Stealth Cargo Trailers ...

[Mike Angeles]

I dont know, I would think that if its done up as a small Camper, the chances might be better than just a beat up old Cargo trailer. same as any TT. Graphics, Windows etc. lessens the chances of some some Rogue thinking he can use it for construction or selling it to his cousin to use for construction etc?? Sure you'll catch someones eye, but for a different reason.

Midlothian Mike

[rbeemer]

Can't you just put a sign up that says "Grumpy Spouse inside, enter at your own risk"

[4x4chvy]

You never said what states it happens in......??????
I never want it happening to me while pulling a single axle, 6x12 - I'd end up in jail for coming unglued on an over-testosterone-d macho-cop.
15 yrs with a CDL-A, 22 states and over 3 million miles on and off road. I haul Over-sized and Heavy so I spend waaaay too much time in scale houses and chatting with law enforcement as part of my job.
100% of the time - I'd rather deal with Highway Patrol and DOT than a local who has no clue about DOT regulations.
I've never seen what you're talking about with my own eyes, nor have I ever heard tell of such a thing.

My friends/co workers/bosses and I have all had DOT (in several states) rip us new ones for pulling in with our pickups and a tag trailer, service trucks, company 1 ton dually pickups with or without trailers and even a 6 wheeler dump truck with hydraulic brakes.
Their attitude is - "If you don't even know what a commercial vehicle is, maybe you shouldn't have the license and maybe I should inspect this vehicle just because you volunteered to wast my time."

Maybe as you say, speed and poorly maintained vehicles are a factor when by-passing scale houses?? My old Chebby rarely needs to go faster than the slowest vehicle on the highway. I keep all my vehicles clean, well maintained, loads secured/covered and always have all necessary paperwork, license, DOT card, permits and insurance card ready to hand over.
Even in my personal vehicle.

[Engineer Guy]

Sounds like your approach works for you. That's a good thing, given your 1st sentence re: how you'd react vs. some pals who have had lil Roadside 'chats' w/LEOs.

As you can read in the dated Posts I linked to, other Pros have had different experiences, and reach different conclusions. Forum folks here can review the widely-varying State Regs and decide for themselves, as you have, what stealth, and break-in preventative, Commercial-looking approaches to take. Not everyone has a single Axle 6' x 12'. Some of the builds on here are 2x that length. I agree that there's not much 'grey area' in the Commercial Loads you cite; not what most folks here Tow. Quoted Pros praise the Site I linked in no small part due to the variability and 'arbitrariness' between State Regs and the enforcement of them. In CO, for example, Truck Chains must be carried and visible - snowing or not - between Sept. and May; an example of variability in State Regs. You can count on LEOs not caring one iota about the Chain Regs in 22 other States.

CO Truck Chain Law Article

Those of us with out-of-State License Plates get treated quite differently than CA Plates at the Ag Inspection Stops on I-15. We're profiled as more likely to unknowingly carry in Fruit Fly-carrying Food.

I post References, as I did above, because I trust folks to read what interests them and reach their own conclusions. I move along when reading Posts of no interest to me; I'm sure others do the same.

For example, Concealed Carry Laws definitely vary between States, quite like the State DOT Regs I linked. CCW is a topic inportant to me in order to not get caught carrying 'indefensibly'. Indeed, CCW Laws differ within Las Vegas City Limits vs. the rest of NV. So, I unload when driving through Vegas to see Family, and 'keep my nose clean' for the same reasons you do. Around Lake Powell, where I Boondocked recently, is Indian Nation Land with totally separate Laws and Legal System; no different than being in another Country.

As I keep in mind about my own experiences, an old saying nails it: 'just because something happened to you doesn't make it interesting'. On to the next Thread...

[ARIZONA GUIDE]

I used to own my own transport company. It was a hotshot service. I used pickup trucks. Sometimes pulling a 20 foot flatbed with cat and other tractor parts on it. back about 10 years ago we were not regulated by the DOT. We looked more like farmers hauling farm parts for our own work. Now to do it you have to be regulated by the DOT. That means all the other guys i competed against that still do it have DOT numbers on the sides of there trucks with a company name. Now they have to stop at weight stations and check points. But the Farmer just driving down the interstate can just fly on by the stations with now fear of being pulled over and ticketed for this pupose. If they are and proven they are not needing DOT certs then they would just be let off in court. That is how it is done in Arizona anyways. And i have never had an issue in california while passing through. And if California lets you get away with it most other states should be a cake walk. Cali is a truckers nightmare. This is just how i remeber it from the past. i do not know how it is now.

[GPW]

I'm starting to think that a trailer fitted out as a camper might be a better choice ... Lights on , Music playing .. Don't think anyone would be stupid enough to approach an occupied trailer ... especially with the possibility of Old people inside ... we all know they're packing Heat ...

Bottom line is you just have to watch where you park ..

[kstephenson]

I agree GPW......us old guys do pack....
unless you are from California..... you know they dont have a 2nd Amendment there....lol

[GPW]

Kevin , odd huh , how we're all equal , but then we're not really !!! What's up with that ???

[angib]

we're all equal , but then we're not really !!! What's up with that ???

To slightly misquote George Orwell, from Animal Farm, I think you'll find that everyone is equal but that some people are more equal than others.....

[GPW]

Angib , as they're fond of saying here, True Dat !!!

[dudleydoright]

gpw,

us old folks always pack heat and know how to use it from years of hunting..

[Engineer Guy]

A tough Trailer theft situation all around, not to mention there's no one to shoot at:

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=42668

As with my Electrician pal whose CT w/Tools has been cleaned out twice, you can get hit if the CT looks a little rough - as his did - or if it's shiny w/Roof AC and nice Wheels:

RV Burglaries For Drug Money

The RV Storage Lots above are semi-rural; not crime-ridden Urbanity.

I could not easily find the Denver Post article just now where a Flatbed Trailer Owner, alerted to yet another burglary going down at his Lot, shot 1 of 2 illegal Immigrants in the Head. He survived, but cannot now understand the charges against him. Back to Mexico they go. Despite the shooting occurring inside his fenced Lot as the Perp went up and over his Fence, the Owner was charged post-Investigation with Attempted Murder. Bye bye Net Worth on Legal Fees, and this was in a 'Make My Day Law' State.

As Posted above, looking like a Farmer hauling Goods is a 'positive' outcome of profiling. No hassling of the innocent guys. Having gone to DIA several times in my SUV, which got quite the search as a potential Bomb-carrying Vehicle, or being on the Roads north of San Diego and Imperial Valley, profiling also means a lil time delay when you fit the profile du jour. This happens with 'sagging' Passenger Vans or other profiled Vehicles/Trailers; seen it myself.

The road to Boulder City NV by Hoover Dam carries lotsa NAFTA-driven Truck traffic, and is another 'crackdown' area. I stop and talk to various LEOs about how to get through a Traffic Stop in their State while Concealed Carrying. Might as well ask the Pros; they'll tell you the situation as they see it [the only perspective I care about]. 100% of RVs and Campers are searched at the Hoover Dam Pedestrian Lot entrance to the new Bridge.

I needed new Safety Chains on my new/used TT, so I got some 2,600 lb. high strength Chain at Lowe's and 2 keyed-alike 'macho' circular Master Locks. I can detach and reuse the Safety Chain as req'd on site. I'll loop it through a spoked Wheel to the TT Frame and ensure the Spare Tire is locked down while we're Hiking about. All a person can hope to do is slow down the bad guys, I think... Total outlay was ~$66-, and the 'peened' 2,600 lb. Chain is very modest diameter.

Back when the wonderful Site <packing.org> was still operational, info there said CA 'permitted' CCW in those [non-existent] Counties with populations of less than 250,000, or if the Sheriff OK'ed the Applicant.

[Engineer Guy]

Thanks to Admin here for unlocking the Thread linked below. Being a man of Statistics, the number of thefts in one night posted by 'azmotoman' tell me all I need to know, irrespective of whether these same Bad Guys took the very nice Trailer. Indeed, his Neighborhood - and the desirable Vehicles in it - was profiled as one to hit:

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=42668&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

Reading that Thread this morning got me to looking for profiling situations. It took only seconds to find a familiar topic I almost included earlier. I-25 up to I-80 has been a Runner's route for the >35 years I've lived in CO. Re: the good ideas on making a Trailer/TV 'stealth', certain Vehicles and behaviors are definitely profiled. A Sheriff in the S.E. was busting Runners with great success recently. The Dept. looked for clean, newer Vehicles driving the speed limit at night w/things like a Suit Coat hung up in back to appear like a Businessman. That combination of 'innocent' indicators was itself a tipoff. Read the comments below the first Post as well:

Profiling On The Interstates

I labeled the Link above as I did because it's not unique to WY [or CO] or CA Residents whatsoever. CTs w/AC and/or Windows and Propane Tank[s], or Trailers looking 'mismatched' to the TV, are what some LEOs [or Thieves] might notice, since they look for things 'out of the ordinary'. I sure noticed tricked-out CTs on the Road when around Lake Powell last October, and I'm no LEO looking at Vehicles all day.

A pal w/a similar TT as mine noticed how many TTs were WAY up in CO Forests during a recent trip. It appeared they were never to be seen/towed again. Another outcome for the nice Trailer above could be a 'Shepherd's-style' TT that's now expendable 'Housing' for Growers in AZ or other Forests.

Seasonal Interstate Profiling

I don't claim for a NY second to know what the 'best' anti-theft answer is. I'm just putting up this info for folks to ponder or dismiss while deciding what works best for them. Especially in these sad times of increased Human Trafficking helping lead to profiling the Vehicles used for sordid activity...

[janand]

Excellent work man, Very nice kstephenson and great window idea.
I really like it and very impress from this idea. Lovely work.

[Dant]

I have ordered a 7' x 10' + 3' V-nose CT with 3 windows, one in the RV style door and a 22" x 30" on that side, a 30" x 30" on the other.

So the 'stealth' aspect of my Stealth RV is weak. This may not be an altogether bad thing since there may be times I WANT people to think it is occupied.

But I would like to the option of looking more like a standard CT for some overnight locations. The idea I keep coming back to involves building some kind of shutter for each window. Not sure how to attach them. Maybe made from the same aluminum skin as the rest of the trailer. These could have signs painted on them.

I could do something as simple as using canvas covers, or a huge sheet of opaque plastic wrap as if it is a new trailer wrapped for protection during transit.

Not sure any of these ideas is worth the trouble. In any event I will have interior shutters made of cheap aluminized bubble wrap to stick on the inside of the windows for solar block. Those alone may serve.

Anyway, just throwing out some of my ideas for discussion.