Having traveled to most Southern African countries in the past few years, I have always had a nagging thought at the back of mind about what I would do if our valuables were stolen. In this case “valuables” meaning cash forex, passports, spare vehicle keys, credit card and cellphones.
Often, when overlanding, one cannot carry all these items on your person and you then have no choice but to leave some of these items in your vehicle.
This is exactly what bothered me, as placing such items under your vehicles seat does not offer any security.
Add to that, when doing an extended overlanding trip, one often takes a lot of cash forex along (i.e. Pulas for Botswana, Meticais for Mocambique, USD for Zimbabwe, etc). Adding the value of these different currencies together usually comes to a  substantial amount of cash (often exceeding tens of thousands of rands).
Upon enquiring about safes that could be installed into my Toyota Hilux, it came to light that there are actually very few safe options available.
One of these so-called safes, merely comprises a lid that is bolted onto the compartment beneath the back seat of the new Hilux Vigo. This product is very flimsy and the locking mechanism can be pried open using a sturdy screw driver.

Enter Trailer & Allied (Polokwane, Limpopo).
I engaged Ronald Hairbottle from the afore-mentioned company and explained to them my exact requirements.
My brief was that I wanted a vehicle safe that adhered to all the following specifications:
• It should fit behind the seat of my Hilux Double cab
• It should be produced of material that could only be cut open with an angle grinder!!
• It should not be too small (it must be able to accommodate sll the items mentioned above)
• It should also not be too large
• It should be secured to the vehicle’s body in such a manner that it cannot be loosened easily
• It should have a locking mechanism comprising a metal peg that runs along the entire length of the front opening of the safe.
Ronald (and his trusty sidekick Pieter) produced a safe which adheres to all the above requirements. In fact, I am so “chuffed” with the safe that when I replaced my 2003 KZTE with a new D4-D, I had Pieter refit the safe into my new bakkie.

Photo 1:
View of safe mounted behind the back seat of the Hilux Vigo. The walls and lid of the safe are constructed of 1mm mild steel plate, welded together by means of CO2 welding. The hinge of the door of the safe runs the entire length of the door of the safe and lies flush against the back side wall of the bakkie’s cab (meaning that a thug would not be able to break the hinge open).

Photo 2:
View of safe prior to installation
The dimensions are as follows: Depth: 310mm; Width: 260mm; Breadth: 110mm The most important safety measure of the safe is the locking mechanism. As can be seen from the two photos below, the lid of the safe is secured by means of a stainless steel peg that runs along the entire length of the lid opening of the safe. The peg penetrates the side wall of the lid, then it penetrates the right wall of the safe’s body, whereafter it penetrates the left wall of the safe’s body and finally it exits the left side wall of the closing lid.
The peg is secured to the body of the safe by means of a padlock.

Photo 3 & 4:
The locking mechanism comprises a 10mm stainless peg that runs along the entire length of the front opening of the safe. The method used to secure the safe to the body of the vehicle comprises nuts that are located inside the safe. This means that the safe can only be un-bolted if the safe has been unlocked.
The nuts that are located inside the safe run through the body and in turn bolts onto two flatbar sections (onto which nuts have been welded).
These flatbar sections are located on the outside of the cab, between the back of the cab and front of the bakkie’s loadbin – thus making it very difficult to reach the flatbar sections from the outside.

Photo 4:
The nuts securing the safe to the flabar sections on the outside of the body, can only be accessed from inside the safe.

Photo 5:
The safe is locked by means of a padlock.
For additional security a square type padlock can be used (i.e. the type used to locked industrial type garage doors)
The safe can be installed in any vehicle.
Installation basically comprises the drilling of 4 holes, insertion of the securing nuts through the 4 holes. Screwing the securing nuts into the female bolts on the outside of the body. Alternatively, heavy duty self-tapping screws can be used (if one does not wish to use the flatbat sections on the outside part of one’s vehicle). Installation can be done be any person with a basic knowledge of vehicle accessory fitment.
The safe comes in a standard matt white finish and can therefore be painted any colour one want. You can even rubberise it (e.g. if you wish to install it inside the loadbin of your bakkie). Alternatively you can also have it carpeted so as to blend in with a carpeted interior.

Cost: The safe retails at a cost of R2 000,00 per unit (inclusive of VAT).
Fitment is R200,00 additional.
Delivery throughout South Africa is possible (courier cost will be levied).

Trailer & Allied is located in Polokwane (Pietersburg), Limpopo.
Contact person: Ronald Hairbottle:
Tel: (015) 293 0736
Cell: 082 376 5378
E-mail: t.a.c@mweb.co.za

A PROPER VEHICLE SAFE FOR SECURING YOUR VALUABLES
Written by: Theo Kotze, Pietersburg, Limpopo (tecoplan@mweb.co.za)