe insulation and duct tape running through the backside of the cargo rack, and then each end attaches to the backside of the cargo box with a padlock  The downside of this method is the security is not obvious, so the box may still get targeted, but I am confident they won’t get away with it.  To secure the lid, I use padlocks on the two latches.

Generator

I utilize the hitch cargo carrier to hold and secure the generator at a campsite. The crossbars in the bottom bin holder are the perfect width to hold the generator and keep it up off the ground. This picture shows the overnight setup with a tarp cover in case it rains. Please note you should not use a generator in a wet environment! There is a chain running through the handle, and it is padlocked to each side of the upper bin holder. This makes it very difficult to move, and I also keep the hitch lock on the hitch cargo carrier rather than on the hitch, so if someone was able to move it, they could not hook it up to a hitch and haul it away!

Propane Tank

Whether the propane tank is in the hitch cargo carrier or on the roof rack, I will use a chain and padlock to secure it by running it through the handle space. Please note I will secure it further with bungee cords to keep it from moving forward or sideways while traveling. UPDATE: DO NOT DO WHAT I DID IN THIS PICTURE! YOU SHOULD NOT PLACE A PROPANE TANK ON ITS SIDE. ALWAYS TRANSPORT AND STORE IT IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION!!