IF you use a security chain ..

[biker]

.. to lock your wheel and/or axle, what type of chain, length of chain and type of lock do you use?

Does anyone lock the trailer’s rear bumper to something instead when the camping site layout allows?

Thank you in advance!

[steve dunham]

When we store our trailer in the driveway / parking area , I tie the trailer bumper off to the yard light pole with a piece of heavy 1/2” rope .
Have never lost a trailer , light pole or the rope !

[Iowa Dave]

Chain: Pewag chain 1/2 inch, 5 foot length. Lock: hardened shaft, rekeyable cylinder heavy duty master lock.
It takes a hell of a set of bolt cutters to cut the lock. Especially if it’s Locked up over the axle on the inside.
I haven’t met a bolt cutter that will chop the pewag chain.
That said neither the lock or the chain are a match for a battery operated 4 1/2 inch angle grinder with a quality (Pferd) metal cutting wheel. Does make a lot of noise and sparks though. Any luck the thief will bind the grinder and the exploded wheel will hit him in the eye.
I very rarely lock the trailer but I do lock the spare tire on with a Kryptonite bike lock and lock the front box with a couple little padlocks too.

In 32 years of managing public facilities, I found that theft is usually crime of opportunity. I had a kid walk by my pickup and take 16 empty pop bottles out of the open box for the 80 cent deposit at a Rex center once. As he started to run away one of my custodians who could run like a deer and had seen him take the bottles ran after him. He overtook him in about 75 yards. The kid could not believe that my part time umpire, basketball and soccer referee and physical fitness addict and full time custodian was that fast.
That’s my experience.
Good insurance, due diligence, and special awareness along with a turn around your camp to lock your car, roll the windows up, put your awning in if prudent, stow your stuff, and generally police your site is a good habit to get into.
Iowa Dave

[Jon in AZ]

Cables are harder to cut than chains. Look for a heavy-duty hardened padlock. Consider what you’re chaining or cabling it to- it might be easier to cut than the cable or padlock. Figure the potential thieves will have a cordless grinder in their tool box.

If I felt it necessary to cable my trailer in a campground, I’d reconsider my choice of campgrounds... But seriously, campgrounds are probably the least likely place for a whole trailer theft to occur. I do use a simple coupler lock to deter a quick snag and drag.

If you feel whole trailer theft is a significant risk in storage (far more likely than a campground), consider adding a GPS tracking device.

[FlyGuy]

Some thieves get a small canister of liquid nitrogen. Freeze the lock or chain and either will break like glass. Takes about a minute and, doesn't make lot of noise. If you're going to be away for a while, jack up one side and remove a wheel and lug nuts. A thief would then need to bring a mounted tire, lug nuts and a jack. It would also take a good deal more time to accomplish the theft. All that said, a determined thief WILL eventually get what he's after.

[dblcola]

When parked in our fenced in yard we feed our (2) security 2 cans of dog food every day.

[dmad1]

A few years ago, while in Co., we left for the day. I locked my Honda 2000i generator to the trailer wheel and axle with a 3/4" cable/lock. While away, a young couple went to the trailer next door and said I had told them they could use the generator and had left the key with them. Luckily, I had not done so or it would have been gone. Just wish they had written their license number down.

[biker]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

If I felt it necessary to cable my trailer in a campground, I’d reconsider my choice of campgrounds... But seriously, campgrounds are probably the least likely place for a whole trailer theft to occur. I do use a simple coupler lock to deter a quick snag and drag.

Thank you for the reply.


Regarding choice of campgrounds, I was just thinking about national parks when we are a few hours away from where the trailer is parked. (Yellowstone comes to mind.) We've done two 30 day trips in rented motor homes, so we always had our lodging with us wherever we went.

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by biker

.. to lock your wheel and/or axle, what type of chain, length of chain and type of lock do you use?

Does anyone lock the trailer’s rear bumper to something instead when the camping site layout allows?

Thank you in advance!

We have a wheel boot. It wraps around the tire and wheel so the trailer cannot be moved. Only way to get it off is with the special key they send or take off the tire and wheel. We like that because there's no way to cut it off or unlock it and it also will not allow the trailer to roll. We also have a hitch lock that goes up into the ball area then put a pad lock on the lever also. We lock the lever when traveling so it won't come undone anyway. Figure if it is that hard to steal they'll go elsewhere.

[AC0GV]

Originally Posted by biker

.. to lock your wheel and/or axle,

All the above help but keep the security devices hidden and you are more likely to find the thief’s rear bumper and license plate there when you get back.
But more important is a TRACKER and a good insurance policy and while I have 4 of them a TILE is not a tracker.

[tua]

I watched WAY too many videos of trailers being stolen. So in my research for finding security, I could not find a cable or a boot that was anywhere near secure as a Pegway 12mm chain.

Wayne Winton from Tri County Lock in Colorado has done numerous tests on these chains and locks trying to break or cut them. He does recommend this lock and chain combination through the tire rim and the trailer axle as the best set up. Check out his YouTube videos.

As what the other posters have mentioned, the idea is to make your set up NOT to be an easy opportunity, so a thief walks away looking for an easier target. That is the best we can do.

For trailers with torsion axles, and/or have rims that do not have triangle holes, the rim to axle is not an option.

Some of the other possible chain lockdowns:

1) Wrap the Pegway chain around the trailers tongue and the steel BBQ that is cemented into the ground at a campground, or tree, when leaving for the day. Ask permission first.
2) Wrap the Pegway chain around the tongue of the trailer and the axle of your vehicle.
3) Hook the Pegway chain on the inground tornado tie downs that some trailer parks have.

The Pegway 12 mm chain, a good shroud with swivel key hole and multi pin lock (6 or more), seems to be a viable option. Check around online for the best price.

But in my opinion, use multiple security, like a good ball lock, and a tracker (as posted by AC0GV), and a dog in the yard (dblcola), and a boot, in addition to the chain. The more the better.

[biker]

Originally Posted by tua

I watched WAY too many videos of trailers being stolen. So in my research for finding security, I could not find a cable or a boot that was anywhere near secure as a Pegway 12mm chain.

Thank you for your reply.

What length of chain would be needed to go through the wheel and around the axle?

Also, any recommendation on a lock to use with it? Seems the Viro lock is a popular brand.

[Iowa Dave]

Mine is right at 5 feet I think. I will measure tomorrow and let you know. I had it before we got the Escapes and tried it and had enough. Wish I would have thought about it I just moved it today and have measured and taken a picture.
Iowa Dave

[biker]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

Mine is right at 5 feet I think. I will measure tomorrow and let you know. I had it before we got the Escapes and tried it and had enough. Wish I would have thought about it I just moved it today and have measured and taken a picture.
Iowa Dave

Thank you very much, Dave.
I have a 17’ Casita SD.

[tua]

From this video it looks like 5 feet but measure to be sure. It is sold by the foot.
Here is the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQkoEj9GLtU

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

When we store our trailer in the driveway / parking area , I tie the trailer bumper off to the yard light pole with a piece of heavy 1/2” rope .
Have never lost a trailer , light pole or the rope !

Ad hoc, ergo propter hoc.

[Iowa Dave]

Some of these Cretins don’t Give up easy. I used to have them push in gates so they could drive a gravel trail and tear it up. I advocated for game cameras to get a license plate capture but the director didn’t see spending a half day to replace the gate as a big deal.
So we rebuilt the gates real stout, put up signage and waited. The gates were dark red but the two heavy pipe vees about 12 inches off the ground were Black and hard to see that low below the bumper. Pretty soon we started finding puddles of antifreeze in front of the gates. The problem went away. Never had a complaining phone call.
Used Pewag chain to secure snow plows in the off season. Worked well.
Show your design to your lawyer. Some things are no no’s and some are “structural”

[tua]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

Some of these Cretins don’t Give up easy. I used to have them push in gates so they could drive a gravel trail and tear it up. I advocated for game cameras to get a license plate capture but the director didn’t see spending a half day to replace the gate as a big deal.
So we rebuilt the gates real stout, put up signage and waited. The gates were dark red but the two heavy pipe vees about 12 inches off the ground were Black and hard to see that low below the bumper. Pretty soon we started finding puddles of antifreeze in front of the gates. The problem went away. Never had a complaining phone call.
Used Pewag chain to secure snow plows in the off season. Worked well.
Show your design to your lawyer. Some things are no no’s and some are “structural”

Lol...ya gotta always be one step ahead! These Cretins make us smarter!
(Thanks for the story Iowa Dave....made me chuckle!)

[Defenestrator]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Cables are harder to cut than chains. Look for a heavy-duty hardened padlock. Consider what you’re chaining or cabling it to- it might be easier to cut than the cable or padlock. Figure the potential thieves will have a cordless grinder in their tool box.

If I felt it necessary to cable my trailer in a campground, I’d reconsider my choice of campgrounds... But seriously, campgrounds are probably the least likely place for a whole trailer theft to occur. I do use a simple coupler lock to deter a quick snag and drag.

If you feel whole trailer theft is a significant risk in storage (far more likely than a campground), consider adding a GPS tracking device.

Wait, cables are more difficult? Definitely not the case for bike locks - a large pair of bolt cutters will go right through even the "better" cables in a second, but a hardened chain takes a lot of time with an angle grinder.

[biker]

Originally Posted by tua

I watched WAY too many videos of trailers being stolen. So in my research for finding security, I could not find a cable or a boot that was anywhere near secure as a Pegway 12mm chain.

Wayne Winton from Tri County Lock in Colorado has done numerous tests on these chains and locks trying to break or cut them. He does recommend this lock and chain combination through the tire rim and the trailer axle as the best set up. Check out his YouTube videos.

As what the other posters have mentioned, the idea is to make your set up NOT to be an easy opportunity, so a thief walks away looking for an easier target. That is the best we can do.

For trailers with torsion axles, and/or have rims that do not have triangle holes, the rim to axle is not an option.

Some of the other possible chain lockdowns:

1) Wrap the Pegway chain around the trailers tongue and the steel BBQ that is cemented into the ground at a campground, or tree, when leaving for the day. Ask permission first.
2) Wrap the Pegway chain around the tongue of the trailer and the axle of your vehicle.
3) Hook the Pegway chain on the inground tornado tie downs that some trailer parks have.

The Pegway 12 mm chain, a good shroud with swivel key hole and multi pin lock (6 or more), seems to be a viable option. Check around online for the best price.

But in my opinion, use multiple security, like a good ball lock, and a tracker (as posted by AC0GV), and a dog in the yard (dblcola), and a boot, in addition to the chain. The more the better.

Hi,


This is an old thread that I had started, so I hope you are still participating in this forum


In your reply, you had said that "For trailers with torsion axles, and/or have rims that do not have triangle holes, the rim to axle is not an option."


Why is this a problem?


It seems that the torsion axle on my Casita is welded to the frame and I could run a chain through the rim and then around the axle and back to complete the loop and lock in place .. but maybe I'm missing something?


Thanks such much!!