Trailer Security

Cherokee

4ncar said:

I use a wheel claw and have a lug lock. My spare is also locked. If they have the time to foil all of this, then the insurance will buy me a new trailer.

Locking the spare is a good thing to mention. Who manufactured your wheel claw? How heavy is it? The ones I looked at would not fit a tire as wide as the 235 (9.2") on the Outback

4ncar

@Cherokee: it’s called, “the club tire claw XL.” I bought it at the dealer when I picked up my trailer.

Cherokee

Thanks - I haven't seen that one before and the 12" model will fit the larger Outback tires and at 7lbs it's not as heavy as some of the others. We'll see how my 2lb bike lock works on the trail. We wanted something light and easy to carry for when we leave the trailer to go wheeling in the Jeep or hiking. The Lock n Roll hitch should be a deterrent as well - few people have that receiver. In addition, I'll put a carabineer style release on the chains.        

Tabaz

For a sobering lesson on how easy it is to pick locks, search YouTube for the "lock picking lawyer."  He actually has a few videos on trailer locks (including the Club Tire Claw XL).

Cherokee

Tabaz said:

For a sobering lesson on how easy it is to pick locks, search YouTube for the "lock picking lawyer."  He actually has a few videos on trailer locks (including the Club Tire Claw XL).

Yes - I watched those too. Sad, but would be thefts also watch them 

4ncar

I turn mine upside down, so the lock is facing the ground. Just that much harder to pick, if you can’t see the lock and it limits access.  

Cherokee

4ncar said:

I turn mine upside down, so the lock is facing the ground. Just that much harder to pick, if you can’t see the lock and it limits access.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gctHsKUu1NY

4ncar

Ya, I saw it. Flip it so the tumblers face down. Then try & pick it. Short of 3 shots from a powderactuated nail gun, it should be good.  For god sakes, is their any humanity left? I do not fear my trailer being stolen. I take precautions, after that....insurance 

DougH

Well there's always one of these for each "corner" of the roof:

https://www.hackster.io/hackershack/raspberry-pi-motion-tracking-gun-turret-77fb0b

Cherokee

DougH said:

Well there's always one of these for each "corner" of the roof:

https://www.hackster.io/hackershack/raspberry-pi-motion-tracking-gun-turret-77fb0b

Glad to see someone is taking this thread seriously !

DougH

Well if there's one thing naer-do-wells fear, it's nerf darts.

lkc001

I say load the guns with permanent paint or dye then they'll be running around with paint on them!

Cherokee

A $20 hardware solution to save your trailer:

2" ball locks for couplers are common. However, an enterprising thief could simply back up to your trailer, connect the safety chains to his truck and drive off with your trailer and deal with the coupler lock at their leisure. To prevent this, I bought two short sections of chain and two "master links" with J-bar quick release pens. With the chains removed, their is nothing for the thief to easily grab and connect to their truck.    

lkc001

@Cherokee  Is that your trailer?  Do you realize your chains are supposed to be crossed in an X?   So that if your trailer were to come off the ball the hitch would drop down onto the chains & not dig into the pavement?

Cherokee

lkc001 said:

@Cherokee  Is that your trailer?  Do you realize your chains are supposed to be crossed in an X?   So that if your trailer were to come off the ball the hitch would drop down onto the chains & not dig into the pavement?

Yes I do and that's good advice - they were run strait in this image to give the clearest  view of the links 

lkc001

@Cherokee that's good

tabiphile

Cherokee said:

lkc001 said:

@Cherokee  Is that your trailer?  Do you realize your chains are supposed to be crossed in an X?   So that if your trailer were to come off the ball the hitch would drop down onto the chains & not dig into the pavement?

Yes I do and that's good advice - they were run strait in this image to give the clearest  view of the links 

It's also a good idea to shorten up long chains by giving them a twist when you clip them in. 

Sharon_is_SAM

Twisting chains is not recommended.  It can actually reduce the strength of the chain.

Zeckmm

For a good coupler lock I went with a Fort Knox (Atwood plus) with a cobra puck tumbler. I felt the tumbler better than competitors. Also  the lock itself stands out more and says "don't mess" with me. $188 delivered to my door thru ft Knox locks.

BrianZ

I'm wondering which would be a better choice: Twisting, or putting the end of the chain through the hitch & looping back to clip onto itself?
Maybe it would be better to add a screw-on link to the middle of the chain for taking up slack, then clip the end link directly onto the hitch (as with twisting, but without the twisting)?

ScottG

The safety chains on mine were simply attached to the frame with hardened bolts. While I'm not 100% convinced this is the strongest arrangement, that's how it was, so I just unbolted them, took up the slack, and reattached them.

IIRC I did have to use slightly longer bolts because the extra trailing link required a little more depth. I did consider cutting off the excess chain but wanted to retain the ability to lengthen them again if ever needed.

GatorEgg

As many said, if they want it they will take it.  My thinking is how do I get it back.  I won't say publicly, which or where my gps tracker is but here are a few to ponder on.

https://cartbig.com/best-car-gps-tracker-no-monthly-fee/

tabiphile

Sharon_is_SAM said:

Twisting chains is not recommended.  It can actually reduce the strength of the chain.

  Did you do the math on that? It's true, a twist will modestly reduce (single digit %) the strength of a link....modestly and if the chain is properly sized to begin with, not enough to make any difference. Actually the small reduction is probably a wash to the additional snap load that a longer chain would see in a safety situation. If the chains are too long a couple twists to shorten up are pretty much a standard practice for anyone that hauls heavy equipment. Twisting links to the point of overlap should never be done...that has a more significant effect on the force vectors.. 
Getting the right sized chains to begin with is the only correct way to deal with the issue. Using bungee cords to shorten up long chains is not due to the additional snap load on the links. Cross them and if still too long give em a twist or two and then make it a point to get those extra links removed.

GatorEgg

ScottG said:

The safety chains on mine were simply attached to the frame with hardened bolts. While I'm not 100% convinced this is the strongest arrangement, that's how it was, so I just unbolted them, took up the slack, and reattached them.

IIRC I did have to use slightly longer bolts because the extra trailing link required a little more depth. I did consider cutting off the excess chain but wanted to retain the ability to lengthen them again if ever needed.

  If you connect safety chains properly they're never too long.  Most people just hook the chain hook onto their vehicle and call it good.  They are designed to be strung through the "loops" on the hitch and brought back to a link on itself, insuring proper slack.

https://www.uhaul.com/videos/Safety/How-To-Hook-Up-Safety-Chains-To-Your-Vehicle/

ScottG

GatorEgg said:

...

If you connect safety chains properly they're never too long.  Most people just hook the chain hook onto their vehicle and call it good.  They are designed to be strung through the "loops" on the hitch and brought back to a link on itself, insuring proper slack.
...

Perhaps, but it has been reported here in the past that not all hitches have a large enough opening to thread the hook through (as noted in the video). 

I don't see a strength advantage to either method, though looping the chain back on itself might reduce the chance of it coming unhooked, particularly if the hook doesn't have a positive looking mechanism (as T@B hooks do).

pthomas745

Here is a link to the Purdue University Extension service about "Keep the Trailer Connected."

Page 42 starts the discussion of Safety Chains.  All the pictures of the couplers in this thread made me think:  are those couplers rated correctly?  Are they now the "weakest link."

https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ppp/ppp-92.pdf

This file is also linked in the "Hitching and Towing" section of the Forum.

Sharon_is_SAM

I will defer to the mathematicians in the group😏. I will reference the Purdue University document https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ppp/ppp-92.pdf pg pg 45.  Appropriate length is indeed important.  I hesitate on a general forum to suggest any twisting is an option, as some folks won’t just twist a little.

MuttonChops

Cherokee said:

A $20 hardware solution to save your trailer:

. . .  two short sections of chain and two "master links" with J-bar quick release pens. With the chains removed, their is nothing for the thief to easily grab and connect to their truck.

   

Did you purchase Transportation Rated master links or just what the local home owner hardware store had in stock?

For your solution to be safe & useful if the coupler even fails grade 43 links are needed.

Cherokee

MuttonChops said:

Cherokee said:

A $20 hardware solution to save your trailer:

. . .  two short sections of chain and two "master links" with J-bar quick release pens. With the chains removed, their is nothing for the thief to easily grab and connect to their truck.

   

Did you purchase Transportation Rated master links or just what the local home owner hardware store had in stock?

For your solution to be safe & useful if the coupler even fails grade 43 links are needed.

good point and yes I have a great Hardware Store that stocks quality items  

Philipddean

Hi,
New here.  I am buying a 2022 TAB400.  Gonna get a Fort Knox lock.  Is the Fort Knox (Atwood plus) the correct one?

Thanks!