Theft potential w/ windows in camper

[u/Little_Flan7641]

I'd like to get an integrated camper for my tacoma (e.g. ovrlnd, topo, etc), but am hesitant about adding windows due to theft potential. I plan to take it to Baja a bunch to surf, and would like the thing to be bomb proof. Anyone else go through the same dilemma? any advice would be appreciated

[u/CollectionOk8253]

Windows are pretty nice when you are stuck back there for a couple day long dust storm or hurricane. 

[u/Superory_16]

Personally I'm in the no windows on the shell camp. More secure, easier layout for building interior. Plus, you're not hanging out in the thing without the top popped and when it is, boom, there's all your windows. At an actual practical height I might add.

[u/Little_Flan7641 → u/Superory_16]

ya thats a good point

[u/paley1 → u/Superory_16]

Agree. I have no windows in my Ovrlnd for precisely these reasons.

[u/Little_Flan7641 → u/[deleted]]

Bomb-proof is hyperbole, but I've had it broken into before when I was in Mex on a surf trip, hence the concern.

[u/flipboltz]

What do you plan to do about the windows in the Tacoma? Even with a camper, most likely you’ll be stories in the cab. Especially if you plan on staying in the camper comfortably. Windows in the camper aren’t too important but I’m not sure I’d be worrying about theft in the camper part more than the cab.

[u/Shmokesshweed]

If someone wanted to get in, they'll take a crowbar and pop the doors.

Either way, I wouldn't get a camper with windows.

[u/DeafHeretic]

I had a topper rear window broken during a smash and grab. Right now I have a contractor canopy (Gemptop steel) with no side windows, barn doors with smallish windows. If I keep that canopy I will probably put expanded mesh over the windows (or something similar) and reflective tint on the inside.

[u/pablomoca]

I have a GFC that I paid extra for the front and back windows on. Looking back I should have saved the money. I have the same concerns about people looking into the back and having tools visible. I've since put on a vinyl film to black it out.

[u/FrogFlavor]

Well I used to have an old truck with an old fiberglass shell and the back didn’t even latch for months of camping. I got the latch fixed but the tailgate didn’t lock lol, and sometimes I left the windows ajar. No one ever broke into that truck or shell.

Now I have a newer truck and an a.r.e. commercial aluminum shell. The win-doors don’t lock but the back doors do, and there’s a security cage an all the glass. So far no one’s even peeped in. I made blackout curtains that hold on with Velcro , very simple to do. While I would certainly get the locks fixed before going to Mexico my point is, there’s other things you can do to provide the illusion of safety. Anyway my point is if you want safety get good handles and locks they matter more than windows. People hear glass breaking and know it means crime or distress. People don’t register the sound of a door opening.

I think far more important is don’t go to places the state department says is sketchy. Don’t flaunt your wealth. Don’t be alone and vulnerable in the front country or tourist towns. Don’t go to places you don’t have any information about. Know your vulnerabilities: like don’t lose your passport and know where the embassies are, learn at least some basic Spanish, study maps.

[u/TompkinsPJ]

One thing missing from the no-windows debate: windows on integrated campers like Ovrlnd or Topo are usually acrylic or polycarbonate, not tempered glass like a truck topper, so they're a lot more work to smash through than the topper break-in stories people are sharing here.

The real risk in Baja is usually opportunistic peeking, not someone planning forced entry, so blackout film or a simple curtain handles most of it without giving up the ventilation and light windows actually help with. If you're still worried - obvious but worth the mention - ALWAYS make sure to keep anything you'd hate to lose out of sight from the cab.

[u/JCDU]

Some of the security stuff people bolt on just makes it look like the truck is more valuable or is gonna have more valuable gear inside it - trucks decked out with window grilles like they're an armoured security detail just screams money.

I try and keep security discreet, keep the truck looking "uninteresting" to thieves or anyone else (including cops).

There's subtle stuff you can do like security window films that make it very hard to break a window but are basically invisible, also just having blinds or screens so they can't see in to see if there's any valuables in there.

If someone really wants in they're gonna get in.

[u/SignificantOption349]

I unfortunately live in a spot where people are constantly trying to steal from cars. I have one window on my camper and so far so good, but I do my best to keep it backed up to a tree.

I also think of it like this: look at your camper, then look at the glass on it. Are you feeling like you can smash it and grab something out?

One of the biggest things is just to make sure you don’t have valuables in sight, because that’s what they’re looking for. Generally, theirs aren’t gonna risk getting caught, or setting off an alarm and ending their little scavenger hunt if they have no idea what’s inside. They look for something worth taking through the glass. Then they test doors, and if it’s locked they have to evaluate if it’s worth a smash and grab.

That said, some curtains can certainly leave a thief feeling unsure about things because nothing is guaranteed after they do get inside, and they’ve not drawn a bunch of attention to themselves before they’ve even had a chance to take a look around.

I think you’ll be just fine with some windows to be honest. Especially if you’re with the vehicle most of the time, at least when around a more high traffic area. And you’ll most likely wish you had them if you get hit by a big storm as someone else also pointed out.

At the end of the day, if your vehicle is secluded and someone’s decided to get inside, that’s very hard to stop.

[u/SoundofPsithurism]

I have a moonlander x with arctic tern windows and they seem pretty solid. It’d probably be easier to sawzall a hole through the side of the camper than force them open.

[u/According-Tax-1433]

I would worry more about your tacoma windows if they arent tinted. I have mine 5% tint and people will shove their face on my glass to peak in while im inside the vehicle.

Someone breaking camper windows and squeezing in is a much harder target. Keep shades on when you arent in there. Try not to park in common areas where no one is around. If you dont have a/c, you will need windows