Great video Wayne full of helpful tips! This is a big problem down here in South Florida and you hit the nail on the head…. Thieves ( like the one you pictured 😂) will almost always go the path of least resistance. An unlocked , easily accessed trailer is comparable to an unlocked car with keys in the ignition. A little diligence goes a long way! Cheers ! Btw: maybe a sign stating “ video surveillance “ posted near a stored trailer? In today’s day and age with everyone having surveillance cameras, most thieves would move on.
I agree with everything you've said in here. I belong to various forums and new people always ask these questions, and I've mentioned everything you've said here. The big game changer now a days is the cordless angle grinder with a cutoff wheel in it. They're super cheap, can be bought almost anywhere, and will eat through those locks in seconds. They do make noise although which is a deterrent for their use. The best thing is to chain a big dog to the trailer in your backyard. Great video.
Locks will discourage thieves where people can hear locks being cut, but otherwise they only slow them down a bit. Large bolt cutters and a battery powered angle grinder with a cutting disk can zip through a lock or cable like a hot knife through butter. Removing wheels is definitely a good deterrent, although a pain in the butt when you want to use the trailer. A cellular game camera is very helpful - it will send a picture when thieves show up.
I found that out when I lost my keys to my trailer and took my battery powered angle grinder with a cutting wheel and I was in my trailer faster than if I had keys. Or watch storage wars. I take the wheels off and put them away and use a 2x4 across the side door on the inside and back the trailer up against the garage.
I do most of the things you said. One extra thing I do at campgrounds is chaining up the spare trailer tire in front of one of the wheels with a chain and pad lock. This stops the trailer from being moved, similar to the wheel boot idea. Also if you have to leave your boat at a dock, chain it up to the dock front and back.
Interesting video, I just came across it today. I've never had any of my trailers stolen, but I do know a few people who have had their trailers stolen. My best friend had his trailer stolen. He normally chained up his trailer. One night he was tired and put it off until later. Later, it was gone. He announced the theft in church, and someone quickly spotted it. Police were involved, but unfortuantely the police would not involve themselves unless it could be proven that my friend owned the trailer. My friend had his registration, but the trailer had all the identifying marks (vin plate, license plate) all removed. The thief had a substance abuse problem, and was more interested in having the funds to feed that addiction, so my friend bought back his own trailer for a hundred bucks. Stung, giving money to someone who stole from you, but that's what he had to do. His neighbor had two trailers stolen. His neighbor was a welder, but ended up in in-patient rehab. He locked up his trailers to protect them during his stay. The first trailer was chained to a tree. The second trailer was blocked in by the first, and couldn't be taken without the first one being moved first. So during his stay, someone hooked up to the first trailer, yanked it so hard that it ripped the tree out of the ground (it wasn't a big tree). They unhooked the chain from the tree, left the tree in the street, and took the first trailer. With the first trailer gone, they came back and took the second trailer. As far locking up the safety chains, funny thing that happened in my small town. I don't know the guy, just heard about it. A guy had a very expensive, and heavy lock on the tongue of his trailer, and this lock not only protected the coupler, but also the safety chains. So some thief took some pliers and wrenched off the antenna to the guy's truck. Then, using the ball tip of the antenna, they whipped it into the glass and knocked out one of the windows. Having gained access to the interior of the truck, the thief then cut out one of the seat belts. The thief then used the seatbelt to tie the trailer to his vehicle, and took the trailer. Next morning, guy finds that he's now missing a trailer, a window, a seat belt, and has a chewed up antenna laying on the ground. I park one of my trailers in my backyard. Aside from that, it has no security, but with various vehicles blocking it in, only way it leaves is if a thief airlifts it out of here. My bigger trailer is parked on my friends property, the same friend who, along with his neighbor, has had 3 trailers stolen between them. That trailer, I have it chained to a very big tree, at least 24 inches in diameter, probably more. The chain is 1/2 inch, grade 70, which isn't the easiest to cut through. I also have steel cables locking up the wheels on both sides of the trailer. I also have quick detachable coupler and safety chains. Originally, the coupler was bolted in place. I replaced the bolts with pins that allow for quick, and easy install/removal without the need of tools. So if thief were to target my trailer, they would try for a trailer that has no coupler, no safety chains, all 4 wheels are locked up, and it's chained to a really big tree. Not theft-proof, but there's easier trailers to steal than mine.
Those are some amazing stories. Sounds like you almost need an armed guard to protect a trailer in your neighborhood. Also, sounds like you have some talented thiefs in your area! I live in a city in a high-ish crime area, so I would expect that here. But it sounds like you live out in the countryside, and I wouldn’t expect it to be like that in a rural area.
@@PepperDeVillle, I don't live in the city, but it's not country either, it's a small town. One side of the main highway is relatively clean and safe. The other side, middle of the day the streets are filled with young, able bodied males with nothing but time on their hands because they'll do everything except work a job. I've since made an addition to my security. I've added a quick detachable handle for the tongue jack. Now, when I park the trailer, I jack the trailer as high as it will go, and remove the handle. Not totally theft proof, because a thief could just bring a pair of vice grips, but still, it's an added inconvenience.
@@altadutch, not an option for me. I'm a used car dealer, and I use my trailer to transport inventory. I just had a series of tire blow outs Friday. First one went, and I threw on the spare. Then I lost another, and I was out of spares. I had to leave the trailer, and the nearest town of any significance was nearly 40 miles away. I couldn't chain it to a tree, but I did lock up the tires on the side that was good, I removed the coupler + safety chains, and I've since modified the jack handle to make it quick detach too. So I jacked up the trailer and took the jack handle as well. Trailer was still there when I came back hours later.
vivillager, Sounds like you don't have a good Police Dept, or their hands are tied by the Legal System / Justice Dept. A slow reduction of the criminal elemment by a vigil vigilante citizens group would encourage the remainder to cease and desist all future crime, or move to safer digs. Too many men and women hide behind the church instead of providing a safe community for themselfs. It's "not My job" is their proud motto. They live in filth and complain rather than clean it up. Sad, And shameful. ☆
I stayed at an extended stay hotel a few years ago and there was an old rusted out box cargo trailer in the parking lot with one wheel missing. It was there over the course of several stays during a four month time span. As an added bonus you could even use the missing wheel as an excuse to give a property owner or hotel manager for leaving a trailer in their parking lot for a short time "while you wait for the wheel repair"
I like the removable tow bar on the trailer. There are some vids on those. Kind of neat. Also allows you to put your trailer in the garage and not worry about length.
Another idea is to hide a tracking device on your trailer like an Apple AirTag because if someone wants your trailer they will find a way to steal it. Just remember not to submerge the tracker. Also, trackers are radio devices so don't put it inside of a completely enclosed metal trailer.
That won't look good in court for you. Even if you shoot a person that Breaks into your home, a slimey prosecutor will say you were itching to kill because you had a sign like that.
There is a lock that has a ball that goes into your coupler and a locking bar that slides up over the lip and locks the ball in the coupler. I used that on my tow dolly. The thief simply beat that lock off with a sledge hammer. I had a 4x8 get stolen with my riding mower aboard. Dragged away by the chains. Trailers have a metal plate with a serial number, easily replaced or just removed. My best deterrents so far have been blocking access, using round padlocks, heavy chains, and 5/8 braided cable run through the rim and frame. A 3/8 cable is easy to cut with a bolt cutter, but the 5/8 cable just mashes flat. If law enforcement would crack down on pawn shops we would have less theft.
I take my chains right off with quick links. I don't know if it's legal, but the quick links I use are the same rating as the chain, so it should be safe. The number of break-ins and trailer thefts in the area has been quite alarming. And it's a rural area, so the thieves need a car to get here.
What a great video. I especially liked your clear, easy explanation and links to the equipment needed to safeguard the trailer. Thieves are determined but your tips are pretty much affordable and doable. Thank you so much.
My new cargo trailer came with a removable hitch. The hitch slides into a square receiver tube (tongue is a three member) just like my ball hitch on my truck. I keep locking pins on both the trailer hitch and the trailer hitch latch while towing. When parked I remove the trailer hitch and either lock it in my truck or stash it in the bushes, if I am camping. The trailer is big and heavy, so it is very unlikely a thief would get very far trying to tow it with just the safety chains. The ball hitch on my truck is a very expensive 60,000lb hitch because I also have a deck over axle trailer that I haul logs on for my mill. Rather than put a locking pin on my hitch, which can easily be knocked off with a couple of good blows from a hammer, I use a grade 8 bolt and nut and torque it to 245ft lbs. It cannot be be removed with regular wrenches. One wrench has to be a cheater bar.
Good morning! Yes I was out fishing on the Susquehanna River at muddy Creek near lock 12 and while I was out some one stole my pin out of my truck hitch. Luckily I think all the thief needed was the pin because when I got back to load my boat I drove forward the hitch fell out of the receiver with my trailer hooked to it and the chains kept it from becoming a run away trailer situation. My pin just had a hair type pin to hold the horizontal pin in place. Now I drilled a big enough hole through the horizontal pin to put a pad lock through it. Knock on wood I haven't had any more problems with theft except someone stole my battery tender out of my boat in my back yard. And someone stole my net out of my boat while we were eating breakfast at a restaurant before we went out fishing for the day.
Good information I do alot of log splitting so I have some of the biggest logs parked right in front of my trailers that you can move only with a tractor plus my dogs are a good early warning device when someone enters my property
Someone once tried to steal my 3 seat jetski from my grandma's house. And there was a cow bell attached to it. That alerted the dog. And they ran off. I bought these little inexpensive wall mount motion detection devices from Amazon that look like little black owls. They wirelessly chime a receiver next to my bed. They've been invaluable here in m3thhead infested Oregon. I've been alerted to 3 separate theft attempts by them already in 5 months. My dog goes bananas when they sound at 4am, which usually is enough to send them running (seen on my security cameras). hope this helps someone.
My truck has a motion sensor. the boat could too. I run chain through the wheel and use multiple hardened locks. Behind a six foot fence with a dog in the yard. Prefer to park in monitored pay for use areas. I know of one boat, motor trailer that was left in a driveway unlocked and stolen. In another case they stole every roller from a new easy-loader trailer while the boat was at sea. We run shuttles and that can be risky. They need a key. When you're gone you're gone. My paint matches my boat and my truck. Everybody knows it's me. A local legend fishes from the bow. My phone # is under the trailer. It can still be stolen but - I'm not an easy target. Don't be either. Thanks Wayne!
Good tips! I have not had a trailer stolen but did have a thief break the shackle on a Master pad lock for a chain around my battery box when in storage. Lucky the battery box was empty. UA-cam videos will show how a typical good quality padlock can be easily be broken with two large combination wrenches. No bolt cutters are needed. I now use a Reese Towpower 7005300 Brass Coupler Lock ($14) that provides a little more protection for the shackle on the padlock. Incidentally, I now remove the cover on my battery box when the trailer is in storage so the thief can see the battery is already removed and keep on walking.
Once launched I actively look to park somewhere in view of a security camera. Or I'll park close as I can to the main entrance to launch area where it's highly visable and if being stolen would be obvious to other experienced boaters that are hopefully passing by. I also of course use the coupler and hitch pin locks. Tip: if you leave the hitch pin lock on for any length of time, get under there every couple weeks with some Wd40 or a spray like that and spray that lock mechanism good. I picked up a new trailer and needed to change hitch to bigger ball size. My hitch pin lock was seized in the locked position. I was there to pick up trailer right at closing time and it turned in to a 30min ordeal trying to get lock to release (then lock again).. They were not happy. 😑
"Houdini " is the best lubricant / cleaner / frozen lock spray i've found. WD-40 Will fail ( 2 lock pins cut off in 3 years / Montana winters ). Hard to find ( Google / Amazon ? ), recommended- found in local Lock Shop. ☆
Very helpful video. I offer the suggestion of using disc locks, where possible, or locks with more robust shackles than the ones shown in your video. Lots of folks carry bolt cutters (I do) for legal reasons. Imagine a determined trailer thief. Otherwise, your video offers plenty of thoughtful suggestions. Blessings, Grace and Peace 😊
Wayne, great video I just ordered my Sea Doo 2023 GTX 170 I never thought about locking up the chains and running a steel cable threw the wheels thank you have a great day ciao ciao.
In my area some thieves are unscrewing the ball right off of the receiver even if the trailer is locked to the ball. Some people are welding the nut on the ball so it cannot be removed. I hate a thief!
Yeah - that can happen too! Basically anything that can easily be taken and exchanged for a little money ends up being fair game for thieves in LOTS of places.
Good advice. Am already doing almost all these to protect my nice enclosed aluminum trailer, esp. when traveling. I like the ideas of locking the safety chains together and removing my other wheel. I already have a yellow wheel clamp so removing the other wheel makes it a more complicated project to steal. That would inky require tossing in a small bottle jack and using it only in the event of a breakdown or if leaving the trailer for an extended period of time. Thanks!
Good video. My state WA requires to plate and title trailers so that seems to prevent theft to some degree, but I always use the lock on the hitch to prevent it being pulled out and also a lock on the trailer ball release thingy. Thanks for the idea about locking the chain.
5/8 coated cable through the wheels and leaf springs, and locked with a kriptonite lock. Also the handle for the Jack is removed, as it is held on by a pin with a spring clip when needed.
Trailer thieves don't normally come with a replacement wheel for your trailer. But thieves out to steel your trailer do come with bolt cutters. Whatever your method of securing your trailer if it includes the use of pad locks or chains they must be utilised in a way that the thief is unable to get at them with a bolt cutter.
There is almost no way to make it 100% steal proof everything is a deterrent get a lock around the coupler lock and one around the chains will make it more work for the thief and give you time to notice or they might not bother but if they want it bad enough no matter what kind of lock you have they will brake it off somehow
Great Video and advice - thank you👍 my never fail anti-theft technique is to own an old boat and rusted out trailer no one in their right mind would steal. For those not in their right mind I keep a GPS tracker (SinoTrack 901) on it. Also helps me remember where I parked the bloody thing.
What about the LARGE BOLT securing the BALL to the hitch? I am amazed that a crook can simply loosen the BOLT leaving it on the trailer, then place it in theirs and drive off, leaving ALL THOSE LOCKS ON AND BE GONE. Thanks for letting me share. I would appreciate a response when possible
I'm no locksmith but I can open any of those five dollar Chinese locks with my picks. I probably wouldn't bother though because it's faster to cut through any of their shackles with my portable disk grinder. I can also open most of the combination bicycle locks just by feel (especially the cheap ones). These junky Chinese made locks that he showed in this video are pretty much useless to protect a trailer.
On my utility trailer I had parallel 3/8" D-rings welded; 1 to the outside bottom of the slide-upward removable tailgate, and 1 to the rear of the bed frame. They align when the guillotine gate is in place. I can then use [a] a short chain/padlock to lock the gate to the frame, [b] a 5 gallon bucket 3/4 full of concrete with embedded chain that acts as my anchor to lock tailgate to frame to anchor, and [c] a longer chain/padlock that'll go through the D-rings, around a 6x6 pole (or a gate, whatever if away from home). I use the above plus your suggestions at the tongue end of the trailer. Also have good photo documentation for recovery/insurance if my security measures should fail. Thanks for your video.
Under my trailer I installed a motion sensor, 7 amp hour battery and 12v siren. It's also connected to the running lights so they flash. Honestly though, I think removing one or both wheels for long term storage is best.
Yep ... when I was doing most of that stuff, my friends were teasing me and laughing ... till one of them had his stolen never to be found again. Thank you for your tips.
When I lived in Mississippi we had (and still do) the castle law. My buddy would leave his trailer with his four wheeler on it. In the street.I told him to buy a chain and put it through the wheel and frame. He did, as a matter fact put it on both tires, literally that night we were in his back yard having a few beers and we hear the sound of two tires bouncing off the street ,we ran to the front of the house and there she went down the street hitting parked cars, he had his gun on him and we ran down the street caught the mfers( a couple meth heads) he made them at gunpoint walk his trailer back to his house and the cops took them away. Four cars in total were damaged, and he had ever right to shoot them as they were trying to flee. But didn’t.
That is a good idea with the chains. You should also try to put something up in the coupler, Hitch. You can just take off the trailer ball and put a bolt in its place of the ball. That fits in between it enough to lower the trailer down on it and take off with it. Even if the trailer coupler latch is locked.
Get a trailer ball and have the threaded part cut off with a torch and install it up in the hitch and close the hitch on it. Most hitches have a hole in the latch , install a good lock in it. Now with a ball locked in the hitch and as you say, lock the chains back from everything, it should work !
My 1975 CJ-5 had a soft top. In the end it had a battery disconnect switch in the glove box. A 4 way manual fuel shut-off valve between the seats. Swapped out the steering column for a 1988 Buick Regal which had a locking column, the column also provided power to the fuel pump and ignition kill switches on the dash, same switch style that ran the off road lights. 1) Turn on the battery 2) Place the gas valve in the proper position 1 in 4 chance 3) Keys to unlock the column 4) Fuel pump to on 5) Ignition to enable (on). I don't know if anyone ever tried but it was never stolen.
A friend installed a small solar panel on the top of his 16’ enclosed trailer to keep the extra battery charged, this could also be used to have an alarm-loud siren on trailer.
Certain wheel chock locks (they look like a big pincers) can be installed with the key lock on the inside of the wheel where it can't be seen, making picking awkward. Keep the spare tire locked to the trailer or locked in a trunk or cab. Multiple locks and an alarm can slow or discourage a thief. Of course, if a professional thief wants it bad enough, they're probably going to succeed eventually.
I just read on FB about a camping trailer stolen from a secured storage facility. He had a hitch lock on his caravan trailer. This wasn't a small trailer.
I ACCIDENTALLY MADE MY TRAILER EASILY RETURNABLE, WHEN I WIRED THE PLUG A WIRING DIAGRAM WAS NOT AVAILABLE. I WIRED IT UP AS BEST I COULD IT WORKED. WHEN SOMEONE USED A STOLEN TRUCK TO TAKE MY TRAILER. THE PLUG GROUNDED THEIR RUNNING LIGHTS BLOWING THE FUSE. THEY WERE STOPPED FOR NO REAR LIGHTS AND ARRESTED. WHEN I CALLED TO REPORT MY STOLEN TRAILER IT WAS ALREADY IN IMPOUND
Those keyed hitch pin locks can be broken off in 5 seconds with a piece of pipe! ...you should weld a tube onto your trucks reciever to prevent a section of pipe to be slid over it!
Don’t use cotter pin receiver pins. I either put a bolt through so big wrench required to remove the ball platform. Or, I drill the hole on the pin to fit a lock. Cheaper and lasts longer than ready made locking pins with cheap locking components that don’t last a year.....especially if your trailer sees dusty or saltwater conditions
About 25 years ago, somebody put 4 shiny quads/ATV, whatever you call them, on a trailer parked right on a main street, for months. One day, it was gone with a "Reward" sign out where it used to sit. They were already on a trailer, like a waiter serving up your steak.
All deterrents are good, combos are great. Blaylock makes a very stout tongue lock that allows the ends of the chains to be secured. High quality locks would be encouraged..... master lock is not high quality (most of the time)
as an rv mechanic let me tell you alot of those locks are easily broken with a hammer. Multiple occasions someone needed them off and i come out with a couple whacks and its off
One thing I do to secure my trailer to my truck is to use one long chain instead of small safety chains, and loop it through both D rings on the tongue and secure it to my truck with quick links while leaving a few inches loose on each end. Next I'll put those ends through the loops for safety chains and lock them together. This way a person would have to cut the chain to steal the trailer too adding another level of protection.
My trailer was stolen from my driveway several months ago. It had been sitting there since 2008. A tornado that went through my neighborhood has basically brought in all kinds of undesirables which made it a target. Waiting to replace it while I decide how to secure it better. I have nothing to chain it too so have to look for alternate methods. I have looked at wheel boots and simply removing the wheel/tire. Have also thought about mounting a metal plate w/attachment ring to driveway under trailer then securing with a chain.
I use a shutter lock on my coupler. It's harder to access the shackle for cutting. Also, I lock it in the up or unlock position. The reasoning being that of its locked with the lever down, one could conceivably undo the nut, pop the coupler on the ball and re-it, but if it's locked in the up position, there's no way to safely latch onto a ball
There were some good ideas here. Thank you. Nice video! I especially like the action scene. Where you hook the trailer up to your truck using just the chains! That was brilliant lol. OK I am truly thankful. Thanks for making this video!
One of my tactics: I have my travel trailer’s power tongue jack wired through a breaker located inside the locked front cargo hold. The tongue is too heavy to lift, so unless they have the right crank handle they can’t lift it to hitch to it.
My chains reach over my tongue jack handle. I jack it high if empty or low if loaded maybe. Then I lock the chains to the handle and lock the hitch latch too. If I park overnight hooked up to my truck, I lock chains to the bumper. I can lock the hitch but I don't have a cross-pin lock.
I chain my rims to the frame. I also have a tongue lock. The bolts on my tongue have safety washers that bend up on the nuts. I lost my sleds and trailer so now I make sure they won't get my stuff.
We had an attempt on our trailer so I put together an idea I had with four car batteries in the bin box under the trailer between the wheels throw a switch and those batteries are now connected to the trailer, ZAP ⚡⚡⚡⚡ don't wanna touch it, and we got em good 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻😉😉😉😬😬😬
Had some friends who had an enclosed trailer to haul their band gear. They had signs made that said “Bio-hazardous waste from crime scenes”. Or something similar… I thought it was brilliant! We are going to be moving across country with an enclosed trailer, we have a hitch lock and will probably add a couple of your other ideas along with small signs regarding your life and the contents of this trailer! Maybe even tracking devices hidden in multiple places along with video surveillance…
A former boss of mine who blamed me for every little thing that went wrong at work got his expensive "toy hauler" style trailer stolen from his factory's property. (Los Alamitos, CA) The trailer was 80 yards from the main street and behind THREE chain link gates. One night a red Chevy 2500 pickup crashed through all three gates, three guys bailed out, hooked up to the large trailer, and were gone in a flash -- all caught on security cameras. A rumor circulated around the factory that I did the larceny 😂 Didn't do it but couldn't think of a more deserving jerk for this theft to happen to.
Understand what you are getting at! It's called Milwaukee tools. Nice job. And I say if they want that certain trailer they will get it. No matter how it's locked
I had trailer stolen and never got it back but I got an idea if you take off the trailer tongue and put a lock pin where the trailer tongue bolts go and keep it weatherproof just idea
Both my trailers,truck and other machinery thats used occassionally, is kept in the same paddock as my geese. I dont even need to take the keys out of the stuff that has keys.😊
My next trailer is going to be hot pink in color & remove the tires. I've lost three utility trailers and all were protected with various combinations/versions of the locks you showed. None of the locks withstood the miracle of battery powered portabands; I caught the theft on camera in each case and they had both locks off in less than 45 seconds. The real problem is lackadaisical state licensing laws for trailers. These thieves are not keeping these trailers & they aren't going to put any work into them to make them saleable; they're selling them on craigslist or FB marketplace as "bill of sale". In Texas, they will register an un-titled trailer as "home-built" sight unseen. I'm thinking the conspicuous pink paint job will add a better deterrent.
In addition to protection from theft, ease of use for the owner is a priority. If it's a big time consuming hassle every time you want to use your trailer, that's no good. That leads me to the conclusion of the wheel boot being the best option, and nothing else. For an extra level of security, a second wheel boot.
I've found that a big dog in the yard with your boat trailer is a great deterrent to would be thieves. Also have an old ugly boat on it like mine works too.
I made the mistake of leaving my small 4X6 trailer unlocked. for over two years I had been trying to get this guy to sell it to me. The guy was a retired window cleaner. He had been holding on to it hoping to do a little work on the side. I am a retired autobody repairman and wanted the trailer to cut grass on the side. The old guy traded the trailer for a little bodywork on his car. The trailer was well-built but I needed to make a few modifications to suit my needs. To make a long story short... in less than a year I made over $10;000 working for a guy and his brother who bought and sold houses. theses dudes kept me busy. It put me out of business when my trailer and truck bed toolbox full of tools went missing. My Wife wanted me to stop working anyway so I just let it go. But it still hurts to lose all my stuff like that. I could have helped someone else get started.
![[901] A Trailer Lock That I Would Use... Picked (Proven Industries)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/xVtHiX12TVw/mqdefault.jpg)
![[901] A Trailer Lock That I Would Use... Picked (Proven Industries)](/img/tr.png)
![[UA] NAVI проти G2 Esports | Blast Premier Fall Final](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QWlIm4FGESQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Great video Wayne full of helpful tips! This is a big problem down here in South Florida and you hit the nail on the head…. Thieves ( like the one you pictured 😂) will almost always go the path of least resistance. An unlocked , easily accessed trailer is comparable to an unlocked car with keys in the ignition. A little diligence goes a long way! Cheers !
Btw: maybe a sign stating “ video surveillance “ posted near a stored trailer? In today’s day and age with everyone having surveillance cameras, most thieves would move on.
Oh that's a great one!! Try to stay dry this week buddy!
I agree with everything you've said in here. I belong to various forums and new people always ask these questions, and I've mentioned everything you've said here. The big game changer now a days is the cordless angle grinder with a cutoff wheel in it. They're super cheap, can be bought almost anywhere, and will eat through those locks in seconds. They do make noise although which is a deterrent for their use. The best thing is to chain a big dog to the trailer in your backyard. Great video.
Good point about securing the safety chains. They can easily be used to drag trailer away.
Yeah good tip
Locks will discourage thieves where people can hear locks being cut, but otherwise they only slow them down a bit. Large bolt cutters and a battery powered angle grinder with a cutting disk can zip through a lock or cable like a hot knife through butter. Removing wheels is definitely a good deterrent, although a pain in the butt when you want to use the trailer. A cellular game camera is very helpful - it will send a picture when thieves show up.
I found that out when I lost my keys to my trailer and took my battery powered angle grinder with a cutting wheel and I was in my trailer faster than if I had keys. Or watch storage wars. I take the wheels off and put them away and use a 2x4 across the side door on the inside and back the trailer up against the garage.
I do most of the things you said. One extra thing I do at campgrounds is chaining up the spare trailer tire in front of one of the wheels with a chain and pad lock. This stops the trailer from being moved, similar to the wheel boot idea. Also if you have to leave your boat at a dock, chain it up to the dock front and back.
Nice - those are great ideas!
You need to weld the ball onto the drawbar. Otherwise someone with a wrench can unscrew your ball and attach it to his drawbar
@@asrich327if the trailer is loaded or heavy this would be difficult.
This is a nice idea, had also thought using a bike lock cable to lock the wheel chock onto the wheel and frame.
Interesting video, I just came across it today. I've never had any of my trailers stolen, but I do know a few people who have had their trailers stolen. My best friend had his trailer stolen. He normally chained up his trailer. One night he was tired and put it off until later. Later, it was gone. He announced the theft in church, and someone quickly spotted it. Police were involved, but unfortuantely the police would not involve themselves unless it could be proven that my friend owned the trailer. My friend had his registration, but the trailer had all the identifying marks (vin plate, license plate) all removed. The thief had a substance abuse problem, and was more interested in having the funds to feed that addiction, so my friend bought back his own trailer for a hundred bucks. Stung, giving money to someone who stole from you, but that's what he had to do.
His neighbor had two trailers stolen. His neighbor was a welder, but ended up in in-patient rehab. He locked up his trailers to protect them during his stay. The first trailer was chained to a tree. The second trailer was blocked in by the first, and couldn't be taken without the first one being moved first. So during his stay, someone hooked up to the first trailer, yanked it so hard that it ripped the tree out of the ground (it wasn't a big tree). They unhooked the chain from the tree, left the tree in the street, and took the first trailer. With the first trailer gone, they came back and took the second trailer.
As far locking up the safety chains, funny thing that happened in my small town. I don't know the guy, just heard about it. A guy had a very expensive, and heavy lock on the tongue of his trailer, and this lock not only protected the coupler, but also the safety chains. So some thief took some pliers and wrenched off the antenna to the guy's truck. Then, using the ball tip of the antenna, they whipped it into the glass and knocked out one of the windows. Having gained access to the interior of the truck, the thief then cut out one of the seat belts. The thief then used the seatbelt to tie the trailer to his vehicle, and took the trailer. Next morning, guy finds that he's now missing a trailer, a window, a seat belt, and has a chewed up antenna laying on the ground.
I park one of my trailers in my backyard. Aside from that, it has no security, but with various vehicles blocking it in, only way it leaves is if a thief airlifts it out of here. My bigger trailer is parked on my friends property, the same friend who, along with his neighbor, has had 3 trailers stolen between them. That trailer, I have it chained to a very big tree, at least 24 inches in diameter, probably more. The chain is 1/2 inch, grade 70, which isn't the easiest to cut through. I also have steel cables locking up the wheels on both sides of the trailer. I also have quick detachable coupler and safety chains. Originally, the coupler was bolted in place. I replaced the bolts with pins that allow for quick, and easy install/removal without the need of tools. So if thief were to target my trailer, they would try for a trailer that has no coupler, no safety chains, all 4 wheels are locked up, and it's chained to a really big tree. Not theft-proof, but there's easier trailers to steal than mine.
Those are some amazing stories. Sounds like you almost need an armed guard to protect a trailer in your neighborhood. Also, sounds like you have some talented thiefs in your area! I live in a city in a high-ish crime area, so I would expect that here. But it sounds like you live out in the countryside, and I wouldn’t expect it to be like that in a rural area.
@@PepperDeVillle, I don't live in the city, but it's not country either, it's a small town. One side of the main highway is relatively clean and safe. The other side, middle of the day the streets are filled with young, able bodied males with nothing but time on their hands because they'll do everything except work a job. I've since made an addition to my security. I've added a quick detachable handle for the tongue jack. Now, when I park the trailer, I jack the trailer as high as it will go, and remove the handle. Not totally theft proof, because a thief could just bring a pair of vice grips, but still, it's an added inconvenience.
My choice would be to remove all 4 wheels, if it’s not used much, and lock them up inside. I live in rural area so have room for this
@@altadutch, not an option for me. I'm a used car dealer, and I use my trailer to transport inventory. I just had a series of tire blow outs Friday. First one went, and I threw on the spare. Then I lost another, and I was out of spares. I had to leave the trailer, and the nearest town of any significance was nearly 40 miles away. I couldn't chain it to a tree, but I did lock up the tires on the side that was good, I removed the coupler + safety chains, and I've since modified the jack handle to make it quick detach too. So I jacked up the trailer and took the jack handle as well. Trailer was still there when I came back hours later.
vivillager,
Sounds like you don't have a good Police Dept, or their hands are tied by the Legal System / Justice Dept.
A slow reduction of the criminal elemment by a vigil vigilante citizens group would encourage the remainder to cease and desist all future crime, or move to safer digs.
Too many men and women hide behind the church instead of providing a safe community for themselfs.
It's "not My job" is their proud motto.
They live in filth and complain rather than clean it up.
Sad, And shameful.
☆
I stayed at an extended stay hotel a few years ago and there was an old rusted out box cargo trailer in the parking lot with one wheel missing. It was there over the course of several stays during a four month time span. As an added bonus you could even use the missing wheel as an excuse to give a property owner or hotel manager for leaving a trailer in their parking lot for a short time "while you wait for the wheel repair"
Cunning but useful tip. Even if they were mean enough to tow a broken down trailer they couldnt😂
thanks so much - had not thought about locking the chains
The Lock Picking Lawyer has entered the chat...
I like the removable tow bar on the trailer. There are some vids on those. Kind of neat. Also allows you to put your trailer in the garage and not worry about length.
Another idea is to hide a tracking device on your trailer like an Apple AirTag because if someone wants your trailer they will find a way to steal it. Just remember not to submerge the tracker. Also, trackers are radio devices so don't put it inside of a completely enclosed metal trailer.
I have a sign on it - this trailer not worth your life!
That won't look good in court for you. Even if you shoot a person that Breaks into your home, a slimey prosecutor will say you were itching to kill because you had a sign like that.
@@brs293the 3 "S" solution eliminates that problem.
A pile of brass from our last trip to the range conspicuously placed on the tongue. 😇
Bought the Master coupler lock for our small travel trailer a few years ago. Use it even when camping. Good video. Thanks
Make sure there are no rocks around to defeat the master lock.
Locks just keep honest people honest.
This comment is so stupid and people keep repeating it....
As said in the video, thieves typically look for the path of least resistance. More resistance = more effort = more time = more risk of being caught.
There is a lock that has a ball that goes into your coupler and a locking bar that slides up over the lip and locks the ball in the coupler. I used that on my tow dolly. The thief simply beat that lock off with a sledge hammer. I had a 4x8 get stolen with my riding mower aboard. Dragged away by the chains. Trailers have a metal plate with a serial number, easily replaced or just removed. My best deterrents so far have been blocking access, using round padlocks, heavy chains, and 5/8 braided cable run through the rim and frame. A 3/8 cable is easy to cut with a bolt cutter, but the 5/8 cable just mashes flat. If law enforcement would crack down on pawn shops we would have less theft.
I take my chains right off with quick links. I don't know if it's legal, but the quick links I use are the same rating as the chain, so it should be safe. The number of break-ins and trailer thefts in the area has been quite alarming. And it's a rural area, so the thieves need a car to get here.
What a great video. I especially liked your clear, easy explanation and links to the equipment needed to safeguard the trailer. Thieves are determined but your tips are pretty much affordable and doable. Thank you so much.
My new cargo trailer came with a removable hitch. The hitch slides into a square receiver tube (tongue is a three member) just like my ball hitch on my truck. I keep locking pins on both the trailer hitch and the trailer hitch latch while towing. When parked I remove the trailer hitch and either lock it in my truck or stash it in the bushes, if I am camping. The trailer is big and heavy, so it is very unlikely a thief would get very far trying to tow it with just the safety chains. The ball hitch on my truck is a very expensive 60,000lb hitch because I also have a deck over axle trailer that I haul logs on for my mill. Rather than put a locking pin on my hitch, which can easily be knocked off with a couple of good blows from a hammer, I use a grade 8 bolt and nut and torque it to 245ft lbs. It cannot be be removed with regular wrenches. One wrench has to be a cheater bar.
I like the locking the chain suggestion.
Thanks! After seeing your video I locked my hitch stinger in the hitch, then swung it around and locked the chains thru the frame to the stinger.
Good morning! Yes I was out fishing on the Susquehanna River at muddy Creek near lock 12 and while I was out some one stole my pin out of my truck hitch. Luckily I think all the thief needed was the pin because when I got back to load my boat I drove forward the hitch fell out of the receiver with my trailer hooked to it and the chains kept it from becoming a run away trailer situation. My pin just had a hair type pin to hold the horizontal pin in place. Now I drilled a big enough hole through the horizontal pin to put a pad lock through it. Knock on wood I haven't had any more problems with theft except someone stole my battery tender out of my boat in my back yard. And someone stole my net out of my boat while we were eating breakfast at a restaurant before we went out fishing for the day.
Good information I do alot of log splitting so I have some of the biggest logs parked right in front of my trailers that you can move only with a tractor plus my dogs are a good early warning device when someone enters my property
Someone once tried to steal my 3 seat jetski from my grandma's house. And there was a cow bell attached to it. That alerted the dog. And they ran off.
I bought these little inexpensive wall mount motion detection devices from Amazon that look like little black owls. They wirelessly chime a receiver next to my bed. They've been invaluable here in m3thhead infested Oregon. I've been alerted to 3 separate theft attempts by them already in 5 months. My dog goes bananas when they sound at 4am, which usually is enough to send them running (seen on my security cameras). hope this helps someone.
My truck has a motion sensor. the boat could too. I run chain through the wheel and use multiple hardened locks. Behind a six foot fence with a dog in the yard. Prefer to park in monitored pay for use areas.
I know of one boat, motor trailer that was left in a driveway unlocked and stolen.
In another case they stole every roller from a new easy-loader trailer while the boat was at sea.
We run shuttles and that can be risky. They need a key. When you're gone you're gone.
My paint matches my boat and my truck. Everybody knows it's me. A local legend fishes from the bow. My phone # is under the trailer. It can still be stolen but - I'm not an easy target. Don't be either.
Thanks Wayne!
Good tips! I have not had a trailer stolen but did have a thief break the shackle on a Master pad lock for a chain around my battery box when in storage. Lucky the battery box was empty. UA-cam videos will show how a typical good quality padlock can be easily be broken with two large combination wrenches. No bolt cutters are needed. I now use a Reese Towpower 7005300 Brass Coupler Lock ($14) that provides a little more protection for the shackle on the padlock. Incidentally, I now remove the cover on my battery box when the trailer is in storage so the thief can see the battery is already removed and keep on walking.
Once launched I actively look to park somewhere in view of a security camera.
Or I'll park close as I can to the main entrance to launch area where it's highly visable and if being stolen would be obvious to other experienced boaters that are hopefully passing by.
I also of course use the coupler and hitch pin locks.
Tip: if you leave the hitch pin lock on for any length of time, get under there every couple weeks with some Wd40 or a spray like that and spray that lock mechanism good.
I picked up a new trailer and needed to change hitch to bigger ball size. My hitch pin lock was seized in the locked position. I was there to pick up trailer right at closing time and it turned in to a 30min ordeal trying to get lock to release (then lock again).. They were not happy. 😑
"Houdini " is the best lubricant / cleaner / frozen lock spray i've found.
WD-40 Will fail ( 2 lock pins cut off in 3 years / Montana winters ).
Hard to find ( Google / Amazon ? ), recommended- found in local Lock Shop.
☆
Very helpful video. I offer the suggestion of using disc locks, where possible, or locks with more robust shackles than the ones shown in your video. Lots of folks carry bolt cutters (I do) for legal reasons. Imagine a determined trailer thief. Otherwise, your video offers plenty of thoughtful suggestions.
Blessings, Grace and Peace 😊
not to mention cordless grinders...
Wayne, great video I just ordered my Sea Doo 2023 GTX 170 I never thought about locking up the chains and running a steel cable threw the wheels thank you have a great day ciao ciao.
That $30 wheel clamp lock would be a good option as well - if you're parked in an area that is a little more prone to theft!
Also! Lock your rigs to the trailer so they can't get them off.
Thank you
You can also pad lock your chains to your vehicle when your trailer's hooked up to your vehicle
In my area some thieves are unscrewing the ball right off of the receiver even if the trailer is locked to the ball. Some people are welding the nut on the ball so it cannot be removed.
I hate a thief!
Sorry to hear you live in the Bronx.
Yeah - that can happen too! Basically anything that can easily be taken and exchanged for a little money ends up being fair game for thieves in LOTS of places.
A friend welded his hitch to the vehicle and the ball to the hitch.
Thats why I chain my trailer to my trucks axle. They can mess the ball hitch but not my truck axle
That's a good idea, thanks!
Good advice. Am already doing almost all these to protect my nice enclosed aluminum trailer, esp. when traveling. I like the ideas of locking the safety chains together and removing my other wheel. I already have a yellow wheel clamp so removing the other wheel makes it a more complicated project to steal. That would inky require tossing in a small bottle jack and using it only in the event of a breakdown or if leaving the trailer for an extended period of time. Thanks!
Good tips for a new boat owner buying security needed to stop trailer /boat from being stolen.
Good video. My state WA requires to plate and title trailers so that seems to prevent theft to some degree, but I always use the lock on the hitch to prevent it being pulled out and also a lock on the trailer ball release thingy. Thanks for the idea about locking the chain.
My boat trailer has a removeable Toung. It has two removable pins right below the winch post. I pull the whole thing and lock it in the garage.
Nice!
5/8 coated cable through the wheels and leaf springs, and locked with a kriptonite lock.
Also the handle for the Jack is removed, as it is held on by a pin with a spring clip when needed.
Trailer thieves don't normally come with a replacement wheel for your trailer. But thieves out to steel your trailer do come with bolt cutters. Whatever your method of securing your trailer if it includes the use of pad locks or chains they must be utilised in a way that the thief is unable to get at them with a bolt cutter.
There is almost no way to make it 100% steal proof everything is a deterrent get a lock around the coupler lock and one around the chains will make it more work for the thief and give you time to notice or they might not bother but if they want it bad enough no matter what kind of lock you have they will brake it off somehow
Great Video and advice - thank you👍 my never fail anti-theft technique is to own an old boat and rusted out trailer no one in their right mind would steal. For those not in their right mind I keep a GPS tracker (SinoTrack 901) on it. Also helps me remember where I parked the bloody thing.
Great video. You saved me a bunch of money on the purchase of just one high dollar reciever lock. Instead, I opted to spread my protection around.
Great to hear!
What about the LARGE BOLT securing the BALL to the hitch? I am amazed that a crook can simply loosen the BOLT leaving it on the trailer, then place it in theirs and drive off, leaving ALL THOSE LOCKS ON AND BE GONE. Thanks for letting me share. I would appreciate a response when possible
Really enjoyed the video and agree with what you said. The sad part is that an experienced locksmith can open those locks in less than a minute.
I'm no locksmith but I can open any of those five dollar Chinese locks with my picks. I probably wouldn't bother though because it's faster to cut through any of their shackles with my portable disk grinder. I can also open most of the combination bicycle locks just by feel (especially the cheap ones). These junky Chinese made locks that he showed in this video are pretty much useless to protect a trailer.
Great vid! I wonder if an Apple AirTag would be worthwhile? Some kind of tracking device hidden on the boat?
Those things can be quite useful - but only for recovery after the fact.
Use an Apple AirTag on your trailer. Track down would be thieves and bring a 12AG and get your trailer back.
On my utility trailer I had parallel 3/8" D-rings welded; 1 to the outside bottom of the slide-upward removable tailgate, and 1 to the rear of the bed frame. They align when the guillotine gate is in place. I can then use [a] a short chain/padlock to lock the gate to the frame, [b] a 5 gallon bucket 3/4 full of concrete with embedded chain that acts as my anchor to lock tailgate to frame to anchor, and [c] a longer chain/padlock that'll go through the D-rings, around a 6x6 pole (or a gate, whatever if away from home). I use the above plus your suggestions at the tongue end of the trailer.
Also have good photo documentation for recovery/insurance if my security measures should fail.
Thanks for your video.
Under my trailer I installed a motion sensor, 7 amp hour battery and 12v siren. It's also connected to the running lights so they flash. Honestly though, I think removing one or both wheels for long term storage is best.
Yep ... when I was doing most of that stuff, my friends were teasing me and laughing ... till one of them had his stolen never to be found again.
Thank you for your tips.
Some people only learn lessons the hard way.
Many times the laughing “friends” are thieves.
When I lived in Mississippi we had (and still do) the castle law. My buddy would leave his trailer with his four wheeler on it. In the street.I told him to buy a chain and put it through the wheel and frame. He did, as a matter fact put it on both tires, literally that night we were in his back yard having a few beers and we hear the sound of two tires bouncing off the street ,we ran to the front of the house and there she went down the street hitting parked cars, he had his gun on him and we ran down the street caught the mfers( a couple meth heads) he made them at gunpoint walk his trailer back to his house and the cops took them away. Four cars in total were damaged, and he had ever right to shoot them as they were trying to flee. But didn’t.
a Mississippi jury thinks a 4 wheeler is more valuable than a human life? 🙄
How about this!!! Don’t take what’s not yours!! It’s not babyfornia.
Pity. If he had done it, might of sent a message.
That is a good idea with the chains. You should also try to put something up in the coupler, Hitch. You can just take off the trailer ball and put a bolt in its place of the ball. That fits in between it enough to lower the trailer down on it and take off with it. Even if the trailer coupler latch is locked.
Get a trailer ball and have the threaded part cut off with a torch and install it up in the hitch and close the hitch on it. Most hitches have a hole in the latch , install a good lock in it. Now with a ball locked in the hitch and as you say, lock the chains back from everything, it should work !
My 1975 CJ-5 had a soft top. In the end it had a battery disconnect switch in the glove box. A 4 way manual fuel shut-off valve between the seats. Swapped out the steering column for a 1988 Buick Regal which had a locking column, the column also provided power to the fuel pump and ignition kill switches on the dash, same switch style that ran the off road lights. 1) Turn on the battery 2) Place the gas valve in the proper position 1 in 4 chance 3) Keys to unlock the column 4) Fuel pump to on 5) Ignition to enable (on). I don't know if anyone ever tried but it was never stolen.
A friend installed a small solar panel on the top of his 16’ enclosed trailer to keep the extra battery charged, this could also be used to have an alarm-loud siren on trailer.
Certain wheel chock locks (they look like a big pincers) can be installed with the key lock on the inside of the wheel where it can't be seen, making picking awkward. Keep the spare tire locked to the trailer or locked in a trunk or cab. Multiple locks and an alarm can slow or discourage a thief. Of course, if a professional thief wants it bad enough, they're probably going to succeed eventually.
I just read on FB about a camping trailer stolen from a secured storage facility. He had a hitch lock on his caravan trailer. This wasn't a small trailer.
Dang.
Good video. It is satisfying that I'm doing everything right so far.
Take off the lug nuts but leave the wheels on. It won’t be noticed iby g the thief in time.
That's a neat idea!
I ACCIDENTALLY MADE MY TRAILER EASILY RETURNABLE, WHEN I WIRED THE PLUG A WIRING DIAGRAM WAS NOT AVAILABLE. I WIRED IT UP AS BEST I COULD IT WORKED. WHEN SOMEONE USED A STOLEN TRUCK TO TAKE MY TRAILER. THE PLUG GROUNDED THEIR RUNNING LIGHTS BLOWING THE FUSE. THEY WERE STOPPED FOR NO REAR LIGHTS AND ARRESTED. WHEN I CALLED TO REPORT MY STOLEN TRAILER IT WAS ALREADY IN IMPOUND
Wow! That’s pretty wild
Those keyed hitch pin locks can be broken off in 5 seconds with a piece of pipe! ...you should weld a tube onto your trucks reciever to prevent a section of pipe to be slid over it!
Thanks for the video! Nice shirt, I have the same one, being a Kent islander.
Great information and presentation. Thank you ! We plan to trailer bikes with uhaul trailer up to Daytona bike week and this video was very helpful !
Glad it was helpful!
Don’t use cotter pin receiver pins. I either put a bolt through so big wrench required to remove the ball platform. Or, I drill the hole on the pin to fit a lock. Cheaper and lasts longer than ready made locking pins with cheap locking components that don’t last a year.....especially if your trailer sees dusty or saltwater conditions
About 25 years ago, somebody put 4 shiny quads/ATV, whatever you call them, on a trailer parked right on a main street, for months. One day, it was gone with a "Reward" sign out where it used to sit. They were already on a trailer, like a waiter serving up your steak.
All deterrents are good, combos are great. Blaylock makes a very stout tongue lock that allows the ends of the chains to be secured. High quality locks would be encouraged..... master lock is not high quality (most of the time)
as an rv mechanic let me tell you alot of those locks are easily broken with a hammer. Multiple occasions someone needed them off and i come out with a couple whacks and its off
Good point. Any suggestions that might help?
@@dogrsqr
Suggestion ; don’t wack them with a Hammer 🔨 !!! 😂😂😂
Great ideas, thanks.
My trailer has wide spoke wheels and I ran a heavy duty chain thru it to wrap it over the axle and put a lock on it.
Another aid is putting a trailer ball in hitch when locking hitch. A 1 7/8 ball sometimes fits a locked 2” hitch.
One thing I do to secure my trailer to my truck is to use one long chain instead of small safety chains, and loop it through both D rings on the tongue and secure it to my truck with quick links while leaving a few inches loose on each end. Next I'll put those ends through the loops for safety chains and lock them together. This way a person would have to cut the chain to steal the trailer too adding another level of protection.
All good ideas except if the thief has the skills of the Lock Picking Lawyer. 😅
Always pull the folding trailer pin.
Oh that’s a good one! My first boat had a folding trailer.
My trailer was stolen from my driveway several months ago. It had been sitting there since 2008. A tornado that went through my neighborhood has basically brought in all kinds of undesirables which made it a target. Waiting to replace it while I decide how to secure it better. I have nothing to chain it too so have to look for alternate methods. I have looked at wheel boots and simply removing the wheel/tire. Have also thought about mounting a metal plate w/attachment ring to driveway under trailer then securing with a chain.
I'd clamp both wheels with quality clamps.
I use a shutter lock on my coupler. It's harder to access the shackle for cutting. Also, I lock it in the up or unlock position. The reasoning being that of its locked with the lever down, one could conceivably undo the nut, pop the coupler on the ball and re-it, but if it's locked in the up position, there's no way to safely latch onto a ball
There were some good ideas here. Thank you. Nice video! I especially like the action scene. Where you hook the trailer up to your truck using just the chains! That was brilliant lol. OK I am truly thankful. Thanks for making this video!
Hello Wayne,
Great tips, I like our exhaust sound on Tundra 🤣🤣
Thanks 👍
I've made custom ends on them. The only way to tow it is have the other matching end. 😊
We put a bolt with a nut on it on the truck part of the hitch and drill the bolt for a rolled pin, has worked many years
Proven Locks are expensive, but American made, and give me plenty of confidence thieves will move along to an easier target.
One of my tactics: I have my travel trailer’s power tongue jack wired through a breaker located inside the locked front cargo hold. The tongue is too heavy to lift, so unless they have the right crank handle they can’t lift it to hitch to it.
LOcking a hitch ball in receiver works well!
My chains reach over my tongue jack handle. I jack it high if empty or low if loaded maybe. Then I lock the chains to the handle and lock the hitch latch too. If I park overnight hooked up to my truck, I lock chains to the bumper. I can lock the hitch but I don't have a cross-pin lock.
I chain my rims to the frame. I also have a tongue lock. The bolts on my tongue have safety washers that bend up on the nuts. I lost my sleds and trailer so now I make sure they won't get my stuff.
I put the hooks in the ball opening pull the chains up behind the latch and pad lock them together
We had an attempt on our trailer so I put together an idea I had with four car batteries in the bin box under the trailer between the wheels throw a switch and those batteries are now connected to the trailer, ZAP ⚡⚡⚡⚡ don't wanna touch it, and we got em good 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻😉😉😉😬😬😬
Thanks for the video
Had some friends who had an enclosed trailer to haul their band gear. They had signs made that said “Bio-hazardous waste from crime scenes”. Or something similar… I thought it was brilliant! We are going to be moving across country with an enclosed trailer, we have a hitch lock and will probably add a couple of your other ideas along with small signs regarding your life and the contents of this trailer! Maybe even tracking devices hidden in multiple places along with video surveillance…
Great info 👍🏾
I've been doing some research, there is a thing called ground screw. Attach it right to the ground.
A former boss of mine who blamed me for every little thing that went wrong at work got his expensive "toy hauler" style trailer stolen from his factory's property. (Los Alamitos, CA)
The trailer was 80 yards from the main street and behind THREE chain link gates. One night a red Chevy 2500 pickup crashed through all three gates, three guys bailed out, hooked up to the large trailer, and were gone in a flash -- all caught on security cameras.
A rumor circulated around the factory that I did the larceny 😂 Didn't do it but couldn't think of a more deserving jerk for this theft to happen to.
Understand what you are getting at!
It's called Milwaukee tools. Nice job.
And I say if they want that certain trailer they will get it. No matter how it's locked
I had trailer stolen and never got it back but I got an idea if you take off the trailer tongue and put a lock pin where the trailer tongue bolts go and keep it weatherproof just idea
I use the Trailer Gator lock on our pontoon boat trail plus it is insured.
Both my trailers,truck and other machinery thats used occassionally, is kept in the same paddock as my geese. I dont even need to take the keys out of the stuff that has keys.😊
Maybe we should all move to Canada....
Doesn't help. Bad here too.
My next trailer is going to be hot pink in color & remove the tires. I've lost three utility trailers and all were protected with various combinations/versions of the locks you showed. None of the locks withstood the miracle of battery powered portabands; I caught the theft on camera in each case and they had both locks off in less than 45 seconds. The real problem is lackadaisical state licensing laws for trailers. These thieves are not keeping these trailers & they aren't going to put any work into them to make them saleable; they're selling them on craigslist or FB marketplace as "bill of sale". In Texas, they will register an un-titled trailer as "home-built" sight unseen. I'm thinking the conspicuous pink paint job will add a better deterrent.
In addition to protection from theft, ease of use for the owner is a priority. If it's a big time consuming hassle every time you want to use your trailer, that's no good. That leads me to the conclusion of the wheel boot being the best option, and nothing else. For an extra level of security, a second wheel boot.
this generation of thieves don't care about cameras. Not where I live anyway- justice system does nothing to them even if they get caught.
good job on locking the trailer 2 guys can just take the small boat put a lock with cable to boat to trailer
Great instructional video. Thorough and concise! Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Nice tee shirt, Wayne!
How about boot for the tires
I've found that a big dog in the yard with your boat trailer is a great deterrent to would be thieves. Also have an old ugly boat on it like mine works too.
Big dogs are good!
I made the mistake of leaving my small 4X6 trailer unlocked. for over two years I had been trying to get this guy to sell it to me. The guy was a retired window cleaner. He had been holding on to it hoping to do a little work on the side. I am a retired autobody repairman and wanted the trailer to cut grass on the side. The old guy traded the trailer for a little bodywork on his car. The trailer was well-built but I needed to make a few modifications to suit my needs. To make a long story short... in less than a year I made over $10;000 working for a guy and his brother who bought and sold houses. theses dudes kept me busy. It put me out of business when my trailer and truck bed toolbox full of tools went missing. My Wife wanted me to stop working anyway so I just let it go. But it still hurts to lose all my stuff like that. I could have helped someone else get started.
That's awful
I got a big u shaped bicycle lock. On the hitch. Less than 20.