Vandal Proof Mailbox (is there such a thing?)

[cwo_ghwebb]

Had my plastic mailbox mounted over a 4 x 4 which was anchored quite deep in the ground. Saturday evening about six pm a Mustang broke it off at ground level. A few paint scratches on the car only. Is there a way to make this thing vandal proof? I'm sure this won't be the last time this happens based on my location.

 

[nightowl]

After it happened to our mailbox we got a plastic one on a metal pole. Just last weekend I watched a pizza guy back into my mailbox and two others. My mailbox was the only one still standing straight with one of the others broke off and the other one leaning over at a 45 deg angle.

 

[Chainsaw Slayer]

Cover your mailbox in bricks. I would say those are prety vandil proof. That oor mount it to a rubber pole.

 

[Callie girl]

Had my plastic mailbox mounted over a 4 x 4 which was anchored quite deep in the ground. Saturday evening about six pm a Mustang broke it off at ground level. A few paint scratches on the car only. Is there a way to make this thing vandal proof? I'm sure this won't be the last time this happens based on my location.

My stepdad and brother built one out of steel one time because kids were going by hitting all the mail boxes at one time and needless to say ours was fine the next day and the kid was probably hurting.

 

[poster]

Had my plastic mailbox mounted over a 4 x 4 which was anchored quite deep in the ground. Saturday evening about six pm a Mustang broke it off at ground level. A few paint scratches on the car only. Is there a way to make this thing vandal proof? I'm sure this won't be the last time this happens based on my location.

Be carefull! - Not sure how true this is but have heard that
a homeowner can be sued for placing a mailbox (intentionally)
that can cause bodily harm to an individual.

For example - neighbor kids are playing baseball with the boxes and hit your steel reinforced box which causes kid to break arm. You could be held accountable for bodily injury.

Like I said - not sure if true but I'd look into before you beef up the mailbox too much.

 

[cwo_ghwebb]

Cover your mailbox in bricks. I would say those are prety vandil proof. That oor mount it to a rubber pole.

I like the idea of the rubber pole, smack some kid right back after it hit the mailbox!

 

[Agee]

I've seen these for sale along the side of the road Rt. 301 just before you get to Bowie...

Home Page Brick Mailboxes

 

[desertrat]

Had my plastic mailbox mounted over a 4 x 4 which was anchored quite deep in the ground. Saturday evening about six pm a Mustang broke it off at ground level. A few paint scratches on the car only. Is there a way to make this thing vandal proof? I'm sure this won't be the last time this happens based on my location.

For the mailbox itself they sell heavy gauge steel ones that would ring someones bell if they hit it with a bat. For the mounting you could use a 4" steel pipe. Plant it in a hole about 4 feet deep and fill the hole and the pipe with concrete.
An alternative would be to make a break point. Even off both pieces of your old post. On the piece that is still in the ground drill a 1' hole. On the other drill a 1" hole. Insert a 1" dowel in the hole and put the two pieces together.
Next time it breaks it will be simple to fix.

 

[vegmom]

Read this in a book once:

Get a regular size mailbox, an oversize mailbox, and some cement mix.

Removed the door from small one. Put the small mailbox inside the big one, pour wet cement in the space between and let it set.

Your mailbox will stay intact, but can't say the same for any offending fenders or Louisville Sluggers.

 

[Callie girl]

Be carefull! - Not sure how true this is but have heard that
a homeowner can be sued for placing a mailbox (intentionally)
that can cause bodily harm to an individual.

For example - neighbor kids are playing baseball with the boxes and hit your steel reinforced box which causes kid to break arm. You could be held accountable for bodily injury.

Like I said - not sure if true but I'd look into before you beef up the mailbox too much.

You are probably right now but this was like 20 years ago or so. Wow I just felt old. Thanks

 

[Callie girl]

I like the idea of the rubber pole, smack some kid right back after it hit the mailbox!

 

[desertrat]

Be carefull! - Not sure how true this is but have heard that
a homeowner can be sued for placing a mailbox (intentionally)
that can cause bodily harm to an individual.

For example - neighbor kids are playing baseball with the boxes and hit your steel reinforced box which causes kid to break arm. You could be held accountable for bodily injury.

Like I said - not sure if true but I'd look into before you beef up the mailbox too much.

Then the manufactor would be liable too. Makes no sense.

 

[desertrat]

For the mailbox itself they sell heavy gauge steel ones that would ring someones bell if they hit it with a bat. For the mounting you could use a 4" steel pipe. Plant it in a hole about 4 feet deep and fill the hole and the pipe with concrete.
An alternative would be to make a break point. Even off both pieces of your old post. On the piece that is still in the ground drill a 1' hole. On the other drill a 1" hole. Insert a 1" dowel in the hole and put the two pieces together.
Next time it breaks it will be simple to fix.

Oh! I just had an idea. If you grease the dowel the mailbox will just spin when someone hits it with a bat.

 

[GWguy]

I might be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure I read that the mailbox could not be an "indestructible" object, like the brick enclosure, or a solid steel rod buried in cement. It had something to do with injury and legal stuff more than damages. The mailbox needed to be "breakaway".

 

[Homer J]

I've seen one on 235 south of the base that is welded together from 1/8" steel plates and has a post made from a huge I beam. Looks pretty stout.

 

[DawnK]

Put one in about 10 - 20 feet up in the air.. then mark it "AIR MAIL"..

 

[vegmom]

Put one in about 10 - 20 feet up in the air.. then mark it "AIR MAIL"..

There's one of those back off Paul Hance Road.

 

[desertrat]

I might be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure I read that the mailbox could not be an "indestructible" object, like the brick enclosure, or a solid steel rod buried in cement. It had something to do with injury and legal stuff more than damages. The mailbox needed to be "breakaway".

Might be. Their necessary proximity to the road would make them dangerous to cars and our beloved snow plow operators would have to learn how to manuever to miss them while still getting the max. amt. of snow in your driveway entrance.

 

[yankee44]

Had my plastic mailbox mounted over a 4 x 4 which was anchored quite deep in the ground. Saturday evening about six pm a Mustang broke it off at ground level. A few paint scratches on the car only. Is there a way to make this thing vandal proof? I'm sure this won't be the last time this happens based on my location.

when I was a kid our mailbox kept getting hit by the snow plow. My dad took a smaller mailbox and put inside a larger mailbox filled it with concrete, monted to a compression spring from a hay bailer. When the snow plow hit it, it would just bounce right back.

 

[cwo_ghwebb]

Might be. Their necessary proximity to the road would make them dangerous to cars and our beloved snow plow operators would have to learn how to manuever to miss them while still getting the max. amt. of snow in your driveway entrance.

I'm on a gentle curve and the guy hit the mailbox after crossing the other lane. Cops were there in an instant and took off after him. I didn't see any damage to the mailbox itself, it just snapped the 4 x 4 like a twig. It's just aggravating every time this happens. A couple of scratches on his car and I got about an hour's work fixing this thing again.