How to secure your TT from theft?

[FLMikeG]

I live in a very redneckish area with some very shady people living in my neighborhood. A few months ago, one of our neighbors moved and sold their home. The new owners had been there just over a month when someone stole their nice bass boat and trailer right out of their front yard in broad daylight.  Our police around here are like the Keystone Cops and that stolen boat will likely never be recovered.

I don't want to see this happen with my camper and I am worried about leaving it alone with nobody home at the house. I have a steel cable passing through hitch ball-socket that is secured with a padlock, but one snip with bolt-cutters and that is defeated.

So, how do you secure your trailer from being stolen?

We have a giant oak tree close to where I park the camper, and I was thinking of buying the thickest, heaviest, steel chain I can find and putting a robust padlock on it to lock the trailer to the tree. I know nothing will stop a determined thief, but is there anyway to prevent theft short of putting the trailer on blocks and removing the wheels?

Thanks!

 

[Corky]

I have, in the past, to secure various trailers used a modified ball and locked it into the ball socket.
I used a short shank padlock, the kind that is almost impossible to get bolt cutters on.
I modified the ball by sawing off the shank (threaded portion) leaving just the ball secured in the socket.
Hope this helps

Corky

 

[FLMikeG]

That's a great idea, but how did you lock the ball into the socket?

 

[grashley]

Many couplers have a hole where a clip or bolt or lock can be inserted to either keep it open or closed.

 

[Corky]

As grashly said, there should be a hole thru the latch for a safety pin. It's a safety feature to keep the latch from opening while towing.

Corky

 

[FLMikeG]

Ok, I see now. I thought something had to go around the bottom of the ball to keep it in place...LOL. I am not usually this dense, but RV'ing is an entirely new world to me. 

 

[grashley]

I had a small trailer jump off once!  I NEVER tow without a lock through that hole!

 

[RoyM]

A Denver boot that locks over a wheel is a pretty effective albeit expensive theft deterrent although a determined thief will still get it. Do the best you can, have a good insurance policy and quit worrying about it.

 

[Rene T]

A Denver boot that locks over a wheel is a pretty effective albeit expensive theft deterrent although a determined thief will still get it. Do the best you can, have a good insurance policy and quit worrying about it.

If you have tandem axles and spoked wheels, run a case hardened chain through spokes of one and then through the other wheel. Then lock it with case hardened padlock like a good Master lock.

http://www.amazon.com/Trimax-THEX50-THEX-Super-Chain/dp/B000W0RQY6?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

http://www.taylorsecurity.com/176-brass-padlock-with-key-option-/14365/?gclid=CIi7nKH-is0CFcxZhgod0QUCFg

 

[quadrider]

for my ATV trailer I try to make it hard for them to steal it so they might move on to something easier. The locks and chains I use are high quality and are harder to cut and pick.

1. Lock the trailer lever with a lock
2. Lock the couple with a ball lock
3. I use two wheel immobilizers one on each side
4. I have 2 chains and locks that are anchor at two separate places
5. I bought some cheap alarm locks and attach them to the chain so the alarm sounds if someone moves        the chain
6. We try to block the trailer with our truck when we are home for night

Also if you have leveling jacks on the trailer you could lower them and find a way to lock them in the down position.

 

[kdbgoat]

Good insurance, a current list of everything in stored in the camper, and install a GPS based tracker unit. A very loud alarm system that works off of a mercury switch to detect a change in the fore and aft tilt may also cause them to leave the area in a hurry.

 

[scottydl]

for my ATV trailer I try to make it hard for them to steal it so they might move on to something easier.

This is the key.  As mentioned, a determined thief can steal anything with enough time and resources.  But even smart thieves are still lazy, and they want the quickest payoff with the least amount of effort.  quadrider posted some great suggestions.  Any amount of "layered" security (i.e. more than one solid component to defeat) will greatly reduce your chances of becoming a victim. 

A quality security system with visible cameras mounted outside your house would also be a deterrent, and could be useful in identifying any suspicious folks in your neighborhood that pass by (even if they don't stop at your place).

 

[steveblonde]

http://www.trimaxlocks.com/

best protection in the world with a variety of applications

 

[John From Detroit]

I tell a joke about what I call the P-K9 Security system  Short form
Burglar goes to work and hears "Jesus is watching you", figures out (on about the 3rd try) it is the parrot in his cage.. after a short dialog asks parrot' What kind of stupid owner names his parrot Jesus?  Parrot replies that his name is Moses, Jesus is the Rottweiler and Jesus is watching you. (That is one alarmed burgler)

I do not recommend this but on both my phone when running one app, and on Facebook, I've seen some serious BIG DOG photos.. I mean these puppies are bigger than I am (6'2" by 315 pounds)  One facebook post said "What would you name this dog" My reply was HORSE because I've saddled horses that were smaller (Shetlands).

I mean I've seen RV's smaller than some of these dogs.... Imagine the thief's surprise when he meets Fido.

 

[Corky]

FWIW I would only use one style of padlock.

http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/storage/lockers/locks/master-lock-shrouded-padlocks-no-40kadpf?infoParam.campaignId=T9F&gclid=Cj0KEQjw1cS6BRDvhtKL89em1oIBEiQAtZO5x2u-8WB8YLw0Zkm6VDir_SkdbW58JHQKDTUXVr82h6waAucr8P8HAQ


Almost impossible to cut with bolt cutters.

Corky

 

[BrentHG]

It's not a bad idea to buy some stickers on Amazon like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Security-Stickers-Alarm-Windows-Doors/dp/B010GNQ3L0/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1464972791&sr=8-6&keywords=security+stickers

Put one in each window and on the entry door.  Makes them think twice.

 

[keymastr]

To really be secure you have to lock the wheels with chain or a boot. Hitch locks or ball locks only stop the amateur thieves. Not long ago they caught a guy stealing trailers that had an extra long drawbar on his hitch and he would just wrap chain around the coupler and drawbar and away he went. Never even tried to put a ball in the coupler. Hooked up and pulling away in seconds. At least with the wheels chained or booted it would slow them down a minute or 2 which makes your trailer less attractive.

No way to make it theft proof, just a little harder but sometimes that is enough to make them look for easier picking. But a ball lock is not a deterrent.

 

[FLMikeG]

What about a long and very thick chain that I put around on the bumper-frame joint and a nearby tree or pole? Use a very heavy padlock to secure it. That combined with the ball lock and some other layed security will have to be good enough. I'm not the paranoid type, but I also want to make sure my rig is not considered "low hanging fruit" for thieves.

 

[keymastr]

Better than nothing but I think around the suspension and through the wheels is even better. You can drive without a bumper but not without wheels or suspension. Just make sure it is strong enough to not be cut with bolt cutters or an easily cut or picked lock.

 

[Frizlefrak]

Move