We’ve all come across this same dilemma every time we go out for outdoor activities, whether it's heading to the beach or taking a hike in the hot Aussie summer... Where to put that car key. Gone are the days when you could just hang it on a string around your neck or wrist. Car keys are now bulky, are electronic and are definitely not suitable for salty water. One solution is to hide it at the bottom of your beach bag and hope that the key doesn’t get nicked or worse, find out that the whole bag has disappeared. Well, the search is over! Say hello to the Hitchsafe Key Vault.
The Hitchsafe is a great rust-resistant key storage for any vehicle that has a tow hitch. It fits perfectly inside and once the black dust cover is on, no one will know it’s there. Can you spot it in the picture below?
The nuts and bolts of it
It takes less than 5 minutes to install the Hitchsafe. This keybox vault is designed to be used with a 50mm hitch bar and doesn’t require any use of batteries. The pins are located on either side of the vault and have the external appearance of a normal hitch pin. So in this way, the Hitchsafe won’t look out of place while securing your valuables at the same time. Plus, it will provide for the perfect camouflage from the side and front with the addition of a black dust cover.
You can follow this link for an easy installation video from Hitchsafe on Youtube. It looks a bit old but the instructions are clear and simple to follow. Remember: Whilst this is in your hitch bar, nothing else can be attached to it. Should you wish to use the hitch bar for something else, reverse the instructions' steps and it can be quickly removed.
Testing the Hitchsafe
A vast number of cars these days come with keys that allow keyless start and keyless unlocking. So one question that will invariably be asked is will the Hitchsafe work with these types of ‘smart’ keys?
To answer this question, we have decided to test the Hitchsafe for ourselves, with a Mitsubishi Pajero. We can certainly give this the thumbs up on the protection and safety of the key. The Pajero has keyless entry, and with the keys tucked safely inside the vault (and closed), the car signal from the key does not reach the vehicle.
In summing up this nifty little device, we have some quick pros and cons. This will help you decide whether this will be the right key safe for you.
