brazen thieves...tried to take a Burro

[thrifty bill]

Fortunate, as some trailer thieves are known to just attach to a trailer using its safety chains. Off they go, with the tongue lock still in place.

[RogerDat]

It is true all you can do really is delay and make the item look difficult to steal. Thieves often are looking for an easy or high value score. The old thing of having a beware of dog sign and large dog water dish visible is based on that.

Co-worker was broken into twice then our office gave him some of our alarm company window stickers. No more break ins.

The tire "boot" is a good example. Highly visible. Can't tow, and also very difficult to pull up onto a flat bed truck or trailer. Which is a common approach, much as the thieves using a U-Haul truck is described. Often with a power winch.

Thing to remember is a cordless batter powered 4" grinder with a cut off wheel will go through locks, chains, cables. Noisy but pretty darn fast. Throws sparks.

The only two things that can really slow down a 4" metal cutting wheel is blocking the saw from easy access. The lock and shank under a metal cover. Or some high end locks have bars inside of bars so that the inner one can roll around making it harder to cut.

So maybe install the boot on a tire so the lock is under the camper not on the outside of the tire. Making the thief get down underneath to use the cut off saw. Two locks on the safety chains so both chains are locked separately. Minor inconvenience for owner but a longer delay for the thief.

Fenced yard or the out of sight out of mind approach is also good. This thieving is one reason I don't intend to go out and about sight seeing with camper parked in BLM land. Not going to chance trailer going away while I'm out for a day hike.

[Green Frog]

I have a unique solution to the problem. My trailer is on my driveway right in front of my house and in sight of the BIIIG loud Great Dane next door. Also, after the Winter it looks so disreputable I’m not sure anyone would want it!

Froggie

[robf]

Motion sensor lights are another good deterrent.

[Pete J]

You should also post this sign: Due To The High Cost Of Ammo, There Will Be No Warning Shots!

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by JonRaw

If by chance someone started shoveling their way towards your Escape, I assume you won't stop them until they get through at least 18/19 feet?

[Anachron]

Originally Posted by RogerDat

If I am ever in a position to catch someone in the act of stealing from myself of neighbors expect to hear news reports of naked thief being flogged with a knotted rope overjoyed at police arrival. If there is time I'll send out an invite. Otherwise look for a YouTube link.

[Steve and Rosemary]

We live in Salt Lake and I'll tell you that FGRVs are in HIGH demand here and always have been. I'm not sure if it's all the climbers/outdoors people who are moving out of tents because of young families or what. They were definitely hard to come by when we bought our used Scamp years ago but int he last few years, they've definitely been "discovered".

This is all just for what it's worth, which isn't much if your trailer gets stolen. I will say that I have 3 friends/acquaintances that have had their trailers stolen in the last 5 years, all of which were NOT molded fiberglass. Maybe it's because a lot of the residents of Utah have trucks and know how easy it is to steal trailers.

We have our Bigfoot in the driveway where it is very obvious from the street, but our tow vehicle is parked in front of it. Luckily, even when we aren't self-isolating due to a pandemic, our tow vehicle is not our daily driver. We also use one of those Ft. Knox locks which is pretty burly.

The fact is, of course, if someone wanted our trailer badly enough, they could probably find a way to get it. Really, our best defense is having a good relationship with our neighbors. All of us pay close attention to the comings and goings and behavior of strangers on our street. If we didn't have the tow vehicle and conscientious neighbors, we'd definitely have to come up with some other preventative measures. It's all about making it harder for thieves and reducing risks.

I'm just glad to hear that the little Burro wasn't taken from its home. How devastating that would have been!

[k corbin]

Originally Posted by 1500

odd reaction when it is your story and you never said the cops had been called. Perhaps you should have put that in?

I was also wondering why the cops had not been called.

Sorry the complaint department for this posting has been closed due to the Covid 19 pandemic....

[sectday]

Originally Posted by AC0GV

There are a few brands and online videos showing comparisons. I’m using TRAK-4. Yearly fee. The first two did not work well, but they then sent me two updated units and they have been OK. Yearly fee will depend on how often you want reports. Mine reports every four hours if moving and weekly if in storage. It also gives temperature and battery status. Map was a test drive with the tracker in my tow vehicle before installing. BTW: The first were 5 VDC and when I got the replacement, I asked for 12VDC and they are permanently powered.
Note also that while I do use Tiles for keys, they are not trackers.

I also highly recommend the TRAK-4 GPS tracker. It has been reliable, accurate, and durable. It's easy to hide (I painted mine black to make it harder for a thief to find, then hid it away in a dark place), and easy to maintain (I charge it up every couple of months). The app shows battery state and temp as often as you want to check.