Truck "broken into" (hood access)

[Li'l Work Truck]

TL;DR: I need your help with anti-theft measures!

Today I walked to my truck after work to find the hood popped and a rag sitting on the battery. Needless to say, I spent the next 30 minutes looking over everything to make sure I still had everything, and that nobody had tried to swap any parts or strap a tracker to the truck (I don't know why anyone would want to steal an 18-year-old truck...). The grille makes it super easy to get to the manual release, and that's got me concerned. Generally, if a thief knows that much about a vehicle, spooking them once isn't going to stop them from trying again later.

What can I do to fix this situation? My friend mentioned a padlock under the hood, which does seem like it would help...

 

[franklin2]

So your truck has the release inside the cab, but you can easily open the hood from outside? If that is the case, can you put a piece of metal or something there to block access?

 

[Li'l Work Truck]

So your truck has the release inside the cab, but you can easily open the hood from outside? If that is the case, can you put a piece of metal or something there to block access?

I think that's a really good idea. I have a piece of sheetmetal waiting for a purpose. I could fab something.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I’ve seen a few 98+ trucks with a plastic baffle inside the grill that prevents easy access to the release. Maybe try to find a junkyard truck with one?

 

[drew1]

Hi Work Truck,

It might be a bad idea to restrict underhood access where you can't get it open if latch cable breaks or latch problems. A hood pin with a small padlock may work.

drew1