How to secure your trade vehicle or courier van from theft.

One of the more popular vehicles used by tradies and couriers in Australia is the Toyota Hiace van. In this post we are working on a 2015 model and will show you some of the work that has been completed. The main concerns for vehicle owners and particularly trades people is either the entire vehicle being stolen or secondary broken into and their valuable or costly tools being stolen.

In terms of security we have addressed two issues by installing both an alarm system as well as a GPS Tracking device. Typically these are two independent systems that firstly help prevent theft and secondly help find/ track the vehicle should it still be stolen. The GPS tracker has multiple other features and benefits which we won’t expand on here but if you are interested in learning about why a car GPS tracker is important for your business or fleet vehicle you can read about them here.

Now back to the alarm and tracker being integrated. The Grand Turismo GPS Tracking Device has an alarm input which makes it possible for notifications in the form of text or mobile phone calls to be sent directly to your mobile phone. The way this works is that when the alarm is triggered you will first receive a text message notifying you that the vehicle alarm has been set off. After a further 10 to 15 seconds you will then receive a phone call to ensure you are aware that the alarm is sounding.

One of the other features built into the alarm system is called a shock or impact sensor. This feature is a deterrent and is designed to warn any potential thieves that the vehicle is both alarmed and active. How this works is if there is a bump or shock to the vehicle the alarm siren will chirp a couple of times without activating completely. If it then senses a secondary or higher impact the alarm will sound. Additionally, we installed ultrasonic sensors on the interior of the Toyota HiAce van. Ultrasonic sensors work on high frequency sound waves and are triggered by movement within in the cabin meaning if the shock or impact sensor didn’t trigger on break in the ultrasonic most certainly will.

Antitheft Car Alarms have been trusted in Australia for 40 years now. Their security products are designed, developed and manufactured in Australia specifically for the automotive industry. The model number of the alarm is U0AC-6 and comes with a 3 year warranty.

At the same time the customer wanted to upgrade the head unit in the van. We installed a Kenwood multimedia head unit, in our opinion the best value for money at only $379 (model number DMX1025BT), which features:

• 6.8" WVGA Capacitive Display

• USB Mirroring for Android

• Dash-Cam Linkage

• Built-in Bluetooth

• 13 Band EQ & Digital Time Alignment

• 2 Preouts 2V & Subwoofer Out

You can learn more about this Kenwood head unit on the product page.

Kenwood Multimedia Head Unit DMX1025BT

This particular model Toyota Hiace van comes standard with a reverse camera, the display for which is built into the rear view mirror. There is nothing particularly wrong with that but since the Kenwood unit has a much larger display we tapped into the video wiring to divert the rear view display onto the Kenwoods screen in addition to the mirror.

The Kenwood head unit can be programmed to work with the existing factory/OE steering wheel controls which is a critical part of the install.

2015 Toyota Hiace Van Steering Wheel Controls

This particular job was completed in a day so with minimal downtime and not extravagantly costly we can hopefully give you peace of mind that your vehicle, equipment and tools are well protected either whilst on a job or at home.