securing a travel trailer
Hello is there any way to secure a travel trail when you un hook while going out to see the sights so no one will steal it??
Forum Discussion
The old story comes to mind: Two guys are walking in the woods, and they encounter a bear. One says to the other, "On the count of three, start running."
The other says, "You can't out-run a bear!" to which the first replies,
"I don't have to out-run the bear. I just have to out-run YOU!"
What's my point? Stay with me... Thefts of campers, while exceedingly rare, do occur. The key is to make your camper harder to haul away than the rest of the targets. A wheel lock, coupler lock, etc. don't make your RV theft-proof, and they don't have to. They just need to make it a little tougher to steal than the one in the next site. If a thief really wants your particular camper, they are going to get it one way or another. But in my opinion, thieves are just looking for the easy steal, hence the reason they're stealing one in the first place!
Personally, I use a 2-5/16" stainless steel ball that gets latched and locked into the coupler when I unhook the truck. Between the slide-out being out, stabilizers down, and coupler locked, the odds of them grabbing it and going are pretty slim. Yeah, they could always just wrap the safety chains up around the tongue and drag it off, and nothing I can do short of my physical presence will stop them. I take what I feel are reasonable precautions, secure it as best I can, and make sure I pay the insurance bill every summer. Beyond that, I'm not going to worry about it. If someone wants it, have at it! It'll be my excuse to buy a newer/bigger/nicer one the next time!
The other says, "You can't out-run a bear!" to which the first replies,
"I don't have to out-run the bear. I just have to out-run YOU!"
What's my point? Stay with me... Thefts of campers, while exceedingly rare, do occur. The key is to make your camper harder to haul away than the rest of the targets. A wheel lock, coupler lock, etc. don't make your RV theft-proof, and they don't have to. They just need to make it a little tougher to steal than the one in the next site. If a thief really wants your particular camper, they are going to get it one way or another. But in my opinion, thieves are just looking for the easy steal, hence the reason they're stealing one in the first place!
Personally, I use a 2-5/16" stainless steel ball that gets latched and locked into the coupler when I unhook the truck. Between the slide-out being out, stabilizers down, and coupler locked, the odds of them grabbing it and going are pretty slim. Yeah, they could always just wrap the safety chains up around the tongue and drag it off, and nothing I can do short of my physical presence will stop them. I take what I feel are reasonable precautions, secure it as best I can, and make sure I pay the insurance bill every summer. Beyond that, I'm not going to worry about it. If someone wants it, have at it! It'll be my excuse to buy a newer/bigger/nicer one the next time!
