How Can I Protect My Trailer?

By taking every possible precaution to protect your trailer, all will benefit by helping insurers to keep your premiums down, plus do you really want the hassle of losing your trailer and anything in it?

Trailer theft is a big problem and it's getting worse! To a thief, an unsecured trailer is simply money on wheels that is just asking to be stolen.

There are steps you can take that will go some way to deter an opportunist thief since the vast majority of them are looking for an easy heist. If presented with an effective theft deterrent the thief will invariably move on to easier targets.

The two biggest enemies for a thief are:
• time and
• noise.

Anything you can do to slow a thief down and make them generate noise will improve your chances of keeping your property. Here are some simple steps you can take:
• Park your trailer where it is least visible to people passing by. If it's out of site, it's out of mind.
• Don't park your trailer with the front pointing towards the street / road / escape route.
• Remove one or all of the trailer wheels. Take the lug nuts too. Thieves frequently carry spares with them.
• Use a chain or cable to secure your trailer to some stationary solid object.

Obviously, you may not want to take the time to remove a wheel every time you park your trailer so the use of some sort of trailer security device is the answer. When you're on the road with your trailer, using a security device is the only answer. Trailer security devices fall into two basic categories.
1) Hitch locks
2) Wheel locks

Although hitch locks provide some measure of theft deterrence, thieves can defeat them reasonably easily and with very little noise.

Insurers recommend wheel locks because if thieves cannot move your trailer because one of the wheels is properly secured, it's going to be tough to steal your trailer. Remember time and noise.

A wheel lock must automatically prevent removal of the wheel on which it is installed. Many wheel locks available today just clamp onto the wheel and are not designed to prevent wheel removal. Those type wheel locks are very easy to defeat.

Helpful Tips:

Always install the wheel lock on the "driver's side" of your trailer because:
1. If potential thieves back their tow vehicle to your trailer, as they open the driver's door of the tow vehicle they will probably see the wheel lock and be put off.
2. Installing your wheel lock on the driver's side of the trailer helps remind you to remove the wheel lock before using your trailer.

• Remember time and noise.
• Secure it and keep it.
• Ignore it and lose it.
• Don't wait until it's too late.