Keep gear in the topper or the car?

Like many of us I have a shit load of gear worth a shit ton of $. What do you think is more likely to be broken into, a topper (thule, Yak, etc) or the car. I have a jeep so I can't keep things out of sight in a trunk.

I'm thinking the topper but because it would take more effort to get into maybe? While one rock = broken window = stolen shit.

I'd look into a truck style box for the trunk with a solid lock...I've heard of the toppers getting broken into in the past, but dont have any first hand experience

Roof boxes are as easy to break into as cars. Most of them are made of pretty thin plastic that I can imagine would be pretty easy to crack/break with a rock or hammer. The locks on them are easy to break off. You wouldn't imagine all the broken crap we took back at budget to warranty out to yakima and thule.

Some other options if you have a hardtop jeep. Not sure on the set up for your jeep but maybe one of those screen things that covers up the cargo area would be in order? I know you can get em for subaru foresters i would imagine something would be available for a jeep. Another option might just be a big ass (or multiple) rubbermaid tote(s), sure someone can see there's a tote in your car but if it's closed no way for them to know what's inside (and it's a heck of alot cheaper than a roof box).

Do you have a hitch? If so take a look at this thule box here If I remember right they are alot more burley than the roof boxes

edit: If you can find an old Saris box those were really beefy. I see them pop up from time to time on craigslist in madison. Lots of people geeked out about saris around here.

I had my friend wire his roof box to his car alarm, but it's only a deterrent, if someone wants to grab your gear, they'll go for it anyways, rarely do anyone pay attention to those car alarms...

do a search for truck box, some of them are cheaper than Thule boxes!
You can also check with a local welding shop for a custom box through bolted (attachment hardware located inside the box) or security cable looped to the car frame.

I have a 96 Cherokee, so I could get a truck box that will fit behind the second row of seats? That might be pretty sweet.

I have checked out that Thule hitch box but that's where i put the bikes. I looked at my current box, Thule 1100 and yea pretty weak but it would take more work than busting a window for sure because the plastic would flex under the blows.

Edit: This looks cool and will let me keep the bike rack on, I wonder how beefy it is? prolineracks.com/Stowaway-t…

Only thing I would be worried about is when you start chaining hitch mounts they can start to sway. A lot depends on how much play you would have in the tongue and receiver connections and whether it has a threaded pin you can tighten everything up with or not. Nothing worse than looking out your back window and seeing your rack rocking back and forth with your expensive bikes on it at 75 miles an hour.

Do you already have the roof rack? If you go with the hitch box I would throw a mount on the roof for the bikes, that would be more stable and something that isn't crazy expensive.

If you have homeowner's insurance or some other insurance plan be certain that if your gear box gets broken into you are covered. Not all insurance companies cover gear boxes....
I'd store it in the vehicle itself. Well covered/hidden of course.

Trad Ninja wrote:I have a 96 Cherokee, so I could get a truck box that will fit behind the second row of seats? That might be pretty sweet.

That is you best bet, your cherokee is a fixed hard top. getting a locking box for in side the is your best option.

Trad Ninja wrote: I have checked out that Thule hitch box but that's where i put the bikes. I looked at my current box, Thule 1100 and yea pretty weak but it would take more work than busting a window for sure because the plastic would flex under the blows.

Wrong! those Shitty rocket boxes for the top of the car can be broken in to in less than 10 seconds. I attended an auto safty siminar, one of the presentaions was a rocket box thule on the top of a Subaru. The guy giving the lecture hit it twice with an axe had had the box open in 10. something seconds.

Trad Ninja wrote: Edit: This looks cool and will let me keep the bike rack on, I wonder how beefy it is? prolineracks.com/Stowaway-t…

Yes but I would see that and rip it open with an hilift jack and a breaker bar. give me 30 seconds and I could have it ripped open and looted fast.

Really your best bet is to Keep your shit in four ways.

1. out of sight out of mind. If the crook can's see what you have than s/he may move to the next car. Its risky to steel so a sure thing will be the first target.

2. Make it difficult. If the crook want you gear than he WILL get it. But by making the time nessary to get it longer than they will likely move on to easer pickings. In your Jeep with a tied down lock box means that the crook has Two things to break, not just one crap plastic box on the out side of the car. Those thuel boxes are great for expanding your cargo room but remove you stuff after transporting.

3 Park in public areas. If there is lots of activity than a crook will likey look for less activity. Too may eyes detures novice crooks.

4. and really the most important. DO NOT HAVE ANY STICKERS on you car!!! I love to look around and can tell exactly what people do/have ect. If you have a car covered in Mammut, Backcounty.com, Petzl, Black Diamond ect ect. and Im looking to steel climbing gear your car is number one target. Same goes for the MTX, JL, and other expensive stereo sticker I see. it advertizes the exact car I need to break in to, no guess work, it realy simplifies the crooks task.

I just want to offer one interesting piece of info. Thule and Yakima boxes are NOT easy to break. I've had to take a short handled sledge to some for work, and they take multiple direct strikes until they actually crack. Even then, you're going to rip your hand to shreds trying to get inside. Also, this is being done while the box is on the ground, not on the roof rack. So if you try to break open a box on a roof, you're going to tear the roof rack off, likely setting off an alarm or making a loud commotion.

That being said, I have no idea how easy or hard they are to pry open.

Just thought I'd offer that tid-bit of experience.

half the time I can't get mine open and I have the key!