reelfishin
Captain
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2007
- Messages
- 3,043
Re: Hitch Locks?
The bottom line is that if they want your trailer they will get it, with the invention of a cordless sawzall, all has changed. The very best you can do is to tack weld the hitch nuts, ball nut, lock the receiver, lock the couple to the ball, and tack weld the coupler bolts on the trailer. Then on top of that, chain the wheels and frame together and when possible to the nearest tree.
I've seen trucks which have lost trailers at the ramps around here, I've seen bumpers torched off, tongues cut, locks smashed and even whole rigs stolen.
The best you can do is to make your trailer more trouble than the next guys. The average thief will take the easiest prey, and leave the more protected ones alone.
A buddy of mine came back one day to find his trailer tongue cut off and his brake actuator gone. They cut the hitch and the trailer tongue and left the safety chains which were bolted to the tongue farther back and locked to the hitch loops.
All I did to get him out of there was to bring a rechargable drill and a hardened bolt, I removed the ball from my truck, put a double nutted bolt through a hole I drilled in his frame tubing and carefully towed it home. A new brake actuator and some new line fittings, and a new hitch and he was back in business, but with a slightly shorter tongue than before.
I was given a boat once while quite a distance from home, it was locked with a ball in socket type coupler lock and the coupler was welding on. Instead of fighting with it in the dark I simply bolted the safety chains to the hitch, hooked up the lights and brought it home that way. Once home I was able to grind off the lock. I was surprised at how well it towed hooked up by only a pair or chains. It probably wasn't the safest way to tow, but the boat was light and it really gets one thinking about what is really secure. The guy who gave me the boat called me about 6 months later to tell me he found the keys if I needed them. By then the lock as long gone.
Often here if they can't steal the trailer or boat, they'll do damage or strip it right there. I found it's also not wise to leave wheels unlocked, and even more unwise to lock the wheels, since then they steel the whole hub. Again, a huge chain is the only answer. I've also seen a rash of missing roller assemblies. One guy a few weeks ago came back to find all of his brand new rollers and roller arms plus the rear cross member were gone. Someone got a new set of rollers for free. That was at a well lit ramp with many people around, no one saw a thing.
It seems to be worse in the fall for some reason, I guess more kids are hanging around after school at the local ramps and not down the shore. Its this time of year when you hear of broken windows, missing radios, and vandalized trucks. Either that or it's just that the ramps are far more populated during warm weather vs. now.
The bottom line is that if they want your trailer they will get it, with the invention of a cordless sawzall, all has changed. The very best you can do is to tack weld the hitch nuts, ball nut, lock the receiver, lock the couple to the ball, and tack weld the coupler bolts on the trailer. Then on top of that, chain the wheels and frame together and when possible to the nearest tree.
I've seen trucks which have lost trailers at the ramps around here, I've seen bumpers torched off, tongues cut, locks smashed and even whole rigs stolen.
The best you can do is to make your trailer more trouble than the next guys. The average thief will take the easiest prey, and leave the more protected ones alone.
A buddy of mine came back one day to find his trailer tongue cut off and his brake actuator gone. They cut the hitch and the trailer tongue and left the safety chains which were bolted to the tongue farther back and locked to the hitch loops.
All I did to get him out of there was to bring a rechargable drill and a hardened bolt, I removed the ball from my truck, put a double nutted bolt through a hole I drilled in his frame tubing and carefully towed it home. A new brake actuator and some new line fittings, and a new hitch and he was back in business, but with a slightly shorter tongue than before.
I was given a boat once while quite a distance from home, it was locked with a ball in socket type coupler lock and the coupler was welding on. Instead of fighting with it in the dark I simply bolted the safety chains to the hitch, hooked up the lights and brought it home that way. Once home I was able to grind off the lock. I was surprised at how well it towed hooked up by only a pair or chains. It probably wasn't the safest way to tow, but the boat was light and it really gets one thinking about what is really secure. The guy who gave me the boat called me about 6 months later to tell me he found the keys if I needed them. By then the lock as long gone.
Often here if they can't steal the trailer or boat, they'll do damage or strip it right there. I found it's also not wise to leave wheels unlocked, and even more unwise to lock the wheels, since then they steel the whole hub. Again, a huge chain is the only answer. I've also seen a rash of missing roller assemblies. One guy a few weeks ago came back to find all of his brand new rollers and roller arms plus the rear cross member were gone. Someone got a new set of rollers for free. That was at a well lit ramp with many people around, no one saw a thing.
It seems to be worse in the fall for some reason, I guess more kids are hanging around after school at the local ramps and not down the shore. Its this time of year when you hear of broken windows, missing radios, and vandalized trucks. Either that or it's just that the ramps are far more populated during warm weather vs. now.
