Quick and easy on theft protection

[Gold5one]

I plan to use use my old iPhone 3GS for a tracker-- the find my phone feature works for that and you can buy a $10 Airvoice Wireless card that's good for 90 days- which includes the activation/phone number/100 minutes or about 100mb data. You just have to enable the data. These phones can be had for as little as $30 now. Plugged into one of those 2000mah battery substitute chargers will extend the time between charge to about a week. I just have to plan ahead and build in a good place to hide my phone.

[skinnedknuckles]

When building my trailer frame I welded a lunette eye on the tongue for my hitch. Only way to safely pull it is with a pintle hitch, it will just bounce off a ball. Then I plasma cut out 2 round discs out of 1/4" steel, one with an oblong hole in it and a short round tube welded on the bottom and the other one with a 5/8" steel rod bent in a "V" welded to it. When its not hooked up I place the disc with the "V" rod on top of the hole and the disc with the oblong slot and tube on the bottom and then slide a Master round lock in the tube and latched onto the "V" rod. The lock is covered so no bolt cutters can get to it and about the only easy way to get it apart is with a cutting torch. While hooked up to the tow vehicles' pintle I have a small bracket made out of 1/4" steel with a pin welded on to go into the safety latch hole on the pintle and a smaller lock again with the shank protected to prevent any disconnecting. I just have to make sure that I have keys with me other wise it would be hard to disable everything. I figure be different from everyone else and slow down a would be thief. and maybe he will go on to easier prey.
Paul

[lrrowe]

Do you have any pictures of it?

[skinnedknuckles]

Here is a picture of the lunette eye with my little teardrop braces. I will have to get pictures of the lock assembly
Lets see if this works I am about as computer literate as a rock

[lrrowe]

Wow...that is pretty hefty.

[deleted]

I was using a tracker with a monthly fee but think I'll switch to this when it comes out: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/itraq-the-cellular-tracking-device

[lrrowe]

Stacie, this is very intriguing. I will watch it myself over the next few months. It is almost tempting to pay the $49 for the first production units for delivery in August.
If I understand it right, you can hide the unit in a trailer and should it develop "legs" and run away, you can track it on your cell phone. And all for the $49 for three years.

(but then again, what an ugly device if someone wanted to plant one on you without your knowledge)

[tony.latham]

I was using a tracker with a monthly fee but think I'll switch to this when it comes out: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/itraq-the-cellular-tracking-device

Good grief, Stacie!

$49? Thanks for throwing this out! Can't wait till it hits the ground.

Tony

[rowerwet]

I still like the idea of a removeable tounge myself, thieves will use rope or chains to steal a trailer, no hitch. Then after the trailer sits for a day or two (to see if it has a tracker) they use a torch, cutting wheel, etc to make it towable. No tongue makes it almost impossible, unless you have a roll back truck or crane.

[tony.latham]

People are not going to steal a teardrop 'cause they want to go camping. They steal stuff they can sell. It wouldn't be easy to sell a teardrop. Now a cargo trailer? Sheeeesh.... slap one on Craigslist for $2,000, "meet me at Walmart" and it's gone.

T

[skinnedknuckles]

I like the idea with the small tracking device. We use it heavy equipment, which you would think is hard to steal but it does happen. I will still try to make it difficult to take, thieves usually go for the easiest opportunity. We do have to remember that our little trailers don't weigh much and for someone to back up a car trailer with a winch, to a teardrop, and pull it up onto the deck in a matter of minutes whether locked tongues, boots on wheels, no wheels or tongue at all. I figure have it insured, do what you can to slow down theft, use current technology for tracking and above all get out and go camping and try not to worry about things that you don't have complete control over.
And anyway landmines, barbed wire fence, grenades, rocket launchers and missiles are kind of expensive, not to say probably illegal
Paul

[lrrowe]

Here is another system which looks intriguing. But it has it faults in remote areas without a lot of like users. Purchase once, no fees.

https://www.thetrackr.com/bravo?utm_sou ... gQodficAnw