Most sportsmen would agree that it is critically important to be able to secure your firearms in your vehicle, especially if it will be unattended for any length of time. State gun rules vary greatly and, unfortunately, some states require more caution than others. The USCCA’s Concealed Carry Guide< mentions that “New York and New Jersey are infamous among gun people for their regular and long-standing practice of making felony arrests of gun owners who police find transporting guns in good faith and in accordance with the Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986 (FOPA).”
By any account, it makes sense to secure your firearms during transport so that you can protect your valuables and prevent any issues with local law enforcement officials. The question is whether you should opt for a fixed solution (like the gun drawers made by TruckVault or TransK9) or opt for a more flexible option such as the Crushable Vault. Each has great features.
The fixed drawer solution is terrific. You install these drawers in the back of your SUV or pickup and they securely hold your shotgun(s), some ammo and other gear. The drawers are generally high-quality, provide privacy and are a good storage solution. However, they are heavy, need to be custom-fitted to your vehicle’s make, model and year, and use up a lot of storage space. For me personally, these drawers were not a viable option in my SUV because I’d lose access to my third-row seat and spare tire. But the real deal-breaker was that because of the height of the drawers, I would not be able to fit my dog kennel! Once these drawers are installed, it is a real effort to remove them — it generally requires at least two people.
Another consideration is that every time there is a new vehicle model, the size of the vehicle bed can change enough so that the TruckVault or TransK9 drawers no longer fit. This just happened to a friend of mine as he was moving from a 2012 Range Rover HSE to the 2016 model. The 1″ modification in the rear storage area was enough that his custom-fit storage unit no longer fits and he is now looking to sell the unit on eBay. It’s a real hassle.
If you are the type of person who holds on to a vehicle for a long time, then the fixed drawer solution may be a good option. It’s an even better option when this vehicle can be completely designated as your hunting/shooting vehicle. These drawers do take up a lot of space, which can become an issue when carefully packing for vacation or weekend jaunts to Home Depot. For everyone else, a flexible solution like the Crushable Vault may make sense.
The Crushable Vault is a soft case that secures to the back of your vehicle through an internal tie-down system and a 10 mm cable lock. It can be removed from the vehicle by one person in under a minute and easily secured in another vehicle or hotel room. That gives the Vault the real edge for those of us who travel with our guns.
The Crushable Vault is designed to accommodate your existing takedown cases that can easily slip in and out of the Vault once you open the locking mechanism. The heart of the Crushable Vault is the flexible cage — an integrated cable locking system that cinches down around your gun case(s). When you get home and put your guns back in the safe, you can leave the Vault in the vehicle. Put other items in it or stack groceries on top of it. It’s not an issue.
Another nice feature of the Crushable Vault is that it can secure multiple shotguns. When I had a weekend of sporting clays at a resort with my kids, I used it to secure three shotguns in the back of my Q7. It was large enough to hold one double-gun case as well as a single. If I want to secure more than that, I can simply add another Vault to the back of the vehicle. It’s nice to have that flexibility.
It is important to be able to secure your firearms in your vehicles. For those of us who have been reluctant to commit to the fixed drawers, the Crushable Vault is an attractive alternative. It provides the privacy and security of the drawers without the hassle factor, and it is viable to use while traveling.