Hitch Locks?

Dan the man · Nov 8, 2008

Well guys, what do you think? which is the best? I don't have an eye for a padlock to go through...

mthieme · Nov 8, 2008

Re: Hitch Locks?

Winchester model 1200.
Seriously, I've never seen a hitch without a hole.
They passed a law this year here in MD that you must have a pin/boltwhatever through the hole to secure it going down the road.

NSBCraig · Nov 9, 2008

Re: Hitch Locks?

You really should have a hole.

It's not real big but it should be there so you can put a pin in it and your tongue can't come off the ball.

I have a master lock trailer lock it's a pin and a lock that slides on it.

Bondo · Nov 9, 2008

Re: Hitch Locks?

Winchester model 1200.

Ayuh,.... How about an old Model 11 Remington, with a full load of Buckshot,..??

It must really Suck where you guys live,....
I don't even lock to door to my house, muchless the boat to the truck....

tashasdaddy · Nov 9, 2008

Re: Hitch Locks?

you need a lock on it. we had some mischievous person go thru the ramp parking lot and open every hitch the could. mine was locked. it was ALMOST funny to see a guy start to drive on to his trailer, and the tongue fly up.

Shizzy · Nov 9, 2008

Re: Hitch Locks?

Bond-o said:
Ayuh,.... How about an old Model 11 Remington, with a full load of Buckshot,..??

It must really Suck where you guys live,....
I don't even lock to door to my house, muchless the boat to the truck....

my tricycle got swiped out of the back yard when I was 4 years old. I have locked up my stuff ever since. I dont care what neighborhood im in. If its not bolted down its locked to something that is or put away behind a locked door.

truck stays locked, Motorcycle has a lock on the front disk, boat has a lock on the hitch and is locked to the trailer and stays locked in the garage....

NSBCraig · Nov 9, 2008

Re: Hitch Locks?

What's the easiest thing to steal and fake a title to- your trailer.

hate to get back to a ramp and not have one..

(Lock my hitch too and my truck and my house)

Frank Acampora · Nov 9, 2008

Re: Hitch Locks?

Since no lock that goes through the coupler lever hole is really secure, I just use it to ensure the hitch doesn't open. To secure the trailer, I lock the safety chains to the hitch itself. The chains are secured to the trailer with uncommon (on trailers) allen head bolts and self locking nuts inside the tongue.

If a thief really wants your trailer, he is going to get it. The trick is just to make it easier for him to steal the trailer parked next to you. With my chains locked, he needs at least two different wrenches or a bolt cutter--easier to go next door and take that one. Same thing with wheels. I simply use a round collar secured to one lug with an allen set screw--prevents the lug wrench from fitting on it and can't be pryed off. I have the allen wrench inside the tow vehicle and can remove it to change a tire--simple, cheap, and efficient.

Like two men in the woods being chased by a bear---you don't need to be faster than the bear, just faster than the other guy.

mthieme · Nov 9, 2008

Re: Hitch Locks?

Bond-o said:
Ayuh,.... How about an old Model 11 Remington, with a full load of Buckshot,..??

The bukshot isn't going to help your hull or truck.
Try loading the first shot with 7 1/2 (the warning shot), following by a pumpkin ball, then use what magazine capacity you have left with the buckshot (just in case you miss with the slug).

There's always rocksalt, but I can't talk any of my reloading buddies into making me a few.

180shabah · Nov 10, 2008

Re: Hitch Locks?

Dont forget - many couplers are just bolted to the trailer tongue. Doesn't matter how good the lock is, it he has a couple wrenches. I have a bolt on coupler, but the nuts each have a small weld to the bolt. Ball on the drawbar got the same treatment.

Thief might have a good selection of wrencehs, sockets and bolt cutters, but there aren't too many guys lurking around the ramp with a generator and a grinder.

Of course if someone really wants it, a portaband and a sledge hammer would probably do the trick.

Shizzy · Nov 10, 2008

Re: Hitch Locks?

Frank Acampora said:
If a thief really wants your trailer, he is going to get it. The trick is just to make it easier for him to steal the trailer parked next to you.
Like two men in the woods being chased by a bear---you don't need to be faster than the bear, just faster than the other guy.

no doubt. when I lived in a shady part of town, I would regularly see (and chase off) guys walking down the street peeking in car windows and trying the door handle. Too much effort to break in to a car, they were looking for something sitting on the seat in plain view of an unlocked car.

chrismarion · Nov 10, 2008

Re: Hitch Locks?

I dont care if someone can eventually break the lock off, that just means someone will hear/see them doing it. Hopefully me! =D

I have the Master Lock matched key set for my trailer and reciever. As well as the Master Lock tongue lock when the boat is not hooked up. The set can be seen in the link below, I have the top set. No excess sticking out to break.

http://www.suspensionconnection.com/cgi-bin/suscon/1474DAT.html

Sorry for outside link, iBoats shows no pictures.

180shabah · Nov 11, 2008

Re: Hitch Locks?

Or you could shop here at iboats

scipper77 · Nov 11, 2008

Re: Hitch Locks?

Allow me to think out loud.
If the trailer has a lock then the thief can pull the pin and take the hitch off, if the hitch has a lock too wouldn't the next easiest thing to do be to remove the ball from the hitch??
I'm no thief so I haven't really thought this through but I'm sure you guys and gals will.

180shabah · Nov 11, 2008

Re: Hitch Locks?

Putting a lock on a bolted on part really doesn't help much, that is why I put a bead on the nuts with the welder. Again not foolproof, but Mine would be one of the most difficult at the ramp.

Story from the past:

Several years ago we rented a car dolly from "you-haul"(name changed for thier protection). They had problems with trailers dissappearing in the middle of the night, so they all had coupler locks on them. After they hooked the trailer to my uncle's truck they reinstalled the lock since it was a local rental. We went and picked up the car, took it to my sister, but it was after closing time and he couldn't hang around for another day to turn in the trailer. We just pulled the pin on the drawbar, wheeled it over to my truck, and he went back to NC. 9:00am the next morning I showed up at the "you-haul" place with the trailer and the guy came out with the paperwork and the key to the lock. The look on his face said it all - he was utterly dumbfounded. My red S-10 was clearly not a blue Dodge. He immediately grabbed his lock, it was intact and still attached. I reached down and pulled the drawbar pin and pushed trailer back until the it fell free from the reciever. Suddenly the little light above his head came on.

cbavier · Nov 11, 2008

Re: Hitch Locks?

scipper77 said:
Allow me to think out loud.
If the trailer has a lock then the thief can pull the pin and take the hitch off, if the hitch has a lock too wouldn't the next easiest thing to do be to remove the ball from the hitch??
I'm no thief so I haven't really thought this through but I'm sure you guys and gals will.

I drilled a hole where the hitch pin clip was by design and run a lock keyed the same as the trailer hitch lock so one key unlocks both locks. Otherwise someone could just pull the clip pin and slide hitch and take hitch and trailer. Of course this only pertain to a platform or Load distribution hitch. The other kind of hitches are bolted on and would take considerable effort to remove. Usually more trouble and time than a thief would want to spend. Besides the risk of getting caught.

scipper77 · Nov 11, 2008

Re: Hitch Locks?

what about the ball itself?? This still hasn't been addressed.

fdmsiv · Nov 11, 2008

Re: Hitch Locks?

There is a nice keyed alike set from masterlock that has a coupler lock, receiver pin lock, and hitch lock.

I got a cheapy set of receiver and hitch lock combo from academy, you get what you pay for. I also bought a coupler lock, a ball with a large U locking mech. It works ok, not the best, easy just to cut the U

180shabah · Nov 11, 2008

Re: Hitch Locks?

scipper77 said:
what about the ball itself?? This still hasn't been addressed.

Welder -

180shabah said:
....but the nuts each have a small weld to the bolt. Ball on the drawbar got the same treatment.

scipper77 · Nov 11, 2008

Re: Hitch Locks?

Originally Posted by 180shabah
....but the nuts each have a small weld to the bolt. Ball on the drawbar got the same treatment.

Thank you. Missed the ball on drawbar part. My old 84 chris craft has a much newer and nicer 2001 shoeland'r trailer. Gonna give the trailer it's first freshening up soon, new winch strap and touch up rust spots etc... I think I'll consider a security upgrade based on the posts in this thread while I am at it. Don't have a welder but I'm thinking about those star heads. Those things suck. I hope thieves feel the same way. I'm going to replace some of the hardware anyways just to prevent stuff from getting so old it freezes (or ar least loosen, lube, and re tighten).

Hitch Locks?

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