Theft Prevention

[GreensvilleJay]

The 'tuning' of a truck or car is probably a violation of some Federal (EPA in the USA )laws. It is here in Canada. Makes it EASY for dealers to void 'under warranty' claims.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

At the moment I don’t have that option. I’m 6 months from starting to build a new house and barn. As of right now I’m keeping the tractor at my dads house behind his house.

Like others have said, out of sight out of mind is the best.
One option that works really well is a shipping container.
They are really hard to break into and you also get the added benefit of storing other tools and materials.
Any switch or disconnect is going to do very little to stop someone that wants to steal it.
Like others have also said they are not going to drive it off into the sunset, they will load it on a trailer and haul it off running or not.

One other benefit of a shipping container is you can add cameras and perimeter alarms, No thief wants to deal with a flashing strobe lights and screaming siren!

 

[The Evil Twin]

No - voiding your warranty means that your warranty claim is denied; it does not necessarily mean that all warranty coverage is lost.

The more extensive the modification, the more likely you are to lose more warranty coverage. If you or a third party make extensive changes to the tractor's electrical system, you risk losing warranty coverage to the electrical system.

Example, you or a third party makes extensive changes to the wiring harness. Later your ECU experiences a catastrophic failure. The shop might find the source of the problem (not your modification), and you would be covered under warranty. Or - the shop may not find any particular cause, and they will conclude some sort of transient power fried it. The modification or a mistake during its installation could be the cause of the problem. Will they cover it under warranty? It is not so easy.

As to your tuned truck, it is unlikely that they would cover any engine problems that could arise from the tune under warranty.

We might be barking up the same tree.
What you may not understand, is that a warranty claim and a warranty are two different things. The dealer is the manufacturers rep. Not the manufacturer. For a repair to be made under the warranty, the dealer has to submit a claim and have it approved in order to get paid by the manufacturer.
Modifying the wiring harness does not void the warranty. It may cause denial of a claim only if there is just cause to believe the mod caused the failure. It doesn't viod the warranty on the electrical system either. If you have a 1000 watt light attached to your turn signals then a claim for faulty turn signals would probably be denied. A no start situation due to a starter relay could not be denied.
A warranty claim can only be denied if a mod directly caused the failure. Read up on the Magnussen Moss Act.

 

[The Evil Twin]

The 'tuning' of a truck or car is probably a violation of some Federal (EPA in the USA )laws. It is here in Canada. Makes it EASY for dealers to void 'under warranty' claims.

Not always. There are 49 state legal ways to tune a vehicle. I am 100% in compliance. For a number of reasons.

 

[fried1765]

The problem with electronic system interrupters are that they require modification to your equipment's wiring. This modification presents two problems: (1) you now have another point(s) of failure within the electrical system (each connection is a potential problem) and (2) you may have voided your warranty (is your Kubota dealer or a third party going to install it?).

Additionally unlike a car, thieves are not going to drive your tractor away; they will have brought a trailer or wrecker. They may be equipped to winch your tractor onto the trailer or wrecker. Better thieves often steal cars with a wrecker to avoid having to defeat any system and actually draw less attention.

I keep my Kubota at our property about 250 miles away from home. I rely on: cellular games cameras that send me notifications/photos of any activity (Sheriff's Office is 10 minutes away and the relatives are all around), chains on the tractor and attachments (just slowing a thief down), Kryptonite NY chain lock holding the loader down on the ground via the front axle (hard to move/load with the loader down - more time for the crook) and a locked gate on the driveway (most important).

I have done what I can; insurance will take care of the rest.

Three things I do:
I do leave my equipment in a locked barn for 6 months each year.
I do pay my replacement value coverage insurance (homeowner) policy on time.
I do sleep well at night.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Three things I do:
I do leave my equipment in a locked barn for 6 months each year.
I do pay my replacement value coverage insurance (homeowner) policy on time.
I do sleep well at night.

He can't get a homeowner policy if he doesn't have a house!

At the moment I don’t have that option. I’m 6 months from starting to build a new house and barn. As of right now I’m keeping the tractor at my dads house behind his house.

 

[Elliott in GA]

We might be barking up the same tree.
What you may not understand, is that a warranty claim and a warranty are two different things. The dealer is the manufacturers rep. Not the manufacturer. For a repair to be made under the warranty, the dealer has to submit a claim and have it approved in order to get paid by the manufacturer.
Modifying the wiring harness does not void the warranty. It may cause denial of a claim only if there is just cause to believe the mod caused the failure. It doesn't viod the warranty on the electrical system either. If you have a 1000 watt light attached to your turn signals then a claim for faulty turn signals would probably be denied. A no start situation due to a starter relay could not be denied.
A warranty claim can only be denied if a mod directly caused the failure. Read up on the Magnussen Moss Act.

You did not respond to my example, and I am very familiar with the legal aspects of warranty claims.

The simple fact is that the greater your modifications to a product the more your increase your chances that you will be unable to successfully pursue a warranty claim in the event of a problem - many problems have diffuse or multiple possible sources. If you have not abused/misused the product, it is on the manufacturer, but if you have modified the item then it might be on you.

 

[The Evil Twin]

You did not respond to my example, and I am very familiar with the legal aspects of warranty claims.

The simple fact is that the greater your modifications to a product the more your increase your chances that you will be unable to successfully pursue a warranty claim in the event of a problem - many problems have diffuse or multiple possible sources. If you have not abused/misused the product, it is on the manufacturer, but if you have modified the item then it might be on you.

Ding ding! We have a winner!
You see? It's not the warranty that is voided. The CLAIM is denied. Glad you see my point.

 

[Elliott in GA]

Ding ding! We have a winner!
You see? It's not the warranty that is voided. The CLAIM is denied. Glad you see my point.

I never said what you think I did. I have even clarified what I meant several posts ago - to address any possible misunderstanding. I am uncertain as to why you continue to misrepresent my statements.
You continue to talk past me - never responding to my examples.
I am out of town probating a will for a relative, at no fee. I do not believe there is any point to continuing to post on this topic.

 

[Kurt Shaul]

For my equipment I’ve done two things on the loaders. I installed a locking fuel valve, once locked in shut off, no engine start. Second, I installed a lock ar on the loader handle. Once parked the bucket is all the way down where you can’t really pull the tractor nor can you load it.
Fuel shut off locks .. $65
Fab a lock bar for loader , DIY … $25

 

[TuckR]

My L3302 fits in my shipping container, along with the implements. It feels pretty good locking her up an night!

 

[PaulL]

My L3302 fits in my shipping container, along with the implements. It feels pretty good locking her up an night!

A thief with a side lifter could take the whole container.......not likely, but perhaps in future that'll be how we steal stuff. Wait for you to pack it all up for us, come and take the container with everything in it....

 

[GreensvilleJay]

20' seacans get winched onto 'tilt n load' or 'flatdecks' or whatever they're called that guys haul 'dead' cars and pickups on.

heck, even 53' trailers get stolen !

 

[In Utopia]

I’ve got insurance on it. Just thinking of an extra precaution. We’re an hour from Houston and out in the country. Thieves will travel.

My tractors are almost 5 hours out of Houston in Utopia.
Don't lock anything including the house on the very rural 3 mile long caliche road my place is on. In fact I leave the keys in both tractors. Reason is, a busy day on my 3 mile long road is 3 cars going by. With all the crack heads and illegals in the general area and if they have to kick in doors, hot wire tractors...actually they would have a key since just about all keys for equipment are the same it would bother me. Since I'm not up there full time it gives me some comfort knowing everything is insured.

 

[fried1765]

My tractors are almost 5 hours out of Houston in Utopia.
Don't lock anything including the house on the very rural 3 mile long caliche road my place is on. In fact I leave the keys in both tractors. Reason is, a busy day on my 3 mile long road is 3 cars going by. With all the crack heads and illegals in the general area and if they have to kick in doors, hot wire tractors...actually they would have a key since just about all keys for equipment are the same it would bother me. Since I'm not up there full time it gives me some comfort knowing everything is insured.

Yup!

 

[TuckR]

A thief with a side lifter could take the whole container.......not likely, but perhaps in future that'll be how we steal stuff. Wait for you to pack it all up for us, come and take the container with everything in it....

Sure, and someone with a helicopter could steal your barbecue. Nothing's theft proof, but I'm making it hard on them! They'd have to get a big rig through a coded gate and past my nosy neighbors first (they ran up on my septic engineer), then they'd have to be fast enough to get off my lot before I come running in after my cellular trail cams text my phone. I still like my odds

 

[PaulL]

Yup. It's all cost benefit, and insurance for the rest. We leave our house unlocked, tractor in an unlocked shed, trailer outside unlocked. One day stuff will get stolen. Hasn't happened yet.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

no such thing as 'theft prevention' , rather it's about 'theft DETECTION'.

every lock has a key...can be picked

 

[fried1765]

Yup. It's all cost benefit, and insurance for the rest. We leave our house unlocked, tractor in an unlocked shed, trailer outside unlocked. One day stuff will get stolen. Hasn't happened yet.

Yep.......
Like you,.... I have more than adequate insurance,..... and sleep well, all of the times that I am away.

 

[UnEasyRider]

Newbe here...first post. When I financed my 3302 I had to get insurance. After searching around the Kubota insurance was far and above the rest. Not only does it cover theft it covers acts of god...stupidity like crashing it or in my case running it into the lake (I did say I was new!) I presented all kinds of hypotheticals before purchasing and they were all covered. Premium is only $41.00 a month. Also I can keep buying it after the loan is done. No worries about theft here.