TT Trailer Stolen at Calico Cleanup

[flyingwil]

One of the Toyota Trail Team trailers was stolen at the Calico clean up this past weekend.

Calico Cleanup trailer theft - Toyota FJ Cruiser Forum

Keep your eyes open!

 

[Lost Canadian]

That's unbelievable.

 

[Martyn]

Very classy act by some thoughtless person or persons.

Let's hope that the trailer is recovered, and the guilty parties apprehended by law enforcement, before our 4x4 friends dole out some "Western hospitality".

 

[SAR_Squid79]

Yeah - This is why I'll be getting one of these (Pit Bull Combo) for my expedition trailer! ...Cheap insurance.

 

[Dave Bennett]

That is unsat, but I am not surprised. I hope they are caught and prosecuted ROFSheriffHL:

We had a long discussion in camp at Calico about trailers and how people just detach them and go off 'wheeling... most people dont give a second thought to the physical security of an unattended trailer.

 

[FlyNdrive]

That is unsat, but I am not surprised. I hope they are caught and prosecuted ROFSheriffHL:

We had a long discussion in camp at Calico about trailers and how people just detach them and go off 'wheeling... most people dont give a second thought to the physical security of an unattended trailer.

Actually it was stolen overnight in the parking lot of the Ramada Inn.

 

[Dave Bennett]

Actually it was stolen overnight in the parking lot of the Ramada Inn.

Like I said, most people don't give a second thought to the physical security of an unattended trailer. In town or in the field.

 

[MuddyMudskipper]

That is a truly classless act. Unfortunately there are thousands of those things up here on any given weekend but I will keep my eyes peeled nonetheless.

 

[Steve Curren]

Does anyone know how it was "secured" to the vehicle? I have always been concerned about this happening and I have the locks on the receiver and trailer but I often wonder if there is an easy way of taking the trailer short of taking the tow vehicle too.

 

[Martyn]

Does anyone know how it was "secured" to the vehicle? I have always been concerned about this happening and I have the locks on the receiver and trailer but I often wonder if there is an easy way of taking the trailer short of taking the tow vehicle too.

Steve

The big thing here is they had a ball coupler. So anyone with a ball on the back of their vehicle could pull up, hook on, and drive away.

For those of us with multi axis couplers the odds are greatly reduced as you need the exact match to the coupler to hitch onto the trailer.

Start out by having locking pins on the vehicle and trailer ends, so nothing can be removed. I'd recommend a couple of Silent hitch pins with matching locks. If in doubt pull the coupler from the trailer end and insert a locking pin through the hole.

Run the safety chains with the quick links, these are all tested to be able to catch and hold the trailer in the event of an accident. You can add locks in addition to the links so the safety chains can not be removed, but do NOT replace the quick links with locks. Locks are not tested and may not hold your trailer in an emergency.

Run coated braided steel cable through the tongue and through the hoops for the safety chains on the vehicle, you can lock the cable if you needed added security when the trailer and tow vehicle are parked.

If you use a ball coupler buy on of the locks that inserts where the ball goes, it's cheap insurance.

 

[adventureduo]

Yep. good ol' barstow. Last time we stayed in a hotel there our crap got broken into too. They have a real bad theft problem there. Too many drug addicts need their fix and will do anything for a buck. Sucks. One of the major reasons why i didn't leave my Horizon alone in Calico last time we were there.

 

[Steve Curren]

Martyn,
Thanks for the info and I have everything locked as you have said with the exception of running another cable with a stout lock from the trailer to the Jeep when parking it for a while. Sure is sad when we have to resort to such things and I would sure love to see the trailer running down the road..

 

[calamaridog]

If I had a trailer full of good stuff I might consider lojack.