The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Equipment => Topic started by: Bigdreams on August 29, 2018, 07:55:13 pm
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We're picking up our secondhand 8' x 5' Ifor Williams livestock trailer on the weekend and i'd like to know what locks, trackers etc people go for to try and keep their trailers safe.
We will be keeping it outside our caravan which is sited on a larger farm. Unfortunately nowhere to lock it away safely.
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Mine has both a wheel lock and a hitch lock on.
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Could just remove wheel nuts/studs
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Cant help about locks, removing wheel nuts sounds a good idea? Or even wheels?
A friend said some people paint their postcodes on the top.
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Wheel clamp, postcode on roof in white reflective paint, hitch lock and parked in view of cctv and dogs. I had a tracker on the horse trailer but was forever going flat and I would forget about it, contemplated fitting to the big trailer and a solar charger.
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I've had several trailers stolen over the years. One was stolen from our farm buildings - the padlock on the gate being snapped. After that the replacement was kept in the field behind our house, out of sight of the road. It went after the gate chain was bolt cropped. An Ifor Williams flat trailer was taken from our driveway when it was left unlocked for an hour. And why was it left unlocked? Because after the other thefts OH insisted on a fiddly hitch lock, wheel clamp, and that it was chained to a tree. I said that was too much because the trailer was frequently used and no one would be bothered with locking and unlocking everything whenever they wanted to use it. And sure enough that was the case. It was too much trouble. Someone was in a hurry and didn't have time to prat about with all the locks and keys and it was left unlocked for a short time, and stolen. And guess who it was that left it unlocked? Peter (OH).
So for security to be effective it has to be easy to use and for that reason I would NOT recommend removing a wheel because somebody one day will be in a rush and not do it, and the scrotes are always there the one time your security is dropped. I would also not expect your postcode on the roof to be much of a deterrent as you can't see it from the ground. It might help get your trailer back, but better not to get it stolen in the first place. I also doubt if nowadays the police will get a helicopter out just to look for your trailer.
For the last dozen years or so my livestock trailer has been chained to the fence at the top of our drive and the built in hitchlock on the towbar kept locked. In addition my landrover is kept parked in front. This has been most effective and we have had no attempts at stealing. It is easy to lock up as the chain is always attached to the fence, the hitchlock is integral to the towbar, and the keys are always handy on my landrover key ring. I also think it helps that the driveway is very open and visible, whereas the first 2 theft locations were quite secluded so the thieves were not easily seen.
I am now on my 4th livestock trailer, the first 2 being stolen as mentioned. However my third one was never stolen, and that one had my name and phone number on the sides, and a navy blue and a fluorescent stripe all the way round, making it look vaguely police like. I was somewhat paranoic by now and wanted to be able to distinguish it, should I see it driven the other way by (possibly!) a white Transit van. Anyway, that also worked well and after many years I was actually able to keep it long enough to sell it and buy my present one.
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IMHO all hitchlocks are not much more than a minor inconvenience for a thief, so are bit of a waste of time as the thieves just wrap chains around the whole coupling and drag the trailers away so they can cut the locks off later.
Immobilising the trailer is the only thing which will help to keep it from being stolen, but then they will cut the chain which bolts it to the floor/wall whatever. I have known them to break into houses to steel the car keys to vehicles blocking the 'target item', so they can move the car and then take what they want.
All you can really do is make it as hard as possible for them to take it, in the hope that they take someone elses instead and therefore leave yours alone.
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We bought something similar to this, and concreted it in under where the trailer sits. The trailer is then locked using an extremely heavy duty chain, which passes through the Y-anchor and around axle of the trailer.
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/94EpRXZPSes/hqdefault.jpg)
It's nice and unobtrusive, but would also be impossible to remove from the ground with the trailer in place:
(https://www.motorcycle-talk.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=581&d=1405175775)
Let's face it, if they want it, they're going to take it, but they're going to have to work pretty darned hard to take ours!
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Em......
That doesn’t look like a trailer wheel ?
:coat:
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Sorry, that's my express wheelbarrow. Only the front wheel is shown of course ;) .
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Our trailers are tagged with data tag as well as being locked both at hitch and wheel
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Some years ago the local police gave farmers here something called Smart Water. You painted on your valuables and put up notices saying you had used it. It leaves a residue on the hands of someone who touches it (so you put it on the jockey wheel handle etc). The residue can be seen by special lights. Obviously have to catch the thief but it is an added deterrent to the various locks available. I think you can still get it but I am sure there is other ways of marking your stuff.
We use locks in the ball hitch.
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As well as the standard Ifor hitch lock, we also have a wheel lock that is attached to the front axle. And in addition, I have sunk lockable bollards in to the ground at the rear and front (next to the A frame). Therefore, short of HiAb-ing it out (which would be awkward due to the Ash tree limbs over the top, it is fairly secure.
However, I am sure where there's a will, there's a way.
ATB,
Chris