A Deming, New Mexico, man’s experience may lead to enhanced security views for some in the RV community. It seems his travel trailer “vanished” from New Mexico, and somehow reappeared in Safford, Arizona.
The Safford police got a call from the trailer’s owner, telling them he’d learned that his missing trailer was in an RV park in Safford.
They first made a call to the trailer’s occupants and pieced together a story of how it ended up there, which led to the suspect’s arrest. Apparently the male suspect needed a “nicer place for himself, girlfriend, and their baby” to live, so he paid a fellow he knew in Deming to steal a trailer for him.
Keep this from happening to you
There’s an inexpensive way to help ensure this doesn’t happen to you. “Hitch locks” that prevent a trailer’s hitch from locking down on a tow vehicle ball can make a would-be thief think twice about running off with your trailer, plus make it much more difficult.
This popular one, and among the least expensive, is available from Amazon (Walmart has it too). So for less than a $30 investment, you may save yourself a lot of worry and, perhaps far worse, the loss of your RV.
So I now need a hitch lock to augment my gas cap lock and digital door lock. Maybe I should consider chastity belts for the wife and daughters?
Or a Glock.
That lock is weak in its lock cylinder. Easy to smash and defeat. Use a more comprehensive lock with a high security disk instead. I bought the “Proven Industries Model 2178 Trailer Lock” with an upgraded disk like the “Mul-t-lock TR 100 “Hockey Puck” padlock.” Yes, more expensive, but far more secure. I also entangle the wheels and axle with high strength chain and a high level padlock.
Funny how we just had an essay from Chuck about keeping small journalism businesses afloat in the face of giant companies like Google’s attempts to take everything over with AI.
Yet here is RV Travel, recommending a product that could be purchased at that local auto parts, trailer or rv shop that helps you when you have a problem; instead sending people to buy it from Wal-Mart or Amazon. So giant small business killers are fine, as long as they don’t interfere in the journalism business.
Wanderer, that’s one way to look at things. Making a few cents on the dollar from Amazon by sending it traffic is one way we earn our keep. Nobody is pure as the driven snow, including us, when it comes right down to it. But as long as we are honest on what’s important, we sleep at night. I wonder if you have ever been involved in journalism, and if you know how important good journalism truly is or how dangerous it can be if abused. Whether someone buys a broom from us and we earn 35 cents in the process is not going to change the world. Also, we know that 78 percent of our readers are members of Amazon Prime (reader poll result). I notice that you have donated to us in the past. Thank you.
Survey Says….Huge number of RVers shop at Walmart and Amazon. Maybe suggest spending their money at Camping World? There are NO mom & pop auto or RV stores anywhere in my area. The giant small business killers have already taken them over too.
Buy cheap. Get cheaply made. Do some research. Read the reviews and watch Youtube to see how easily many of these are removed. There are quality hitch locks out there but they’re well over $100. Still, well worth to avoid the hassle and financial loss of a trailer and gear worth tens of thousands of dollars.
I use a hitch lock that blocks the coupler – but folks you need to know most of these locks just keep the honest honest. This type of lock often uses casted metal and a lock cylinder. Spray the casting with a CO2 fire extinguisher at close range to freeze it then give it a hard rap with a hammer and the casting will often break. The primary deterrent to a professional thief is the noise, not the lock.
When parked, I simply install a loose ball, close the hitch, and slide a Master padlock through the latch. It works!
We switched to towing a trailer with a trike back in March. I got a Proven Industries Hitch Coupler Lock. Expensive, but one of the best out there.
I also made the investment in this type of “Fort Knox” lock with the puck lock that has an uneven surface to deter drill outs. How important is your security for your trailer? The Proven Industries lock is pricey but I feel better knowing that it will do the job unlike the $30 one that a hammer will disable.
I also lock my safety chains. Have heard of several thefts of trailers with hitch locks which were stolen by using the safety chains.
Thank you, RV Travel! 🙂 Good to know. Have a great week, safe travels, and safe stays! 🙂