Safety and security for car and trailer after launching

[baz]

Subject: Safety and security for car and trailer after launching

I went to the boat launching ramp facility today where my boat will be delivered by Kenny Marrs next week. I wanted to view it for seeing how others manage launching and retrieval etc. I lent a hand or two to several people launching for the first time. One was brand new and had been built entirely by the Captain who was only to keen to tell me all about his boat.

I checked on where people leave their cars/trucks and trailer rigs and noticed that not one had secured the trailer to the car with any type of locking mechanism. I may be naive about this issue but to me with a shiny new EZ-Loader trailer it would seem like an open invitation for somebody to unhook the trailer and make off with it.

What do others do to secure their trailers to their car/truck when leaving it parked after a ramp launching ?

Thanks... 🙂

[EDIT]

Here's the self built boat I referred to above...

Note how the outboard is actually inboard... very ingenious. 🙂

 

[Brian B]

There are various coupler locks on the market. The one I use on the coupler can be used while towing. It is a good idea to have a lock on your trailer to prevent theft, keep it locked at home also. Years ago a friend of mine returned to the boat ramp to find his trailer had been stolen so yes it does happen.

 

[S. Todd]

I always have a lock on the coupler when my trailer leaves the driveway, both for safety in it staying locked on the highway and to prevent it from disappearing when left unattended. A bolt cutter can frustrate the lock but that is when you count on your insurance company to come through if the action of using the bolt cutter does not catch someone's attention. I hope there are no Tug owners out there that would want to steal my aluminum trailer with welded custom bunk supports to fit a R25SC. When the trailer gets left somewhere without being locked to the truck it also gets a Master coupler lock that fits into the coupler where the ball goes. There are various varieties of these locks that are heavy duty and prevent a ball from fitting into the coupler. If my boat on its trailer was not in a locked garage behind a locked fence I would use one of these all the time when not hooked to the truck.

 

[South lake]

About two years ago the trailer for my R25 was stolen from a poorly managed marina in Cincinnati. So a lesson learned there was don't believe the manager when he says they'll move your trailer to the secure area later and you can go ahead and leave. As to how I normally handle securing the trailer... I have a hitch lock that secures the ball sleeve to the truck and a Padlock on the trailer hitch. When the trailer is disconnected I have a lock on the hitch ball receptor and a steel cable run through the wheels with a padlock on it.

But I'm still going to be concerned whenever it's out of my sight.

 

[baz]

Thanks all very much....

I was at Home Depot with a pocket full of $25 Home Depot gift cards and came across this Reese Towpower anti-theft lock kit. It seemed the right thing based on what has been posted here so I handed over one or two gift cards and smiled.

 

[JamesTXSD]

I used that kit on our boat trailer, and have switched it over to our cargo trailer (for hauling the bikes) - solid and secure!

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

We use a locking device on our trailer 24/7, whether it's attached to our truck or not, at the launch ramp or in our driveway at home. If someone wanted to steal the trailer I guess they could but the lock would either slow someone down or move them to an easier target.

Jim F