Someone stole my tailgate!

[phrogg]

Came out of the house this morning through the garage and headed to my truck which is backed up against the garage outside...and the tailgate was gone! The big dually won't fit inside the garage so it has to sit outside. It was backed within about 3 feet of the garage door. They scraped the tail light on the drivers side as they took it around between the two trucks parked out there. Didn't touch anything else. But dang that makes me mad. Headed to dealer right now to price one out and Insurance adjuster meeting is scheduled this afternoon.

And that all comes on the heels of my tires and wheels being stolen! Today is the day I should get my new wheels and tires because THEY were stolen 2 months ago. The tow truck driver that had a legal right to tow my truck at that moment did so and then swapped them onto his truck while he had it in storage for 2 days. Claimed he didn't swap them, I didn't have any way to prove that the wheels now swapped between our two trucks were actually swapped. Police and Insurance really want proof because they have been trying to catch this guy for years. But nothing was concrete. But they all believed me (had over 100 complaints/claims against the same guy) and the insurance company paid for new wheels and tires. The thing is that one of the owners of the tow company is also a Criminal Trial Defense Lawyer as well as owning a Private Investigations firm. They cover their bases VERY well. However, this incident was the one that prompted me to get my CHL.

And in between these two incidents someone broke into my wife's truck at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and rummaged through everything. They took nothing - left Canon AE1, Oakley Glasses, iPod charges and the like strewn about in the truck. I think they were looking for guns but I decided moments before leaving home that I'd rather drive there without a weapon than leave a gun in the car all day long in a situation where it was likely to be stolen. Glad that I made that choice.

So I guess I'll start working on that whole home security/DVR system I've been researching. Just as soon as I recover from all these danged deductibles!

[Medic218]

Dang, you've got some pretty bad luck.
What area are you in?

[glbedd53]

Makes me think of what my dad told me to do if I need to change my luck.

[phrogg]

I'm in the Copperfield area of West Houston in a very nice section with very little crime. This is the second incident to happen at my home. First was a drunken Katrina refugee who stole my insurance paperwork from my wife's unlocked truck out front. We have our own deputies who patrol our neighborhood under contract. But with the final four parties last night the streets were packed with people so no one would notice anything odd with lots of folks out and about last night. I even ignored the dogs going nuts a few times.

I just visited the ford dealer. It's over $3000 just for the parts! Guess that's why they stole it. Now to search Craigslist and the pickapart places to see what I can find. Maybe I can find the one my key already unlocks .

[Keith B]

This is real common. As a corporate security manager I get alerts from the local PD's and the Richardson PD just caught two guys a couple of weeks ago with two tailgates in the back seat of their car. Here is the information that was sent out to us:

RPD Officers have been working special assignments in the Telecom Corridor to help reduce vehicle crimes.

On 03/24/10 at 2:15 p.m., RPD Officer observed a grey 04 Acura RSX coupe leaving the parking garage of 2350 Lakeside Boulevard. The Officer observed several things raising his suspicions and made a traffic stop on the vehicle. The stop resulted in the discovery that the two occupants had just stolen two pickup tailgates from the parking garage. The tailgates were inside the vehicle in the back seat. Both subjects were arrested. The vehicle had a false license plate attached with magnets. They had used bolt cutters to cut the cables that attach the tailgate to the trucks.

[The Annoyed Man]

Years ago, a friend of mine from back east had a problem with "uninvited sitters" sitting on the seat of his motorcycle all the time. The bike was a collector's item... ...an old Indian or something like that, and it was pretty cool. However, a lot of times when he would take it out for a ride and make a stop at a roadhouse or someplace like that, when he came back out there would be somebody sitting on the seat of his bike, checking it out, without owner's (his) permission.

So, he rigged a small capacitor under the seat that was deactivated by inserting the key into the ignition and starting the motorcycle. If you sat on the seat first without starting the bike, it would deliver a Louisville Slugger sized swat of electrons to your hind parts. It only had to happen a couple of times before word got out not to sit on my friend's bike without his permission.

I'm only telling this story to suggest that maybe you could do something similar to your truck's tailgate?

[RugerP345]

On my Chevy, I placed a hoseclamp around the c-shaped feature where the gate pivots. Its simple, cheap, and while it wont ensure you gate wont get stolen, it will give the thief a bit of a headache!

[StewNTexas]

From what little I know about how thiefs operate, my truck has a lock for the tailgate. I know the tailgate must be opened (lowered) in order for it to be removed.

Don't all tailgates lock like this?

Regarding the reply by The Annoyed Man, I had a lot of trouble with 'kids' messing with, and sitting all over my Honda Helix scooter when parked in public. I made a small sign that stated "please stay off" that I placed on the instrument panel when making a quick trip into a store. Way to many times I found kids messing with it, with their parents paying no attention.

I was in a less than sterling mood one day when I came out of a store to find two kids sitting on it while their dad was loading his groceries in the next parking place. I promply moved to the hood of his car, turned around and with a small jump, placed by butt on his hood hard enough to shake his car. As be started to become irate, I told him that if he would keep his childrens butt off my vehicle, I would keep mine off his.

[pbwalker]

I was in a less than sterling mood one day when I came out of a store to find two kids sitting on it while their dad was loading his groceries in the next parking place. I promply moved to the hood of his car, turned around and with a small jump, placed by butt on his hood hard enough to shake his car. As be started to become irate, I told him that if he would keep his childrens butt off my vehicle, I would keep mine off his.

I LOVE IT!

[Carry-a-Kimber]

Mine was stolen in July. I always keep it locked but had forgot to lock it after a camping trip, go figure. Skip craiglist and parts yards, they want about $500, and go to a flea market. The day after mine was stolen, I was walking my dog and noticed about 5 other f-150's in the neighborhood w/o tailgates. Kinda makes me want to put a deer blind in my front yard and wait...

[KD5NRH]

Claimed he didn't swap them, I didn't have any way to prove that the wheels now swapped between our two trucks were actually swapped. Police and Insurance really want proof because they have been trying to catch this guy for years.

Get some heavy-duty weatherproof labels, print them up with your DL number. Go to your tire store and offer them a few $ per wheel to pop the tires off and put the labels on the rims.

On the new tailgate, take the handle off and drop an identifier of some sort into the inner void space. A label on the underside of the handle might work as well, since nobody will see it unless they know to look there. Even cheaper, pull the handle off and scratch your DL number into some hidden surface.

The DL number works well, since police can track your name and address down easily with it, but the BGs are unlikely to even recognize it, much less have a Publicdata account to look it up.

[ninemm]

It's odd that this topic would come up. Last Monday, I bought a used Chevy P/U and brought it home. I didn't give it much thought and parked it in my 2nd driveway. Then, Wednesday evening I noticed an unfamiliar vehicle come down my alley. I observed the occupants and recorded the license number. I still didn't think much about it. Late (around 10:30 p.m.) Thursday night, I happened to see another unfamiliar vehicle cruise slowly by with similar occupants. So now I'm worrying and realize how easy it would be for someone to steal my tailgate. I checked eBay and a couple of other sites for a tailgate lock and decided that I'd go shopping for one the next morning (Friday). I lose sleep over it Thursday night. I shop for a while Friday morning with no luck. Around midday Friday, I check the tailgate to see if there's some way to secure the cables and make them so that they don't just slip off. Only then did I realize that my tailgate has a factory lock that uses the ignition key.

[OldSchool]

Your post brought back some painful memories.
I hope your search for a less expensive replacement is successful!

We hadn't been in Houston a year when the louvers were ripped off of our car while we were on vacation. They had run over a neighbor's small tree getting away. The louvers were dealer-installed on what was then a 12-year-old car (this was a couple decades ago). Never found another set to replace them (they're very window-size-specific), and the sun through the backlight took no time at all to wreck the interior.

Still have the car, still can't find the correct louvers.

[TLE2]

I thought you "couldn't" steal a tailgate if you had a tailgate lock installed. Am I wrong?

I've worried about this since I bought my truck.

[Quahog]

It's been years now but I had a tailgate stolen off my '93 GMC Sierra and it sucked. They aren't cheap to replace and often aren't easy to find (on the used market). Best luck to you in resolving this issue. These days, I make a point of locking both my tailgate and the Tonneau cover.