Looking for inexpensive Anti Theft Tricks for Camper trailer ideas

[Dave Storey]

Hi , We own a 4500 Trillium Series with electric brakes and 12 v battery locked inside a wooden box bolted down to the frame on front of trailer . I have installed a gps tracking device in a hidden area of trailer for security .
Now there is a tariff on steel and aluminium , the price of camper trailers will probably increase by 10 to 25 per cent in price there will probably be more thefts .

I was wondering if it would be a neat trick if I hook up my electric breakaway pull pin cable for the trailer brakes under the trailer , tied to a heavy duty stake pounded good into the ground so it could not be seen and if the trailer was pulled by a vehicle it would lock up the brakes to slow them down .

[tractors1]

I think you'd fry your magnets unless the battery died first.



Also, most disconnects are designed to separate when the cable is pulled forward out of the housing.....


Just thoughts

[k corbin]

The tariff is not going to raise the price on older used trailers any time soon. If anything it will lower their value as people will be even more concerned about the need to replace the frames on older units.

You are over reacting to this situation.... the price of trailers will not be increasing by 25% as a result of tariffs on metals. It is only the price of the actual metal pieces used in the construction of the frames and other small parts such as appliances that will increase. It might increase the price by about $200.00. The increase of cost from the tariff is only a very small portion of the overall cost of making a new fiberglass travel trailer.

Keep it real, sure you want to keep your trailer safe but the tariff is not going to significantly impact the chances that your trailer will be stolen. Right now China is not accepting much in the way of recycled steel so there is even less of a chance that someone will steal older trailers for reselling the scrap metal in them than there has been in past years. In Seattle the scrap metal places are not very willing to pay people for regular iron and steel scrap. You can get OK money for scrap copper, brass, stainless steel and scrap aluminum but not for the kind of steel in trailer frames. That will change when in the USA more smelting facilities for handling recycled steel and iron open but that is not in the immediate future. It takes a lot of investment of time and money to open such facilities and the payback is not profitable enough to make it happen anytime soon. Having a tariff will certainly have a positive effect on that situation as the demand for those types of recycled metals will once again increase. These situations are very complex, far too complex to understand with a snap reaction to them.

[Raz]

Some suggest a coupler lock. Others, a chain through the spokes on the wheels. Most agree, a determined thief will prevail. The best advice I've seen was to get insurance, document your trailers true value through sales of similar trailers and enjoy your trailer. We get very few theft reports so I like to think the odds are in your favor.

[Rzrbrn]

What Raz said.

I bought Chock lock, master coupler lock, trimax coupler lock . Use these so a casual thief will hopefully walk on by. But all of these are easily defeated. Not the locks, which are very strong. But very simple work around, in each and every case.

[Larry C Hanson]

Hello,

If you are so worried that your rig will be stolen perhaps
you should invest in a "Denver Boot"?

Larry H

[Rzrbrn]

Denver boot = chock lock

[Lee Senn]

Best and simplest I have used takes a little effort but works . Remove spare and one wheel on the trailer and throw them in the tow vehicle. Just use one of the portable stablizer jacks to support the side of the trailer where you removed the wheel. Maybe not completely foolproof but as close as you are likely to get. ( doesnt get any cheaper ) Lee and Norma

[Casita Greg]

Originally Posted by Lee Senn

Best and simplest I have used takes a little effort but works . Remove spare and one wheel on the trailer and throw them in the tow vehicle. Just use one of the portable stablizer jacks to support the side of the trailer where you removed the wheel. Maybe not completely foolproof but as close as you are likely to get. ( doesnt get any cheaper ) Lee and Norma

Best and simplest? Really? I see this as neither the best way, nor is it in any way simple.
Beside being ridiculously way too much work to go through each time you park it, the problem I see with this suggestion is that you should never rely on the stabilizers to hold up the trailer's weight. They are stabilizers, not jacks. Most are only rated for a few hundred pounds at best, and are installed to stabilize bouncing movement, not support the weight of the trailer. Not to mention, they are often mounted on frame segments that are generally not sufficiently reinforced to hold the full weight of the trailer either. You could bend or warp your frame doing that. If you want to pull a wheel, use a real jack and put cribbing under the trailer to support it in the event of the jack failing, falling over or rolling out. Also, if someone is injured by this type of "Rube Goldberg" way of attempting to prevent theft, all I can say is I hope you have a fat wallet when they sue you.

[Tom 72]

I'm all for securing trailers and valuables, within reason.

I think most of what we're seeing is meant to bring parties back to the negotiating table. It's "The Art of the Deal".

I'm not sure people want to spend their Saturdays haggling over the price of a car anymore, but many will tell you the price drops if you are willing to walk away from the dealer. Sure there are exceptions for items in short supply (fiberglass trailers).

Another old rule in negotiating is to shut up at a strategic moment. People get uncomfortable with silence. But whoever talks first usually loses.

In a recent example, N. Korea was backing away from some of the objectives, and didn't show up at several meetings. The U.S. cancelled the main event, and N. Korea was back the next day, hat in hand.

The talks were on again in a week, and could have been sooner.

I can't predict the outcome of nuclear talks, or the trade talks. Both are high stakes poker games.

There is another old saying. If you look around the poker table and you don't spot the sucker, then you are the sucker. It's a lot of theatrics.

These are not forums for commenting on politics. I am commenting on negotiations, without taking sides. Ok, I'm not on N. Korea's side.

Now I'll take some of my own advice, and shut up.

[thrifty bill]

Originally Posted by Dave Storey

Now there is a tariff on steel and aluminium , the price of camper trailers will probably increase by 10 to 25 per cent in price there will probably be more thefts .

Based on what?


I think your math is WAY off. Given the relatively small amount of steel and aluminum in your trailer, I wouldn't expect increase to be more than 1%, likely quite a bit less..

Wall Street Journal estimates impact on the cost of a car to be about $300 (about 1 to 2%). A lot more steel and aluminum in a car. And thats IF the car manufacturers can pass through the entire tariff.

I would expect the shortage of labor, and likely increases in wage rates across the RV industry, will have a MUCH bigger impact on RV prices.

[Lee Senn]

Casita greg You point out on a misstatement on my part . My post should have said Jack stand for support . The kind used to support cars etc. Given the apparent weakness of the frames on many of the older fiberglass frames that could be something to take into account . As to the feared " law suit " fire away. Total assets are one dog and two cats . True I would miss them dearly if lost in a law suit but so be it. Perhaps they could attach our " income stream " ( in our case income trickle would be somewhat of an overstatement ) .

[Avey]

Originally Posted by Dave Storey

Hi , We own a 4500 Trillium Series with electric brakes and 12 v battery locked inside a wooden box bolted down to the frame on front of trailer . I have installed a gps tracking device in a hidden area of trailer for security .
Now there is a tariff on steel and aluminium , the price of camper trailers will probably increase by 10 to 25 per cent in price there will probably be more thefts .

I was wondering if it would be a neat trick if I hook up my electric breakaway pull pin cable for the trailer brakes under the trailer , tied to a heavy duty stake pounded good into the ground so it could not be seen and if the trailer was pulled by a vehicle it would lock up the brakes to slow them down .

Buy a long piece of system 7 chain and a master lock, which when locked does not alow cutting. Lock the trailer to something if you can, but if you can't lock the chain around the axel and it will drag on the ground causing sparks alerting people of a theft. System 7 chain can be cut with supper good quality bolt cutters, but when cut it sounds like a gunshot also alerting people. Just dont forget to unlock your trailer before pulling out! Thieves prefer easier targets.

[John Casita]

I have a car alarm with proximity detector installed on my Casita. Goes off if anyone gets real close or tinkers with anything on the camper or disconnects the battery. Alarms with a fob just like a car. Does the trick for added security.

[steve dunham]

Locks are great but remember you have to remove them a well as apply them
We were at a Campgrounds where a gentleman had is trailer locked up in every conceivable way . Kids came by at night and superglued all his locks
Watching him spend hours trying to free his trailer was actually quite entertaining plus I learned a whole new batch of cuss words

[Nik]

I wonder if you could supply a model or a link of the proximity detector you installed. Sounds like the way I'd like to go.

[tractors1]

Originally Posted by Avey

Buy a long piece of system 7 chain and a master lock, which when locked does not alow cutting.

Hmm, rather than a big long heavy piece of chain, what about 2 pieces long enough to pass through the wheel and wrap around each tire, then add a lock to both? Carrying a 2nd lock would weigh less, and even with the required bolt cutters, the theft would take twice the effort and make twice the noise.

[John Casita]

I had the car alarm installed several years ago. They have newer electronucs every month. Suggest just talking to a local car alarm place, tell them what you want, and see the latest greatest electronics they have these days. These places commonly do camper installs so they will advise you best.

[hrewer]

[QUOTE=Dave Storey;699614] I have installed a gps tracking device in a hidden area of trailer for security .

Where do you find a gps tracking device? Could be a good idea.

[Gerry]

I have a 1/2 inch sheathed cable, about 4 feet long, with loops on both ends and I put it through the spoke on my wheel and over axle on other side of frame and pad lock it, Simple.