I think it's great to share the different factors in how someones sled went missing. Might help people realize that it CAN happen to them... Might make them realize that perhaps their previous methods of parking/storing/hauling//leaving the sled, could leave it a lot more open to getting jacked then they think. You don't have to advertise your secrets of how you keep it safe, or gps coordinates of where you park your junk.
Had my M7 stolen stolen right out of my driveway, decently lit, neighbors all around, 120 pound american bulldog in the house. I left the sled loaded in the back of my pickup, small riser deck in the box, tied down with just straps, and the truck was a big b*tch, i backed it up till the sled touched the garage door, and about a 3' overhang from the roof was over the sled. Seemed just fine to me. I rode that day, and planned to ride the next morning, so i didnt drag it off the truck. Went out in the morning to pack up, open the garage door, go to fire the truck up and realize i did not see the sled. Thought i was being retarded, looked back in the garage... no sled, thought maybe my other neighbor was messing with me, but i saw no drag marks in the fresh snow. I notice all 4 of my tie downs were cut... OK, my neighbor cant be that much of a dick. There was just enough room beside my truck of the offside away from the house that they squeezed a truck in beside mine. As far as i could count, there were 4 sets of foot prints around my truck. Thing was lifted clean over the box side, WITHOUT even rubbing the road grime off the top of the box... I wasn't even going to call the cops, because they are lazy f*cks around here, and i was justified. By the time they showed up, i had the wheel base of the truck tracks nailed down to a cc/sb, or a excab/long box. 3 different brands of tires on the truck in which i could name every one of them. Cop didn't care to look, just gave me a file number, took my vin, and away he went. I had a lot of support in trying to find the sled, but it never turned up. I had a good idea who might be involved, but couldnt get solid proof to get anything done. Made some phone calls, but the guys were already up in the okanagan, which i assume is where the sled wound up. It really started making sense when we got all drunked up in my home town, and might have had a lowlife by the throat outside the local bar, threatening him with a chainsaw... Guy lived in the same "trailer park" as the suspects at the time. What does a guy do though, really? A contributing member of society, work hard for my junk, everything to lose, dealing with a bunch of pieces of **** that go in and out of jail on a regular basis... 5 years later, i haven't forgot and hold one hell of a grudge.
Sled was very easy to pick out of a crowd at that time, had a bunch of goodies on it, tunnel cut out for running boards etc, but as far as i could see, the parts never showed up on classified, or in person.
I now insure my sled, and as stated, in BC is big money for what you get. I don't leave the sled on the truck unless i can possibly help it, have a chain, a cable, locked superclamp (useless security wise), a game cam, and one other little secret deterrent.
I enjoy sharing my videos and pictures on youtube/social media, so sure...that causes more of a risk, but in reality, anyone that is from this area, knows everyone who has a machine... so its not like you can keep it a secret.
Sorry for getting so long winded guys, hit a bit of a nerve.
Coxy
