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How to prevent overnight theft of trailer with car on it.
Going to buy a trailer, and plan on making some trips to Watkins Glen/Lime Rock, but may need to stay over night. How do you guys prevent someone from just stealing your car on the trailer?
Any good solutions beyond the typical trailer hitch lock, and the trailer wheel covering parking boot type device? Wondering about options if secure parking isn't available.
Whenever I park my trailer overnight I find a spot that is well lit, higher traffic and ideally where I can back the end of the trailer up to a solid building/stucture so that the car/trailer cant be removed from the truck unless they physically moved the truck first. I also have a GPS tracking unit on my trailer and put one in the car when its in the trailer. Once you start thinking this way you can almost always find a spot that meets this critieria, much in the same way us car guys spot the ideal parking spot to avoid door dings.
At the hotel or at the track? WGI is pretty secure for overnight storage of track cars.
Cali to WGI/LR, expect your concern is hotel stay while towing. One good reason for an enclosed "vanilla" trailer w/ no advertising what is inside. Lots of door lock on an enclosed trailer.
Lock the hitch pin to the tow vehicle, spot weld the ball to the hitch (avoids nut removal), lock the trailer to the hitch, lock the wheel nuts to the trailer, tire boot a trailer wheel when parked. Keep trailer ramps under lock and key.
Light poles, signage, and landscaping can make good "back into spots" to prevent trailer being stolen with car in/on it or rolling car out/off of trailer. Always leave attached to tow vehicle in hotel lot.
All of these locks can be disabled. Park in a well lit spot in a way that would make it hard for somebody to uncouple your trailer from the tow vehicle - and get insurance for theft.
All great advice. One added recommendation is to use really good locks like the Atwood AMP locks. DO NOT USE ANYTHING MADE BY MASTERLOCK! They are junk that are easily picked or bumped. I found this out when a homeless person bumped the lock on my trailer and decided to smoke in there with my racecar and spare Racing fuel. Locks are only deterrents and any deterrents can be overcome, but the better your deterants are tends to move crooks to easier pickings.
All great advice. One added recommendation is to use really good locks like the Atwood AMP locks. DO NOT USE ANYTHING MADE BY MASTERLOCK! They are junk that are easily picked or bumped. I found this out when a homeless person bumped the lock on my trailer and decided to smoke in there with my racecar and spare Racing fuel. Locks are only deterrents and any deterrents can be overcome, but the better your deterants are tends to move crooks to easier pickings.
Charley
Wow - thanks for the info.. Good to know about the key types. Just glad your lodger didn't burn the trailer down.
With the advent of cordless cutting wheels no trailer is safe - they can burn through a lock in seconds. Best you can do is not put graphics on the trailer, park at the track, or a well lit spot in a hotel. I try to back my trailer in so that they would have to move my truck as well.
It's a crime of opportunity so you have to think like a thief and understand how to make the crime less appealing.
I've got an open trailer, so far I always park it at the track. I'm sure at some point I'll have to park it in a hotel lot, then I'll just cross my fingers nobody wants the car. Although that's not that different than just parking the car in a hotel lot....
Definitely a plain trailer with no indications of what is in it should be helpful, but at the end of the day, if they really want the car in the trailer, they will just steal the entire rig, tow vehicle, trailer, race car. I just try not to worry.
I've got an open trailer, so far I always park it at the track. I'm sure at some point I'll have to park it in a hotel lot, then I'll just cross my fingers nobody wants the car. Although that's not that different than just parking the car in a hotel lot....
Years ago I parked in the parking lot across the street from the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel with an open trailer. There were some stupid kids hanging out in the parking lot and one of them says "nice car" and the rest laugh. Didn't give me a good feeling.
I told my wife to call me on my cell in five minutes. Went back out to the truck, got my last piece of luggage out, and answered the phone.
<loud voice> Yeah, I just got to the hotel. Yeah, my room overlooks the parking lot so I'm not worried. Of course I have my gun! Have you ever known me to leave home without it?
A little over the top but I felt better about it. If they had any brain cells they would see my CT plates and realize that there was a fat chance I had a gun in NY unless I was some kind of Fed.
+!, That's what I use. The puck lock that comes with it is garbage, but there are a couple pucks on the market with strong lock designs from Mul-t-lock and WAR-LOC.
I also use a linxup GPS tracker, which works fabulously. When I stop/spend the night somewhere, I setup a geofence around the hotel/track.
02-11-2018, 10:20 PM
How to prevent overnight theft of trailer with car on it.
