Console Vault Review

[cabopc]

Console Vault for 2004 Chevy Avalanche
5 stars
easy install, solid, and worth the money
Other than the price, my biggest concern about buying this product was the install. I was leery because I’m the opposite of handy but as it turns out, installing the console vault truly is simple. All you do is remove the screws from the bottom of your trucks console, drop in the safe, and then put the screws back in. They include screws with the safe but I didn’t use them because my truck’s factory screws worked easier. The safe fits great and you only lose a little bit of storage space. However, if you have trouble fitting your gun in your console now be warned that it’ll be even harder to fit your gun in the safe. I have a S&W 642 in a Desantis Nemesis holster in the safe and that takes up most of the space. Setting the combo is easy and I like that you can change it. It’s also fast and easy to open. Construction is solid. No one is getting into that safe unless they have a good amount of time and some serious tools. It’s a little pricey but I love the peace of mind it gives me. I have no regrets and give it an enthusiastic thumbs up.

 

[iconceal]

Console Vault for 2011 Ford F-150
0 stars
easy install, solid, easier to break into, not worth the money
I will not buy another Console Vault. These devices give a great sense of security until a real theif gets his hands on it. I purchased one in January for a new truck. I got the one with the combination lock, not the key lock. A theif got into my Console Vault in under 15 seconds. It took him about 6 or 8 hits with a screw driver. I can see the scratch/gouge marks underneath where you enter the combination. Once he knocked this slightly crooked the Console Vault opened freely. All I had in it was a Garmin GPS device he took. I contacted Console Vault but the person would not comment on my situation or their product failing so easily. They did say if I ship them my Console Vault they would send me another one. I think I'll not do that and save the shipping charges. I'll look for another way to secure my handgun.

 

[mojoman]

I put a Console Vault in my 2011 dodge ram and love it.

 

[kumbaugh]

I have one in my 2013 Ford Expedition and love it. Will it stop a determined thief NO, but your cable lock box will not either.

 

[Stick0419]

First post...I like this idea... I would make sure mine was bolted through the floor. Just in case someone had some time to mess with the console.

 

[mojoman]

There isn't nothing that is fool proof but on top of other sercuity it's a great deterrence.

 

[maine04619]

If you are going to leave the gun in the car why take it??

 

[mojoman]

The only time I put mine in there is when I go in to my church and if I have to stop right quick to the post office but It's not a long time just a few minutes.

 

[cabopc]

My S&W 642 is always in my car in the console vault. I carry a Kahr CW9.

 

[mojoman]

Yeah, like I said I had to go in the Post Office to mail and package so I didn't want to take it in, I also have a two-way Viper alarm on my truck so I can tell when somebody break in.

 

[redneck050]

Best way to secure your weapon is dont take it off. If place doesnt allow weapons dont be a customer.

Sent from my LG-LG730 using USA Carry mobile app

 

[jcreek]

Only time I leave my weapon in my vehicle is at the gym. I'd rather leave it there than have everybody in the locker room see me take it off and put it in the locker with cheap flimsy locks. That's just asking for it to be stolen.

 

[saki1338]

Love my console vault, it is wired through the frame of my vehicle. While nothing is 100% guaranteed to prevent theft, it can deter or make it difficult to remove. It's really used as my last resort, bc usually it's super concealed on my person.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Zgozvrm]

Here's my 2 cents (or $260.00)...

While it is true that your gun is probably safest when with you, there ARE times when you may need to lock it up (post office, concerts, professional sporting events, the gym, etc.). For those times, it is nice to have something that is at least somewhat secure. I've been leaving mine hidden in a less-than-obvious spot in the cab of my truck, so I opted for the Console Vault because I think the lock boxes are often too small and not suitable for every one of my hand guns (some fit, others don't). The console vault is hidden from view and is probably just as secure as a lock box.

I do have one complaint though...
Having just finished installing my console vault, I found that the side rails (they call them "side uprights") were shorter than they should have been. I won't say, "too short," because everything fit into place and secured well. But, the rails should have been 2" longer. Then, I wouldn't have lost so much space in my console. I'm pretty sure they sent the wrong ones - I'm waiting for a response back from them.

Also, the instruction sheet had a few errors which could confuse those people who are less than mechanically inclined.
1) The the flange nuts were described as being "10mm" - that is, having a 10mm head thus requiring a 10mm socket. Mine had 1/2" heads.
2) The "beveled edge" bolts were described as requiring a 7/16" socket. Mine needed a 3/8" socket.
3) They actually call nuts and bolts by their head sizes. Nobody does that. A 1/2" nut fits a 1/2" bolt (the diameter of the bolt is 1/2") - the head is much bigger, typically 3/4". A nut with a 1/2" head typically fits a 5/16" bolt or stud. Anyway, this is non-standard terminology and can easily confuse some people.
4) Lastly, they describe the side rails (uprights) as having a beveled edge that "should be forward and towards the top" - it actually goes forward and towards the bottom (at least on my unit. They absolutely won't fit the other way around).

 

[Zgozvrm]

After speaking with one of the owners on the phone, it turns out they sent me an old, incorrect version of the installation instructions (which probably also accounts for the wrong bolt and nut sizes being specified). The instructions I received tell you to install the front plate in the wrong orientation: with the horizontal flat section toward the top and the beveled corners toward the bottom. It turns out, the plate fits either way, but is a better fit the correct way. Of course, this does nothing about my missing storage space but in this correct orientation, the plate slide even further forward, so I could actually gain 3" of additional storage space.