Stolen License Plate

pscrabber59

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Apr 12, 2010
Messages
246
Just had my boat trailer license plate stolen off the trailer.
Can't figure out why the low-life scumball did'nt rip off my $1200 4-stroke kicker? Anyway i parked my boat closer to my house and brought the kicker in the garage. What the heck is this fool going to do with my license plate? I reported it stolen and got new plates this morning.
What is wrong with these kind of people.
 

4Winns2

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Nov 2, 2006
Messages
327
Re: Stolen License Plate

I always take mine off whether she is on the trailer or off it. If they tried to steal it with the boat or not, won't be long before a cop will see (I would hope) that the trailer has no plate. I also keep the tongue locked. We know that if the low lifes really wanted it, they could get it. I'm just not going to make it all that easy- -thiefs are lazy by nature anyways.
 

Thad

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Jun 8, 2009
Messages
1,028
Re: Stolen License Plate

Can't say I have ever had a plate stolen. I did lose one at the lake last year. Water was low, caught it on something at the bottom of the ramp and there it was...gone.

Only cost $6.00 for a new one.
 

eclark53520

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 2, 2010
Messages
174
Re: Stolen License Plate

Happens all the time in larger cities.

People that don't want to get a license from the DMV(because they are wanted most likely) or because they are going to do something illegal with the vehicle they are putting it on and don't want by standers to be calling in their plates.

Some people just don't want to pay the state for a sticker, so they steal them(or the whole plate).

Stuff that is important to you and I(a kicker motor or other outboard, or even the whole boat itself) is of no use to someone looking for a license plate.
 

jeeperman

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Messages
1,513
Re: Stolen License Plate

Happens all the time in larger cities.

People that don't want to get a license from the DMV(because they are wanted most likely) or because they are going to do something illegal with the vehicle they are putting it on and don't want by standers to be calling in their plates.

Some people just don't want to pay the state for a sticker, so they steal them(or the whole plate).

Stuff that is important to you and I(a kicker motor or other outboard, or even the whole boat itself) is of no use to someone looking for a license plate.

Or those low lifes that got so many DUI convictions, they can no longer get tags.
So they steal them and still drive.
They like to steal the stickers down here.
I cross cut them with a razor blade so they wont come off whole.
 

JimS123

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
7,952
Re: Stolen License Plate

Are you sure it didn't fall off? We bought a brand bew boat and trailer a few years ago and the dealer put my new plate on with little plastic bolts and no fender washers. On the way home on the interstate I heard a tinny noise and sure enough when we got home the plate was missing.

Funny thing was 4 years later we bought another new boat and trailer from the same dealer. This time I bolted the plate on myself. When we got home one of the Bearing buddies had fallen off!

We changed dealers....LOL.
 

pscrabber59

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Apr 12, 2010
Messages
246
Re: Stolen License Plate

I live in a small city(40,000) in one of the better areas but when it comes to theft scumbags will steal anywhere. I just hope bad karma happens to this person
 

pscrabber59

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Apr 12, 2010
Messages
246
Re: Stolen License Plate

I thought about the plate falling off but i shut the boat down around sept. 1 and have not moved the boat since and the plate was still there a few days ago.
On the other hand i am having some problems with a family of raccoons, maybe those guys took the plate to mess with me
 

bob1340

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 12, 2010
Messages
287
Re: Stolen License Plate

Pretty common around here. The new stuff is all permanent trailer plates with no year to year tags. So basically a cop following a trailer never sees out of date tags on a trailer! I just rebuilt my sons trailer. I put the license plate and tail lights on a 2X4 which ties down to the rear of the boat after it's loaded. This takes care of a couple issues. No more submerged tail lights or wiring and no stolen license plate. It's all in the cab of his pickup while he's out in the boat or in the garage while home.
 

109jb

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jul 15, 2008
Messages
1,590
Re: Stolen License Plate

My fatther lives in Michigan and has permanent plates on his trailers. He had a plate stolen and ever since then he tack welds the nuts to the bolts. Have to grind the heads off the bolts to remove the plate.
 

proaudioguy

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Aug 12, 2010
Messages
171
Re: Stolen License Plate

I'm on my 3rd plate this year (since May). $45. each! Ridiculous. Next year I'm registering in Main.
 

bigdee

Commander
Joined
Jul 27, 2006
Messages
2,665
Re: Stolen License Plate

red lock-tite works too.....if you really want to make it tough grind the flats off the nuts. I've heard of them being stolen at the ramp parking area when people back their trailers in obscuring the back of the trailer....I always pull in forward so the plate is visible to the public.
 

jay_merrill

Vice Admiral
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Messages
5,653
Re: Stolen License Plate

I don't have problems where I live, but people steal trailer plates at the boat launches frequently. Because of this, mine is on a hook and bungee cord. When the boat goes in the water, the plate goes in my van.

I used to lose a couple of plates a year, but haven't lost one since I started doing this.



???
 

pscrabber59

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Apr 12, 2010
Messages
246
Re: Stolen License Plate

Wow 3rd plate since (May) that might be a record! and $45 a pop?? Thats absurd. cost me $16 here in Washington St.
I like the tack-weld idea and the bungee & hook sounds good when at the ramp
but at home I think its time for me to bring out my tool belt and head out to the Home Improvment Center and get some cedar fence materials and enclose my property. I know the wife will be pleased.
 
D

DJ

Guest
Re: Stolen License Plate

Why register a trailer or buy a plate when you can steal one? Simple, easy and nobody will know.

Stolen car plates are bit trickier. There is some very nifty equipment now in Police vehicles that automatically runs plates and checks them against make of vehicle. A trailer? Forget it.

Stolen plates are a very big issue here in AZ. They are very popular with the "undocumented".
 

bobkyle2

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 2, 2010
Messages
159
Re: Stolen License Plate

a few years ago me and my uncle were down in pensicola for a few weeks.. and on the way back to illinois he got a call from california state police... asking him were he was... and he told them and they told him to stop at an exit... we didnt tell them what exit or anything... and they sent a few state boys and they come and asked us question ...at the time we didnt even notice that our plates were missing... but someone had stolen his plates and had them on a bmw and robbed a store.... ..we later found out that they used gps to track us to make sure it wasnt actually him.. and the bmw was also stolen from georgia..

low lifes these days will steel anything they want or need.. it sucks for us people that work hard for our stuff
 

Biged007

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 9, 2010
Messages
176
Re: Stolen License Plate

Happens here in ct. a lot cause trailers and motorcycles all end in March around here they're into "clipping" a pair of tin snips and 5 seconds to cut the corner out
 

reelfishin

Captain
Joined
Mar 19, 2007
Messages
3,043
Re: Stolen License Plate

Why register a trailer or buy a plate when you can steal one? Simple, easy and nobody will know.

Stolen car plates are bit trickier. There is some very nifty equipment now in Police vehicles that automatically runs plates and checks them against make of vehicle. A trailer? Forget it.

Stolen plates are a very big issue here in AZ. They are very popular with the "undocumented".

If your lucky, one of those undocumented residents will be found with a trailer tag on car. I had that happen here about 10 years ago. One of my tags disappeared off a work trailer, a week later, after I reported it stolen, it turned up on a mini van with 14 occupants that overturned on a ramp. I guess they couldn't read the "TRAILER" part on the tag.
 

paultjohnson

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jul 29, 2010
Messages
1,560
Re: Stolen License Plate

PHP:
It's all in the cab of his pickup while he's out in the boat or in the garage while home.

Wouldnt you then get a ticket for not having a plate when your trailer is parked at the boatlaunch ?
 

Home Cookin'

Fleet Admiral
Joined
May 26, 2009
Messages
9,715
Re: Stolen License Plate

think about all the posts about the ridiculous steps you have to go through to register a used boat/motor/trailer. That's the sort of thing that tempts an otherwise honest man, and may explain why the OP's thief took the plate and not the motor. He might even leave you a $20!
I have a rig for a trailer we seldom use on the road called "cleat lights" which is a trailer light rig with bungies on the lights, so you can just put them on the boat's cleats for occasional trailering. Similar to the 2x4 rig you often see.
But good point about getting a ticket at a public ramp if you remove your plate; leave it on the dashboard at least.
 
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