When you're not towing, what do you do with your trailer to keep it safe from those who feed off the bottom and rip off honest people?

In mid-July my 28 ft. racecar trailer with racecar inside was stolen from the side of my parent's house one night where it was kept for the summer. I had a padlock on the hitch, but the thieves cut that off and just towed it away. However, I was very lucky. The trailer was recovered with the car inside just a LONG week later. There was no damage to the car or trailer except for the broken door hasp that the thieves broke to open the door and see what was inside (lucky for me, race cars must not be on the list of easy to pawn items). All that was taken were some used spark plugs and racing brake pads and tie down straps. They didn't even take a little jack and jack stands. It was previously broken into at a friend's house where it was kept in the back of a two acre fenced lot. Nothing was stolen that time either, just broken hasps.

I replaced the hasps and bought the thickest chain and largest lock and now chain the tandem tires together. I wrap the safety chains around the front of the hitch and lock them in place.

I'm considering a Lowjack, but that is some expense (I don't know how much just yet).

Do any FTEs have suggestions to better secure or protect a stored trailer. I do remove all the valuable tools before long-term storage.

Thanks for any suggestions,
RichF350V10

 

Yea, Man I feel your pain. I'd start with a padlock on the hitch that has the sides running up to help keep it from being cut. Then at wal-mart they sell a hitch lock, I think its called a gorilla lock,(I have one). They come in different sizes for different ball sizes. It fits on the front of the hitch and wraps around the front and then locks by a large pin that goes up into the center of the hitch where the ball would go. The chain on the wheels is a good idea. Or if its going to be stored for awhile, put it on blocks, yea take the wheels OFF, and use the Gorilla lock and padlock. If they still take it, they apparently needed it more than you and must be ungodly desperate and stupid. But that lock I mentioned is big and thick and if they get it off they will probably have destroyed the hitch, and would have a hell of a time towing it. Glad you found it. I was putting a custom 3 inch by .25 wall square tube frame, doubled up under my highly modified yota and had it hanging out my garage where I used to live. I had two cheapy jacks holding it where I needed it and some ******* came up and looked in my window one morning as my neighbors said, saw I was asleep, and took my jacks. There are *******s out there and thats what guns are for. Make them earn what they steal. The lead is free. good luck

 

My trailers are a little hard to get at. First, they would have to drive up past the house, go through a gate into the barnyard, then find them. One is out in the middle of the field (it's a '68 home built - gloss black) and the other one is in a small hidden gated area on the other side of a sea-going cargo container.
And we don't have too much theft around here. Most kids that do the theft/burglary etc target Honda's...they don't know the first thing about hooking up a trailer.

 

I use one of those hitch locks that wraps around the hitch and has a fat pin that goes up into the ball socket. I had to grind mine to fit and I can tell you, no one is going to cut that sucker off without a lot of noise and time. Got it at a lock shop. I bet the RV dealers have them too. I forget the brand, comes in a brown and white box and is painted copper color. Uses a key and an Allen Wrench, takes maybe 30 seconds to put on and take off.

I also recommend you lock the stinger(the ball part of the hitch to your truck. There are hitch pins with locks. The stinger is awful easy to steal and expensive.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

My hitch is black powder coated - so I liberally grease the hitch to deter curious onlookers...

 

Get a tire lock like the police place on your vehicle when you don't pay your parking tickets, I believe technically they are called impobilizer - just do a search on the computer under towing equipment or locksmith suppliers. You can get a good one for around $75. A couple years ago I worked as repossession agent and believe me almost anything can be taken both legally or illegally. Most lock devices can be easily manipulated by anyone with the simplest tools or knowledge. I may add anything inside those trailers can be taken with a sawzall and about 2 minutes so remember that why you may have a trailer still the contents may be stolen anyway. Just before anyone decides to email me about repossession - I only worked high risk fraudulent cases in, other words people that knowingly obtained a vehicle or property through deception. I didn't get my kicks by taking vehicles away from people fallen on hard times. Also, I am not available to give any advice at all on repossession methods so please don't waste your time trying to email me. I am just trying to help this guy get the best mehtod of security -- remember anything can be stolen just some methods are alot harder. GET A DOG it's damn cheap theft detterent both for the criminals and would be criminals.

 

I think location is a big factor If you live in a area full of retired people and no kids your better off. I just live on the edge of town and have a neighbor who stays up all night (he worked 3rd all his life). plus I live by a highway so if it behind the house you're not going to see it unless you drive 25 but then you might get rearend by a semi tractor and trailer doing 70. also nobody with kids will move up here or there kids will get sent to all the bad schools. I leave my keys in my cars the doors are unlocked I don't worry about it.

 

Ghostgunn's idea is also a good one about the imobilizer. The dog as well, but hell, why not get a viscious ostrich, or emu. Maybe a rabid attack donkey. Or at least one who only likes you. And I'll tell you what. Put that damn trailer in a corral with a nasty mean 2,000 pound bull, the ones the the huge horns. I know I sure as hell wouldn't even want to go look at what I'd need to take it much less spend 5 min in there with mr. fluffy. A good lion or tiger would work well too. A Moose, Ram, Bear, Gorilla, you know what, maybe the dog is the best idea. Be kinda funny to see a gorilla riding an angry bull while holding a monkey wrench and flipping you off at the same time. That spells DETURRENT. ha ha ha

 

There is something I was wondering about that immobilizer. It attaches to the wheel of the car, right? Well, if you take the wheel off and replace it with the spare - can the car be driven then? Or is it attached in some other way to the car?

 

The imobilizer looks kinda like a wheel chock that bolts through the wheel and has a steel plate that covers up the lug nuts so you can't take if off without removing the device.

 

Ah, it covers the lugs - I see. Thanks.

 

Get a logging chain and wrap it around the wheel spokes and axle. Then put a lock, where the shackle is protected when the lock is closed, inside the inside of the rim so it can not be reached easily with bolt cutters, even when on the ground under the trailer.

Lo-Jack is a good idea as long as you can hide it within part of the frame and make it non-obvious and have no stickers.