TRAILERS, how to SECURE safely??

LowKat those work good too but the city I live in will fine you for that.[/QUOTE]

What is a LOWKAT?

 

I chain the wheels together and chain it to a light pole in the RV Storage lot...Oh ya its parked beside a bunch of Half a Million dollar RV's, the lot is gated and has 24 hour security! When parked at a Hotel, I leave it hooked up, chain the wheels, and my truck has a ignition disable system, so they will have to steel the truck and trailer by towing it!!!!!...If they do they can have it!!!!

 

Another thing you can do at any venue is park the truck/trailer so that the trailer has its ass up against a solid fence, wall, or even a light pole. Pretty hard to remove a vehicle off the back of a rig that has its tail/doors to where they can not be accessed. Do NOT remove the tow vehicle! In addition, if at all possible, park BETWEEN two other haulers, RVs or big rigs. Lots of lights help.

 

I like the removeable tongue idea - that's what I have on mine.

I always thought it'd be fun to make a dummy tongue and mount it - should someone try to steal it the tongue would fly out.

Of course with my luck I'd probably forget and have it happen to me ;-(

 

I had my trailer stolen from my driveway in Tulsa a few years ago, and the thieves there broke the tongue lock off of it I had on it at the time.

What I did was take 3/8 hardened steel trucker's chain - 8' lengths - and wove it through the wheels on my new trailer. I'd go from the front in through the backs of both wheels. Then both ends would go through the two straps that make the bracket where the tandem pivot is located, and then one would go over the length that chained the 2 tires together. Last I would secure both ends together so that the oversize padlock would be hard to access as far under as I could.

I also remember someone on here talking a year or so ago about painting your trailer a bright flourescent color or some off the wall color that makes it stand out. Making it look 'differently' than all of the other white trailers out there may help as well.

 

Fuzzface,

I used this same info in an article earlier last year for a racing magazine.

http://www.trailer-alarms.com/article.htm


Lyle

 

I know a guy that has a neon green 20' open hauler with four wheels, one each painted hot pink, electric blue, day-glo orange and safety yellow. Plus, his ramps are painted a lighter shade of lime green. He has his tag number painted prominently on the open floor of the trailer. Oh, and lots of that DOT reflective tape around the sides, too.

He has never had a problem with thieves.

 

Put a Support Your Local Hells Angels sticker on it.

 

If it going to be sitting at your house its a pain but removing the wheels from one side and leaving it on a cheap set of jack stands.

 

spoke with a guy and he has a seperate battery hooked up to the brakes on the trailer that is activated my movement and locks them up tight! he said that is his last defense when he is on the road as he has had those tongue locks removed. the noise that 4 dragging tires makes attracts enough attention where most thieves will dump trailer and run.

 

My friend put one in his trailer it goes to like 130 decibles or some shit inside and out.And a gps locater....and of course all the other shit.Cant trust anyone..
What i would do if you dont store anything in it just leave it open.

 

I second this statement, you can not trust these dirt bag tow driver in this area, and worst yet they work with the local cops, Trust me on this one.

 

This is true

 

Ok I fucked that all up, I was talking about the tow truck drivers in cleveland ohio.

 

Is trailer theft getting to be a big thing now days at your home, I mean from the sounds of it it is, or you guys just live in bad area's or I'm living under a rock.

 

1) Please describe "log chains."

2) Where to buy them?

 

1) Around here at least, it's a farmer's term for large chain, nothing special, just heavy duty.

2) Anywhere you buy chain, in my case a farm supply store.

 

After reading ALL above answers, I have to agree with most Hambers.
As a retired trailer mfg. I can pass on a couple hints:
I like the guy that said "separate battery hot lead to brakes"----Only problem is, a GOOD thief will only look under frame & cut that single hot lead going to brakes.
Admittedly, best deterent is removing ALL 4 wheels!!
Anything ferrous (chains,locks,etc.) can be cut with a portable cutting torch!!
Nowadays, you can purchase small electric powered hand held cutting devices (Harbor Frieght) which will cut thru ferrous & non ferrous metals (aluminum).
And, like a few of you said: "Why go to all that trouble"?---It depends on how much you value your trailer!
In parting, I think that also using a detachable A frame type tongue would be the most anti-theft device, along with 4 missing wheels!!!
Just my opinion from the trailer end!!!!-------Don

 

never unhook it from your
tow vehicle

sleep in the back seat

 

Eugene Vik check out this lock system made in Troy Ohio. There site is carrythebigstick.com There phone 937 332 8481 There site has a quick video yhat explains there product

 

I'll fire this thread back up. How easy is it to defeat the Tire Claw? Is it even worth fooling with? I thought by welding caps over all the rivets, it might be semi-irritating to thieves.

 

Trailer theft is bad around here, real bad. Every night a least one truck with trailer or a U Haul is stolen from local motels. My buddy had his 28' race trailer loaded with all his tools (lifetime mechanic, lots of $$$) plus a bunch of personal stuff, the last load out since he was moving out of state. 2 hours before he was going to get up and leave he heard his Ford diesel duelly fire up, ran out to see it headed up the street. Ran in and called the cops, funny they couldn't spot a truck and trailer driving thru town at 3 in the morning. 2 more hours and he'd been out of this cesspool of a town cleanly.

This is what I use on mine, it would take a bit to get it off unless you had a cutting torch. Trailer shop I bought it at said it's the best protection you can use short of taking the tires off. I also have a heavy chain and padlock ran thru the tongue and around a 6" concrete filled sign pole. Coupler locks don't do much, they just wrap chains around their ball to the tongue, the safety chains if they are attached. My biggest problem is them trying to pry the doors open, they got in before just to find it empty, I leave nothing in it while it's parked. They also steal any wiring off it they can and the license plate. PIA.

 

I have heard that something like 30% of all trailers in US are stolen every year. I have devised 3 different locks each for the man door and for the fold down tail gate, a custom totally hidden one on each, unless you know its there, no way to defeat it (he said naively). Most all commercial tongue ball locks can be defeated in a couple of seconds with a hammer or crow bar. Most are made of pot metal so a blow or two disintegrates them. I made my own of steel with no place to get a pry bar in and no way to access the key slot. The only way I can see to defeat it is with an abrasive grinder, even a carbide blade on a reciprasaw shouldn't get through it. Plus I painted the trailer with a gaudy copy of Ed Roth's trailer paint job so if they take it, they should be pretty conspicuous driving down the road.

 

Sleep in the trailer with a big gun. That way they can find the thieves without going very far.

 

I will quote myself from (8) years ago ....

It still applies.

If you have a car you care about & it is in an enclosed trailer ....

Or if you have an enclosed trailer you don't want to have stolen ....


Jim

 

It's sad to read this type of thread, what's our country becoming ? I have had trailers for 40 years, never had anything stolen, used to tow racers with open trailers all over Midwest for 20 + years, my family another 20+ before I took over. In later years I've had enclosed box type w/ tongue locks when sitting in yard or hooked to truck thinking insurance is very reasonable IMO and experience. Unless you are chained to bad neighborhood, move out of area to avoid the inner city problems, worked for me, used to have some customers in city that I only went to in AM and carried for self protection, hate what has happened to Milwaukee WI. Used to be a beautiful safe city, now it's trying to catch up to Chicago's violence. Sad, very Sad.

 

Yea, and you probably walked 10 miles to school, thru 2' of snow, uphill both ways!!!!

 

No, only 4 city blocks as I grew up in the city, no holes in shoes or pants and had a warm coat to wear, so what's your point, my comments was/is my opinion of how things have changed, we still live in the greatest country in the world, just not as user friendly as it once was.

 

Sleep in your trailer with Miss Liberty (libby) Colt and her sister Molly (the Moll) Remington. When the thieves open the trailer, be the last thing they see.

 

Just kidding around. Hope you didn't tell your kids you had it that easy. Need to dump a guilt trip on them how rough it was in the good old days. That's our job.

I agree 100% with your original point, this is still the greatest experiment in human relations in the history of mankind. Unfortunately it is based on Liberty with responsibility. Alas, we have been letting down on the latter hinge-pin principle. When I was a kid I would have left the trailer full of stuff, unlocked (like our house), and never expect anyone to go near it. Lived a sheltered live in rural Calif. and never even heard of a burglary up through high school years.