locking the hitch

[sunnyone]

Originally Posted by Kevin Probst

Sonnyone

When you’re unhitched and away from your trailer while boondocking or staying in any campground or spot that has no surveillance or security around.

Would you use it in a state park or national forest campground?

[Kevin Probst]

Yes I would.

[sunnyone]

Originally Posted by Kevin Probst

Yes I would.

Thanks.

[daniel in winnipeg]

Thanks for your responses, much appreciated.

[tua]

Originally Posted by sunnyone

As a newbie, I’m not sure which situations would make my new Scamp the most vulnerable to theft. Could you elaborate on that please?
(When we’re at home, it’s locked in the garage.)

You just never know where or when.
I alway lock it up, even in a garage.
I've wrapped a chain around my frame and a steel cemented BBQ, or tree, or my truck frame.

My rule is: when ever I'm away from my trailer and can't see it, I lock it.

[jgilliam1955]

As an old Police Officer you can never know or where you may be a victim of crime. Always protect your camper. They have GPS's with a monthly fee & some with no monthly fee.
My camper in my backyard is behind a six-foot fence, a Proven Lock for the chains and hitch, and GPS.

[Air Doug]

We use a Proven Industries on the Snoozy, which also secures the chains.

Our teardrop has a Lock N Roll hitch, which is rare and very unlikely to have a match with the thief; plus I completely remove the chains, plus I have a hardened steel chain through a wheel and the frame.

I had one of those $25 yellow locks with the U-shaped bar over the latch and lost my key. Two smack with a nearby rock and it was off.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by jgilliam1955

As an old Police Officer you can never know or where you may be a victim of crime.

I found that I'd forgotten to lock the doors on my Ford Explorer and somebody had gotten in and gone through my CDs. They didn't like my taste in music and left them all on the driver seat. Nothing was missing.
A neighbour never locks the house. With seven kids, it was just too complicated.
The entire family went on a camping trip one long weekend. When they returned they found somebody had left a DVD player on the entertainment centre.

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by Friz

A chain with padlock around the axle or frame, then through the wheel rim.

Question for all. What about removing the emergency cable to lock the brakes along with other methods.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by Jann Todd

Question for all. What about removing the emergency cable to lock the brakes along with other methods.

If you mean the breakaway cable, that would run your house battery down to zero. Not a good idea.

Maybe if plugged in to shore power?

[Gerry]

as Fritz says in post 8 is about the best.
but if they want it they'll get it.
I 've heard stories about how they just pick up the tongue of your trailer, wrap a chain around it and hang it off the ball on their truck and drive off.
I used the chain around axle and through wheel rim on a tool trailer on busy highway here in NH and it was safe while another was taken that only had a ball lock on it.
Trailer was found 1/2 down road, on woods road with door pried open and tools gone.

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

If you mean the breakaway cable, that would run your house battery down to zero. Not a good idea.

Maybe if plugged in to shore power?

Please explain why it would run down the battery. I'm not disagreeing with you I'm looking for reason as I have no idea why.

[Glenn Baglo]

When you pull the break away cable, it throws a switch which activates the brakes and the brakes are activated with power from the battery.

[dfandrews]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

When you pull the break away cable, it throws a switch which activates the brakes and the brakes are activated with power from the battery.

And, even if you had a charger to maintain the charge on the battery, the magnets in the brakes would burn out. They're not made for continuous use.


I have a pin lock for the hitch (similar to Glenn's), I wrap the chains around the tongue and padlock them, and at home, I have a large chain, fastened to a large bolt through my garage foundation, that gets wrapped around the trailer rear frame member and padlocked. I just have to convince the thief to leave my stuff alone, and go down the street where another trailer is unlocked!

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

When you pull the break away cable, it throws a switch which activates the brakes and the brakes are activated with power from the battery.

Thank you. That makes good sense to me now

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by dfandrews

And, even if you had a charger to maintain the charge on the battery, the magnets in the brakes would burn out. They're not made for continuous use.


I have a pin lock for the hitch (similar to Glenn's), I wrap the chains around the tongue and padlock them, and at home, I have a large chain, fastened to a large bolt through my garage foundation, that gets wrapped around the trailer rear frame member and padlocked. I just have to convince the thief to leave my stuff alone, and go down the street where another trailer is unlocked!

Thank you. Didn't think about the brakes being activated constantly. I know when I use the brakes a lot in traffic situations I can tell when they get a little hot. I didn't think about that when just sitting. I was thinking the brakes got hot from rubbing on the shoes and wheels.

[Frank R.]

Only time I ever had anything stolen, the crook busted the door and had his way with anything he liked inside. Not-so-funny thing, I heard him test firing my gun from a distance as we were heading back to the camper

[Air Doug]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

If you mean the breakaway cable, that would run your house battery down to zero. Not a good idea.
?

Except on most Snoozys, which have surge brakes.

Jann, I never thought of using the emergency brakes, but it is a great idea for us surge brake folks. The way I do it now, the breakaway cable just dangles while the safety cables are locked up into the Proven Industries casing. I think that if I ever have to leave it in an unusually risky place, I will pull the cable before locking it away too. It is an easy thing to unlock with a big screwdriver, but I bet the thieves don't know that.