Ultimate Security guide for Land Rover range...
A lot of the Land Rover range, unfortunately, sits within the top ten most stolen vehicles. As such, to prevent theft of your Land Rover, its key to look into aftermarket security products. Not only to only, prevent the theft in the first place, but also to retrieve the Land Rover should the worst happen.
Here is the security guide for Land Rover, Range Rover & Discovery. Find all the security products here.
Defenders
OK, so we all know (Or at least should know) that the Defender is far from secure… We recommend in this security guide for Land Rover with all cars to work in layers, and this approach is needed for the defender more than most other cars, simply because of the nature of its build process and design. So the first layer we recommend is something visible, in fact even if you don’t take the layered approach, and you need one particular product then the visible product is paramount… Of the visible products, we would recommend one of the following:
Visible and proactive measures
Bulldog steering wheel lock: An affordable and universal product allowing for a particularly visible deterrent, The Bulldog BW600 can also be transferred to other vehicles with similar steering wheel sizes, so longer term it is a very affordable addition to your aftermarket security needs. Very quick and easy to install, the only downside is that it’s a bit bulky to store.
Pedal lock: Arguably a more secure option, but doesn’t look quite so visible to the passer by or opportune thief. Downside with some pedal locks is that they can be bulky to store, but there are options that are more convenient, namely the ardcase, x eng option, or our own ‘PedalPin’ product.
Gear stick lock: Again, as with the disklok, this is quite visible, so helps to get the message across that you have taken security seriously. Also a lot more compact than other options.
Removable wheel: This is a fantastic idea, and we do an option from Optimill Race Products, that makes any MOMO wheel removable. The only real downside to this is simply that the overall cost of the boss swivel lock and removable wheel are quite expensive, but if you’re updating the wheel any way, then it becomes more justifiable!
Its hard to say definitively which of the four options above is the best for security, but if you’re on a budget then the disklok is the most visible item to fit easily… the better two options to provide the most security are the Ardcase/x eng pedal lock, or the removable wheel.
Covert or Passive measures
Due to the weaknesses in the design of a Land Rover, we have come up with a line of products to protect against attacks. These are all available on our ‘essentials page’
Window grills: These aren’t for everyone, but if nothing else, then the rear quarter windows need protection from attack. We do a design that doesn’t damage the bodywork, and is fully reversible if you didn’t like the look. It also is particularly discreet if you have tinted windows.
Cable guards: The bonnet is particularly susceptible to theft, simply because the cable to release the bonnet runs in a very vulnerable position.
Hinge guards: Sadly the doors on a Defender are very susceptible to theft, four bolts and they can be removed very easily. So we do some hinge guards to prevent the most common way to do this.
Alarm modifications: On later models (TD5 and newer). these are generally fitted with a very good standard alarm, however it just needs a couple of modifications.
Of the above, we would always recommend all of the products lists, and it's possible to fit a lot without harming the 'look' of the vehicle, and we try to focus on products that are reversible so that you can remove anything should you wish, without damage to the Land Rover.
Trackers and immobilisation:
Trackers: We always recommend a tracker, the cheapest option we do is £75, and has a subscription of £5. However these rise up to £1500, generally speaking, if you are not sure what to choose, we recomend giving us a call for some impartial advice on the best options...
Imobilisation: We do a number of affordable options to imobilise a Defender. These are the starter inhibit loom and Inertia switch cut off, and depend on the model you have...
It is also possible to fit a tracker that can immobilise the vehicle and track it too, so that can be a good way to kill two birds with one stone, the Defender Defender, is the cheapest way to do this. or the trackstar S5 Advance is another way to achieve the same goal in a thatcham approved unit.
With both of the options above, these can be quite affordable, so we would really recommend to get both if you possibly can...
Discoveries and Range Rovers
With Discoveries and Range Rovers, generally speaking, (Especially with later models) The standard security is better, however there are some well publicised weaknesses. We would recommend turning off keyless entry to make them more secure, as a base point.
Visual: As above with a Defender, its a very good idea to fit a Disklok. This is such a visible message to would be thieves, and also is very secure in its own right.
Imobilisation: We sell a product called the iBlue imobiliser that can be fitted very affordably, and allows the user to imobilise any Vehicle from a smart phone
Trackers: With the more high value vehicles, sometime insurance companies stipulate what they want fitted to the Land Rover depending on there risk figures. As such its important to distinguish what is required before buying a tracker.
