hinge security

[wok]

I couldnt find this in the sticky. First of all I realize that making a TT really secure is somewhat impossible, and if someone wants in badly enough, they can pry a wall off or go through with an axe or anything else crazy. I want to install my hinges so that they cannot be unscrewed from the outside. On my door for example, they will only be accessible when its open. I noticed some are exposed... For my windows though, its not going to work, and I think the screws will ahve to be exposed. I am thinking of two things... first, putting an extra latch inside mathcing the one that holds windo closed at the bottom, but at the top also, so even with no hinges it would stay put somewhat. Also, I was thinking of welding the screw heads in place to the hinge. I wouldnt over do it, but just enough to make it impossible for the casual theif or mischevious kid to undo, but not too much i couldnt grind it off if I ever needed to remove it. Has anybody ever tried this or have any suggestions?
-Will

[PaulC]

Will, if you're that concerned about security, why not use screws that have the security type heads on them. You will have to purchase the driver to instal them but it will be harder for the casual thief to get in.
Cheers
Paul

[Ira]

The worst they can steal from inside your TD is an LCD TV and DVD player, if you even have them.

And they can steal that and EVERYTHING by just driving off with the whole TD, so that's where the precuatiuons should lay.

Just doesn't seem to be worth the effort just for a door.

[madjack]

...if your that worried about security, you need to find a different place to camp, or...quit carrying all that contraband with you when out and about.....
madjack

[Leon]

The hinges I made for the door use carriage bolts so they have to be undone from inside. The hinge pin is pinned and the door has to be opened before the pin is visible. The windows also attach from the inside. If they want in bad enough it can be done, but it keeps the honest just that.

[fornesto]

My cousin used to have a convertible vw rabbit with the soft top. After crooks cut through two soft tops at $500 each to steal the change from her ash tray and some college textbooks, she just started leaving the doors unlocked. If you make it too secure, the crook will tear the whole thing apart or break a window. IMHO by the time the guy's on your roof unscrewing the hatch, its all over. Run away. Fast.

I wouldn't put it past some nosy campers, though, to open an unlocked door just to peak at the inside.

[Arne]

regarding hinge security... everyone needs at least one thing to be anal about...

And hinges are not on my list.... I hardly ever lock my t/d.. if they want my smelly laundry, they can have it.... and it beats having someone break a window (which, btw, I have never heard of happening)...

On rare occasions, I do put a wheel lock on my t/d. The Tv is mounted between 2 shelves and the only way to remove it is to remove a shelf....

And most campers are not theives.....

[Mary K]

Grant at L'il Bear http://www.teardrops.net/LilBear/parts.html sells hinges (Custom Formed Offset Aluminum Piano Hinge) that install from the inside. So all thats is exposed is the actual hinge and not the trim.

Check it out.

Mk

[wok]

Wow! thanks for the fast response to all.

paul: those screws sound good. im picturing the ones they for some reason use on bathroom stalls where you can drive them in, but not remove them?

ira: I am worried about the LCD if I decide to put it in, and If I am camped somewhere for a length of time, I plan to just remove the whole A-frame of the tongue so they'd have to push it down the road.

madjack: Im not acutally worried about campsites.. I think fellow campers are some of the most trustworthy individuals.. Im worried about visits back home to Orlando...leaving it in a freinds drive way... you'd be amazed at what people will do to steal one lousy car speaker.. Also, similar places my travels might take me where the general rule is along the lines of nobody will try too hard, but if its that simple, consider it gone. I just want to be prepared for whereever I end up.

leon: I like that hinge idea, thats kinda what im going for. And keeping the honest out is all I could really hope for.

fornesto: sorry to hear about your cousin. My goal is not to make it a fortress, but from what I have seen, there is a line, many folks would unscrew a hinge or pop a sliding door off its tracks to get into a house, but it takes a bolder one to smash a window and climb in

arne: I wouldnt say I'm anal on the hinges, and honestly if someone were to break in, I'd get over it pretty fast. But it would be an inconvienance (sp) while on a trip, and having already screwed up a nice lot of things in life, I've learned taking 5 minutes to make it that much harder to get past them would pay off. I like that tv idea. I was thinking of a plain looking cabinet to cover mine possibly, and also a welded metal box bolted to the trailer chassis for valuables.. but might as well take them with, or leave in car.

thanks again everybody for the advice.

[Arne]

I'm lucky I live in a place where a stranger would stick out like a swollen sore thumb (like, on a farm)... there are areas where I get exactly what you mean... and, I do lock the tear when I stop at a diner, or at wal-mart.... have to use some common sense, and I still have a little of that left.

[mikeschn]

Security eh?

Hmmmmm everything needs to be made from diamond plate steel or aluminum. Windows have to be covered with diamond plate covers, and padlocked closed.

Doors need to have deadbolts in them, and the hinges need to be buried inside. Did I mention that you need 4 deadbolts in each door, one in each corner. You could do the same thing with the window.

To prevent driving off with a teardrop, you need a removable tongue, and a locking wheel chock on each wheel.

Combine that with locking wheel lug nuts and anti-reversing screws, and I think you'll be good.

Use bullet proof glass in the windows, and forget about a roof vent.

Okay, so I'm just having a little bit of fun. Seriously though, I don't think travel trailer theft is a real problem, and teardrops even less so. Just don't leave anything valuable in them.

Mike...

[wok]

now that WOULD be a fortress on wheels.

[Scooter]

Another approach would be leaving it totally unlocked, to prevent damage when someone wants to get inside. They open it up, see there's nothing in there, and hopefully they'll leave. Or bust rotten eggs inside it or whatever else creeps do.

Sadly, there's always gonna be some mean people in this world. Guess you just gotta take your chances and live happy as best you can.

[asianflava]

I used Grant's offset hinges for the offset, the hidden fasteners was just a side benefit. I did use "Security Screws" for my windws they have a allen type head with a pin in the middle to prevent the use of a regular allen wrench. Yes, they can always go out and buy those wrenches but they aren't as common as regular allens.

I know that the trailer isn't secure, if they really wanted to get in they'd just break the window. At least this way, the casual thief is discouraged from doing wrong. There is no way to stop a determined thief.

[wok]

The hidden hinges sound cool. My only limit is still finances, thats why i was gonna be cheesey and weld the screw heads.. (pathetic I know). Its funny.. this discusion has led me to somewhat make groupings of different kinds of wrong doers.. There are the teenage kids who just like to do mean things.. seen lots of that. Then the thief of opportunity who takes advantage of a slighty open window or door, or easliy forced open one, and then there is the ones that seek your car or camper out, and will pry your walls open to get your stuff. Unfortunately, I think the only ones who would want to bust rotten eggs and do other vandalism, would not be really intent on forced entry, and upon finding a locked door would move on to find something else to wreck, and the ones who really wanted my stuff, would get in anyways. I'd venture to say that there is not a TD or TTT that can't be broken into with a crowbar or simliar item within a minute or so if the person is determined. I view it all as a balance. I am going to own a trailer and go camping no matter what, so simple stuff like in-accessible(sp) screws are enough protection for smaller stuff, and larger, less likely events are not worth preventing for, as they would require too much and probably never happen. (sorry for the lengthy posts)