What Have You Done To Your 3rd Gen Today?

$100 for SaBellCo, $40 for christian06 ... vs ... thousands for a tailgate. A no-brainer for me.

 

Never knew crackheads could so effectively defeat both mechanical AND electric tailgate locks, imagine what they could do if they weren't using crack (or meth I suppose)! Gonna have to throw the BS flag on this boys and girls!

 

Only good thief is a non breathing one.

 

Very easy I took my time as it was colder in my garage 50 degrees. About an hour start to finish. Lots of good YouTube videos too.

 

you can mount the white letter on the inside .........modern problems require modern solutions

 

Got it. Way back I got it. I'm OCD, I would know the white letters still exist. Flipping them inside isn't an option for me, not a possibility, not even a consideration.

 

I also lock my tailgate, but have seen multiple instances of the lock being punched out with a screw driver. When it comes to being prepared, I am definitely a belt and suspenders kind of guy. If the electric tailgate lock offers additional security over the manual keyed lock, I may add it later.

 

Well they at least are not going to cost you “thousands of dollars”.
https://losangeles.craigslist.org/search/pta?query=toyota tacoma tailgate#search=1~grid~0~20

 

So much for sleeping well tonight. I had no idea it was that bad.

 

So, here's my take on this. Thieves are thieves because they are lazy and don't want to work, so they look for easy, big paying and easy to sell items. Anything that slows them down will in most instances cause them to move on to the next "victim". So, in my opinion, either the electric locking mechanism or the "hinge" lock will be enough say 90% of the time. But, there are some "industrious" thieves who may go the extra mile to steal your tailgate and will take the extra time no matter what. I would also believe if the thief spends extra time trying to defeat the extra steps you take to stop them, and they are unsuccessful, they will be frustrated and take that frustration out on your truck; ie scratch/dent etc your truck. And, if they damage the tailgate they get less for it. I could be wrong on this, no one really knows. So, would you rather replace your tailgate or repair your truck? Me personally, my truck "sleeps" in my garage 99.9% of the time, so it's not a big concern of mine. I also added the electric locking mechanism to my tailgate, for convenience mostly, not theft deterrent.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying let the thieves run wild. There's nothing that I hate more than a thief. Personally, I'd like to shoot the SOB's!!! But, laws won't allow us to do that. I truly wish this wasn't part of the society we have to live in, but it is. Do whatever you can, and watch you neighbors/brothers backs!

 

To be honest, 2nd gens are $25 and 3rd gens are $35. That's raw with no options.

 

I've heard stories of thieves pulling up behind parked trucks in parking lots, grabbing tailgates, then taking off. Do you ever park in a typical parking lot?

 

Damn that's rough. I stopped having stuff shipped to my apartment after an Amazon package went missing... although I found it two days after delivery in the parking lot like 200 feet from my apartment. Fortunately, my buddy lets me ship things to his house and his wife is usually home to sign for it. Hope you get it sorted out

 

Pulled mine apart and hydro dipped it.

 

I wish I had someone around my area that did that. Would be awesome. What color or design did you do

 

One of the best things I have done to my Tacoma. Worth every penny.

 

Tailgates, cats, ditch lights… So much theft going around. Stealing is so weak! I know no where's 100% safe, but these threads I see daily make me grateful to be out in the sticks. Best of luck out there fellow Tacomas

 

Lead Therapy™ is a long term and effective cure for thieves.
It is not quite as satisfying as is dropping the jack while the catalytic thief is under your car or a liberal application of a baseball bat to both his knees.
However, applied in sufficient dosages, Lead Therapy™ is 100% effective at curing thievery.

I have anti-theft cages welded around all four cats on my truck, because I am not allowed to apply Lead Therapy™ here in CA.
The bed stays 100% empty for the same reason.

 

Black camo. Pulled all the trim and had it done. Got the idea from here, of course...