Camp/trailer security
- Thread starter The Traveling Shepherd
- Start date
Aside from locks my truck has two dash cams and I keep one pointed at the trailer and if possible the other pointed at the most likely ingress (e.g. Road/trail I came in on)
As soon as I figure out where to put my spare tire I'll put a truck vault in the bed for valuables
As soon as I figure out where to put my spare tire I'll put a truck vault in the bed for valuables
I use one of these...
And I will run a cable with a lock to secure the top with the RTT acting as a lid.
And I will run a cable with a lock to secure the top with the RTT acting as a lid.
Experimenter I
I can help here because I approach my trailer from knowing that if I don't steal it, someone else will. Lol I also worked retail, tourism and a little construction for years and have seen it all from swapping boots to a spree that took a dozen lawn mowers in less than 3 minutes. I'm also in an area where stolen items either get hauled to Mexico or cut up for scrap by the end of the day. When it's gone, it's gone. Yeah, I can't wait to be able to afford to move.
If you are using a standard ball hitch, put a golf ball in the socket before latching and locking. If you just latch and lock, the trailer can be easily stolen with a 1" bolt in a drop hitch. I demonstrated this to a retail manager after he failed at playing detective. It's a really funny story.
If you also convert to the smaller 1 7/8 or 1.5" ball it will add another level of theft protection because so few trailers use those sizes anymore, therefore, a theif is less likely to also have it.
If I leave my trailer off the vehicle and out of sight, I take a half inch cable and run the ends through each side of the top wheel spoke, through the leaf spring, one side makes a loop around the axle, through the other leaf spring and out through the top spokes again. Sounds difficult but it is easy with stiff cable. Can't pull the trailer, the wheels will bind and catch fire. Can't remove the tire and just unloop because the tire won't fit through the spring and one cable passes around the axle. You can bring a whole new set of tires and drag the old ones but now you just passed from an opportunistic thief to a prepared one. And you can't stop a prepared thief with 2 or more hours.
Also, don't park where a flat bed can just whip in and winch.
As for items within the trailer, I built mine fully enclosed with cattle panels and only carry the big, bulky stuff in it. I currently live in a place that sees sticky fingers pass through so anything of value is typically locked up to some degree. So far it has been working well. Only a few small things have wandered off.
But gotta be realistic, all of these features are for discouraging the honest thieves. With the advent of the battery powered saws, drills and grinders, nothing can't be stolen in less than 10 minutes.
If you are using a standard ball hitch, put a golf ball in the socket before latching and locking. If you just latch and lock, the trailer can be easily stolen with a 1" bolt in a drop hitch. I demonstrated this to a retail manager after he failed at playing detective. It's a really funny story.
If you also convert to the smaller 1 7/8 or 1.5" ball it will add another level of theft protection because so few trailers use those sizes anymore, therefore, a theif is less likely to also have it.
If I leave my trailer off the vehicle and out of sight, I take a half inch cable and run the ends through each side of the top wheel spoke, through the leaf spring, one side makes a loop around the axle, through the other leaf spring and out through the top spokes again. Sounds difficult but it is easy with stiff cable. Can't pull the trailer, the wheels will bind and catch fire. Can't remove the tire and just unloop because the tire won't fit through the spring and one cable passes around the axle. You can bring a whole new set of tires and drag the old ones but now you just passed from an opportunistic thief to a prepared one. And you can't stop a prepared thief with 2 or more hours.
Also, don't park where a flat bed can just whip in and winch.
As for items within the trailer, I built mine fully enclosed with cattle panels and only carry the big, bulky stuff in it. I currently live in a place that sees sticky fingers pass through so anything of value is typically locked up to some degree. So far it has been working well. Only a few small things have wandered off.
But gotta be realistic, all of these features are for discouraging the honest thieves. With the advent of the battery powered saws, drills and grinders, nothing can't be stolen in less than 10 minutes.
That golf ball idea is genius. Thanks for the tip.
Since we tent camp, we always load anything of real value in the truck and pretty much everything else gets tossed in the tent and the tent gets completely zipped shut. Out of sight, out of mind.
Since we tent camp, we always load anything of real value in the truck and pretty much everything else gets tossed in the tent and the tent gets completely zipped shut. Out of sight, out of mind.
Member II
I tend to be extremely anal about someone stealing my trailer. I can remove the draw from the trailer tongue, with the lock reinstalled, I chain the tires through the wheel around the spring, I remove the jack and replace with a dead leg, so you'll have to have a jack or lift the tongue. Hopefully this'll give me enough time for an improved sight picture, before I tell you "you're screwed". Oh, I also have a GPS tracking device on the trailer. I like the golf ball and the anti rollback tips, Ron
Member II
I'll have to find the name of the company, they let you activate for a month at a time, or more, then cancel when you're home. Ron
Advocate III
I mad mine like Ohiowrangler has his my trailer. Hitch and tongue are removable I figured not many people will have a tongue and hitch on hand to take the trailer and its very easy to re install. lots of good ideas
Member I
good topic. I've been thinking about this during my whole entire build 8 months. I'm running a 2" ball coupler so my option & purchase is Trimax Universal Unattended Coupler Lock. Another way is I plan on running a chain threw the spoke of the rim around the tire & wrapped around the axle & locked with a good quality pad lock. Plus I insured my trailer for the cost of build & its contents.
If they want it bad enough they will get.
If they want it bad enough they will get.
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So I ended up just welding on a 2" receiver tongue extension on the trailer. I also just ordered a Lock N' Roll hitch. I figure that without the receiving portion of that hitch, as it will be on my vehicle when away from camp, the average thief won't be able to simply hook up and go. Then a second option is to simply remove the hitch from the trailer and they'll only be left with a 2" receiver opening......again, not leaving many options for the average thief. I'll also have steel braided cable for placing through the wheels if we're leaving the trailer at camp. Fingers crossed.....
Member I
Pewag square security chain is pretty hard to cut. A bolt cutter can’t cut it reportedly. I’m planning on using it through my wheels and around the axle. Cordless grinders have made security a tough subject.
