How secure?

[tony.latham]

Great Idea's here.
I travel with a cable and use it;
Through one wheel, it won't turn far.

But what happens at night when someone grabs it and takes off?



Tony

[TimC]

... Methtern Kansas...

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METHtern, sounds like the south side of my town. Luckily they mostly keep to themselves, until UPSET gets wind of their doings...

Edit: Mr Google came up with some results for Methtern that I truly didn't expect... Hmmm?

[twisted lines]

Great Idea's here.
I travel with a cable and use it;
Through one wheel, it won't turn far.

But what happens at night when someone grabs it and takes off?



Tony

The Wheel I put the cable through is on the trailer; locked to the trailer 1/2 turn maybe 2.
Then its all rubber.
Put the spare Wheel on if you have time
But your still dragging the tire.
( Cable them both drag them both )

At Night things disappear!

[friz]

Great Idea's here.
I travel with a cable and use it;
Through one wheel, it won't turn far.

But what happens at night when someone grabs it and takes off?



Tony

They will get one hell of a surprise. I will be in it.

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[Grummy]

If you have to leave a trailer unattended, mechanical locks of any sort are important. A good coupler lock or ball filler, locked up safety chains and a good quality cable or chain tied through the wheels.... always a good idea.

On top of that, each mechanical method you apply should really include a "service flag" not unlike what they hang from various things on unserviced aircraft. Better to make known visually to the thief each thing he must address in the limited time he thinks he has. He might just move on. I'd hate to have a somewhat hidden cable through my nice aluminum wheels, only to have some knuckle head pull it just enough to wreck my wheels and then abandon his goals. What will I do with mangled wheels ?

Even then, the invention of the cordless 4" grinder, it doesn't take these guys long to defeat any of them. If you can't put any type of tracking system into your budget, consider these rather simple ELECTRICAL security options.

1.) Install some "porch lights". If by chance you can get a white exterior light on all four sides, install a switch inside the vehicle that ties the exterior lighting feeds to the TAIL light feed from the two vehicle. When Mr. Crook starts to tow, he not only has the regular tail and markers on, he also has a well lit billboard to tow.

If you want to enhance this option, you can wire this to run all the white exterior lights through a digital flasher unit first, so not only does have have a well lit billboard, but a flashing one as well ! If you really want to tick him off, a couple of HID red and blue flashers under the trailer will get his attention. He knows the police do not like you using THEIR favorite colors!

More of a silent option:

2.) Another simple switch inside the trailer can be wired to SHORT OUT the brake light wires to the trailer frame. The minute they hit the brakes, they blow their brake light fuse on their tow vehicle. We are having some fun now.... But....

3.) A second switch (or the same if you get a multi-pole switch), can do the same thing for the Tail/Marker circuit. If your going to steal my trailer at night, I want you even more paranoid that someone is going to notice someone pulling a trailer with NO rear lighting at all.

4.) I have not tried this, but you could also try to put a switch in to combine the marker lights directly to your trailer brake wires. If his fuse does not blow with that draw, he will have brakes on if he has his markers on.

5.) If you have an onboard battery, and a fully on onboard brake controller (like an AuTOWbrake), you could put a simple system together that would use motion detection to just apply the brakes fully the minute it detects motion. If set correctly, the battery and brakes will never be applied until they need to be.

Essentially, I guess I'd approach the theft of my trailer not much unlike all those "squirrel feeding" videos. You could use various timer circuits to play with your thief, causing him various levels of grief after each time he solves a prior "event". If he actually gets your trailer, he will always have that personal story with his friends along the lines of "remember that one trailer from hell"? Then you just call your insurance man.

Or, he gives up early on, leaves no damage and moves on to an easier, less risky target.

Of course you have to remember yourself to TURN IT ALL OFF when you want to tow, or you will be inconvenienced yourself!

[onehoser]

if you’re parking the trailer for a length of time, i’d suggest taking the wheels off and lowering it so that it’s too much work for the thieves and they move on. thieves are lazy, otherwise they’d have jobs

[flboy]

I lock the hitch and have Wheelocks. Not much else is reasonable except being careful where I leave it. I carry insurance to limit my loss in case of the determined thief.

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[hankaye]

onehoser, Howdy;

if you’re parking the trailer for a length of time, i’d suggest taking the wheels off and lowering it so that it’s too much work for the thieves and they move on. thieves are lazy, otherwise they’d have jobs

Think you have it in a nutshell. Most thieves are lazy, so anything that makes it difficult
or creates more work for them then they are most likely to move on to the next one ...
unless that is more work then yours. chuckle, vicious cycle, sad, but true.

hank

[Betteroutside]

On both of my small trailers I cut the safety chains off and attached snap links on the ends to install. When the trailer is parked I remove the chains and install a very secure hitch enclosure lock.

[Karebru]

If someone wants your trailer they're going to take it. All you can do is make it harder for them.

Hopefully enough to discourage them. I figure, make it take as long as possible with multiple locks. Make them feel exposed.
Lock the chains, the hitch, the hitch latch pin, the wheels... Chain it to an immovable object, a post or something. Make it take a long time.

[BuildingOurDayDream]

Gooseneck here. I removed the coupler (sleeve) and ran a lockable hitch pin through the hole.

Good tip on the chains, I will secure them as best I can. Good tip on wheel removal for long term storage as well.