I am searching for ways others have secured their generator, specifically when mounted to a receiver hitch tray.I made my tray, but have only come up with a slightly complicated way to lock it on, one that is hard for thieves to get to…Currently my idea is a 2 inch flat metal stock bent over and around the generator and continue under. A hole in each end for a solid pipe to run through and padlock that to tray.I am afraid a chain is too common a thing for thieves, so looking for unconventional.I have a Ryobi 2200 inverter and there is nothing to loop through with a chain. The handle can be easily unscrewed so do not count.Generator is on front receiver hitch, and a long cord ran to camper. Noise free inside camper yet still attached for driving… I am not always with vehicle, and sometimes parked in cities.

I use one of those motorcycle cable locks with a pin tumbler (round key). It's vinyl covered cable and don't rattle and it's weather proof too. I figure if a thief wants it bad enough and I'm not around, it's gone (it's insured anyway) but the cable lock takes some sawing to get through. Most thieves don't have the time (or the tools) to cut it.

Cables, chains and locks may slow a thief down at least. I recently learned of a way to scare them away. I follow a YouTube channel called "Nomadic Fanatic." He drives a class C that has his motorcycle attached to the back. He has some type of motion sensor alarm attached to the bike. The motion of someone trying to take the bike down sets it off, and it has worked to prevent theft. You would have to peruse his videos to find the brand. I think that such an alarm attached to a generator could be very effective. I have an extra generator, an $89 Harbor Freight Tailgator. My logic is that few people will think that it is worth stealing, and so far my logic has worked.

You might contact lowprolockdown.com and see if they might be working on a design for Ryobi generators. So far they have designs for 3 different Honda's, a Yamaha and a Champion. Basically they use a mounting plate that uses the holes for the foot pads bolts. The plate fits into a frame and uses a round Master padlock that fits into a shielded recess to lock down the generator.

If it looks like it's secured, that will address 95% of the problem. Most casual thieves will look for easy to steal items and pass by something that looks difficult.You also benefit from owning an off brand. That's less desirable than the name brand generators...but even then not sure how big the market is for stolen small generators anyway. Far more likely would be to steal the whole truck and then part it out...at a chop shop, they will have no issue cutting the generator free of just about anything you come up with.

SidecarFlip wrote:I use one of those motorcycle cable locks with a pin tumbler (round key). It's vinyl covered cable and don't rattle and it's weather proof too. I figure if a thief wants it bad enough and I'm not around, it's gone (it's insured anyway) but the cable lock takes some sawing to get through. Most thieves don't have the time (or the tools) to cut it.I had a bicycle locked with a braided cable like this. Very very easy to cut through, any homie will know how to do this in seconds and probably has the tool in their pocket. Very insecure, I'd advise getting a big chain instead. Very very easy to cut these cables, very easy, can I emphasize that enough? I caught the home boy. I was in camper and he cut cable easy, but the bike rack had other stabilizer things he could not see at night and it shook the camper when he thought he was taking off. I told him to get out before I did something to land ME in jail…I have seen the Lowpro lockdown, nice, but half the price of the generator to begin with….and I already made my tray. If it was Ryobi I'd consider it. thanks.I found the Nomadic video, will watch later…I thought about getting one of those car wheel lug bolts with the security head and, with some likely welding involved, bolt the engine block to the rack somehow, but looking for easier solution…Insurance? Yes, have it, no, don't want to make a claim on a $500 thing and risk rate increases, insurance is for big stuff in my mind… Also, $500 deductible.

Generator Lock | Good Sam Community

Bumpyroad
Explorer
Jul 27, 2018
the harbor freight one I saw looked to me to be much more massive than this one.
bumpy
fncampn
Explorer
Jul 29, 2018
mobeewan wrote:
You might contact
lowprolockdown.com and see if they might be working on a design for Ryobi generators. So far they have designs for 3 different Honda's, a Yamaha and a Champion. Basically they use a mounting plate that uses the holes for the foot pads bolts. The plate fits into a frame and uses a round Master padlock that fits into a shielded recess to lock down the generator.

This is the route I went. I adapted a Predator 3500 inverter generator to a Honda 3000 LowPro Lockdown plate using 1" square tubing and 1" rubber vibration isolators. I used carriage bolts (rounded head) for all attachments which bolt through the tray the plate locks on to. There is no way to loosen the bolts without removing the tray.

I mounted the generator/tray combo to the rear of my TT directly on the bumper using Mount and Lock tray brackets. Yes the bumper has been reinforced with 1 1/2" square tubing bolted to the frame so the mounting is quite durable and stable.
westend
Explorer
Jul 29, 2018
Fasten the generator to the mounting frame with U-bolts. File off the points on one facet of the hex nut used to tighten the u-bolts. Make sure you have the correct size 6 point socket to loosen the U-bolts, should it be necessary. Thieves are masters of opportunity so will leave if a twelve point socket is used or if getting access to the connectors is a problem. Make it a problem.
jodeb720
Explorer
Aug 01, 2018
on my Honda 2000, I have 1/8" straps welded to a bottom tray. They come up on the sides and stop about the height of the handle.

There's a hole in the center of the strap - and a pipe runs through the straps with a padlock on one end and a large metal ring on the other.

It's still strapped to the metal tray.
JimK-NY
Explorer II
Aug 01, 2018
A bike chain is certainly worth consideration but as mentioned these can be cut often easily. Torklift makes anti theft brackets, Anyone with a welder should be able to make something suitable.
Anthony_C
Explorer II
Aug 03, 2018
If the greater has rubber feet like mine did you can take them off and use the screw holes to mount the generator to you tray. Not sure what yours looks like but you could give it a try.
nayther
Explorer
Aug 03, 2018
how about an alarm:

alarm

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