Safe/Gun Vault anchor points in rear trunk

[dhh12]

I have searched but couldn't find and threads.

Where is the best place in the trunk to anchor a safe or gun vault?

I was thinking of putting it in the covered portion of the trunk but don't want to screw into something vital.

Any suggestions or experience would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Akikiki]

I have searched but couldn't find and threads.

Where is the best place in the trunk to anchor a safe or gun vault?

I was thinking of putting it in the covered portion of the trunk but don't want to screw into something vital.

Any suggestions or experience would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

How about something like this? At least it might give you an idea.

Trunk Tie-Down Project

 

[kirkbauer]

They don't think about these kinds of things in California...

I use the glove box but that's not appropriate in every state.

 

[kort677]

What in the world would you need a gun safe for?

Is there some kind of expectation of a deer attack or something?

he didn't ask for your opinion on why he needs that in his car, if you don't like the idea then just don't install one, if you have no viable ideas on how to help him, adding your opinion adds nothing to this discussion.

for the OP, you could bolt the safe to the side wall of the compartment in the rear trunk well. I use a product called a safe sack. it is a wired mesh sack that defies easy cutting. I loop a cable around the horizontal post in the rear compartment between the trunk well and the left side open well. while a thief with a huge bolt cutter would be able to get it out it does stop the usual quick thief from accessing the weapon.

 

[kort677]

I use the glove box but that's not appropriate in every state.

nor is it very secure

 

[kirkbauer]

nor is it very secure

More secure than in most cars that don't have locking glove boxes. And it is much more readily available to me than in the trunk.

 

[Yggdrasill]

The frunk will be more secure. There are also some fairly sturdy structural elements that you have access to if you remove the frunk liner. (I've never done it, but I believe it's fairly uncomplicated.)

 

[Dstrohl]

I have searched but couldn't find and threads.

Where is the best place in the trunk to anchor a safe or gun vault?

I was thinking of putting it in the covered portion of the trunk but don't want to screw into something vital.

Any suggestions or experience would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

No experience... but my suggestion is before you start to screw through anything, take the liner off and physically look behind it to be sure that you are not only not hitting anything important, but also you are actually screwing into something that will actually hold, not just the cardboard liner.

Having said that, if you poke around, you can see lots of pictures of cars without those liners in them... here is one for the frunk (https://www.flickr.com/photos/130336308@N05/16253451419/), and I think this thread has pictures... somewhere (Repairing a Flooded Tesla Model S : HOW-TO). Also, I would probably think that in the "parts for sale" section, and/or looking for pictures from people parting out Tesla's you would find some as well.

In any case, good luck!

 

[habanero69]

I would want it in the passenger compartment for access rather than trunk/frunk unless you are just using for storage when it may not be legal or appropriate to have elsewhere. A weapon as you know is useless if you can't get to it when needed... I typically have a small vault under the seat with the wire securing. Not going to stop bolt cutters, but the valet dude ain't going to get it...

 

[jaguar36]

The frunk will be more secure. There are also some fairly sturdy structural elements that you have access to if you remove the frunk liner. (I've never done it, but I believe it's fairly uncomplicated.)

Don't do this on the facelift cars! The frunk can be opened without the key by pulling the releases in the wheel wells.

 

[Yggdrasill]

Don't do this on the facelift cars! The frunk can be opened without the key by pulling the releases in the wheel wells.

Yeah, by the five people who know about it. And once they've gotten into the frunk they need to get into the safe. The frunk is safer than the trunk because almost no one knows about the frunk.

 

[kirkbauer]

I'm just shocked that there are so many people that travel with guns. Have you ever had a situation to occur where you needed your gun that's in your car?

I don't understand the dislikes from my earlier thread. Its not bothering me either way. I'm just wondering what you would need a gun for. I'm just one of those that would surrender my car rather than get into a gun fight about it.

I'm not sure about anybody else, but I have a concealed carry permit, so typically I'll carry my gun but put it in the glove box while in the car for comfort. If I go into a place where I can't carry then I leave it in the car then too. No I have never had a need to use my gun, but it's one of those things that you hope you never need to use but if it does come up I'll be happy to have it as an option.

I did have a friend who ran into some road rage where some guys in FL in a truck were pulling up next to him with a guy hanging out of the passenger window with a tire iron. My friend just had to remove his gun from his glovebox and the other vehicle decided it would be best to leave him alone.

For me it's one of those things. It is a 1 in a million chance I'll ever need it, but in many of those situations the consequence of being unarmed is high enough that it warrants taking precautions.

 

[Dstrohl]

There are lots of reasons to have a gun in the car... (which may drive where you would want it as well)

• Taking the gun to the range: In some states, you cannot have a pistol accessible in the car unless you have a concealed carry permit. By putting the safe in the trunk (or frunk) the person would be protecting themselves from potential legal issues.
• If you carry concealed, but some places are illegal to carry into: For example police stations, bars, schools (depending on the state), you may have to leave the gun in the car., in this case, having the safe near the driver would make more sense as it is less likely to be noticed when putting the gun into the safe.
• If you want protection while driving from ICE drivers who are jealous of your ride (or other road hazards): in which case, something closer to the driver and faster to access would make more sense than a safe anywhere... While I don't necessarily buy into this need, there ARE times where you cant just give the car to someone and get away (think the road raged driver who is coming at you with a gun. How likely this is and how likely a person is to be able to respond without making the problem worse is the question, but ultimately, that's a question for the individual, not for me.

Assuming you want it out of the driving compartment, trunk or frunk... some thoughts:

• Accessibility: A friend of mine was pulled over and got a citation because he had a gun in the trunk of a hatchback, in a locked case, and the police decided it was "accessible" to the driver since it was possible to crawl over the seats, get the gun case, unlock it, and retrieve it (btw, it was a hunting rifle as well). This seems pretty extreme to me, and my friend was able to successfully fight it in court, but it's something to keep in mind.
• Safety: The trunk IS accessible to kids in the car, whereas the frunk is not... if the safe is... well... safe, this probably should not matter, but again, it's something to keep in mind.
• Protection: The frunk can be opened without a key (though I think it will set off the alarm), but as Yggdrasill noted, not many people know about this, and most of the rest think it's the motor. If the safe was securely bolted down and was made decently, this might not matter anyway if it was hard enough to remove / open. (many of the car gun boxes are pretty cheap) The Trunk however may be able to be seen through the window (if the shelf is out for some reason) and might be more visible when putting the gun in the safe to others standing around a parking lot... Probably somewhat of a wash, but it would depend on which was more worrisome to you.
• Convenience: depending on where you are getting into it, the frunk might be harder to access at the gun range (nose in parking against a fence or trees?)
• Obviousness: opening the frunk (I suspect) will get more attention than opening the trunk. I notice cars in a parking lot with their hood up. it's much less common, whereas I don't notice cars with their trunks open.

Anyway, just some things to ponder.

 

[kort677]

I'm not sure about anybody else, but I have a concealed carry permit, so typically I'll carry my gun but put it in the glove box while in the car for comfort. If I go into a place where I can't carry then I leave it in the car then too.

my only issue is that so many guns are stolen from people who leave their guns unsecured in their car, and I am guessing the OP feels the needs for additional security for his weapon and I agree, you cannot take too many steps to make your weapon unavailable to unauthorized people.

 

[dhh12]

I appreciate the replies - this is a technical discussion not a gun issue.

I do have a concealed carry permit.

I have on one instance in 40 years of driving been happy I was armed.

I would rather have in the trunk than the frunk as the car could provide cover if needed to access it if it wasn't on my person.

Securing a weapon is of paramount importance in a car.

My goal is to prevent some horrible electrical catastrophe if I attempt to mount something in the trunk before I become informed on positioning of the safe.

Thanks

 

[wk057]

I appreciate the replies - this is a technical discussion not a gun issue.

I do have a concealed carry permit.

I have on one instance in 40 years of driving been happy I was armed.

I would rather have in the trunk than the frunk as the car could provide cover if needed to access it if it wasn't on my person.

Securing a weapon is of paramount importance in a car.

My goal is to prevent some horrible electrical catastrophe if I attempt to mount something in the trunk before I become informed on positioning of the safe.

Thanks

Definitely do not use the frunk. As of the refresh the frunk is NOT secure space and can be opened from the exterior of the vehicle without a key. Same applies to all Model X. Tesla really needs to be more informative about this, IMO.

As for a good place to support a small safe, it seems like in the lower cubby of the trunk would be the best place. There are heavy duty rails that run through that area on each side of the opening to the lower portion. There should be no wiring or anything else of consequence there. Depending on your anchoring method, you could easily run some self-tapping screws or tap some bolt holes into the metal and they're not going to go anywhere.

You could likely also tap directly into the floor of that area without too much consequence, although I would remove the plastic covers under the car to be safe as there are some wiring harnesses in that area.

Seems like it should be a pretty simple problem to solve overall, though. Lots of options.

 

[HebrHmr]

Definitely do not use the frunk. As of the refresh the frunk is NOT secure space and can be opened from the exterior of the vehicle without a key. Same applies to all Model X. Tesla really needs to be more informative about this, IMO.

As for a good place to support a small safe, it seems like in the lower cubby of the trunk would be the best place. There are heavy duty rails that run through that area on each side of the opening to the lower portion. There should be no wiring or anything else of consequence there. Depending on your anchoring method, you could easily run some self-tapping screws or tap some bolt holes into the metal and they're not going to go anywhere.

You could likely also tap directly into the floor of that area without too much consequence, although I would remove the plastic covers under the car to be safe as there are some wiring harnesses in that area.

Seems like it should be a pretty simple problem to solve overall, though. Lots of options.

Wouldn't using the frunk space to put something that is secure in its own right make more sense since it is not secure? If I store things that are loose up there they could walk off. The safe is its own security.

I'd probably opt for something pretty small for safety reasons...

OP: frunk vs trunk for the car providing cover would completely depend from which direction you are taking contact or your threat is located.

I think we need someone to design one to mount in the cubby compartment under the screen!

 

[Garlan Garner]

OP wasn't asking for social commentary, just technical info.

This is an open forum. Social commentary is encouraged and supported....so....just like the above post and many others.....it will continue.

 

[Garlan Garner]

This is an open forum. Social commentary is encouraged and supported....so....just like the above post and many others.....it will continue.

@richardw0000

Do you have any words? man up.

 

[HebrHmr]

There are lots of frightened people here in Trumpistan. Most who 'carry' are more likely to have it taken away from them, than be able to use it effectively. Of course everyone imagines that they'll take control and be a Hero, but even police officers are frightened these days, and are sometimes charged with murder for firing while trembling in their boots. Not to mention that everyone has a temper, and when we lose it we sometimes reach for any tool.

I'm from Texas, and I remember when George Bush was governor he signed the open carry law. But when asked if it's Ok with him that people bring guns into the State House or Senate where he'll be, he said "Hell no". And guns were banned from State property. Shows what he really thinks. I'm afraid of those who 'carry', not everyday criminals or anything else. Again, I'm from Texas.

There is a good sturdy place to anchor a safe, but I'd prefer to get dislikes so won't say where.

Have you ever been to the Middle East or Central Asian States?

What's it like to live afraid all the time surrounded by people who carry?