Protecting items INSIDE the Oliver II Elite

[hobo]

We have not taken possession of our 2018 Oliver yet but this morning, my wife asked if we were going to install a safe of some nature inside the trailer to protect valuables (cameras, binoculars, jewelry, etc.)

 

I know there are "hiding" places within the trailer but can anyone recommend a product and mounting location within  the trailer to secure items?

 

Thanks,

[topgun2]

Hobo -

 

There are several owners that have installed a safe in the Oliver - utilizing one or more of the "hidden" areas.  Given that this is a subject that these people just might not want to highly publicize, I'd keep an eye on my "private message" area for replies.

 

Bill

[Mike and Carol]

I know some folks have installed a safe in the nightstand space in place of the wooden insert. You should be able to find some posts about that as well as installing a gun safe in the closet. Mike

[John E Davies]

If I were going to do this I would bolt down a high quality front opening handgun safe in one of the overhead compartments using 3/8” tamper proof “security”  bolts.

 

Don’t skimp on the safe. The $100 ones are junk. The electronic locks are junk. This one would be excellent .... https://www.gunsafes.com/Fort-Knox-PB4-Personal-Pistol-Safe.html

 

You would need to mount it with a thick spacer underneath so the door would clear the lower compartment lip. Use a stout piece of solid metal, like an aluminum plate, so a thief could not jam a prybar into the gap and lever it out.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[John E Davies]

Red herring: “something that takes attention away from a more important subject”

 

There are enough secure areas in an Ollie for stuff like a medium sized purse, laptop, etc, but the best solution is to keep a crook away from those places using red herrings. Bait the more accessible places with things that you don’t mind losing. A typical crook is looking for a quick in and out, less than a minute usually. He isn’t going to check every single storage compartment, he will go for the drawers, the closet and the bathroom cabinet, before anything else. Often he is just looking for enough cash for his next fix, or something that he can carry easily and that he can pawn rapidly. Which is a very sad statement about our society.

 

Fill an old prescription bottle, preferably one that had an opioid pain killer, with Tic Tacs and leave it on the bathroom counter.

 

Leave an old phone or tablet plugged in and sitting on the table. I use an old iPad, with its dead battery. Make sure there is no personal info on it!

 

Store small tools in one of the galley drawers. Mine contains multimeter, muliti-tool, hatchet, electrical adapters, etc. Total value is low but it looks impressive to a thief.

 

Leave an electronics case with a logo on it (Go Pro, Garmin) with an obslolete or dead unit in it, like an old radar detector.

 

I have a shotgun locked in a rack in the closet. That and the stuff on the shelves will keep him occupied for a while, but he won’t get the gun out unless he has power tools.

 

If you have some apparently valuable stuff that is visible and easily accessible, it is very unlikely that a bad guy would spend much time digging into more obscure places. I do recommend that you never leave behind your personal IDs and credit cards in the trailer, never ever. Never travel with irreplaceable heirlooms or jewelry (Rolex). Everything else is just mainstream “stuff” that can be easily replaced.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

 

 

[ScubaRx]

During the build of our Oliver back in 2013, I proposed that a “hidey-hole” be created in a certain area. It later became standard in most of the builds. Owners, you’ll know if it’s in yours, not everybody has it. I was not satisfied that there was enough security with the result that the factory provided and modified it to be a real safe. Even though, by John's definition based on price, it would have to be considered "junk” it has four times the capacity of the front opening gun safes and I would challenge you to find it and remove anything from it in less than four hours. Of course, that assumes two things:

 

(1) You’ve made it past Reacher

 

(2) I’ve not come back and caught you at it and then had to call a good friend.

 

[John E Davies]

modified it to be a real safe. Even though, by John’s definition based on price, it would have to be considered “junk” it has four times the capacity of the front opening gun safes and I would challenge you to find it and remove anything from it in less than four hours.

 

The Internet is full of videos showing how to open cheap safes. Often in less than a minute. Sometimes by just jiggling the knob or whacking the cover hard. Of course this assumes that a crook has watched those, has remembered the techniques and has the suitable bobby pin/ Bic pen, etc to defeat your particular lock.

 

Of course also, any safe is definitely better than no safe. Just like any gun is better than a sharp stick.... But if you do decide to invest in a safe, it would be prudent to consider a high quality one with a secure locking mechanism and a 3/16” steel lid or door.... not one that is just barely good enough to meet any state requirements. And bolt it down hard, so the crook won’t just take it home to work on.

 

I got this one for Christmas, to comply with the new state “secure gun storage” law, and it is a real dandy. Highly recommended. ...https://www.gunsafes.com/Fort-Knox-PB1-Original-Pistol-Safe.html

 

It is installed onto a fixed bookcase shelf inside a cardboard box, through bolted with 3/8” bolts, with “red herring” road atlases and travel magazines piled on top. It looks like a pile of old junk but is very quick to access the contents.

 

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA