Stolen Charger

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offgrid

Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2018
Messages
6
How do you create a setup where it is difficult to steal the chargeer?

there you are lrunning power from the house to the car and anyone can come along and just flick the lead out of the inside3-pin plug, pull it out of the car socket and make off with it.

What can I do about that?
 
The charger lever at the car end has a hole in it so you can fit a small padlock. This would put off the opportunist thief but not one who wanted your charger come what may as the small padlock could quite easily be cut through.
 
Simplest solution: Park the car with one wheel on the charger cable.

Edit - I see it has been suggested already.
 
jaapv said:
Simplest solution: Park the car with one wheel on the charger cable.

Edit - I see it has been suggested already.

I suggested this in a different <unnamed> forum and someone when ballistic on me and listed all the dangers of parking on a cable. I think some people worry too much :)
 
I wouldn't squeeze the cable of my charger like this as I see quite plausible reasons for damages.

And why should I do it?
Closing a padlock can be done faster than placing the cable properly, entering the car again and drive 0,5 m.
 
Here's the simple trick I use: Make a loop with the cable, pass the loop behind the branch of the rim. Position the padlock on the buckle (on one side of the rim branch) and the cable (on the other side of the rim branch).

20190206_082750.jpg
 
Gary has a nice "solution": https://youtu.be/F9VtYFvxTt4

I'm doing the same on public places, at home I have a fixed wall box and the cable is always locked.
 
A guy can lift the rear wheel, remove the wheel and leave with the charger and a wheel. Taking too much cable length, I am always close to be short.
I prefer the one locking the cable at the hinge.
 
Andrev said:
A guy can lift the rear wheel, remove the wheel and leave with the charger and a wheel. Taking too much cable length, I am always close to be short.
I prefer the one locking the cable at the hinge.
You don't have wheel nut locks?
 
In Canada, several thieves have a selection of keys to remove them. 20 years ago, I lost 4 wheels with these locks. Happy to have insurance to cover them.
 
As I put in my post of Aug 11

"The charger lever at the car end has a hole in it so you can fit a small padlock. This would put off the opportunist thief but not one who wanted your charger come what may as the small padlock could quite easily be cut through."

Admittedly the padlock hasp needs to be quite a small diameter but not had an issue even in an urban environment where my mother lives.

As regards padlocking it through the spring. The spring can be dislodged if the flap is bent back on itself (another known issue with the PHEV) and then the padlock could be removed together with the charger. If anything I would padlock through the charger flap locking hole and run the cable through the hasp. This would also prevent the flap from being bent back on itself and dislodging the spring.

Personally when parking on my drive, out in the sticks, I do not secure the charge cable but I do fasten the charge flap to the cable using reusable zip ties. That way the flap cannot accidentally be caught and bent back on itself.
 
Andrev said:
A guy can lift the rear wheel, remove the wheel and leave with the charger and a wheel. Taking too much cable length, I am always close to be short.
I prefer the one locking the cable at the hinge.

If you park in an area where to get the charger they would steal the wheel, I'd rather they took the charger! After all it is a PHEV, so it doesn't need the charger but can't go anywhere without a wheel (no spare). Never mind the cost of a charger against wheel and tyre. :shock:
 
Andrev> I don't see the point of leaving one wheel with the charger since I doubt the Outlander runs fine on only 3 wheels, it's not a Citroën DS ;-)

And by the way I have wheel nut locks I know this is not perfect but enough to sufficiently slow down stealing operation and convince thieves to go for another car and this is exactly the point because if your thief is sufficiently determined and well equipped, there's almost nothing you can do against him. Perhaps, breaking a padlock with the double wrench method is faster and easier that removing a car wheel : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBSSA5ot0tA
So the point is to protect your stuff against opportunistic thieves.

Mitch> Nice trick, very interesting.

Dusz> Unfortunately my PHEV stock charger plug doesn't have the small hole. I may drill one but now I've got the big padlock ... :)
 
breaking lock like that is possible with an empty lock on the table. If you have actually locked something, you likely can not get the wrenches into the space to pop the lock.
Plus there are many varieties of locks out there , pick what works for you
 
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