How in the heck do you secure a trailer with a hitch coupler like this?

My title sums it up... on my new car hauling trailer, how in the heck does one lock or secure the hitch coupler against theft? See the attached picture. In the past all my trailers had a setup where one could use a padlock....

Yeah, I know shotgun-watch, chain it to a tree, etc. I'm just looking for some solution just to make it difficult for somebody to hook on and pull it away when I have it unhooked at a show parking lot.

 

Most of those type have a hole that goes through the tube after you slide the sleeve up into the locked position, where you can put one of these locks.....
http://www.etrailer.com/question-22286.html

 

I use this one from Master lock, plus I chain it to a tree.....

 

Leave it locked up at home and just drive the damned car to the show, that is what they are for isn't it? To drive.

Ok now that my rant is over, there has to be a way to lock that thing even if you have to do a mod or two or fab a lock.
What about a round structural pipe sleeve that slid over the hitch and had a setup to lock it to the hitch? Rig it with a pin that goes through a hole in the side of the hitch and you put a lock through the pin on the inside. A pain in the butt but it would be out of reach of bolt cutters or a hammer.

 

god i hate that thing. make sure you keep it lubed good.

 

I use the same type on our trailer, along with the locking pin through the safety hole. also wrap and lock the chains. Just remember its to keep honest people honest ..if they want it, they'll take it!

Bill

 

I use one of these
And no, it is not absolute. It is aluminum and you could probably break it with a big enough sledge. I have threatened to build one out of 1/2" steel.

As far as the "drive it, don't trailer it" look at my avitar.

 

All i run is a bull dog hitch. Its virtually impossible to come off accidentally.. This is the easiest/cheapest.. But not the safest.. Remember the lock is nothing more than peace of mind for the honest man

 

Put a trailer ball inside the hitch,lock the slide , then no one can tow it off. This will work on any hitch.

 

I have the same hitch on my trailer,i use a extra big curved master lock,just put the hasp in the lock position,and lock it....no problems...

 

The lock or the hitch????

 

So on mine, I drilled a fair size hole in the non moving side, and put a big commercial, shouldered pad lock through it. I have to leave mine on jobs some times. All locks just slow the thief's down.

 

They also make a boot type cover for these

 

With the threads cut off to prevent a thief putting on his bumper.

 

This is what I use on my Bulldog hitch made specificaly for the Bulldog hitch http://www.heartlandlock.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=12_21&products_id=11

 

Sorry can't help you but do you americans have a different coupler then here in New Zealand. I have never seen a coupler like that before though I am only a young gun so maybe thats why.

 

Trimax locks makes a umax50 and a heavier duty umax100, I sell them almost daily and have a few keyed alike for my own trailers, should be available thru any trailer hitch shop.

 

I've never seen that one either. Is it something new or have they been out for a while ?

Another thing you can do if you have spoked wheels on the trailer is to run a length of high test chain through both wheels on one side. 3/8 high test chain is available at marine stores and you would have a very hard time cutting it with bolt cutters or a hacksaw. We had a hydraulic cutter to use when we sold a length of it and even it strained.

Don

 

Short piece of chain welded to a gas bottle cap. Cap slides over the hitch and lock the chine to the safety chain.

 

This lock will keep the coupler closed. You need to place a ball with the shank cut off in the hitch when using it. I lost a trailer with a Bulldog hitch with a similar locking device. All the Bulldog hitches I have had were for a 2 5/16 ball, when mine was taken, they just dropped it over a 2 inch ball and drove away. I imagine the same could be done on a 2 inch coupler by using a 1 7/8 ball.

 

I have the same hitch on my trailer and the same question. My thought has been to weld a verticle tab on the hitch, next to the release handle, with a hole in both, through which I can put a normal padlock........

One other thought that may not be feasible for all. My trailer wheels have round holes, sort of like a 'rally wheel'. A single piece of chain inserted from the back side of each wheel, with a pad lock through the link protruding from each wheel, would likely be effective.

Ray

As someone said, locks only slow down a deermined thief, but somethimes that is enough.

 

Sorry, I forgot to mention the fact that you need to put a 2 5/16" ball in the hitch with the threads cut off! Thanks for the reminder Tumbleweed Garage!

 

I have a hitch lock that completely covers the hitch, so there is no way to hook up with a smaller ball. It slides over the closed hitch, then you slide the locking bar up into the ball cup and lock the assembly. Pic later.

 

Get a piece of 4x4 square steel tube. Weld a cap on one end and a high strength chain on the other. Slip that over the bulldog.
Pad lock it thru the tongue or to the safety chain. Less than an hour and under 20.00

Or run a chain thru the wheels up to the tongue and lock the cover to the wheels. Put an extra lock thru the chain at the wheels

 

They'll take it even with the coupler covered/locked, the take the safety chaines and wrap them around their ball and go, if it comes loose they can just keep going and let the trailer land where it lands!
I was going to do the chain thru the rims thing till I found a tire boot (just like parking enforcement use) at my trailer supply. Ran about $35, a real visual deterent and easy to put on and take off.

 

I made my own. A piece of 3" pipe welded to some 1/2" log chain. Pipe goes over the hitch, chain goes through the tongue and a big ass padlock hooks the chain together. Fairly simple but it works.

 

Don't need to reinvent the wheel. Welded tabs and a padlock are sooooo ez to remove, insterting a ball and a locking bar is inadequate at best. There are so many options for locks for these couplers. They are by far the safeist to tow with and easy to lock. Mine has an integrated ball that goes inside the coupler with a hardened loop that goes over the top. Even with the sleeve pulled back and coupler open, you can't get the lock off to access the coupler. Add chains thru the wheels for added security if it's someplace where thieves would have secrecy to use tools to remove the locks.

 

Thank you Captain Obvious...

The fact is, as I think I said, or alluded to, if the thieves want your stuff they will have it. All you can do is make it difficult or time consuming enough to make it not worth their while or seriously increase their chances of being apprehended in the act.

And just HOW do you remove a welded on tab and a good quality padlock soooooo easily?? Same for a chain in which only one link proturdes through a wheel slot. Kinda hard to get a bolt cutter on that little sucker???.............Inquiring minds want to know.

I've been doing this (trailering long distances with overnights) for avery long time...what's your experience ....... Reason I ask, you're REALLY LIGHT on background info.

Ray

 

Well Ray, OBVIOUSLY if somebody really wants it, they will get it. That is well known by most people over the age of 10. (you really are up to date with this breaking news aren't you?) Any cordless cutoff tool will have plenty of power make short work of tabs, locks and chains. Even a hacksaw with a proper blade and some effort will do in most cases. Liquid nitrogen and a hammer is even quicker, virturally silent and just as effective. Pretty simple. Its not rocket science nor a new technology.

Signed,

Capitan Obvious.... obviously.

 

Obviously, you could benefit from an attitude adjustment.......pretty cocky for being so new here........but then you are hiding behind a keyboard and that easily allows bad manners to go unaccounted for..............for awhile

Ray