Theft-of-Whole-Trailer Prevention ?

[Ed Harris]

Originally Posted by Jane P.

Actually, I'm researching a decent, weather resistant coupler locking system.


Someone mentioned Lojack and I think that is a great idea. You just have to think about how much money you want to budget for theft prevention, and the "hassle cost". I do have a concern regarding the number of keys I will have to have for all these devices. I really don't want to spend a lot of time on my knees (particularly on a rainy day), weaving chains through the tires and trying to lock/unlock a series of anti-theft equipment. And I have a limited amount of space and weight available for a boot device.

I agree that this is a great thread. It really got me thinking about what I need/want.

You are preaching to the choir here sister!
It seems the intensity of the rainfall is in proportion to the number of locks I need to work with.
Not to mention I just look silly getting it all connected,sort of like getting Houdini locked up then putting him in the box and locking it.........

I do think the amount of noise it would take someone to get mine moving once secured would convince them to try a different trailer and the Clubs are red and fairly obvious to anyone walking by.

I have sold/installed security for 35 years too and anyone can get anything if they really want too.
MOSTLY!

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Jane P.

Someone mentioned Lojack and I think that is a great idea.

A word on Lo-Jack:
I looked into this option during a discussion re. the potential for FGRV to utilize its existing membership lists to send out a keep-your-eyes-peeled notice if one of our "eggs" gets "poached".
Lo-Jack Coverage is apparently dependent on dealer location, and is spotty or nonexistant in less urbanized areas. It's especially thin for those of us living and traveling outside "primary" urban areas in the Pacific Northwest.
You can check coverage for any area at How LoJack Works - installation through tracking, but here's the scoop for my corner of the U.S.A.

Current LoJack coverage For Pacific Northwesterners:
IDAHO: No Coverage
MONTANA: No Coverage
OREGON: Covers Portland/Salem Metro areas only: Clackamas, Marion, Multnomah, Washington Counties. No coverage south of Salem, on the coast, or East of the Cascades
WASHINGTON: Covers Clark, Cowlitz, Gray's Harbor, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, Pierce, Snohomish, Skagit, Thurston, Whatcom counties. No coverage East of the Cascades. No coverage in these Westside counties: Clallam, Island, Pacific, San Juan, Skamania, Wahkiakum.

Francesca

[Sandra L]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

A word on Lo-Jack:
I looked into this option during a discussion re. the potential for FGRV to utilize its existing membership lists to send out a keep-your-eyes-peeled notice if one of our "eggs" gets "poached".
Lo-Jack Coverage is apparently dependent on dealer location, and is spotty or nonexistant in less urbanized areas. It's especially thin for those of us living and traveling outside "primary" urban areas in the Pacific Northwest.
You can check coverage for any area at How LoJack Works - installation through tracking, but here's the scoop for my corner of the U.S.A.

Current LoJack coverage For Pacific Northwesterners:
IDAHO: No Coverage
MONTANA: No Coverage
OREGON: Covers Portland/Salem Metro areas only: Clackamas, Marion, Multnomah, Washington Counties. No coverage south of Salem, on the coast, or East of the Cascades
WASHINGTON: Covers Clark, Cowlitz, Gray's Harbor, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, Pierce, Snohomish, Skagit, Thurston, Whatcom counties. No coverage East of the Cascades. No coverage in these Westside counties: Clallam, Island, Pacific, San Juan, Skamania, Wahkiakum.

Francesca

Thanks for the info!!! That was something I was thinking about also.

[Greg H]

Just chain the two foaming at the mouth Rottweilers to the egg.

[Cyndi B.]

This is Our Fragile and Very Sensitive Big Rear-ended Guard Dog. She would look at anyone trying to take the trailer and say "I can get in anytime your ready to leave."

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

...here's the scoop for my corner of the U.S.A.

This is pertinent information for folks who live in a covered metropolitan community who may be traveling in the Pacific Northwest as well.

[Jane P.]

Originally Posted by Paul Chet

i like the concept as it looks rugged, fairly portable, and easily stored ... however, my main concern with this device is it still allows you access to the lug nuts. if you can get those off and slip on a spare/temp/donut to at least get down the road ...

thats why i think the boot (which covers all hardware) makes you at least need a flat bed tow-truck style rig. trade off is they are big and bulky, but that might also make it look like more trouble than its worth too.

How does this product satisfy your concerns?

Amazon.com: Trimax TWL100 Ultra-Max Adjustable Wheel Lock: Automotive

[eaufderheide]

I keep hearing this mantra that "If they want to steal it, they will get it". But this is not how thieves look at the issue. They want to do it quickly and unobtrusively. So, if other trailers are unlocked or poorly secured and yours is locked/secured, they will steal the other one.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by eaufderheide

I keep hearing this mantra that "If they want to steal it, they will get it". But this is not how thieves look at the issue. They want to do it quickly and unobtrusively. So, if other trailers are unlocked or poorly secured and yours is locked/secured, they will steal the other one.

Welcome to the forum!

Yes, like most of us, a thief will weigh the risk vs the reward. The greater the risk, the greater the reward must be greater to justify the attempted theft (in a thief's mind). It used to be that the risk of arrest and jail was the primary consideration but that is no longer the case in most mid to large cities. In this area, the risk of an armed owner is greater than the risk of getting caught and actually serving jail time. Sad but true. Another approach is to lessen the reward... make the camper, contents, etc. look unappealing.

BTW, you replied to a thread with the most recent post from 2011, in case you didnt know. But thats fine.. glad to have your participation.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by eaufderheide

I keep hearing this mantra that "If they want to steal it, they will get it". But this is not how thieves look at the issue. They want to do it quickly and unobtrusively. So, if other trailers are unlocked or poorly secured and yours is locked/secured, they will steal the other one.

And to add, there are many threads on the topic, which you can best find using the “Site Search/Google” feature at the bottom of the search menu.

I agree with you, by the way. If a thief is targeting your trailer for some reason, they can defeat most security. In many cases, theft is somewhat opportunistic, though that might be less true for molded fiberglass due to size, resale demand, value, and relative rarity. It’s not like there’s another one nearby to go after. OTOH, there are likely some nearby sticky owners just hoping their trailers get stolen... [emoji6]

So a layered approach that will slow them down enough to convince them to seek a softer target is worth it. A coupler lock, wrapped and padlocked safety chains, and a wheel boot that covers the lug nuts are good deterrents. Some add a hidden GPS tracker.

[RogerDat]

There are really two types of thefts. Different cases respond to different deterrents.



The professional or semi-pro. Maybe they are or know end buyers. Such as remote drug operations or resellers. With homelessness high a camper might well have a gray market to sell into. RV parts might also be a market. A 3 way fridge, water heater, toilet, tires etc. might well find ready resale. Even at 50% or 25% of actual value parted trailer can represent a decent sum of money.

The opportunistic thief. They see and covet and if it looks easy enough... they will steal it. Might even steal the camper just for the contents. Or just to have it for own use. Casual thief isn't going to be thinking about reselling unless they already know a buyer. Or as secondary to getting the TV and Microwave inside and selling the camper cheap as a bonus. These are the people that will steal stuff left around a camper. See it, want it, steal it.

The Pro is probably better at weighing risk vs. reward. However they are also more likely to be equipped to go though deterrent devices. Battery powered 4 or 5 inch grinder with a cut off wheel goes through locks and chains really fast. A bit noisy, throws some sparks but can be done in a couple of minutes. Flat bed tow vehicle can pull a booted camper up and drive off pretty quickly. Making the trailer less accessible is only real defense. As others have said layers that have to be circumvented one after the other.

The less visible and accessible the better the amateur won't covet what they can't see. Or if it clearly looks like it would be difficult.

A couple of things not often mentioned that I think can help. Security lights pointed toward the trailer. People seem to point the lights outward so they blind anyone looking toward the house or garage. Point the security lights at the thing you want to provide security for! Ground lights pointed up so anyone at the trailer (same for house window) is stepping onto a lighted stage.

Anchor the trailer by the middle of the frame or axle. Having to crawl under the trailer to unlock a chain or cable attached to a ring anchored to buried concrete is a hassle for you, even worse for someone trying to cut the thing and get out of there. It will also potentially get missed initially. Trailer not moving when they try to hook up or haul on flat bed is a good thing. Time is your friend and their enemy. Just make sure there isn't slack in the anchor chain. Slack allows for trailer to start moving and the yank force goes way up. American Graffiti, back axle chained on cop car. No slack no yank, no yank not as likely to damage trailer.

I personally am hoping to move camper to fenced back yard this winter. Between fence, dogs (mine and neighbors) and limited view and accessibility I'll feel pretty confident. I really don't like camper next to garage where people can see it going by. If it is gone and tow vehicle is gone... sort of lets people know you are on vacation and not home. Neighbors watch out for each other but better to not invite problems.

Been doing a bunch of stuff to camper so wanted it closer to tools and power. Parked next to garage and then it snowed, so was already there this spring, didn't move it. Won't make that mistake again.

Last but not least have a hard conversation with your homeowners insurance agent. Old Scamp might be worth $4,000 or more but don't count on insurance acknowledging it after it is stolen unless you have it in writing. Mine was damaged in an accident and despite the "value" I gave them when coverage was established they saw that as the "Max" value, tried to use blue book and one recent sale from clueless dealer as basis to pay on claim. Man I wish I had been at that dealership!

I used the for sale posts of this forum, along with some from www.fiberglass-rv-4sale.com and printed postings of sold trailers like mine. Finally got them to provide proper value. Might be good to do that up front. They wanted to total mine for a crack in the shell from a jackknife incident. I could cover the crack with my hand. Value of $1000 less deductible....

With a $4k value having a fiberglass body shop repair it good as new started looking much better to them. But I had to fight for it. Better to do it up front.

One thing about thieves. They are like the squirrel that raids the bird feeder in our back yard despite two dogs that have been bred for hundreds of years to have a strong rodent prey drive. Squirrel beats the dog to a tree or the fence squirrel wins. However the dog only has to catch the squirrel being a thief once and all the squirrels past wins mean nothing.

Do it often enough and you gonna get caught eventually and bad things will happen. Well bad from the thieves perspective the dogs really seem to relish their eventual win.

[Jon in AZ]

Ours always has one other vehicle parked completely blocking access to the Scamp. They’d have to drag it out of the way first. At the moment it’s a hand-me-down Class B I have no immediate use or affection for. That one’s worth more to an insurance company than to me (opposite of the Scamp).

Kinda hoping... LOL!