OT - Trailer stolen, any thoughts on prevention?

[davidrz]

Just had a 16 ft. trailer I use to carry around my old Ford tractors stolen a few nights ago. Had never had anything taken from my place before. Have owned the place for 70 years.

Live out in the country in south Texas. Must have happened after midnight, it was very windy outside, and I do not have a dog. No fence. Have two driveways to my place and the trailer was about 30 feet away from the road, facing away from the road. So they had to lift it, turn it around, then tracks show they backed up their pickup and off they went. The trailer was about 40 feet from the house.

Have filed a police report and am check with two small businesses about 2 miles down the road to see if their security cameras picked up anything that night.

QUESTION - before going through a lot of expense on fences, lighting, gates, cameras, etc., ARE THERE ANY REASONABLE TRACKING GPS DEVICES OUT THERE IN THE MARKET WHICH CAN BE EMBEDDED IN OUR TRACTORS OR EQUIPMENT?????? Any other ideas???

In the mean time will use some old material to put up a fence and gate.

Thanks in advance for any advice provided. David
 

[JMOR]

[tn8n]

sorry to hear about your theft. as a blue-collar worker i know the value of our hard earned possesions, and it sucks and is depressing to know that there are people out the who don't value anything, and are most likely just looking for their next "fix."

a good friend of mine who is a self employed landscaper just had a 16 foot trailer stolen from his driveway 5 feet from his house along with the two professional zero-turn mowers, weedeaters, gas cans, and other tools of his trade that were on it. he had a lock through the "clamp" that locks the tongue onto the ball, but it was a 2- 5/8" trailer, so if they had a smaller ball it would still fit in there enough to get it away and then cut it off and do it right.

i know that soundguy had one of his company trailers stolen a little while back, i'd wait and see if he responds with any thoughts.

i do know that surveillance cameras can be had much cheaper than they used to be nowadays, we've got a couple specialty shops here in knoxville that sell them. were there any kind of certain marks or anything on the trailer to help ID it? or any kind of serial number or anything?

i'm sorry i don't have any real advice, but i hope you get it back intact. hopefully the people are dumb enough to try to pawn it or put it on the craigslist or something. matt
 

[old]

Well if they hooked up and pulled it away then locking the hitch so a person can not hook it up easy will help. Also and yes a pain in the back sides but having flat tires sure makes it hard to pull one away.
 

[reomack]

There are devices that fit into the ball socket and lock. They are pretty robust and can be found in most auto parts stores. They only cost about $35 and are easy to use. However, IMHO nothing can stop a really determined thief. Best of luck
 

[HCooke]

I uses a combination of a hitch lock and a heavy chain and lock to a heavy 3 point plow. But that will only slow down the amateurs.
 

[Wile E]

Remove the tires on that trailer for next time they try to steal it. Get 2 cinder blocks and make those crooks bring their own tires to steal your trailer. And put a locking ball hitch on it too, or slather up the ball hitch with dog poo as a deterrent.
 

[Jubilee85(VA)]

David,

sorry to hear for your loss.
I have two of these. Cheap insurance.
Trailer lock

 

[Den N Ms]

Davidrz, Maybe you could hide one of these like in a zip lock bag under it somplace.
Spot 1

spot 2

 

[forddoc]

Trailer locks are the cheapest, but nothing will stop the desperate and determined. Our insurance company wouldn't cover all of our trailers unless we had proof of tongue locks, and gooseneck locks. My response was they would only slow them down and not stop them. Their reply was no locks no coverage. We also ID stamp all of our equipment and have photographic proof of the location we stamped.
 

[Den N Ms]

Or a cheaper protection,cut the threaded part off of a ball and lock that in the hitch.

Or if you had white slotted rims on it the wheels could be locked by making a pipe lock.That would go from the left side wheels to the right side wheels through the slots.With a large thick flat washer welded on one end of the pipe and one locked on the other end.
 

[flembo]

WHAT??? I AM NOT EVEN GOING THERE.
 

[pconnie]

remove lug nuts..only a few minutes with a batt wrench..crooks get a little ways before tires fall off..good way for them to get caught..
 

[01BIRDDOG]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune from a common thief. My shop and farm is about one mile from my house and here at home i have a young,well trained blue heeler who is my first line on notification and at shop i keep it well lit at night and being former VSP i keep in good standings with local and State units to check at night as often as they can. It is a business also so there is just reason to make checks at night.
 

[Ken(Ark)]