Van hook locks and security plates in Beverley

The job

A customer in the Beverley area had just taken delivery of a brand new Ford Transit Custom and wanted it properly secured before it went out to work. A new van is at its most exposed in those first few days: it leaves the dealer with only its factory locks and it is about to be loaded with tools. The customer asked us to fit hook locks to the side and rear doors, along with bolt through security plates, before the van was collected from the dealer and put to work.

What we did

We fitted a hook lock and a stainless steel security plate to the rear doors, and the same to the sliding side door. A hook lock adds a separate, key operated locking point on top of the van's own locks, and the plates are bolted right through the door skin rather than screwed on. We used Van Guard locks and X8R plates, with primer, paint, grease and Waxoyl. Every aperture we cut was coated back over the bare metal, all the metal swarf was lifted out of the door internals with a magnet, and Waxoyl was applied inside the doors, so added van security does not leave the panels open to rust later on.

Challenges

Alignment is the fiddly part of this job. On the rear door there are only a few millimetres of play between the lock and the keep, and if that is not right the lock will not operate smoothly. It is worth taking the time over that step rather than rushing the fit.

The result

The work took half a day, and the van was ready for the customer to collect the following day, secured and set up for work. The customer was happy with the result. Hook locks and bolt through security plates are a straightforward upgrade for anyone in the Beverley area who carries tools in a van.