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Hot Rods Another stolen trailer..!

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by rodncustomdreams, Dec 18, 2018.

  1. southcross2631
    Joined: Jan 20, 2013
    Posts: 4,413

    southcross2631
    Member

    I sold my old open trailer to my engine shop after I bought an enclosed trailer. I delivered it to his shop and he told me to just leave it outside of his gate .
    The next morning he called me and asked if I had delivered the trailer as promised. We never saw it again ,even though it had several noticeable items . I had even welded my name inside the frame with my mig welder in case it got stolen. I checked every race track I went to for at least 2 years looking for that trailer.
    It is gone and unfortunately so are your parts, sorry.
     
    olscrounger likes this.
  2. 1946caddy
    Joined: Dec 18, 2013
    Posts: 2,060

    1946caddy
    Member
    from washington

    Glad you had your pants on.
     
    ct1932ford likes this.
  3. Atwater Mike
    Joined: May 31, 2002
    Posts: 11,625

    Atwater Mike
    Member

    Me too! Hate to get part of me tangled around that damn cane!
     
    Unique Rustorations and Chris like this.
  4. mountainman2
    Joined: Sep 16, 2013
    Posts: 336

    mountainman2
    Member

    Lots of ways for a thief to make money on a stolen trailer.The owner of a equipment rental company in this area was just indicted on 13 counts of receiving stolen property. The police said that "multiple items on the lot had been reported stolen".
     
    egads likes this.
  5. dirty old man
    Joined: Feb 2, 2008
    Posts: 8,910

    dirty old man
    Member Emeritus

    Willys36, you have a PM from me.
     
  6. 1946caddy
    Joined: Dec 18, 2013
    Posts: 2,060

    1946caddy
    Member
    from washington

    After reading these posts, I'm scared to borrow my friends trailer anymore. If someone steals it while I'm using it, I'll have to buy him a new one.:eek:
     
    bobss396 and kidcampbell71 like this.
  7. weeniewawa
    Joined: Mar 18, 2014
    Posts: 54

    weeniewawa
    Member

    you think the guy got out of there fast, think how fast he would have moved if he was being chased by a pants less man with a cane?
     
    Hombre and VANDENPLAS like this.
  8. Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Joined: Apr 20, 2008
    Posts: 4,670

    Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Member

    After reading these posts, I'm scared to borrow my friends trailer anymore. If someone steals it while I'm using it, I'll have to buy him a new one.:eek:

    Does he not have insurance on it?
    Which begs the question; Is it tough to get insurance on a covered car trailer, or open car trailer? I carry insurance on my travel trailer and it's really reasonable, IIRC, about $10 a month.
     
  9. Is that a door on the front left panel of the Vee? If so, that's an unusual option........don't think I've ever seen one. Should make it a bit easier to spot if it is.
     
    rodncustomdreams likes this.
  10. The door is common up here, meant to be able to drive your snowmobile out of the front of the trailer I am angle, lots of them don’t have reverse. As far a insurance, would it cover the contents, I’ve never thought to ask about that on my travel trailer insurance


    Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
     
  11. Mike Colemire
    Joined: May 18, 2013
    Posts: 1,428

    Mike Colemire
    Member

    It won't cover contents unless you add that to your policy. That's the trouble with race cars, most people don't insure them and if they are in the trailer when it's stolen you only get paid for the trailer.
     
  12. OK, what is the best Lock??
     
  13. There's a you-tube video of a guy with a trailer sales business ( Tenn. or N.C. area, I think)& his video shows, unintentionally, how quickly these p.o.s.'s could steal a trailer from his lot. He put up the camera because it was a regular occurrence....:mad:
     
  14. seb fontana
    Joined: Sep 1, 2005
    Posts: 8,444

    seb fontana
    Member
    from ct

    Would sending him girlie books or condoms be considered unethical?
     
  15. mopacltd
    Joined: Nov 11, 2008
    Posts: 1,044

    mopacltd
    Member

    Where did that come from?
     
  16. kbgreen
    Joined: Jan 12, 2014
    Posts: 341

    kbgreen
    Member
    1. Georgia Hambers

    How about a boot? Would that be deterrent enough?
     
    46international likes this.
  17. slowmotion
    Joined: Nov 21, 2011
    Posts: 3,330

    slowmotion
    Member

    I know it's not feasible for most of you guys, but if a trailer sits idle for a period, (like winter) how about popping the wheels off of one side? Anything to make it a PITA and time consuming might help. Fucking thieves ain't got much gumption generally, want it quick & easy.
    I prefer Glock...;)
     
    dirty old man and ct1932ford like this.
  18. I saw a guy put a boot on one of the wheels of his BBQ trailer while he had it parked at our local country market.
     
    kidcampbell71 and dirty old man like this.
  19. In addition to the items I didn't want to post for everyone to see, here are a couple more to add to the list. The first is electrical. if you run an enclosed trailer with brakes like the one that was stolen from the guy who initiated this thread or even my little Mysterion trailer, you have an electrical connector plug like this
    trailer side plug wiring 1.jpg

    You need to switch around the wires to thwart the thugs. The easiest to do is switch the 12V power and ground wires so as soon as he hooks up it will blow a fuse in his vehicle. Also switch around all the lighting leads so they make no sense. Another thing you could do is run the 12V power to the brake controller output so as soon as he hooks up, the brakes go on 100%. Finally on the electrical side, install a really loud alarm or siren with a hidden lead wire and hidden on/off switch to the 12V power to announce him if he plugs in. You could do a version of this even on small trailers that don't have brakes and have just the little flat plugs. Of course you would also make a pigtail plug that solves the messed up circuit to plug in when you run the trailer!

    Another thing you could do is take advantage of the funky slotted wheels that are standard trailer issue. Make a couple steel keys that slip through a slot on each wheel with a head that keeps it from going through and a tail that slips past the brake drum and has a hole for a Mater padlock. Put one in adjacent wheels, then run a strong chain between them with padlocks at each wheel.
    wheels.jpg

    I think the best thing you can do is have so many unfamiliar deterrents that the thief will be frustrated with the time it is taking and will move onto an easier mark. If he wants the trailer, it is his but at least this approach might give you a fighting chance.

    Do some or all of these;
    • harden your door padlocks with steel shields like I show in my PM.
    • install secret door locks like I show in my PM. Make all locks of STEEL, not pot metal!!!!!!!!
    • make an unfamiliar tongue lock of steel like I show in my PM or one of your own design. DO NOT use the commercial ones. Thieves can beat them all in seconds. They are intended to thwart honest people.
    • park your trailer behind a locked gate.
    • Paint your trailer to stand out like a dayglow green pygmy with an amputated left arm. The plain white one in the lead photo just screams, "STEAL ME!!"
    • Use at least one wheel boot. Thieves can defeat them but it takes time. They don't like that. Prefer quick snatch and grab.
    • make wheel-to-wheel locking chains.
    • mess up the trailer electrical system so they at least can't use your plug and hopefully will damage their vehicle if they do plug it in.
     
  20. Engine man
    Joined: Jan 30, 2011
    Posts: 3,480

    Engine man
    Member
    from Wisconsin

    You could put a female receptacle on the trailer and use a cord with the wires switched around so there is no cord to pug into the thieves tow vehicle. No lights might get them stopped or at least noticed at night. Many of these get stolen during the day.

    I've seen one where the owner built a removable tongue. The ball couplers are pretty standard so thieves can bring one but if the section that it bolts to isn't there, it makes it more difficult.

    Thieves are lazy. They will look for an easy target. Anything you can do to make it more difficult will help.
     
  21. There are a lot of very good (some a bit extreme - :eek:) ideas on theft deterrents here - thanks for those; I hope they will help someone at some point. Of course the loss of the trailer is a bummer for sure, but, it is the stuff inside that will be most missed and likely never recovered (at least not in any sort of decent condition). Sad part is, the parts were in the trailer for very short term storage (a couple of days) and the trailer (borrowed) was also only there for a couple of days.. We'll never know if it was a crime of opportunity or an observed chance to grab a potential snow-mobile trailer and/or machines inside? Regardless, thank you all for the comments, support and vigilance. If there is any update you will be among the first to hear!

    Dave
     
    pitman, Dave Mc and K13 like this.
  22. 56sedandelivery
    Joined: Nov 21, 2006
    Posts: 6,695

    56sedandelivery
    Member Emeritus

    I have been rebuilding a dual axle, open trailer, for a while now. And, I am totally paranoid about it being stolen! It sit's in a gravel driveway while I work on it (for far too long now). I have a 5 foot section of hardened, steel chain (I can't cut it with a hacksaw or a 5 foot long bolt cutter!!!). I've attached that chain to a 4 foot section of 6" steel pipe concreted into the ground; 6 inches from the top is a 5/8"section of re-bar, welded in cross-wise. It all wraps around the rearmost axle of the trailer, and the pad-lock is about 5 inches below the "surface". You can't get a hacksaw or bolt-cutter below the top of the pipe; I've tried! And I thought I was safe from thieves. My "error", was not including a "drain" in the concrete, so water did't come up over the pad-lock. So, I've got to keep that area covered, so rain does't fill up the 6 inches or so of pipe and cover the pad-lock. If I lose the key to the pad-lock, I'm sunk! Well there's always the O/A torch! I've been trying to come up with an easily removable, "towing head", for the trailer, something that can be easily removed/attached, so it would't worry me to park it at the track, or anywhere else away from home. The trailer's serial number is located too close to the head end, so I have to be real careful, of just where, I make the cut/modification. We have a LOT of Mexican scrappers around here, who have actually stopped to look at the trailer; some have even come to the door; I "politely" ask them to leave and not come back!!! There are currently no wheels/tires on the trailer, so it ain't going anywhere without a flatbed truck to hoist it onto (one of these scrappers actually had such a truck!). I have signage up; NO trespassing, NOT for sale, etc, but it does't stop them from looking/stopping/asking about the trailer. I've read/seen plenty of incidents of someone's trailer being stolen; I don't want it to happen to mine, and it has made me more than a little bit, "paranoid". I've thought about a gate in front of the trailer, but how much does a person have to do in order to feel "safe"? We should't have to go to such extremes, but, if the police would actually "do something"...............................................................................................other than, "take a report".
    I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
     
  23. oldolds
    Joined: Oct 18, 2010
    Posts: 3,407

    oldolds
    Member

    [​IMG]
    This might help
     
  24. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 18,829

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    my buddy has a trailer the part where the hitch and all that is has a round tube inside the original square and the couple feet he cut off has a smaller round tube welded to it. been a while since I looked at it but one way or another he has one round tube sliding into the other round tube and some sort of mechanism that holds it all together. when he leaves the trailer alone he slides out everything, so there is no way to steal it without putting in a great deal of planning and effort.

    the only time the trailer has any value is when a car is on it, but that rarely deters a thief.
     
    Last edited: Dec 22, 2018
    blowby likes this.
  25. s55mercury66
    Joined: Jul 6, 2009
    Posts: 4,335

    s55mercury66
    Member
    from SW Wyoming

    Messing with the wiring sounds like a good one. Wire it up so it sets off a siren when plugged in. Put some loud obnoxious graphics on with your name included. There was a rash of trailer theft here a cew years back, and all were black or white trailers. They do make handy storage units, but it sucks when they get stolen. A friend lost a Road Runner convertible when his trailer was stolen.
     
    blowby likes this.
  26. mopacltd
    Joined: Nov 11, 2008
    Posts: 1,044

    mopacltd
    Member

    Anything new on finding the trailer?
     
  27. mopacltd, I'd be absolutely shocked it the trailer ever shows up again (we're in the middle of the prairie - read "nowhere", so it could go anywhere). With this being the holidays, concerns are focused on friends and family rather than some of life's setbacks.. Will address options in the New Year.

    There are options as far as replacing the lost '40 parts, but that will mean buying, fitting, reworking, priming, painting and polishing all over again; a nuisance, but it is what it is.

    Happy Holidays!
    Dave
     
    Last edited: Dec 23, 2018
  28. Unfortunately, many times the thieves want the trailer & NOT the contents. They are looking for
    something to use as a mobile meth lab. A lot of times, cars & parts are found dumped out in the woods.
    Most of the time they will steal plain white or plain black trailers because they blend in with everyone elses. Mine does not blend in! If they really want in, they will get in & no lock is fool proof. I use the hockey puck style on the drive in rear door, but mine is almost never out of my site while away from home. Part of my personalized service is that I sleep in the truck when I need a nap & when I am home both my trailers are inside the shop!

    God Bless & Merry Christmas
    Bill
    https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ar-transport-hauling-open-or-enclosed.614419/
    IMG_20170204_093851867 (640x360).jpg
     
  29. The removable hitch is a good solution to a trailer parked at home. However it doesn't help when the trailer is hitched to a tow vehicle when traveling. You need some sort of device to hamper the thieves a bit when you are asleep in the hotel too!
     
  30. Brand Apart
    Joined: Jan 22, 2011
    Posts: 808

    Brand Apart
    Member
    from Roswell GA

    I frequently have Valuable cargo in my trailer did a little reasearch and bought a lock from here. Nice quality locking device nothing is foolproof but this would take some effort to penetrate.

    https://www.provenlocks.com/
     
    dirty old man, Bam.inc and Hamtown Al like this.

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