Deadbolt locking kit cargo van full#
Deadbolt locking kit cargo van plus#

Given that they’re so secure, save time and are much less frustrating to use, it just makes sense.The M1 lock kit operates from your factory key fob. Eventually, I plan to outfit other vehicles we own with them. “If we buy another truck, we’ll also buy another Cargolock system.

“We’re not an easy target anymore,” he says. “It might as well say, ‘Tools inside.’”īut with the Cargolock system, he no longer feels vulnerable. “The sign on the side of my truck is advertising for thieves,” he says. As such, Kratowicz says there are times he’s had to thaw them out with a torch.Īs a plumbing contractor in a major city, Kratowicz realizes he’s a prime target for thieves. Moreover, the pucks get coated with snow and ice during the brutal Midwest winters. “That’s another good reason to get an internal deadbolt system.” “One time I was driving in an alley and got too close to a dumpster and it ripped the puck right off my door because it stuck out so far past the body,” Kratowicz says. In addition, the pucks aren’t a good look aesthetically, and they stick out far enough that they can get snagged on things and break off. “They’re a reasonable theft deterrent, but they’re not as good as a deadbolt,” he says. Then you waste even more time looking for it.”įurthermore, the puck locks aren’t foolproof, Kratowicz says, noting that thieves have pried them off his van before - and did significant damage to the vehicle in the process. Plus, there are times when my mind is somewhere else and I put down the hockey puck and accidentally throw stuff on top of it. “You do that four or five times a day at three to four minutes a pop and it adds up to hours and hours and hours over the course of a year. Then you take your stuff out of the van then put the puck back on. “Then it takes 20 seconds or so to unlock it and remove it. “First of all, you’re dealing with yet another key,” he says. Why? Because he used to use so-called “hockey puck” exterior locks on the van, which were cumbersome and time-consuming to use.

The ability to activate the Cargolock with the van’s key fob is also a game-changer for Kratowicz. The deadbolt system sells for approximately $350 and Kratowicz says he paid about $200 to have it installed, for a total expenditure of around $550.

Deadbolt locking kit cargo van full#

Installation takes anywhere from a half to a full day and can be performed by car-alarm and car-stereo companies and van outfitters. Or contractors can have them installed, which is what Kratowicz did. The lock actuator, which activates the deadbolt, comes with a one-year guarantee against failure.įor do-it-yourselfers, the Cargolock system comes with installation instructions. The deadbolt is made of electroless nickel-plated steel and includes a manual-release function this allows users to activate the locks even if a vehicle’s electronic system fails (or if a key-fob battery dies). The company makes locks to fit various brands of vans, including Chevrolet, GMC, Ford (including Transits, both full-size and smaller Connect models), Nissan, Dodge ProMasters and Mercedes-Benz Sprinters.

Deadbolt locking kit cargo van plus#

It includes a deadbolt lock for both rear and side doors on cargo vans, plus all the required hardware. The Cargolock is hard-wired into a vehicle’s electronic system, which allows users to activate it via their vehicles’ key fobs. Since then, Kratowicz has installed plastic blanks, or lock covers, over the van’s standard door locks to deter thieves from punching out the locks. “You hit the clicker and it shoots that deadbolt between the two doors and, believe me, they’re not coming apart.” “Unless you unlock it with the ‘clicker’ (the car’s key fob), you simply can’t get into the van,” Kratowicz says. That released the doors’ locking mechanisms, but the Cargolock deadbolt still held fast. Not that thieves haven’t tried since then the last time, they punched out the cylinders on the van’s door locks. “Ever since I had the Cargolock system installed about two years ago, I haven’t had any more problems with break-ins.” “I investigated it and immediately realized it was the solution I was looking for. “A guy I hired told me there are internal locks with a cam, like a deadbolt,” says Kratowicz, who’s been a plumber for almost 44 years and founded his business in 1982. The solution? An electronic deadbolt system from Cargolock. Get Trucks articles, news and videos right in your inbox! Sign up now.Īfter a thief stole equipment worth a couple thousand dollars from a Ford Econoline service van owned by Jeffrey’s Plumbing and Heating Service in Chicago, president and owner Jeffrey Kratowicz figured he’d have to up his game in terms of vehicle security.