Security

[mikeschn]

If you have stabilizers all the way around, it's no big deal to pull a wheel or two. I think that's a really good idea.

But Danny had a great idea. How could we apply a charge to a frame that would really be shocking?

Okay, maybe charging the frame isn't such a good idea. But definitely remove the wheels!

Mike...

[droid_ca]

You almost need a way to trick them into thinking that your there inside a radio playing or better yet the sound of a nagging wife and have shadows moving around inside big dog tied up out side...As for the tire removal you could then turn them into outside tabletops bet they would walk on by and not notice a thing...Shocking hey what about a fencer for cattle they are solar powered....
Plus locks are for keeping the honest people out

[bdosborn]

Securing your trailer is pretty tough to do, especially when youtube has videos showing how easy it is to defeat locks and cables.








Bruce

[droid_ca]

What about the use of a game camera sure your stuff may be vandlized or worse gone but with a picture to bring to the police might be helpfull

[halfdome, Danny]

Spendy but this might work if you remove the chains.
Trailer Gator
Danny

[TRP]

Springfield Armory makes a great security system. Their 1911 model has worked well for over 100 years.

T

[Shadow Catcher]

I looked at the Gator and it has an exposed lock that you can put a bolt cutter on so it would be toast in short order. That was why I chose the DaBull by Guss Hill http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCBUN1QgftM
We had a rather long discussion concerning the choice of materials and design. There is nothing you can get a bolt cutter on and the 4130 shank is very difficult to cut with a grinder (I know from first hand experience). It would be easier to replace the tongue but it is bolted on and the bolt holes are random so it would have to be custom drilled to fit.

[tenfingers]

The last trailer I built for a guy, I put a 2" 48" long receiver tube in the front and used a 2 x 2 quarter inch wall tube for the tongue. The 3 3/8 pin holes were drilled 1/8 inch off center so a "not as lazy as most" thief couldn’t easily just make a tongue and pull it away.

Some other things I’ve done for my own trailers is to mount a “U” bolt under the frame and run a 5/16 grade 70 chain through it then through a hole in the wheel.

My next trailer didn’t have big enough holes in the wheels so I concreted a 2” pipe in the ground with a chain attached to run through the “A” frame in the front of the trailer.
Be careful with this one though, believe it or not a lawnmower can pick a chain up off the ground and commit suicide with it.

When all is said and done It is my opinion that there isn’t much you can do to stop a determined, resourceful, and not lazy thief. Out of site is good, and making it easier to steal someone else’s also works. In my mind I like the 1911 approach, but don’t know if I could live with it. Protecting yourself or loved ones, maybe even pets is one thing, but deadly force to protect possessions is something else.

[Rolly]

Since they started selling cordless cut off tools the best lock, cable, chain, lasts about 30 seconds.

Rolly

[PKCSPT]

"It can be stolen while hitched to your tow vehicle while you leave it in the parking lot to go in for lunch (or WalMart, or wherever)
All someone needs to do is have a tow hitch that will accept your slide-in draw bar (the part that you put the ball onto) Just pull out the hitch pin that secures the draw bar to your hitch. They unhook the safety chains and pull out the hitch pin and draw bar. Push the trailer over to their vehicle and slide the draw bar in and lock it with the hitch pin. Admittidly they need a lot of b**ls to do this. They can hook up the electric or not."

Dang I hadn't thought of that. Hmmm need to get me some kind of lock here. I would make a very lousy thief. This just seems so obvious now that you mention it. Anybody know where a person can get one?

[len19070]

I store my Trailer on the side of my house along with a lot of other home maintenance items.

I learned a long time ago from my Motorcycle days that if you use a 3/8" chain the bolt cutters needed to chop through it have to be about 8' long. And I've never seen a set that big. And a 3/8" chain would take quite a while to grind through.

I have a 32' extension ladder stored next to the trailer that I extend partially and chain up to the trailer making the entire contraption 25' long and almost impossible to move.

While camping I try to always leave the trailer blocked in by the Tow Vehicle but when I'm gone with the tow vehicle I use the same chain to lock a bike or 2 to the front of the trailer making it difficult to tow without the bikes flopping around.

As mentioned earlier, a determined thief can get anything.

You just have to put enough obstacles in his way to make it not worth his/her wile.

Happy Trails

Len

[Bogo]

I used to work for a contractor that used to leave VERY expensive trailer mounted speciality equipment on the jobsites over the weekend. They had lengths of hardened steel chain that they ran between the leaf springs and the frame, through the D holes in each wheel behind the axle, back through the D holes in each wheel and through the springs on the front side of the wheel and up to the tongue, where they wrapped the excess chain around the tongue tube and locked with a hardened high security disk type padlock. thieves couldn't get the wheels off, and the wheels couldn't turn. They never lost a trailer during the time I worked there.

Look for #120 hoist chain. Ask a rigging company if they have any that is no longer certified safe for hoisting that they will let you buy. It should defeat most bolt cutters.

[Larry C]

I store my Trailer on the side of my house along with a lot of other home maintenance items.

I learned a long time ago from my Motorcycle days that if you use a 3/8" chain the bolt cutters needed to chop through it have to be about 8' long. And I've never seen a set that big. And a 3/8" chain would take quite a while to grind through.

I have a 32' extension ladder stored next to the trailer that I extend partially and chain up to the trailer making the entire contraption 25' long and almost impossible to move.

While camping I try to always leave the trailer blocked in by the Tow Vehicle but when I'm gone with the tow vehicle I use the same chain to lock a bike or 2 to the front of the trailer making it difficult to tow without the bikes flopping around.

As mentioned earlier, a determined thief can get anything.

You just have to put enough obstacles in his way to make it not worth his/her wile.

Happy Trails

Len

Len,
your on the right track with 3/8" chain even though it's pretty heavy. I worked for an industrial distributor for most of my life and I have made thousands of chain cuts in my 35 year tenure. Chain comes in breaking strength grades, Grade 30, 43, 70, and Grade 80 alloy are what I am familiar. Let's use 3/8" as the control size. The grade 30 (3/8) can be cut with a 3' handled HK Porter bolt cutter. The grade 43 could still be cut, but would require a bit more effort. Move to the Grade 70 and you will need a 4' handled chain cutter probably with a "cheater" extension pipe on one handle. The chain cutter differs from bolt cutters as it has reinforced side plates on the cutter jaws.
Grade 80 overhead lifting chain ($$$) is the hard one to cut. 3/8" can't be easily cut with chain/bolt cutter. I have personally broke $200+ jaws trying to cut this chain. I don't think a "thrifty thief" with a pair of cheap HF bolt cutters would make a dent in Grade 80 Chain.

However, that same thrifty shopper thief could pick up a 3" air cut off saw at HF, bought mine for $6. A cheap small gas engine air compressor to run it, and he's through your chain in seconds regardless of it's strength grade! If he's too cheap to buy the small compressor, he could pick up a small right angle grinder with thin abrasive cutting blade, and a 12V to 120 inverter with enough Amp power to run the little grinder. But he better be sure to check the amp draw as he doesn't want to have to return it, people in his line of work need to keep a low profile.

Oh.. and while at HF buying all the cheap burglar tools, grab some of those movers blankets they always have on sale. These work great to help muffle the noise of the air or electric abrasive cutters. Also while there be sure to check out the latest "cheap" cordless tools for something that will spin the abrasive cut off wheel fast enough to cut steel. Cordless tools are getting better every day and may save you a lot of cash. Don't forget your 20% off coupons, don't want to spend too much supporting your thievery habit

The bottom line: high strength chain can be a deterrent, but as stated earlier, even a thrifty thief can find all the needed tools to defeat your chain at your local HF and even get a 20% discount to boot!

If your really worried about somebody stealing your trailer, you could just move to BC where they don't have any bad people or any crime whatsoever.

[Bogo]

The biggest point is to make it a PIA to steel, and not worth the hassle or chance of getting caught. That is why I recommended high grade hoist chain. Many bolt cutters can't cut it, and it is noisy to cut with a grinder. When I lived in New York City, my bicycle lock chain was two sections of retired 3/8" hoist chain locked with a 1/2" thick shackle Master Lock. My bicycle was never stolen.

BTW, you forgot a portable MAPP gas torch for cutting the chain.

[marshall0000]

I bought sufficient insurance and do not worry about it. Life is too short, enjoy!