How to prevent trailer theft?

I had a broad day attempt to steal my 5'x10' utility trailer..Happened a month or so ago..A steel cable with a padlock thru the wheel and deck saved mine..
I have since added a very large chain to the other wheel, securing it similar..
Plus the sheer weight of the trailer and it's location, made it pretty hard for the aholes to get away with it..
Given time, the trailer would have went down the road..
 
Its been mentioned but if they want it they will take it one way or the other. I have to agree that if you value it you have to hide it and even that works only so well. The hitch locks will only keep the honest people honest, don't forget the hitch pin lock as well and then looping the chain and lock that. They will then pick it up by the tongue and haul it away on foot and roll it up onto another trailer. A buddy of mine had his boat stolen out of his carport while he was sleeping, they did it manually, rolled it down the street where they somehow hooked it up to a truck and hauled it a mile or so away, cut the cables and stole the 150hp outboard motor, rolled the boat down a ravine, totally it. You can lock the wheels with bike locking cable but again if they want it bad enough they come prepared. They found out years ago the easy way to get past those Kryptonite U-shaped bike locks was by taking a small can of Freon and freezing the lock in one spot, then hitting it sharply with a hammer, shattering the lock. A friend of mine rode her $1500 mountain bike downtown and locked it to a city street sign, she came back in four hours to find the street sign cut with a pipe cutter and her bike gone...gone...gone. The only thing I agree with the Arabs about is dealing with thieves...they cut off his right hand, everybody eats out of a communal bowl....everybody eats with their right hand, the other hand is the one you use to clean yourself with. Noone eats with a one handed man in that part of the world.
 
Last edited:
A friend of mine rode her $1500 mountain bike downtown and locked it to a city street sign, she came back in four hours to find the street sign cut with a pipe cutter and her bike gone...gone...gone. The only thing I agree with the Arabs about is dealing with thieves...they cut off his right hand, everybody eats out of a communal bowl....everybody eats with their right hand, the other hand is the one you use to clean yourself with. Noone eats with a one handed man in that part of the world.

I did a similar thing except I went to a hardware store riding my expensive (and well worth it) mountain bike to buy a lock so I could lock it up at the diner and eat in peace. So I leaned the bike up against the front wall at the front door near all the shovels they had lined up for show. Yes the shovels were outside. I walked in and found the lock and chain. I didn't want to spend a lot of money 'cause I wasn't planning on leaving the bike out of my sight I just wanted something that would prevent someone from quickly snatching it while I ate.

I then went to the cashier who happened to be the owner, handed him the money and said you better hurry up before someone steals my bike. He responded by acting quickly so I said I was only kidding take your time. He started to hand me the change when I looked out front only to see someone trying to jam my bike into a van's side door. I ran to the door and in quick motion went to grab a big horse **** shovel when he just dropped it, got in the van and took off. The police station was directly across the street. I went back in to get my change and said to the owner shaking my head, "did you see that?" and laughed. The hardware store owner was in awe. I almost lost my bike 'cause I took my eyes off it for a few seconds or minutes. Good thing I'm paying attention.
 
Last edited:
It takes about30-60 seconds to cut a BIG chain with an 18 volt side grinder...It'll make some noise, but it's quick.... Just hide the trailer or put it in a secure bldg.
JIM.....................
 
I've got a double-axle boat trailer in my driveway right now. It belongs to a buddy. It's here for some metal work/weld repairs. I'm going to put a heavy chain through a couple of the wheels and pad-lock it. If somebody wants it, they'll have to do some work to get it.
 
I had a unfortunate incident last year with my utility trailer. I got up in the morning and hitched my trailer to my truck and headed to the local landscape place. I stopped at Walmart on the way. I got a load of mulch and on my way home, the trailer disconnected from my truck. I quickly slowed down and the trailer crashed into the back of my truck. When I looked at it - the pin had been removed (not locking) and the chains had been unhooked and wrapped around the tongue. I called the police (because I could not re-insert the drawbar into the receiver with the weight in the trailer) When the cops arrived they immediately deduced why someone tampered with my trailer - my Trump hat sitting on my dash. I can't say for sure - but the cops seemed pretty sure about it. They said several yards were vandalized who had Trump yard signs. They could have killed someone if my trailer had disconnected on the highway.
 
run a bead of weld with your initials and last four of your social.. might not stop 'em but it'll help in id'ing it later.

Great idea! My utility trailer was stolen from my driveway about 5 years ago. Early this year I spotted it being towed by a pickup truck, followed it to a house, called the police. Short story: original numbers butchered, trailer re-registered as a "homemade" with assigned serial number plate issued by the state government, no way to prove ownership, etc.

At least someone is getting some use from it; I always figured it was sold as scrap metal for $0.40 per pound.

If I ever feel the need for another trailer I like the idea of removing all the wheels, a trailer-ball lock, and a chain fastened to a concrete slab. Way too much work for the usual "grab it and run" doper thief.
 
It takes about30-60 seconds to cut a BIG chain with an 18 volt side grinder...It'll make some noise, but it's quick....

It'll cut the chain, and all the "high tensile strength" cables,
even quicker.

Lunette ring.

They'll loop a chain or cable through it, same way they
get around hitch pin locks.

Take the wheels off. Crooks won't be willing to invest
the work (and time) to work around that.
 
Took an ATV down to Topeka a couple of months ago on a new little trailer I had set up just the way I like it. Fortunately the ATV was off and in the garage but the trailer (padlock on hitch) was stolen from where it was parked. The fact that the PD could have cared less just added insult to injury.

It didn't help that they called me at 0200 a couple of days later to take a report over the phone. So the theft isn't even officially in the database.

It's almost as if nobody gives a damn. Maybe they should just be honest and say it up front—remove all doubt.
 
Last edited:
I keep my Harley hauler and kayak trailer locked up in my shop to keep them out of the weather and for security.

38301039_1823044127761682_8094415238578831360_n.jpg
 
Take the tires off...!!

Most will not want to come up with rimes and tires to steal a trailer , that has the hick locked.

That will kill their profits.
 
April 2012 I bought a new 5'X8' trailer to haul my garden tractor and ATV.
It has sat in my front yard with the spare tire laying on it all this time with no locks, dogs, fence or any other anti thief measures.

Heck two or three years after we bought our house my wife was surprised I had a key for one of our doors, she didn't think we had any and never locked our doors or closed the garage door.
 
Last edited:
The only reason I have a trailer is to haul my lawn tractor to the shop if need be.
So, I bought a cheap fold-up model. It's rated at 900 lbs. payload so it is more than enough
for my tractor and then some. I keep it folded in our attached two-car+ garage.

If needed, roll it out, unfold it, put in 5 high strength bolts and hook it to the Tahoe. :) :) :)
 
Quote Colby Bruce
"Mobile homes are anchored to the ground by attaching the home to large eye-bolts that auger several feet into the ground. Get a couple of those installed where you intend to park your trailer and secure the trailer to the eye-bolts.

I have such an eye-bolt in the ground at our home in the mountains. We also have motion sensor outside lights."


I have a cousin who had his 28foot Intrepid stolen from his front driveway.
His mammoth triaxle trailer was chained to Eye hooks. The eye hooks were concreted into the slab.


Papa
 
Last edited:

Latest posts

Back
Top