Trailer Locks

[mike48130]

Anyone have any good home made trailer tongue locks? Most commercial ones I have seen are crap.

I like this one from etrailer but at $40 each I think I will make them. Looking to get 2 at least maybe 3 I think I can make it better and use a better lock.

 

[4570Man]

I don’t think the quality matters. They’re all going to defeat bolt cutters and they’re all going to loose to cordless grinders.

 

[mike48130]

I would agree but when I think about anything security related there's always several levels. Eliminate the amatures first. Then make it so it takes time and makes noise.

 

[4570Man]

Sometimes I take the lug nuts. I’ve been trying to design a gate latch that can’t be easily cut with a grinder and doesn’t provide a wasp house. One security measure I can think of for you pictured design would be to add some protection above the pin and add a pipe around the lock.

 

[mike48130]

Thought about doing something with the tires too. Was just curious if someone already had a good idea. Trying to find a way to protect the lock so you can't use bolt cutters. Grinders take more time and are noisier but that only matters if someone is around.

 

[George2615]

Agree that most anything you use to secure your trailer can be defeated by a cordless grinder with a cut-off wheel. All you can do is slow a thief down so they have to make noise to get it. I have a hitch lock and HD cable padlocked thru the wheels on each trailer plus each is insured. Blocking the hitch area with another vehicle is a deterrent too.

 

[4570Man]

Agree that most anything you use to secure your trailer can be defeated by a cordless grinder with a cut-off wheel. All you can do is slow a thief down so they have to make noise to get it. I have a hitch lock and HD cable padlocked thru the wheels on each trailer plus each is insured. Blocking the hitch area with another vehicle is a deterrent too.

I usually park the tractor with the bucket resting on my wood splitter hitch.

 

[Jeepnford]

At work we have portable generators scattered all over the place in remote areas. We use wheel boots similar to what the police use. Pricey but you're not likely to lose a trailer. Someone tried to drag one off once, didn't get far until they gave up.

 

[mike48130]

At work we have portable generators scattered all over the place in remote areas. We use wheel boots similar to what the police use. Pricey but you're not likely to lose a trailer. Someone tried to drag one off once, didn't get far until they gave up.

I think I've seen that on the Simpsons.

I do have a IR compressor I want to lock up. Really trying to have a good deterrent. I keep my tractor and splitters inside. I have 2 locations to deal with and the one tractor is outside but hoping to change that this year. Have cameras so I want to make it hard on them so maybe I have a chance to catch them.

 

[My Gym]

Trailer tongue locks will not even slow down a thief. They just lay the tongue on the bumper. wrap the safety chains around the bumper and drive off. Then deal with the lock later. Google wheel locks. They are similar to the boot locks the police use. There is a lot of steel to cut and the thief may not notice the lock and create quite a scene trying to drive off.

 

[mike48130]

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Homer not Jessica. View attachment 536511View attachment 536512

 

[mike48130]

Trailer tongue locks will not even slow down a thief. They just lay the tongue on the bumper. wrap the safety chains around the bumper and drive off. Then deal with the lock later. Google wheel locks. They are similar to the boot locks the police use. There is a lot of steel to cut and the thief may not notice the lock and create quite a scene trying to drive off.

Maybe need to look at the boots better.

 

[4570Man]

Wouldn’t taking a wheel be easier than a parking boot? Unless there’s something special about your trailer making it the direct target its likely the would be criminal would move on to an easier target. Kinda the same logic that you don’t have to outrun the bear, just the next slowest person.

 

[4570Man]

Another option I just thought of assuming it’s a heavier trailer would be to leave the jack in the lowest position and take the handle. Sure, you could use a pipe wrench and jack it back up or use another jack, but how many would be criminals carry those tools?

 

[jwmorris]

I use acetylene tank caps and use a regular security lock that latches around the safety chain attachment point.

So the safety chains attach to the trailer the same way they attach to the truck and are not there to attach to. I also machined my own jack that is removable so they cant just jack it up and tie anything around it.

All that does is slow down a thief or make the lazy one look for an easier one to steal.

I worked at on place, that like clock work would have one trailer stolen every 3 day weekend. Actually had one with a removable tounge (jack, hitch and all back to the frame of the trailer) and all 4 wheels and tires removed from it. It too was stolen, with a flat bed wrecker.

 

[CincyFlyer]

Yeah, my anti-theft method is to live in an area where my trailer isn't the best one to have! I've seen generators have their wheels removed and skids bolted on; that would stop anything short of a tilt-bed from stealing it.
But there are some really bad people in the world: Trailer full of donated items stolen from KY outreach ministry - Cincinnati News, FOX19-WXIX TV

 

[downsizingnow48]

I have an equipment trailer and a dump trailer. When I leave the place, one of them gets wedged back into some trees where it cannot be got at except with a tractor. The other I hook the backhoe over the tongue and disable the backhoe. Also none of this is visible from the lane that goes by our place or from any other property.

The highway department removes the wheels from powered sign trailers and such that they leave by the side of the road.

The tongue lock OP posted has a cross bar that could be cut with a cordless grinder in probably 20 seconds. There are other models that put more metal in the way and might be more resistant. Similar to jwmorris approach.

 

[PILOON]

The main usage of the majority of trailer lock devices will be to deter the impulse theft.
Any targeted trailer will succumb to an experienced thief.

LOL I liked the welding tank cap idea. Genuine KISS solution.

I am not a thief but did help a friend 'repo' a rented out trailer that the renter was very much in arrears with the rent.
The guy used 3/8 graded chain thru a rim and looped it around a hefty tree and a HD lock.
With a battery grinder and thin cutting disk we were hitched and gone in about 5 mins.
We were nice guys however as we only cut the last link at his padlock.

Oddly enough the renter never reported the trailer stolen to my friend.
When he came to rent he was driving a nice flashy new SUV thus creating a good impression.

Oh, and he had about 1/2 dz sheriff notices on his door so we were not the only ones being stiffed.

 

[4570Man]

I’m not a thief either but I’ve cut through about a dozen lost key locks with my cordless grinder. It takes less than a minute even for the big heavy ones. I’ve cut plenty of chains and cables for a re hook. Again it’s no challenge. To stand any chance of working you need to protect the lock for access with a grinder and abandon the idea of chains or cables.

 

[My Gym]

The best anti theft devices are generally unknown, because if it is not stolen you do not know what worked. One of the simplest anti theft device is
an alarm sign. If they think there is an alarm they may go to a different target.