Rifle rack inside an offroad teardrop?

John E Davies

Adventurer
Has anyone mounted a rifle rack to hold a carbine length long gun, inside their teardrop? I have a Marlin 1895 STP (16 inch barrel) that I would like to mount in my (future) trailer. I am thinking about quick and easy access while camping in bear country.

http://www.spokanister.net/images_web/Guns/Marlin_1895/1895_STP-004.jpg

I was just wondering if anyone has done this, and can you post pics?

Obviously the gun would need to be stored away while moving. The reason I ask now is that if I do order a trailer, I might ask the builder to incorporate a rack or suitable shelf into the design somewhere.. say horizontally above one of the doors:

PAG_6152.jpg


I'm thinking about using a Santa Cruz electric locking rack, like the ones you see holding shotguns in patrol cars, with a hidden 12 volt push switch and ten second timer nearby .... about US$150.

ac40b31ecbdbbf58423859d93e958631.image.750x483.JPG


Thanks.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA
 
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RangeBrover

Explorer
Sounds like an awesome idea. I'd go vertically next to one of the doors though so you can easily access it from inside and outside the trailer.
 

John E Davies

Adventurer
Sounds like an awesome idea. I'd go vertically next to one of the doors though so you can easily access it from inside and outside the trailer.
Well, wouldn't that be a setup where you would probably whack your head or elbow on it when you rolled over at night? I'm thinking, the higher the better, but still within reach from the door opening..... but not where it would give you a headache when entering or exiting. I wouldn't feel really comfortable just using a couple of hooks or a shelf... I would want to make sure the gun couldn't be removed by some kid wandering by. My kids are now grown and won't go camping, so they are not a concern.

With the gun mounted upside down in that lock so that the lever was up near the ceiling, you couldn't work the action to chamber a round without first removing the gun from the lock.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA
 
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RangeBrover

Explorer
Electric locking racks are a good idea but I believe they rely on a constant power source. In thinking of something along the lines of fist clamps that would just hold the rifle in place when you've setup camp for the night. You'd only need one to keep the rifle in place, I just think reaching up to the ceiling would be a pain while laying down or when trying to reach in from the outside. After all you don't want to be caught with your pants around your ankles if you need to get it from outside the trailer.
 

Titanpat57

Expedition Leader
Why not just some 2" wide velcro straps?.something you open in a hurry....

Maybe while you're at it you can design some Croc holders as well...I'd hate to see a bear make off with your crocs in the middle of the night..:ylsmoke:
 

John E Davies

Adventurer
Electric locking racks are a good idea but I believe they rely on a constant power source.
Not quite - they require a 12 volt pulse to unlock the solenoid. The ten second timer allows you to not have to hold down the momentary switch button continuously while grabbing the gun. After ten seconds the power is removed and the solenoid re-locks. It is a well proven system, used for many decades in cop cars. You can mount the button and timer somewhere out of sight a few feet away, so it is harder for a casual thief to locate.

You can easily over-ride the solenoid with a key. I have one of these Santa Cruz locks in my closet, mounted vertically, and it works dandy.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA
 

John E Davies

Adventurer
I think you would be better off waiting until once built, then decide from there.
What might seem a good location on paper maybe not work out so well in real life.

But without a planned location, may reveal another problem,,,
perhaps build solid backing in anticipated locations fo be sure the locking gun mounts will attach to something solid.
You dont want to have a thief pull the rifle mountings and all right out of thin paneling for example.
My thoughts are the same - it would be easy to add some extra wood in the right spot during construction of the cabin, and also to run a couple of small gauge wires behind the panel to operate an electric gun lock..... This stuff can be difficult and unsightly to do afterwards.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA
 

John E Davies

Adventurer
Why not just some 2" wide velcro straps?.something you open in a hurry....

Maybe while you're at it you can design some Croc holders as well...I'd hate to see a bear make off with your crocs in the middle of the night..:ylsmoke:
That would be an easy solution, and it would be fine if I were camping at some isolated spot in the woods with nobody around. But I often camp around other folks, and it would have zero ability to prevent an unauthorized person from grabbing the gun and running into the bushes......

Those are not my Crocs, nor do I need a Croc Lock. As far as I am concerned, Crocs deserve to be stolen.

Nor is that my trailer. ;( I don't own a teardrop yet. That pic is a Moby1 XTR taken from their website.

Thanks for the comments so far. It is an interesting problem. BTW, the EarthRoamer XV-LT comes standard with a slide-out wine rack in the rear wall of the cabin, near the entry door. You can order instead a long gun rack with concealed release button. How cool!

John Davies
Spokane WA USA
 
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Rbertalotto

Explorer
Are you thinking about defending yourself against a bear attack with a .223 Remington ?? It will only piss off the bear, and worse, he might go into the woods and die a terrible death. Get a bigger gun or better yet, bear spray.....Much more effective against a bear attack......And you won't get arrested and have to defend yourself on court for using it.....Just a thought!
 

gsdog2

Observer
Look into the newer style electric locks.....they clamp around the trigger / receiver area and prevent disassembly of the AR style rifles; like the older 2 piece style locks allow. Same 10 second delay. I'll try to get a pic tomorrow.
 

John E Davies

Adventurer
Are you thinking about defending yourself against a bear attack with a .223 Remington ?? It will only piss off the bear, and worse, he might go into the woods and die a terrible death. Get a bigger gun or better yet, bear spray.....Much more effective against a bear attack......And you won't get arrested and have to defend yourself on court for using it.....Just a thought!
?????????? My Marlin is a .45/70 lever action. My bear load is a 425 gr hard cast Piledriver Jr bullet (wide metplat) at 1700 fps. It will punch a hole clean through a bear. I never said anything about using a .223 against a bear. The pic of the mount I posted shows an AR, but that is a universal mount that will fit just about any long gun.

I have carried bear spray for years - I have three cans at the moment - but I believe in a layered approach. Some bears are not stopped by the spray. If I had to face off against a bear or an angry momma moose or a rabid bobcat, I would feel happier with bear spray in my wife's hand, and my rifle against my shoulder......

I really don't want to make this a "what is the best defense against bears" thread - there are tons of those on other forums if you want to argue your point of view. To keep this thread on topic, can we please limit the discussion to mounts and trailers?

John Davies
Spokane WA USA
 
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Martinjmpr

Wiffleball Batter
I guess I'm not understanding why the weapon needs to be locked. Wouldn't it be simpler to build and easier to access if you simply kept the weapon locked in your vehicle when you aren't in the trailer? Then when you go in for the night, the gun goes in with you. In the morning, it comes out and gets locked up in the vehicle again. There are many options for securing the weapon in a vehicle (locking cases, locking racks, storage boxes, etc.)

For that matter, seems to me a large caliber revolver would be easier to store and easier to use (and that's my backup "bear defense" plan as well.)
 

RangeBrover

Explorer
While your idea doesn't require constant power, thanks for the correction. It's still going to require power for it to work. In a worst case scenario you might have a flat battery and then you won't be able to access your gun.

So I have to agree with Martinjmpr, don't think it makes sense for it I be locked if you're going to be around it.
 

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