Dealership security that covers every row
Most dealership security is built around the building. Cameras watch the showroom doors, the service bays and the key cabinet. The inventory sits outside, in long rows that run from the street to the back fence, and that is where the losses are.
A camera trailer moves the coverage out onto the lot. Each SunRoad mobile surveillance trailer draws power from solar panels backed by batteries and sends video over Starlink, so it needs no power, trenching or wiring. You can park it in the third row of the back lot, where a wall camera can't see.
What car dealerships lose after close
The common losses once the store closes:
- Wheels and tires. In a 2019 case reported by Jalopnik, thieves took 124 wheels and tires off cars at a Louisiana dealership in one night after tampering with the lot lights. Police put the loss at roughly $120,000. In 2014, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth reported thieves at a Texas dealership cut the gate locks and the light-pole wiring, then left 22 new vehicles on wooden blocks.
- Catalytic converters cut from trucks and SUVs in the back rows.
- Whole vehicles. The National Insurance Crime Bureau counted 659,880 vehicles stolen nationwide in 2025, down 23 percent from 2024 but still more than 1,800 a day.
- Break-ins for electronics, tools and parts.
- Vandalism and keying, which turn a front-line unit into a reconditioning job.
- Joyriding and lot damage when someone gets into a vehicle after hours.
The cost runs deeper than the part. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency describes floor plan lending as inventory financing in which each advance is made against a specific vehicle and repaid as that vehicle sells. A stolen or damaged unit doesn't sell on schedule, but its advance still has to be paid.
Automotive dealership security after close: lights, siren and a voice
Good automotive dealership security tries to end the visit early. A SunRoad unit escalates in steps:
- It spots the person. AI-powered detection on the 4K camera flags movement in the rows, and the PTZ camera adds 8x total zoom (3x optical) for detail.
- It lights them up. Motion-activated floodlights hit the area while red and blue alarm lights flash.
- It gets loud. A 105 dB siren sounds across the lot.
- It talks. Through two-way audio, you or a manager can tell the person they are on camera.
An intrusion alert reaches your phone in the SunRoad app, and the whole event is recorded. Because the trailer makes its own power, there is no pole wiring to cut. See every feature on the trailer.
Car lot security across every inventory row
Car lot security starts with geometry. Most stores have three zones, and each needs its own sight line:
- Frontage. The display line along the street. It is visible from the road, which cuts both ways.
- Back lot. Stock, trade-ins and units waiting on recon, often against a fence or alley with little light.
- Service drive. Customer vehicles parked overnight and parts deliveries left outside before open.
Aim each unit down a row, not across it, because tall trucks and vans block a cross-row view. Watch the driveways and gates, since every stolen vehicle has to leave through one. One unit watches roughly a football field of ground, and the PTZ reaches 328 feet across a 360-degree view, so a long frontage and a deep back lot usually each need their own unit. Keep the solar panels out from under canopies. When you get a quote, send an aerial and SunRoad will mark up placement.
Car lot surveillance for overflow and off-site storage lots
Overflow lots are where installed cameras rarely reach: a gravel pad across the street, a leased lot down the road, a storage yard with no building and no power. A solar trailer with Starlink works there on day one. Retail and office lots shared with the public have different problems; see parking lot surveillance cameras.
Independent lots, RV and powersports dealers
Car dealer security looks different off the franchise row:
- Independent used car lots are often leased, with a small office and no budget for a wired system. One unit can cover the lot, and it leaves with you if you move.
- RV dealers park units that block sight lines like walls. Put trailers at row ends and use the PTZ's reach down the aisle.
- Powersports dealers stock ATVs, side-by-sides and dirt bikes that fit in a pickup bed or a cargo trailer.
- Trailer and equipment dealers sell inventory that can be hitched and towed off, so the exit is the spot to watch.
Evidence that holds up: footage for claims and police reports
Good auto dealership security footage answers four questions: when it started, how many people, what they arrived in and which way they left.
- The 4K camera holds the wide scene, and you can zoom the PTZ in for detail.
- Night vision on both cameras records after dark, and the floodlights light the scene.
- Video is kept on 2 TB of storage on the trailer and backed up to the cloud, so a copy lives off the lot.
- The app's recorded playback and AI-powered search help you find the moment fast. Standard gets basic search; Pro and PRO-X get the full version.
After an incident, pull up the recorded playback, note the times and give them to the police and your insurer.
Pro and PRO-X tools for larger dealer groups
Standard covers the core deterrence and recording. Groups running several rooftops often step up:
- Pro and PRO-X add vehicle detection and zone intrusion alerts, so a crossing into the back lot or service drive after hours triggers an alert.
- Facial recognition and full AI-powered search come with Pro and PRO-X.
- Pro and PRO-X cameras are NDAA-compliant, with 8x the video storage.
- Pro and PRO-X also include remote monitoring. Read how to watch your lot remotely.
- PRO-X adds extra camera options and custom sensors.
For the bigger picture, read how AI is changing security.
Rent month-to-month, move units as inventory moves
Inventory doesn't stay put. A tent sale fills the frontage, model-year changeover overflows the back lot, and a remodel pushes stock to an off-site lot. Terms are month-to-month: no long-term contract, and 30 days' written notice ends the rental. SunRoad can relocate units across your property or to another site. Relocation is quoted, and delivery and setup pricing depends on your address. Standard plans start at $999 a month. See what drives rental cost and how SunRoad works from quote to install. Dealer groups that also own retail or office buildings can read about commercial property security.
Get a Quote for Car Dealership Security
Send us an aerial of your store with the trouble spots marked. We will map out how many units your car dealership security plan needs and where each one parks, then quote delivery to your address. Request a quote for your site, or call 801-688-6561 to talk through your lot.