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Old 10-11-2007, 02:54 PM   #21
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If we were away from our Boler while it was in a campsite, a thief would have no problem hooking it up to tow it away, assuming that they were willing to retract stabilizers and disconnect services. That would seem quite blatant to any neighboring campers who might be paying any attention.

If I remembered to lock the coupler, the thief would need to use a narrow stud rather than a ball, or cut off the padlock... otherwise the hookup would not be difficult.
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Old 10-11-2007, 06:04 PM   #22
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Someone who did repos posted in one of the forums that he could repo any trailer, with any locks, as long as it had wheels.

I'm thinking, since my Casita has an electric jack, that I could install a hidden cutoff switch which would require a thief to have the manual crank with them, which is unlikely.

Then there is the tilt switch and siren idea.
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Old 10-11-2007, 06:30 PM   #23
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Patrick, I like your cutoff switch idea!!! No to my electronic genius neighbor for some help(being electrically and elotronically challenged)...maybe a key setup...hmmmm. Great idea! Chuck
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Old 10-11-2007, 07:38 PM   #24
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I still believe that a piece of chain or motorcycle cable between the wheels, perhaps looped around the axle would work both at home and at camp, plus the chain/cable might be useful under other circumstances, like for towing. Of course, that won't work for Frederick right now, but maybe his next trailer will have holes in the wheels
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Old 10-11-2007, 09:40 PM   #25
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Hmmm. It occurs to me that a trailer with electric brakes could be made very hard to steal. An on/off switch connected to a car alarm motion sensor connected to the brakes would lock the brakes anytime the trailer was moved.

--Peter
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Old 10-12-2007, 03:32 AM   #26
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I assume that a Lo-Jack could be installed. Anyone know or have one?

Eileen
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Old 10-12-2007, 07:46 AM   #27
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In the early eighties I had an automobile franchise. One of my services was to have towing capability. One of the nifty things about a tow truck is that they can move about anything. We had a wheel dolly that went the full width of the vehicle being towed that allowed it to roll no matter what the tire condition was.
I think again a resourceful thief could do anything if he wanted to go to the trouble. I think just being cautious and prudent mixed with a lot of luck will work, after all life happens. lol
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Old 10-12-2007, 08:30 AM   #28
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I have three devices which reduce the ability for theft:

1) electric tongue jack with switch inside a locked compartment
2) have a lock (u-bolt type) on the tongue
3) have Rotochoks tandem wheel locks. See http://www.rotochok.com

I also have insurance if all else fails.

I can't have someone take my new trailer without me having a chance to use it myself
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Old 10-12-2007, 08:54 AM   #29
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Best deterrant...large black and tan doddie or rotter.
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Old 10-12-2007, 08:55 AM   #30
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Opps! he scared me already. Make that a dobbie.
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Old 10-12-2007, 10:19 AM   #31
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I do a lot of disperse camping and am away from my rig for hours at a time, hiking or mountain biking. I run two heavy motorcycle-type cable locks through my trailer rims and around the axle. It might help. It will at least slow them down.

Sebastian
I think my wheel lock/bar would makie it reather hard to tow without using a cutting tool of some sort to remove it first. Yes if they really want it they will find a way to get it.
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Old 10-12-2007, 10:23 AM   #32
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The original idea was that we might think that our trailers would be difficult to steal, because they might require special towing preparation. In the case of brakes, the thief might need to have a brake controller. Of course, my point is that they would just tow it without using the brakes.

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It occurs to me that a trailer with electric brakes could be made very hard to steal. An on/off switch connected to a car alarm motion sensor connected to the brakes would lock the brakes anytime the trailer was moved.
This takes the brakes idea one step further, using them as an active theft prevention system. I think that this could be a minor annoyance to a thief, who would just clip the wires off to deactivate it. An interesting idea, anyway.
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Old 10-12-2007, 10:44 AM   #33
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Hmmm. It occurs to me that a trailer with electric brakes could be made very hard to steal. An on/off switch connected to a car alarm motion sensor connected to the brakes would lock the brakes anytime the trailer was moved.

--Peter
Great Idea!
Some where in my shop I have a motion sensor car alarm that I bought several years ago and never used.
Theives are not as smart as some give them credit for. This should be and effective theft deterrent and easy to install.
Thanks Peter.
John
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Old 10-14-2007, 07:25 PM   #34
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This takes the brakes idea one step further, using them as an active theft prevention system. I think that this could be a minor annoyance to a thief, who would just clip the wires off to deactivate it. An interesting idea, anyway.
Perhaps, but think of how it would go down. Thief hooks up, gets moving, and the brakes lock. There's no obvious reason why the wheels locked up . . . a thief would probably decide the axle is bad and the trailer not worth stealing before considering the possibility of a sneak circuit that hit the brakes.

--Peter
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Old 10-14-2007, 09:47 PM   #35
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Sounds like a great idea Peter.
I was wondering if maybe it could be rigged up somehow simply using the "breakaway" brake system.
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Old 10-15-2007, 12:35 AM   #36
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Sounds like a great idea Peter.
I was wondering if maybe it could be rigged up somehow simply using the "breakaway" brake system.
I've been thinking of getting the parking brake option when I change my axle to include e brakes. Any thoughts?

As for stealability, my trailer has detachable wiring harness and safety chains. Sure to attract attention by the police. Plus a hitch lock, but I like Fredericks better. Whenever possible I leave it on the stabilizers, one more step to make it difficult to hook up quickly.

BTW has anyone noticed that there are only 2 exposed nuts to loosen to remove a locked door on many trailers? It was not till I worked on my door that I realized why the previous owner had a lock bar running across the door. I thought it was to keep the door from popping open on the road. Now I know different and am keeping his mod. This picture is from the original ebay listing for our trailer.


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Old 10-15-2007, 07:34 AM   #37
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. . . a thief would probably decide the axle is bad and the trailer not worth stealing before considering the possibility of a sneak circuit that hit the brakes.
Good point. As long as the scheme remains rare - and I'm sure it would - the easy override probably wouldn't occur to the average thief.

Quote:
...I was wondering if maybe it could be rigged up somehow simply using the "breakaway" brake system.
Since the breakaway setup is just a battery connection and switch in parallel with the normal circuit from the brake controller, I think that this would be more like an additional parallel system than a modification or extension of the breakaway system.

And as long as we're inventing this thing... I think a timer or low-voltage cutoff would be good idea, to save the battery. When it runs out of juice the game's up anyway... might as well avoid destroying it.
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Old 10-15-2007, 07:37 AM   #38
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I've been thinking of getting the parking brake option when I change my axle to include e brakes. Any thoughts?
I think it's a great idea. The parking brake hardware is trivially simple, although I have heard that it is priced excessively high. There would be some work to mount the cables and lever, but it would save chocking (and be more effective) every time the trailer is stopped.

It would also render the trailer more difficult to tow - and thus less "stealable" - by someone who is looking for an easy target and not wanting to take the time to figure out why the wheels don't want to turn... especially with a padlock through the parking brake lever.

One caution: the parking brake would be great for camping setup, and handy when hitching and unhitching anytime, but probably shouldn't be left set in storage. I've had brake shoes rust themselves onto the drums in a car parked for an extended period, so now I tend to just leave a long-term parked car with the transmission in gear (or in Park, if an automatic) and not set the brake.

I regret not taking the time to look at options and get the parking brake when I expectedly had all of the brake hardware replaced on my axle. Live and learn...
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Old 10-15-2007, 07:46 AM   #39
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As for stealability, my trailer has detachable wiring harness and safety chains. Sure to attract attention by the police.
An interesting idea, but I'm not at all sure that a trailer without lights - especially in daytime - would ensure a stop by the police. I've seen vehicles on the road with broken lights, missing lights, white lights where there should be amber or red, amber brake lights (must be red), blue lights, and just about any other illegal equipment configuration imaginable... and I doubt they all (or any more than a tiny fraction of them) were stopped by any law enforcement agency before they got where they were going.

So this feature fits in a category of not difficult to tow, but undesirable to be seen towing, and thus maybe less likely to get stolen.
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Old 10-15-2007, 07:55 AM   #40
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The original idea was that we might think that our trailers would be difficult to steal, because they might require special towing preparation. In the case of brakes, the thief might need to have a brake controller. Of course, my point is that they would just tow it without using the brakes.
This takes the brakes idea one step further, using them as an active theft prevention system. I think that this could be a minor annoyance to a thief, who would just clip the wires off to deactivate it. An interesting idea, anyway.
Not to pop this bubble, but a trailer as light as these will tow with the brakes locked. AND, the magnets will burn out in about five minutes of being applied full on, with diminishing ability to hold as the time they're on gets longer. You might have a couple of minutes of full-on braking... but by the time the thief is a block down the road, it'll be rolling nicely, albeit with burned-out brake magnets.

A tongue jack will just bend up out of the way as soon as you take off. Merely pushing the trailer forward will potentially bend the jack back far enough for it to fall onto a ball mount. Just ask anyone who's ever tried to leave a campsite with the jack down!

And remember, folks, you're only going to slow down a casual thief, and there aren't many spur-of-the-moment "casual" thefts of trailers. Someone has to want your trailer and come equipped to take it. If that's the case, they're going to. Frankly, there aren't many trailer thefts at all anyway... there are many, MANY more thefts FROM trailers.

Roger
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