Padlock ?

[Cornish Rattler]

Hi guys

I know RTT'S ( Roof Top Tent's ) are not the hardest things to get into but all 4 catches that keep the thing closed are all lockable by using a padlock on all 4 of them and just wondered if anyone could recomend a decent padlock please for mainly when its parked up at home like shops and stuff 🙂

[Chicken Drumstick]

What sort of cost per padlock do you want to spend? And what risks are your priority to protect against?

eg some offer good protection from being cut into. But might be opened easily another way. Some are also laughably easy to pick open or bypass the locking mechanism. But as there are few lock pickers about. This might not worry you much. 
 

I can certainly recommend a few different ones though. 

[Cornish Rattler]

8 minutes ago, Chicken Drumstick said:

What sort of cost per padlock do you want to spend? And what risks are your priority to protect against?

eg some offer good protection from being cut into. But might be opened easily another way. Some are also laughably easy to pick open or bypass the locking mechanism. But as there are few lock pickers about. This might not worry you much. 
 

I can certainly recommend a few different ones though. 

The first one 👍

[miketomcat]

Surely there's nothing in there worth stealing, therefore locking it to the roof is a higher priority. 

Any padlock is going to work with your average thief, as the next one is easier..... If they want in they will regardless of what you do. Another think to note as we were told after a break-in. If there's no damage they only get 3 years for break and enter, criminal damage on the other hand is 5 years (and they know this). Hence my comment any padlock will work.

Mike

[Cornish Rattler]

1 hour ago, miketomcat said:

Surely there's nothing in there worth stealing, therefore locking it to the roof is a higher priority. 

Any padlock is going to work with your average thief, as the next one is easier..... If they want in they will regardless of what you do. Another think to note as we were told after a break-in. If there's no damage they only get 3 years for break and enter, criminal damage on the other hand is 5 years (and they know this). Hence my comment any padlock will work.

Mike

Yeah got security nuts on there way for securing the tent to the bars and the bars them selfs 

[Vogler]

A bit off topic, but isn't there a nut missing on the second picture? It looks like there's nothing pulling the triangular hook down. I'd put a nyloc not on there.

 

J

[Gazzar]

I'd get the type that has a substantial plastic bumper on it. Otherwise it will rattle like a cattle trailer.

Actually, could you run a security wire through the four hasps, and one lock at the end?

[miketomcat]

1 hour ago, Vogler said:

A bit off topic, but isn't there a nut missing on the second picture? It looks like there's nothing pulling the triangular hook down. I'd put a nyloc not on there.

 

J

I think the pivot bar is threaded therefore the nut on top is to lock the length.

Mike

[Vogler]

Ah, of course. I feel a bit stupid now...😨

[Gazzar]

7 minutes ago, Vogler said:

Ah, of course. I feel a bit stupid now...😨

No, don't, or not especially stupid. I thought the same.

[Stellaghost]

4 hours ago, miketomcat said:

Surely there's nothing in there worth stealing, therefore locking it to the roof is a higher priority. 

 

I'm with Mike on this

Any reasonable padlock would do, after all its only going to be a visable deterrent for most. The reality is you can get small enough bolt croppers to fit in your jacket, also if it was me, I would snip through the clamping bolt if the lock looked too good.

Personally I would protect the tent and not lock it up..... Locked, your protecting/hiding something. Unlocked, there's nothing in there worth stealing....... Just my thoughts regards Stephen

[Cornish Rattler]

16 minutes ago, Gazzar said:

No, don't, or not especially stupid. I thought the same.

Yeah tbh i would of expected a better idea but that is how they are on this type of roof tent hence why i'm fitting security nuts, i was going to fit nyloc nuts but even though they would stay tight they can still easily be undone so i'm thinking fitting a spring washer between the plastic threaded knob and security nut 

[Snagger]

7 hours ago, Stellaghost said:

I'm with Mike on this

Any reasonable padlock would do, after all its only going to be a visable deterrent for most. The reality is you can get small enough bolt croppers to fit in your jacket, also if it was me, I would snip through the clamping bolt if the lock looked too good.

Personally I would protect the tent and not lock it up..... Locked, your protecting/hiding something. Unlocked, there's nothing in there worth stealing....... Just my thoughts regards Stephen

Not only that, but if the tent is locked, they may damage it significantly trying to open it.  If there is nothing inside to steal, then what is the point in that risk?  It’s the same principle as HGV drivers leaving a trailer door open when they sleep - makes them less of a target and prevents damage to the trailer if they are still targeted.

[Nonimouse]

An old friend - weho had a misspent youth, always says " locks are for keeping honest people out"

But he also says "security is about delaying the thief"

Fast removal of a padlock is generally done by cutting the lock hasp. or by destroying the key barrel. The latter is simple to creat delay - just use a combination lock. 

Having said that, no one is going to want to steal your sweaty bedding. They will want the RTT. RTT's are worth money on the second hand market, due to the huge over-pricing on the 1st hand market (it's a big profit game). Think how fast the mounting bolts or roofbars/rack can be removed

[Chicken Drumstick]

 

[Chicken Drumstick]

couple of locks that seem to have good reputations

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164488838235

https://www.lockshopdirect.co.uk/products/walsall-locks-w2000-5-lever-high-security-padlock-kd-boxed-54112/?StockCode=L12129&gclid=CjwKCAjwj8eJBhA5EiwAg3z0m9_7DYcDGBi-OlrVX760oEUgV-EObwvl425wWcb4lFFXyC_ahP6-4hoCwaIQAvD_BwE

Not the most pick resistant, but the Abus disc padlocks also work quite well too.

[Anderzander]

OMG 😳 

[Cornish Rattler]

The more i think about it i'm thinking of just getting a load of cable ties that way they will stop the roof of the roof tent opening whilst traveling plus if they do want to get in there shouldn't be any damage hopefully 🙂

[FridgeFreezer]

I was going to point you to LPL's videos... the short version is a padlock on a thing like that is largely pointless, especially as there appear to be two standard Philips screws holding the other half of the latch on

If the job is to stop the tent coming open, perhaps a better catch if those ones aren't to be relied upon, but if they work fine I'd worry about other things. I've never heard of anyone breaking in to a folded-down roof tent, and if there are criminals determined enough to know what a RTT is & consider it worth nicking they'll probably just nick the whole truck anyway.

[Anderzander]

On that cheery note … 😉

[reb78]

What about a bunch of these? https://www.toolstation.com/snap-hook/p75384?store=AX&utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=googleshoppingfeed&mkwid=s_dm&pcrid=515847200351&pkw=&pmt=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxYW8oumU8wIV4WDmCh3QIgD_EAQYAiABEgIPEvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
 

if its just to stop it opening. 
 

i agree with above though - noone wants your old sheets. My roof tent is a canvass one so not really lockable and we dont worry, just dont leave anything precious in there. 

[missingsid]

The reality is you can get small enough bolt croppers to fit in your jacket,

 

In Amsterdam if you want to nick a bike you look for a guy in a mackintosh. Inside he has a full size pair of bolt cutters hung around his neck.

[simonr]

A fairly clever idea I saw, to protect a RTT was a single cable (steel rope kind of thing) which passed through a loop attached to the roof of the LR and attached (somehow) to the underside of the tent, in the middle.  The cable was sufficiently taught that even if you cut the support posts off the gutter, you would still need to reach in to the middle to cut the rope.  That requires a very tall person with arms the length a Gorillas to reach.

I agree with Dave about combination locks.  It's not hard to 'pick' them - but it takes time.  They are less suceptable to most of the attacks likely on a key lock (Freezing, bumping, drilling etc).  Of course you can cut the hasp easily in most cases.  Shrouded hasps are much harder - as there's nowhere to get bolt cutters near and even access with a battery disc cutter is hard.  In practice though, a couple of cheap padlocks plus a second layer to make it take longer to steal is probably better than just an expensive padlock.

Si