Spare tire theft prevention

So, I just bought a spare tire carrier for my trailer. It bolts on to the frame and comes with a lock to lock the spare tire to the mount. What is to keep someone from just unbolting the entire mount from my trailer and walking away? Then they have my spare and my new mount. Does any one know of a way to somehow lock the mount to trailer, without welding the mount to the trailer? Thanks for any ideas!

Re: Spare tire theft prevention

After you tighten up the bolts just put a weld tack on the bolts.

Re: Spare tire theft prevention

dnifedem85 said:

So, I just bought a spare tire carrier for my trailer. It bolts on to the frame and comes with a lock to lock the spare tire to the mount. What is to keep someone from just unbolting the entire mount from my trailer and walking away? Then they have my spare and my new mount. Does any one know of a way to somehow lock the mount to trailer, without welding the mount to the trailer? Thanks for any ideas!

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Unfortunately if someone wants to take your stuff, trailer and boat included they will. All you can do is to slow them down by making it more difficult.

Re: Spare tire theft prevention

You could also run a cable lock through the holes on the spare and around the frame of the trailer at a point were they could not get it off, at some point though if they want it bad enough they will get it.

Re: Spare tire theft prevention

Take a look at this:

Link to BPS

It's simple, effective, and cheap.

Re: Spare tire theft prevention

the tack weld idea is a great and simple thought. I do the steel cable thing myself. The cable runs through the spare tire and through the bow eye and then through the trailer frame.

Re: Spare tire theft prevention

My trailer spare is locked in the back of the tow vehicle. Problem solved.

Re: Spare tire theft prevention

I like the BPS one for smaller tires. Remember, locks only keep honest people honest. If they want it bad enough, they can just cut the lock on your tongue and take the whole dang trailer.

Re: Spare tire theft prevention

You might find that when you mount the bracket to the trailer and then mount the tire to the bracket the bolts for the bracket are inside the back of the rim if the tire. This is how mine is. There is no way for anyone to get a tool in to remove the bolts. However this still doesn't stop them from cutting the U-bolt. But as stated in other post that takes time and thieves don't like to take time. I also marked and drilled holes in the plate so i could put more bolts through my rim with lug nuts. More bolts more time it takes to remove. Plus i also have a lock.

I had a tire stolen while on a road trip and on the way to replace it had a flat. It left me stranded on the hwy. I don't want to go through that again.

Re: Spare tire theft prevention

I have that same one as BPS and there were no instructions about mounting the 2 locking tabs...I never did figure it out..anyone got a pic??
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/s...104365_225010008_225000000_225010000_225-10-8

Re: Spare tire theft prevention

A little tack weld on the bolts is what I always do, or just weld the mount to the trailer a lot of them come that way from factory anyway.

Re: Spare tire theft prevention

I roughed up the threads on my $10 Harbor freight tire carrier so that will be hard to steal.
My spare tire/rim is so ugly they won't wanna steal it.

Re: Spare tire theft prevention

if they want it bad enough, im sure they will get it. I bolt mine down so you would have to have a breaker bar and a deepwell socket...but i guess its not that hard to take...hmm now i need a cable or something for it i guess lol.

Re: Spare tire theft prevention

I have that same one as BPS and there were no instructions about mounting the 2 locking tabs...I never did figure it out..anyone got a pic??

Click to expand...

Re: Spare tire theft prevention

If you don't have access to a welder, just muck the threads so the nuts can't be removed.

Re: Spare tire theft prevention

Whoopbass said:

I roughed up the threads on my $10 Harbor freight tire carrier so that will be hard to steal.
My spare tire/rim is so ugly they won't wanna steal it.

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that is another good way to keep them from stealing your tire. Have one that is just good enough to get ya to town but not good enough to steal......

Re: Spare tire theft prevention

I would not recommend jacking up the threads by welding on them or stripping or roughing them up. You are going to want to get the spare off yourself someday and the last thing you are going to want to do is fight with a mount that wont let go of the tire on the side of the road. Just get a $5.00 bike lock from Wally World and run it through the spare and around the frame. Problem solved, just keep the key in the tow vehicle.

Re: Spare tire theft prevention

I use the cable through the tire/trailer frame method. I use a lock keyed the same as my tongue lock. That said, as soon as I figure out what thread size my hub studs are, I'm installing a set of automotove wheel locks on all 3. i.e. the kind that takes a puzzle shapped whrench/key to install/remove. We have one ramp where stealing of all wheels has been known to happen. I figure why protect just the spare , right?

All I'm looking to do is keep the honest people honest ( or at least get them to move on to the next trailer in the lot.) I agree, if the want it bad enough, they will take it. My sister had her whole trailer cut off (at/through the tounge) and taken in broad daylight at a FL ramp!

Re: Spare tire theft prevention

I use the frame mounted carrier and as the other poster has said the nut heads wind up inside the tire rim, so one would need to take tire off before they could take the mount off the frame.

The $10 lock that fits over one of the bolts works great.

For those times I'm in seedy areas I do as CAtransplant does and just remove the spare and keep it in the trunk.

When I look at the list of launches up and down the Hudson River, some of them say over night parking "at your own risk". I think they are trying to tell me something with that footnote

Some even say: Spouse should remain alert and keep her finger on the assault rifles trigger while launching and retrieving at ramp . . . I love NY!

Lastly, I also use the "Tire Claw" on one of the trailers wheels.
http://www.amazon.com/Club-491-Tire-Security-Device/dp/B000SDVEU4

I worry more about the trailer not being there anymore than the spare tire!

Like others have said, a few inexpensive anti theft aids can at least potentially move the thieves to the next rig in line.

I also had my self centering rollers tack welded and if I had an electric winch I would absolutely have it's bolts tack welded.

It amazes me when I'm parked in motel lots during fishing tournaments I see very expensive bass rigs just sitting there all night, no cover and all the electronics and gear rods, etc just sitting there. My guess is many are sponsored by various vendors, so they don't care if it's stolen.

During periods of recession thefts rise.

These cheapo battery operated sawsall's available at stores like Harbor Freight are a real danger to the boating industry. Like the other poster said where the trailer was cut off at the tongue in FL. They probably used one of these devices and it would probably take 30 secs to slice through that tongue. Bolts and brackets can be cut through just as quick.

Re: Spare tire theft prevention

superpop said:

I would not recommend jacking up the threads by welding on them or stripping or roughing them up. You are going to want to get the spare off yourself someday and the last thing you are going to want to do is fight with a mount that wont let go of the tire on the side of the road. Just get a $5.00 bike lock from Wally World and run it through the spare and around the frame. Problem solved, just keep the key in the tow vehicle.

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all comments about that were in reference to the mounting post hardware, not the threads that mount the spare to the trailer.