Posted 2006-12-18 9:37 PM (#52626) Subject: Thinking about theft protection.
Regular
Posts: 50 Location: Colorado
So I was just sitting here reading about locking up trailers to try to deter theft. Not just sitting next to the barn necessarily but also while hitched to the truck at a remote trailhead or where many trailers and people are coming and going.
Did a little search and learned a little bit, but left with many questions still. You know, when you buy a new trailer, you tend to get a little bugged that someone might try to steal it at some point. Particularly if you occasionally visit the stolen trailer pages on this site... and I noted that a few thefts in my state seemed to happen in places that we are at also. And I was with a friend years ago and returned to the trailhead, surprising a guy in the process of trying to steal her Logan Coach. Fortunately he fled without harm to us or trailer.
So... I plan to search for something that locks the trailer to the truck somehow (cable through the breakaway safety dees in the bed of the truck maybe?) and routed through the neck and/or a lock on the gear somehow so it cannot be used to lift it off the ball? Of course a thief could use a floor jack, but that would attract attention. I would think that a thief would sooner go for an unprotected trailer and be out of there quickly than mess with trying to cut cable and reinforced padlocks and attract people. My spouse and I were looking at just how easy it would be to steal this new trailer we have and got to thinking about it more closely.
Just a thought. Anyone have ideas or care to comment on what they have or have not done? Wish we didn't have to even consider having to do such things.
Posted 2006-12-19 1:11 AM (#52632 - in reply to #52626) Subject: RE: Thinking about theft protection.
Expert
Posts: 2953 Location: North Carolina
Just some thoughts...
A trailer alone is easy to steal. Hitched to a truck, a GN is difficult to separate from the truck. Unless the truck is stolen also. The auto makers have done some things to prevent starting without the key.
The truck & trailer contents are still vulnerable to theft.
If left in a place with people, perhaps a motion sensing alarm would attract attention.
An explosive self destruct mechanism would be satisfying and attention getting.
Posted 2006-12-19 6:03 AM (#52634 - in reply to #52626) Subject: RE: Thinking about theft protection.
Expert
Posts: 2453 Location: Northern Utah
The construction industry has been plauged by theft of equipment. Many have started putting tracking devices on their equipement so that if stolen it can be located quickly.
As mentioned, a gooseneck hitched to a truck is difficult to steal with out taking the truck also. So leave the truck hitched up and lock everything up.
I firmly believe that if somebody wants to steal your truck & trailers, there is not much you can do to stop it. With todays battery tools, Locks, chains and cables can be cut in less than a minute.
My nephew had a new GMC pick up stolen out of a gym parking lot while he was in working out. They broke the window to get in the truck, some how hot wired it and drove the truck off. He had left his wallet in the center console, rather than take it in the gym. They ran up several hundred dollars in credit card charge and had abandon the truck by time he finished his work out and returned to the parking lot. They had tried to tear out the GM On-Star by ripping out the head liner. When they couldn't disable the On-Star, they abondoned the truck.
You are not going to stop thieves like this. But at least your lost is limited to a couple thousands dollars damage to your vehicle and all the time spent fixing your credit and replacing credit cards and items in your wallet.
Posted 2006-12-19 2:22 PM (#52656 - in reply to #52626) Subject: RE: Thinking about theft protection.
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 333
I remember reading a thread on the wheel locks... that they were better? I feel your pain, I was broken into while I was riding. They eventually caught the two people who were vandalizing the trailers at the trailer parking area. I was pretty lucky, my alarm went off and we went back but the truck looked normal, so we went back out. It wasn't until we got back from the ride, I could see the glass had been popped and they had taken my wallet, etc.
Posted 2006-12-19 4:20 PM (#52660 - in reply to #52626) Subject: RE: Thinking about theft protection.
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 309 Location: MO
We have a couple of dogs that stay in the trailer while we ride. A barking dog will often deter a thief. Other than that, keeping it hitched and locked up is the best you can do. There are trailer hitch locks for both gn and bp trailers that are also deterants. Thieves will go for the easy targets first. "low-hanging fruit".
Posted 2006-12-19 4:34 PM (#52661 - in reply to #52660) Subject: RE: Thinking about theft protection.
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 524 Location: Lone Oak, Tx
Have had a trailer stolen while on vacation in Tennessee, with horses mind you. Have been broken into at local trails, luckily nothing major taken except a flashlight and radar detector and a broken vent window. Wallet, keys, check book come with me on rides other than my endurance rides which I'm camping with a numerous amout of people where people are always around. The hitch locks can be cut or replaced with another hitch if the lock bolts are accessable. I've also heard of people dropping a trailer into a spare tire in the back of a pickup and driving off. So long you don't have to stop quick you can tow a GN trailer a ways like that. Heard about that happening at the Stockyards arena in Ft. Worth.
When our trailer is parked alone and unhitched, whether it be at home on a campout, I spent the money and got a wheel boot, not lock, boot. http://www.wheelboots-immobilizers.com/immobilizers.html The kind similar to what the police use. Heavy, yes. Deterant definately. I see $300.00 mediocor compared to $20,000.00 replacing the trailer... again.
What's the old saying... fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
You can't stop thieves from stealing but if you do everything to make it difficult for them they will move on to something easier. That's what they look for. And make the deterant visable to them. Boot's, locks, dogs with big teeth slobbering and growling, whatever. They will move along. Easy targets are just that... easy targets.
Posted 2006-12-25 12:50 AM (#52838 - in reply to #52626) Subject: RE: Thinking about theft protection.
Expert
Posts: 2614
I was just reading in TSC today,John Lyon's monthly magazine had an article on that subject.
One thing that was suggested: Have some personalized graphics or logos put on your trailer.Your name,ranch name,ect.You can usually do this yourself reasonably too.I never thought much about it,but,it is possible that a thief won't want to haul something off with letters blazoned across the side or back that would make the trailer easy to identify.
I always keep locks on my trailers even if they are sitting in my yard outside my house.They aren't burgular proof but they will slow someone down.And make others look elsewhere.
Posted 2006-12-29 10:02 PM (#53031 - in reply to #52626) Subject: RE: Thinking about theft protection.
Regular
Posts: 50 Location: Colorado
Thanks for your comments, all of you! My spouse also suggested the booby trap method of protecting the trailer, geeeeez... and we do have a slobbering dog, but he's an aging Labrador that would just as soon show a thief where the spare key is in exchange for some treats.
Right now with all of this snow along the Front Range, the trailer is pretty much buried and not going anywhere soon. But we will definitely do something to slow a thief down in some manner. My trailer is not a fancy aluminum one, bought galvaneal that fell within my limited budget. So it might be in my favor that it isn't a high-dollar one to begin with.
I just read that same article in Perfect Horse tonight about putting graphics on the trailer... which for me is right up my alley as I am a graphic artist and have done trailer designs for others.
Posted 2006-12-30 7:22 AM (#53035 - in reply to #52626) Subject: RE: Thinking about theft protection.
Veteran
Posts: 246 Location: Northern IN.
Yup, the D.O.T. has been lookin' for some more revenue, and they have found what they think is the perfect source. Unsuspecting pickup trucks and livestock trailers (horse or cattle). They have so many laws that it's near impossible to know which ones apply to you and which ones don't! And that's exactly what they rely on. When you have an advertised ranch, farm, or stable name on your truck or trailer that shouts "HEY LOOK AT ME, OVER HERE, I MAKE MONEY WITH LIVESTOCK" and of corse we all know that as soon as you make so much as one cent with either the livestock or equipment transporting them, you my friend, are commercial!! Some will even look for ribbons hangin' from a rearview mirror and the like to give them a sign that you have competed in compitition and there for are likely to have won 7 or 8 bucks from a class. It's true I've personally talked to some folks who have had this happen to them. It's a real catch 22, darned if ya do and darned if ya don't! Wasn't there a post not too long ago where some foks had there wagon stolen from a show in OKC, I believe, and it had the ranch name all over it? Was full of tack if I remember right, and then they found it just a few blocks away from where it was taken from. Now that is BOLD (and stupid)! Talk to y'all later...
Posted 2006-12-30 9:15 AM (#53037 - in reply to #52626) Subject: RE: Thinking about theft protection.
Veteran
Posts: 246 Location: Northern IN.
I wish it was that easy, but like everything in life it's not. Just because you are not for hire to outside people, doesn't mean that you are not using your rig to "make money". You can just be truckin' your own stock and still be commercial. Great isn't it! I've been stoped by the D.O.T. myself with my pick-up & gooseneck. Been through all that, but luckily because of the semi's I had my c.d.l., D.O.T. physical, D.O.T. reg. numbers, I.F.T.A. (not needed on most pick ups), and some other stuff so it didn't take much to come into the "legal light". Yeah, it's wonderfull alright! talk to y'all later...
Posted 2006-12-31 9:46 AM (#53066 - in reply to #52626) Subject: RE: Thinking about theft protection.
New User
Posts: 1
Location: Oregon
I have a hitch lock so I can leave the extender on all the time. I also have a coupler lock - I have a tag-along 2 horse. I put a padlock on the horse compartment when I go into a restaurant or leave the horses in the trailer at a public place. I don't leave the padlock on the horses going down the road in case I have to get them out quickly in an accident.
I like the idea of special graphics. I've also heard of people painting the license number on the roof in big letters. These are all things that probably only keep honest people honest and don't really deter a real thief.
If someone still steals the trailer, I will hunt them down and make sure they are fully prosecuted! If someone steals my horses, worse things will happen to them.
Posted 2007-01-01 9:56 AM (#53109 - in reply to #52626) Subject: RE: Thinking about theft protection.
Veteran
Posts: 246 Location: Northern IN.
It's a good idea, BUT, I would rather spend my money on keepin' my rig where I parked it, rather than finding where "they" have taken it! I don't want it back with fenders bashed up, flat spotted tires, and who knows what else. If it's like that, heck, let it stay gone and my insurance can buy me a new one! Talk to y'all later...
Posted 2007-01-01 10:32 AM (#53110 - in reply to #52626) Subject: RE: Thinking about theft protection.
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 333
Thanks for the LoJack idea. I have it on my laptop. It came with the package I got when I bought it, but I am glad I have it. Not that I have had to use it, but it was a nice addition.
Thinking about theft protection.
talk to y'all later... 