> From: Joy Hecht <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU>
> I'm curious about the need for
> alarms.� I mean, how many of us have ever
> actually had our vanagons broken into,  

In the past decade my Vanagon Westy has been broken into about half a dozen times. When parked at home in the city, I don;t leave anything valuable, and the thief just goes rummaging around without finding anything. Parking in a lit area seems to reduce the risk. I imagine an alarm would help too.

The more difficult situation is at remote trailheads. There are gangs operating in the national parks during summer high season. They show up at trailheads after hikers have left, then have all night to go through the cars. Trailheads are usually so remote that a siren is heard by nobody but the local wildlife. When I take a vacation often stay in campgrounds some days, and hike overnight others, so I like to bring more than what I carry in the backpack.

Martin (and 82 Westy Poppie)

PS: At least with the Vanagon they don;t try to steal the car. I had a Eurovan Westy for a few years. That one they tried to steal. Messed up the steering column badly.