How do you keep your Travel Trailer SECURE?

[Gun guy]

Originally Posted by rfifer

Because of exposure to severe weather, I had a failure of the internal lock mechanism on my Trimax premium hitch lock. Water got inside the key access and rusted out an internal part such that my key would not unlock it. I came to the conclusion that I would need to hacksaw the bracket that surrounds the top of the hitch receiver. After sawing for the better part of an hour, I did not even make a dent in the hardened steel bracket. I had to use an angle grinder to cut it off. Even though I had a key access failure, I bought another one because I was impressed at how hard it was to cut through the bracket. I am also now careful to push up the little protective slide that covers the key insert to keep water out of the internal lock. The bottom line is that a hacksaw or bolt cutter would not even begin to cut through the steel bracket over the hitch receiver. The angle grinder went through it like a knife through butter. So, if someone really wanted to break it and steal the trailer, they would need an angle grinder to do so. Anything less will simply keep a "somewhat dishonest person honest."

I had a thief try to steal our camper. I believe the only reason he couldn't was because I have wheel locks between the tires and since it was dark he never saw them. He also had a grinder of some type and cut the hitch lock off. They used a drill to disable the locks on one of the doors but left the latch working. They jerked the camper enough that it almost worked it's way off my boards.
Locks only keep honest people honest.

[Martincw]

Brhl lock from Northern tool. 115.00. Have it on a 5x12 trailer. Someone tried to steal it one night when I wasn't home. I could see where they beat and pried on it. Never got it off. Bent hitch latch some but was able to straighten out. Bottom line trailer still here. And lock undamaged.

[DavidWJ]

Many thieves use battery powered grinders with cut-off wheels. There isn't a padlock made that can't be cut with big enough bolt cutters.
Check out The Lock Picking Lawyer on youtube.

[Qwkynuf]

Originally Posted by Tradclimber

I don't trust the lock but as some say, it will stop an opportunistic thief who just happens by. I AM looking seriously at the Proven Industries lock...... thanks for the info!

Honest people honest, and all that....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUmLf-Wsr0o&t=32s

In an earlier video he describes their trailer lock as "one I would use" (which is high praise if you have ever watched any of his videos), but that was before he posted this one where he just drills it open.

[Dwilcox]

Check out this story, Had his stolen.
https://www.forestriverforums.com/fo...ie-208661.html

[BobnVic]

This is What we use.
https://youtu.be/NMu_GnNnnBE
Proven industries

[Tom48]

Originally Posted by upflying

Insurance offers the only peace of mind when theft happens.

X2

[frankhaas]

Originally Posted by Tradclimber

We recently purchased a Wildwood X-Lite 233RBXL. This is a huge move for us as we had a 12 foot tear-drop trailer for 12 years before the "big one". Our tear drop fit very nicely in our rented storage unit. I never worried about someone stealing it. NOW, our new trailer is a bit bigger and, although it is in a pretty secure storage area on our mobile home parks' property, I worry about someone hitching it up at nite and driving off. I do have a Fastway Fortress coupler hitch lock -not the greatest I think but it is what was available at the moment. I know there are other locks that would be better and I am looking at them. I am also looking at "boots", and GPS trackers (at least I might be able to find the trailer once it is gone). I am very aware that if a thief wants to steal your stuff badly, they WILL do it.
I am NOT starting this thread for folks to chime in on what they think is the best product out there - other threads have done this quite well, I believe. AND, we do not have to get into a discussion about what is good or bad about each device - not looking for opinions here......
What I DO want to hear from folks is:

1. Have you had a travel trailer with some type of security device (GPS tracker, Boot, Coupler lock, other) on it that someone ATTEMPTED to steal and was thwarted by your device?

I would love to hear what actually worked and what didn't.
Thanking you all in advance - Ben

Jack it up and take the wheels off..

[Martincw]

Originally Posted by DavidWJ

Many thieves use battery powered grinders with cut-off wheels. There isn't a padlock made that can't be cut with big enough bolt cutters.
Check out The Lock Picking Lawyer on youtube.

You obviously didn't look the lock up or ever seen one in person. I use battery powered cutoff everyday on my job so know what they can do. Yes given enough time any lock can be broken or cut. In my case I saw how it held up. I have not seen bolt cutters locally big enough to cut this lock. And to cut it will take a long while because of thickness and type of metal. Theives tend want to get in and out quickly. Besides the guy ask for real life experiences not naysayers. I only chimed in because I have personal experience with this lock and it worked.

[Traveling Circus]

Originally Posted by Tradclimber

We recently purchased a Wildwood X-Lite 233RBXL. This is a huge move for us as we had a 12 foot tear-drop trailer for 12 years before the "big one". Our tear drop fit very nicely in our rented storage unit. I never worried about someone stealing it. NOW, our new trailer is a bit bigger and, although it is in a pretty secure storage area on our mobile home parks' property, I worry about someone hitching it up at nite and driving off. I do have a Fastway Fortress coupler hitch lock -not the greatest I think but it is what was available at the moment. I know there are other locks that would be better and I am looking at them. I am also looking at "boots", and GPS trackers (at least I might be able to find the trailer once it is gone). I am very aware that if a thief wants to steal your stuff badly, they WILL do it.

I am NOT starting this thread for folks to chime in on what they think is the best product out there - other threads have done this quite well, I believe. AND, we do not have to get into a discussion about what is good or bad about each device - not looking for opinions here......

What I DO want to hear from folks is:



1. Have you had a travel trailer with some type of security device (GPS tracker, Boot, Coupler lock, other) on it that someone ATTEMPTED to steal and was thwarted by your device?



I would love to hear what actually worked and what didn't.

Thanking you all in advance - Ben

Mine is parked in a secured storage facility. I keep a lock on the tongue. I agree with what has been stated, make your camper the most difficult to steal. Yes, use locks. Also keep your slides out, if you can, and lower all 4 stabilizers. This will slow down any attempt to steal your camper.

[frankhaas]

Originally Posted by frankhaas

Jack it up and take the wheels off..

There are wheel locks..

[Qwkynuf]

Originally Posted by frankhaas

There are wheel locks..

I think the point was not to make the wheels hard to steal, but to make the trailer hard to steal due to not having any wheels on it.

[jbflag21ds]

The only 100% effective way to keep your trailer from being stolen is to not own a trailer.

You can only deter enough to make the next guy easier to steal from.

Honestly I'm rarely worried about the trailer itself but the batteries and tanks and occasionally about the interior contents

[pgandw]

The OP's quest for real world data on what theft deterrents worked (or didn't work) cannot be answered unless the situation is monitored full time. And even then, you don't know the thief's mind when he decides to go after one RV, but not another.

So why be surprised when all anybody can factually say is, "I did this or that, and my trailer is still there." Or, "I did this or that, and my trailer was stolen."

Fred W

[mjones12]

Keep mine at home but can't see it from the house. Have an entry sensor on the door, so it's just the same as if someone opened a door or window on my house. Cops will be automatically called, and alarms will scream. This is part of my SimpliSafe system.

Camper located 200 feet from house, but alarm works great. Don't ask me how I know. Very impressed by its range.

[Mbear12]

Some friends ordered a new 22 ft travel trailer, it came in a week ago and was stolen the next night. Poor storage lot, gate was open during the day. Video showed two white males but didn’t get license plate. A policeman friend told me they steal the RVs, park them in the woods, cook meth for a few days and then burn them to destroy the evidence. Nothing will stop a thief, only slow them down.
I’ve seen the YouTube lock videos...i think the only thing that might stop them might stop a thief would be jacking it up and taking a couple of tires home with you. They’re not going to be carrying a couple of tire with them

[frankhaas]

It the large cities when you get x amount of parking tickets they put a large tire lock on your car. The tire lock will prevent thieves from taking the trailer.

[CivEngPE]

Originally Posted by Qwkynuf

Honest people honest, and all that....

In an earlier video he describes their trailer lock as "one I would use" (which is high praise if you have ever watched any of his videos), but that was before he posted this one where he just drills it open.

And in a subsequent video, he shows the updated lock. Seriously though, what are the odds that a trailer thief is going to know this very specific vulnerability?

[Qwkynuf]

Originally Posted by CivEngPE

And in a subsequent video, he shows the updated lock. Seriously though, what are the odds that a trailer thief is going to know this very specific vulnerability?

I'm not sure I follow what you are saying. In video #901 he shows the trailer lock, with a standard pinned lock and a stainless steel body. In video #951 he shows the updated version of the puck lock, with a disc detainer core, and the same stainless steel body - and mentions that the 303 stainless is easy to machine and would probably be susceptible to a drilling attack. In video #953 he demonstrates the drilling attack on the same lock body.

Which subsequent video are you seeing?

As to the odds on whether any random thief might be familiar with any random exploit.... I suspect that the answer would be a random number.

As I said in my original comment, it'll keep the honest people honest. As an added bonus, it probably looks beefy enough to give the appearance of security. But if someone wants your trailer, it wouldn't be any harder for them to find this video than it was for me.

[CivEngPE]

Originally Posted by Qwkynuf

I'm not sure I follow what you are saying. In video #901 he shows the trailer lock, with a standard pinned lock and a stainless steel body. In video #951 he shows the updated version of the puck lock, with a disc detainer core, and the same stainless steel body - and mentions that the 303 stainless is easy to machine and would probably be susceptible to a drilling attack. In video #953 he demonstrates the drilling attack on the same lock body.

Which subsequent video are you seeing?

As to the odds on whether any random thief might be familiar with any random exploit.... I suspect that the answer would be a random number.

As I said in my original comment, it'll keep the honest people honest. As an added bonus, it probably looks beefy enough to give the appearance of security. But if someone wants your trailer, it wouldn't be any harder for them to find this video than it was for me.

You are correct! I misremembered the videos. It was Bosnian Bill that reviewed the new lock!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjxGP4joTlc

Cheers!