How to secure a Lrg & mini BGE in an apartment complex

loco_engr

Looks like I'll be relocating to an apartment in the very near future.  I will be looking for a place that allows charcoal grills and like to get some some solid ideas so no-one runs off with them.  Lrg is in a nest and mini is in a cart.
TIA

nolaegghead

Lock and chain around handles.  Sure, nothing that can't be defeated with the proper tools but most porch/deck crimes are opportunists and they pick the low hanging fruit.

Gulfcoastguy

Hopefully no vandals.

maybe add some heavy weights to  the inside and use one of those bike locks on the handles. Chain the Nest or cart to a patio railing if one is present. Mount a video camera aimed at it functioning or not.

WeberWho

Check, double check, and triple check that you can have a charcoal grill. Most require you so many feet from the building. My buddy had a Weber charcoal grill outside his deck on the lowest level on the grass. His neighbor called the cops saying he thought the apartment was burning down. The fire fighters were about to take out his door thinking there was an actual fire inside his apartment. My buddy ended up giving his Weber charcoal grill to my other friend because of the hassle his neighbors gave him. 

Photo Egg

The easies way is to run a heavy cable cord lock through the dome hole of each.
If they are store close enough you could do with 1 cable. But it will hold the dome open a little.
The other 2 methods I have used require going through the bottom vent. I will try and send a photo tomorrow.

nolaegghead

The handles sound easier to me because you don’t need to thread anything inside the egg.  Seems like a cable running out isn’t great for the alignment or gasket 

Canugghead

Cable can enter at the dome and exit at lower vent, even the cooking grid, fire ring and firebox are secured, no impact on gasket and dome alignment. 

nolaegghead

So let the egg cool down then fish what is presumably a plastic coated cable through the remains of the lump out the bottom.  

You can cut any chain or cable in 5 seconds with bolt cutters or spend a few minutes removing bolts.  Maybe easier to put a visible ring camera with motion activated light on your cooking area or get a second floor apartment. 

Just playing Devil’s advocate here… 

Canugghead

^^^this^^^

danhoo

Photo Egg said:

The easies way is to run a heavy cable cord lock through the dome hole of each.
If they are store close enough you could do with 1 cable. But it will hold the dome open a little.
The other 2 methods I have used require going through the bottom vent. I will try and send a photo tomorrow.

In the dome, out the intake. Long heavy duty cable and a stout padlock will slow down potential thieves. 

alaskanassasin

Put a camera with a blinking light up.

Hansm

Is there a railing of sorts to run a cable and lock? What I did at home is I screwed a stainless eyelet in the corner of the deck, ran a sturdy double looped vinyl security cable through the nest and then up through  the handle. Opne the lock and pull through handle and voila'. As much as I dislike the big box stores, Lowes has what ya need

fishlessman

have never seen a post about a stolen egg, its not like steeling  a generator

nolaegghead

Thieves around here are too lazy to steal anything that weighs more than 40 pounds.

fishlessman

i would be more concerned with the mini, maybe turn it into a glitter bomb.  is this a big apartment building or a house with three apartments. if its the latter, i would put something outside and test the neighborhood. if its a big apartment building i would put an inexpensive grill out there

Fred19Flintstone

I visit many apartment complexes in my area for my job and I don’t recall any that allow charcoal grills.  Usually they are disallowed in the fine print for insurance reasons.  Some have those permanent picnic area type grills in a segregated area.  Perhaps they wouldn’t mind you egging there?  I hope this apartment thing is very temporary for you.

RyanStl

Maybe you'll find an apartment with a storage area. I had an apartment once that had a basement garage for all 4 units.  Each unit had a small storage area that could be locked. I used to wheel my offset smoker in and out and cook in the driveway.  It does cause the storage area to have a bit of bbq smell to it 

nolaegghead

Dunno why I didn't think of it before, but JB Weld (or drill holes) for a u-bolt on the outside of the base somewhere out of the way.  You can keep it permanently locked.   You could also use a single bolt eyelet.

I know it's a little scary drilling into that ceramic, practice on a broken piece of old egg or a cap.  If you have a glass bit you should be fine.  I would pack the hole with JB Weld to mitigate fracturing.

I know there's no way in hell you'll likely do this, but that's exactly what I'd do if I were in your shoes.

Legume

Somewhere in the bowels of the mothership, someone in marketing is trying to combine ‘egg’ with synonyms of lock or secure before they pitch manufacturing on a new product idea.

alaskanassasin

Wait I thought we were the bowels of the mothership.

Gulfcoastguy

Adopt a Rottweiler and tell him that there's a butt in the Large.

nolaegghead

Gulfcoastguy said:

Adopt a Rottweiler and tell him that there's a butt in the Large.

That would be....devastating.

Langner91

Electrify the nest.  An electric fencer would do the trick.  Turn it up to 11!

Battleborn

With the large being in a nest, I would be more worried about someone being a d!ck and tipping it over versus someone stealing it. Generally, thieves don’t steal things that are large and awkward move unless they have the time, knowledge and means to do it, which usually takes planning. 

Legume

Battleborn said:

With the large being in a nest, I would be more worried about someone being a d!ck and tipping it over versus someone stealing it. Generally, thieves don’t steal things that are large and awkward move unless they have the time, knowledge and means to do it, which usually takes planning. 

and not easily sold without being there in person, can’t just sell eBay and ship

kl8ton

After figuring out if you can have it there or not, I'd just confirm with renters insurance that theft or damage from vandalism or even acts of God are covered and see what the deductible would be.  I think in our area, a good renters insurance policy is sub $300/ year. 

Clay Q

Get a Weber grill cover, the big one for the 27" kettle, nobody will know there's an egg inside

GrateEggspectations

At my old house, I kept a “beater” Medium on my front, covered porch. It was a very safe neighbourhood, though we did once have a park bench with cast iron accents taken from the front porch. Always figured it was junkies who wanted to sell it for scrap metal. 

I ultimately ran a cable lock around the hinge of that Medium and had the other end secured to a pillar. While I think running a cable or chain through the dome is more secure, I wouldn’t like the idea of having to remove the chain or cable for every cook. Plus, cable placement would be inconsequential for anyone equipped with bolt cutters. For me, adding a little security without having to play with it for each and every use was a perfect compromise. 

Kayak

I always thought cable was harder to cut with bolt cutters than chain? Bicycle lore I suppose.

fishlessman

nobody uses bolt cutters anymore....grinder with a cuttoff blade is light and fast

GrateEggspectations

fishlessman said:

nobody uses bolt cutters anymore....grinder with a cuttoff blade is light and fast

Wouldn’t that be much louder than bolt cutters? I would think discretion would be prioritized.