Best way to secure a trailer

[wdfifteen]

I've used a Reese ball lock .



It was clunky and didn't seem well made. I lost the key, so I'm turning to the brain trust for an alternative. What is best, these ball locks or pin locks or ???

[masraum]

I guess disassembly or encasing in concrete is not feasible?

[URY914]

Jack it up and remove two tires. (from the same side......).

Then put a hitch lock on it. All any lock does is slow them down.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Ball lock and locking pin is my approach. That and a storage facility with a gate.

[afterburn 549]

The above method in the above pic would take about ten seconds to dismantle .

[Bill Douglas]

With battery powered angle grinders around these days; if they really want the trailer it's their's.

[rusnak]

The water trailer and light tower are the only things I have that use ball hitches, so I only use logging chain to lock it for short durations. For longer than a day or two, I take the wheels off and the hitch, while leaving the trailer on stands. The best security is to keep it out of sight, behind a gate, with a guard dog on duty.

[lgb240]

Do all the above (locks, remove wheels) and park it such that it is boxed in by immoveable objects - like back it up to your house or garage and park vehicle in front of it so it can't be moved unless the vehicle is moved.

[Bill Douglas]

I painted my trailer pink.

[sammyg2]

Removable trailer tongue.

[Jim Bremner]

reflective stickers on the roof so it can be seen from the air at night

[stomachmonkey]

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

With battery powered angle grinders around these days; if they really want the trailer it's their's.

I hear you. The best you can do is slow them down.
The times I'm wanting to protect it are in hotel lots during the day or parked at a car show - when it's in a public place. I just want a method that will prevent someone from just backing up to it and and taking it as if it was theirs.
Both trailers have slotted wheels. I thinking a chain through the wheel and around the spring with a padlock.

[Hugh R]

Removing wheels. Is effective. That is what we do with trailers in remote areas when we film.

[dentist90]

As above, removing even 1 wheel is a PITA for low-grade thieves. If you are talking about a smallish trailer (boat, for example), turn trailer around so tongue is pointed away from approach then remove one wheel and leave on jackstand (or wood stump). Its a lot of effort to find a wheel that fits, jack trailer up, replace wheel then turn trailer around to load and steal. If bad guys want something enough they will get it, but you can dissuade the amateurs.

[cashflyer]

I had two racecar trailers stolen from my shop in 2009.

The ball locks were found chucked in the parking lot. The detective said these locks are only enough to make the owner feel good, and that they can usually be defeated with just a few whacks at the locking area from a ballpien hammer.

[dad911]

I left my trailer keys at home once, realized halfway to the track. Friend opened them up with a 1/4" drill bit and a cordless drill in about 10 seconds each.

Locks just keep honest people honest. I'm not too worried about trailers at home or track. At hotels I would cable chain the trailer to the tow vehicle by the frames, and take the removable steering wheel for the racecar with me. I also park under the lights, look for security cameras if possible.

Removing wheels probably would be the most effective. But I found most theives don't want the trailer, they want the contents.

A friend put graphics on his enclosed trailer to resemble a 'private security company' with a bold shield on the side. That probably works....

[stomachmonkey]

Less expensive than I thought.

Wheel Locks | Tire Locks | Wheel Chocks by Trimax

[speeder]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Less expensive than I thought.

Wheel Locks | Tire Locks | Wheel Chocks by Trimax

Those look interesting. And the prices are good but the MC wheel chock on that page is almost as much as a real Baxley, which is what they are copying. It should be about $100 to be similar value.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Removable trailer tongue.

I like this but if thief is casing in advance, they could probably just buy one of those and have one extra female part on their hands.

I deal w this on a permanent basis, storing and towing trailers around. As others have noted, most solutions only slow down a thief or make the owner feel safer. The only good solution is to have safe storage which is tough in the city. I'm lucky in that I have a rural location in the desert not too far from L.A. that is very much someone's domicile in an area where it's posted "No Tresspassing" and everyone is armed to the teeth, plus neighbors watch out for each other and can see anyone coming and going down the private road. We have 3 Airstreams, my car trailer and a whole lot of other cool stuff up there. Still, nothing is 100% theft-proof. That's what insurance is for.