Secure car parking for overnight hikes?

[Gluehweineffects]

I am interested in doing an overnight hike in south east qld, but I'm concerned about leaving my car unattended in a car park area overnight. Has anyone experienced theft or vandalism while on an overnight hike? Does anyone have a suggestion for a safer car park?

[David M]

I hve not experienced theft or vandalism but I did return to my walking companion's car to find someone had defecated on the ground next to the driver's door.... Absolutely disgraceful.

[neilmny]

Reality is there is a risk anywhere even in the big smoke (more so).
Make sure your insured, make sure it's locked and leave nothing of interest
on view in your car. Be relieved and pleased (probably like most of us) when
you get back and it's still there.

[GPSGuided]

Leave the Porsche at home and use a beater car that no one wants to touch.

[Rob Gosford]

even if i'm going on a SHORT day hike, wherever i park - and apart from my car being under 10 years old with a modern security system - i triple check that it is in gear and everything is locked and i ALWAYS use a "Club" steering wheel lock that locks onto the steer wheel to the brake pedal >>>>> mainly as a VISIBLE deterrant. I never lock the Club, as i lost the key years ago

Yep being fully insured is a help

[ULWalkingPhil]

I mate of mine, Drives to a camp ground or caravan park nearby, sets up a dummy tent near his vehicle. Jumps on his mountain bike and rides to start of hike, Hides his bike in the bushes, Goes on his walk, Rides back to car and drives back home.

[GPSGuided]

I mate of mine, Drives to a camp ground or caravan park nearby, sets up a dummy tent near his vehicle. Jumps on his mountain bike and rides to start of hike, Hides his bike in the bushes, Goes on his walk, Rides back to car and drives back home.

One day he will lose his bike and then...

It's always about that weakest link.

[LandSailor]

A simple thing you can do is install a battery isolator switch. As well as confusing would-be car thieves its also avoids ever returning from a walk to a flat battery for whatever reason (dont ask) .

They are about $15 (delivered) on Ebay.

[madmacca]

Remove the distributor cap and take it with you.

Beats having to reset clocks, re-enter security codes on radio's, etc from a batterty isolator switch.

[neilmny]

Crikey ...distributor cap????????
I remember them......do cars still have them????????....17 year old Holdens don't anyway.
Not a bad idea to disconnect something important rather than have the reset problem though.
You could pull the fuel relay but don't lose it or your up the proverbial creek sans paddle.

[Strider]

Distributor caps stopped being used over 20 years ago!

[GPSGuided]

A simple thing you can do is install a battery isolator switch. As well as confusing would-be car thieves its also avoids ever returning from a walk to a flat battery for whatever reason (dont ask) .

Whilst a good security measure, it would be advisable to check the manual of your particular vehicle. Most of the current generation of "computerised" vehicles would be locked out in some ways if their battery is disconnected. A reset of vehicle's electronics may be required upon your return.

[Rob Gosford]

(a golden oldie......)

take the steering wheel with you and shove it down the front of your pants. If another passing walker says "you have a steering wheel down your pants, doesn't it hurt ??" - to which you reply "yeah, its driving me nuts !"

[neilmny]

[madmacca]

Neilmny,

Just shows you how long since I've had to pull a distributor cap.

You're right - modern cars don't seem to have them. There goes that idea.

[LandSailor]

A simple thing you can do is install a battery isolator switch. As well as confusing would-be car thieves its also avoids ever returning from a walk to a flat battery for whatever reason (dont ask) .

Whilst a good security measure, it would be advisable to check the manual of your particular vehicle. Most of the current generation of "computerised" vehicles would be locked out in some ways if their battery is disconnected. A reset of vehicle's electronics may be required upon your return.

I take your point about modern electronics. My car is over 10 yrs old so not an issue for me. Must be *&%$#! inconvenient if some cars cant easily be started after a flat battery though!

[Strider]

What cars need anything other than the radio to be reset after disconnecting the battery? I've never come across it.

[neilmny]

For my VS Holden on dual fuel it's actually a good thing to disconnect the battery for a while.
It clears any error codes generated by running on LPG and the engine runs much better.
I don't have the Holden radio any more so no code required to get that going again but I
do have to re tune/program the radio stations which is a bit of a pain in the buttocks.

[vicpres]

I have bushwalked and camped all over Australia for well over 30 years. Have also been a bushwalking club member for more than 30 years and involved in state and national peak bodies. In all that time I have never personally experienced any problems with a vehicle or camp left unattended and the only problem area I can recollect hearing about was Wilsons Prom more than 20 years ago.

[GPSGuided]

I take your point about modern electronics. My car is over 10 yrs old so not an issue for me. Must be *&%$#! inconvenient if some cars cant easily be started after a flat battery though!

I understand that it's not such an issue with simple flat battery that requires a restart, but those requiring battery replacement. Last time at the auto electrician, the tech attached an external battery unit to maintain a base supply to the car whilst he switch out the main battery. He mentioned something along the same line.

[puredingo]

If you've ever heard the standard of radio they offer you here in the Illawarra you would thank the thief who knocks your radio off. It's pathetic and getting worse.

Back in the day if you were to park your car in the car park at Wreck bay the trick would be to simply leave your car open with nothing in it. The motivation for the crooks wasn't to steal the car but only the contents, locking it showed you were usually a tourist with goodies inside to protect.

[Onestepmore]

When I was a student my car was broken into three times in as many weeks, in an open carpark under my apartment in Camperdown, Sydney, fully lit all night. I ended up leaving the glove box open and absolutely nothing in the car. I had no problems after that. I will still do this even now, have the glove box(es) open, and the middle console box wide open, and nothing hidden or concealed that might tempt a thief. And if I can, I feel happier leaving our smaller Toyota Corolla hatchback than our new big car. If I had a fully decked out 4WD with accessories and recovery gear I'd be pretty worried leaving it at a trailhead unattended for a few days.

[north-north-west]

Depends on the place, really, doesn't it? I've never had a car broken into or even loose stuff in the back of the ute taken, even when the thing has been sitting in one place for a week or more.
Maybe that jsut says something aboutt he apparent value of the car and its contents . . .

[north-north-west]

Update:
Ten weeks on the road. A pile of stuff on the roof and in the tray, none of it locked and a good deal not even tied down (oil, coolant, the contents of the [unlocked] lockbox, blah, blah,blah), car left for anything from a half hour to a fortnight, and what gets taken? Nothing - except the kayak paddle, which some *&%$#! calmly unhooked and removed from the roofrack (retying the shovel that was tied down with it) while I was in the dunny at a servo just out of Perth. That takes nerve. There's even video footage of it - took him maybe thirty seconds. But his car was nondescript and the rego plate unreadable. Don't think I''m going to get that paddle back.

[MickyB]

Update:
Ten weeks on the road. A pile of stuff on the roof and in the tray, none of it locked and a good deal not even tied down (oil, coolant, the contents of the [unlocked] lockbox, blah, blah,blah), car left for anything from a half hour to a fortnight, and what gets taken? Nothing - except the kayak paddle, which some *&%$#! calmly unhooked and removed from the roofrack (retying the shovel that was tied down with it) while I was in the dunny at a servo just out of Perth. That takes nerve. There's even video footage of it - took him maybe thirty seconds. But his car was nondescript and the rego plate unreadable. Don't think I''m going to get that paddle back.

You're up s#*t creek now