How do you secure your trailer at home?
- Thread starter Downing
- Start date
4runnerteq
Explorer
SoCal sits in the driveway with no coupler. Usually one of the vehicles is in front of it. With my demo we have one extra. The 50 year old M416 lives in the garage. Go figure.
Buliwyf
Viking with a Hammer
That chock looks pretty tough.
The adjustable wheel locks that cops use, fall off, eventually, if you just drive off with them. We used to secure our rental generators in the south like that. Some momo cell phone company put a boot on their own, then made me retrieve it in an emergency call. By the time I made it to pavement it was long gone. LOL. Minor fender damage.
Although my favorite was when my idiot Miami dispatcher told me to make sure to put a boot on a unit in Homestead FL. And that unit had an unlocked spare tire on the tongue of the trailer. 4 months later, I returned and all the 4 odd cables were cut, and the trailer long gone. Insurance payout is more than the used price on stuff like that. Was done on purpose.
The adjustable wheel locks that cops use, fall off, eventually, if you just drive off with them. We used to secure our rental generators in the south like that. Some momo cell phone company put a boot on their own, then made me retrieve it in an emergency call. By the time I made it to pavement it was long gone. LOL. Minor fender damage.
Although my favorite was when my idiot Miami dispatcher told me to make sure to put a boot on a unit in Homestead FL. And that unit had an unlocked spare tire on the tongue of the trailer. 4 months later, I returned and all the 4 odd cables were cut, and the trailer long gone. Insurance payout is more than the used price on stuff like that. Was done on purpose.
Wow, lots of responses. Thanks.
To address them:
That Claymore looks interesting, lol.
I would love to park it in my garage but unfortunately my wife is being unreasonable and refuses to leave her generic Honda SUV in the driveway. Of course, there's no way I'm going to leave my Jeep Wrangler in the driveway.
The Lock And Roll coupling is not removeable, at least not easily enough that I would want to do it on a regular basis. I am hoping that it's so different from the standard 2" ball hitch that it acts as a deterrent.
I don't think a grinder could cut through this particular chain or the padlock in ten seconds. In any case, I've decided to double down and buy an identical second chain and padlock for the other wheel on the theory that if either can be cut at least it will take twice as long and make twice as much noise.
I need to do something with the safety chains. Quick links are a real good idea.
I can't park the trailer in the front yard. Again, unreasonable wife.
No such thing as a tongue lock for Rock And Roll hitches. I looked.
I'm looking into putting some sort of motion detector alarm on it along with a GPS tracker.
A shed is not an option. Our yards are tiny here in the People's Republic of Portland.
Have you seen the reviews on that Trimax chock lock? Not good.
Again, thanks for the input. Keep those ideas coming!
To address them:
That Claymore looks interesting, lol.
I would love to park it in my garage but unfortunately my wife is being unreasonable and refuses to leave her generic Honda SUV in the driveway. Of course, there's no way I'm going to leave my Jeep Wrangler in the driveway.
The Lock And Roll coupling is not removeable, at least not easily enough that I would want to do it on a regular basis. I am hoping that it's so different from the standard 2" ball hitch that it acts as a deterrent.
I don't think a grinder could cut through this particular chain or the padlock in ten seconds. In any case, I've decided to double down and buy an identical second chain and padlock for the other wheel on the theory that if either can be cut at least it will take twice as long and make twice as much noise.
I need to do something with the safety chains. Quick links are a real good idea.
I can't park the trailer in the front yard. Again, unreasonable wife.
No such thing as a tongue lock for Rock And Roll hitches. I looked.
I'm looking into putting some sort of motion detector alarm on it along with a GPS tracker.
A shed is not an option. Our yards are tiny here in the People's Republic of Portland.
Have you seen the reviews on that Trimax chock lock? Not good.
Again, thanks for the input. Keep those ideas coming!
After having my 16’ enclosed cargo trailer along with about 20G in tools stolen a few years ago my replacement trailer now sports one of these in a well hidden location. https://www.findmespot.ca/en/index.php?cid=128
It won’t stop a thief from stealing the trailer but sure will make it easier to find.
It won’t stop a thief from stealing the trailer but sure will make it easier to find.
ArkansasDon
Observer
I store it in side of a metal shop building on my farm.
Tex68w
Beach Bum
This guy gets it! Keeping it inside is truly the only real option. Make whatever sacrifices are needed to free up garage/shop space for the the trailer to reside. The alternatives are not nearly as ideal.
Contacted my State Farm insurance agency yesterday to get my trailer insured. She said she would get back to me by the end of the day.
Sure enough, she called back. Annual premium - $60/year. Covers theft and any damage done to it while being transported. My Wrangler insurance already covers any liability for damage I do to anything else. Paid the premium over the phone with my credit card. Feel a lot better now.
Sure enough, she called back. Annual premium - $60/year. Covers theft and any damage done to it while being transported. My Wrangler insurance already covers any liability for damage I do to anything else. Paid the premium over the phone with my credit card. Feel a lot better now.
dreadlocks
Well-known member
I took a 3ft section of 1in LDR, cemented it 2ft into the ground, filled the internal pipe with concrete then welded a ball hitch receiver to it.. If I hadda do it again I'd probably pick 2in or bigger LDR and just reduce it to 1in pipe thread.. I also drilled out the coupler lock pin so it could fit a larger padlock on it.. of course this only works for trailers you can move by hand or something to get it from vehicle to dock.
I also have a very obvious high quality camera pointed right at it, motion lights, dogs and insurance..
If I were going to secure it in a driveway, I'd bust out a section of concrete and install a motorcycle lock anchor like this and then chain the axle with a short enough chain someone would have to crawl under trailer with a grinder (dogs are gonna hear that) or big ass bolt cutters (going to be near impossible to use under a vehicle on your back).. maybe toss an empty beer bottle under there when your all locked up so you leave bunch of glass shards under the trailer just to be a ******** and collect some good ole DNA.
I also have a very obvious high quality camera pointed right at it, motion lights, dogs and insurance..
If I were going to secure it in a driveway, I'd bust out a section of concrete and install a motorcycle lock anchor like this and then chain the axle with a short enough chain someone would have to crawl under trailer with a grinder (dogs are gonna hear that) or big ass bolt cutters (going to be near impossible to use under a vehicle on your back).. maybe toss an empty beer bottle under there when your all locked up so you leave bunch of glass shards under the trailer just to be a ******** and collect some good ole DNA.
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dreadlocks
Well-known member
would be next to impossible to prove a broken beer bottle was intentional, so it would just be an accident and covered by insurance..
there's only so much you can do, the idea being he looks under there with a flashlight to figure out how its anchored to the ground and sees a bunch of broken glass and hopefully nopes it the ******** right outta there for an easier target.. was just a suggestion, hence the "if you wanna be a ********".
there's only so much you can do, the idea being he looks under there with a flashlight to figure out how its anchored to the ground and sees a bunch of broken glass and hopefully nopes it the ******** right outta there for an easier target.. was just a suggestion, hence the "if you wanna be a ********".
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Jmanscotch
is wandering
Being in your exact situation, I've done similar. Beefy chain through wheel and around axle/leaf spring. The secondary thing I've done is the off road hitch. Everyone has a 2" ball...few have a off road hitch. Third thing I've considered is a chain to an object in the driveway, when available.
If someone wants it...they'll find a way to get it...but I assure you it isn't going to be an easy smash and grab as it sits and that's the best reasonable thing I can go for right now.
If you're still concerned, up your home owners/renters insurance to cover it appropriately should it be stolen.
Also, to address others...I grew up in a small town. The type of town where my parents didn't own keys to our house so it was never locked. You could go to the store, run inside and grocery shop for 30 minutes with the car running outside (to keep the AC on, cause it was HOT) and you'd go back outside to find your car still there. It was worry free. Few places are like that still. I've been robbed, had the house broken into, etc. It's sickening and I wish to this day I was armed and home. Thief's are people who keep us paranoid instead of just living. Do a reasonable job of protecting your trailer and know if someone steals it, they probably would've taken it no matter what your measures were. Just don't let it be too easy for them. Outside of that...live life and don't make it something that takes away from the joy of life.
If someone wants it...they'll find a way to get it...but I assure you it isn't going to be an easy smash and grab as it sits and that's the best reasonable thing I can go for right now.
If you're still concerned, up your home owners/renters insurance to cover it appropriately should it be stolen.
Also, to address others...I grew up in a small town. The type of town where my parents didn't own keys to our house so it was never locked. You could go to the store, run inside and grocery shop for 30 minutes with the car running outside (to keep the AC on, cause it was HOT) and you'd go back outside to find your car still there. It was worry free. Few places are like that still. I've been robbed, had the house broken into, etc. It's sickening and I wish to this day I was armed and home. Thief's are people who keep us paranoid instead of just living. Do a reasonable job of protecting your trailer and know if someone steals it, they probably would've taken it no matter what your measures were. Just don't let it be too easy for them. Outside of that...live life and don't make it something that takes away from the joy of life.
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