On Road Security

[knoath]

Heading out on the road soon and I'm concerned that if we decide to stop and look around a town that our gear in the C/T would be vulnerable to scumbags...
With a camper on the back, does your touring rig attract unwanted attention?
ATM our C/T tailgate isn't lockable so I worry about theiving bastards.
I have this 'lock':


What can I use to properly lock it?
Buggered if I can come up with a solution without hacking, drilling, welding something on.

[chester ver2.0]

Mate seriously dont stress most towns on the road are just as good as any other you can leave your car and trailer and you will be fine and there are some where i send the missus to get what she needs and i will guard the car with my life.

You will soon figure it out

As for yur rear could you drill a hole in the shaft of your T piece and then a hole in the surrond it goes through and put a padlock through it so the T piece cannot be turned??

[hargs]

We have never had anything taken off our camper. On our way home on a 2000km odd drive we had 2 nights in accomadation and left the whole rig on the side of streets. Hobie and unlocked boxes. Ask the locals, they are up to speed with there area. During day light should be good. Look around ...sometimes someone sitting on front verandra will keep an eye on it ! When we are free camping or in NP's I leave a pair of my husbands boots on the camper step ( looks like he is inside ).

[knoath]

chester, I had thought of that, but there's not a great deal of meat on them and I've wondered if it'll stuff the thread up?
Might be the only option.

hargs, that sounds like a goer... our fridge would be the most expensive item left at camp when we're off wheeling, but I guess it's all available when it's inside a canvas house...

[doc evil]

just hang a padlock from it.

Most thieves will see it and assume it's locked up as they will be opportunistic.

[geopaj]

Heading out on the road soon and I'm concerned that if we decide to stop and look around a town that our gear in the C/T would be vulnerable to scumbags...
With a camper on the back, does your touring rig attract unwanted attention?
ATM our C/T tailgate isn't lockable so I worry about theiving bastards.
I have this 'lock':


What can I use to properly lock it?
Buggered if I can come up with a solution without hacking, drilling, welding something on.

Mmm... Nice picture! 

[Bongo]

Following posts on here over the years it seem like the biggest worry is when the trailer is at home. Only ever had a hat stolen once.

[steppenwolf]

Unfortunately these days key word here is ICE. There are ice-use hotspots where I live (Far North Coast NSW) where NOBODY leaves things in vehicles or trailers. Tradie mate living in one ice hotspot was emergency hospitalised recently, got out to find $14K gear scooped from his truck in 48 hours. All insured, but the company refused to pay out "because the vehicle was not secured in a locked facility". If someone is into ice, life is an utterly desperate struggle and anything goes. If you have something that can be sold, it's up for grabs. My CT has 11 padlocks, 2 of GGV8Cruza's EXCELLENT security cables and a towball lock. Funny to think that when I first moved to my village the local mechanic never shut his workshop doors, ever, because someone might need to come in and borrow a tool. And he never lost any tools.

[knoath]

geopaj, a little out of focus, but it was the best I could find at short notice 

Will look into the padlock through idea.

[ako]

G'day Knoath.

Not really sure how your t-handle works, but I will assume you rotate it CCW to open.

If you get a length of chain and slip the end link over the left hand side of the 'T', then run the chain over the t-handle shaft and then down. Then you need to tie off the chain to a bolt or something down on the chassis.

The same principle as how you attach a safety wire to a bolt head in motorsports.

Bit like this :



Of course you will need a padlock somewhere in line.

[slcs78]

Knoath, am interested to see what you come up with. Mine has the same arrangement

[Footy Shorts Shane]

A drop lock catch will secure it well. You'll have to drill two holes though.

http://www.trailerwarehouse.com.au/contents/en-us/d273.html

Shane.

[slcs78]

A drop lock catch will secure it well. You'll have to drill two holes though.

http://www.trailerwarehouse.com.au/contents/en-us/d273.html

Shane.

That's a great idea!!!!!

[Ratbag]

I have locks and security cables on everything. None of it will stop a determined thief, but it will slow them down and cause them to make noise ... It will sure as hell prevent petty larceny by casual thieves, specially if one is having lunch, or a twinkle!

e.g. A security D riveted to the water Jerry can. It also prevents it from being opened when locked onto the trailer:



When I start to add up what's hanging off the outside of our trailer, it's worth quite a bit:

2x 20L steel Jerry cans, one full of fuel, the other water;

2x gas bottles

Spare wheel and tyre, plus the wheels and tyres on the trailer axle ...

Jockey wheel ...

Leaving aside what's in the tool box and trailer tub!

All adds up to a very tidy sum.

A friend 'lost' the spare wheel off the roof basket of his car while filling up at a servo in the NT.

[noel_w]

A drop lock catch will secure it well. You'll have to drill two holes though.

http://www.trailerwarehouse.com.au/contents/en-us/d273.html

Shane.

That's what is on my CT, I just put a padlock through and can't be undone without cutting something off with a grinder.

[geopaj]

A drop lock catch will secure it well. You'll have to drill two holes though.

http://www.trailerwarehouse.com.au/contents/en-us/d273.html

Shane.

I thought about this problem overnight and came up with the same solution. Went to post it this morning but was beaten by Shane 

If your not a confident welder, just use a bolt on drop latch and get a friend/exhaust place/etc to put a tack weld on the thread so the nut can't be undone.

Before you start drilling though... Just make sure the the hole will be on the "outside" of the tailgate seal and not effect your dust sealing.

Just thought of another option - drill the same hole as needed for the drop latch but, say, 3/4" diameter. Then get a 3/4" bolt and drill a hole through the 'thread' end to take a padlock. Then when you want to lock the tailgate, slide the bolt through and insert padlock. This will save you having to weld anything and will mean that you don't have up undo a 3rd catch on the tailgate every time you want to open it.

[geopaj]

That's what is on my CT, I just put a padlock through and can't be undone without cutting something off with a grinder.

They can be undone when padlocked without a grinder - you just just need to knock out the drop lock's shear pin. It only takes a couple of seconds assuming you have an old bolt or similar to use as a drift.

[Ratbag]

This photo gives some idea of how I tackle things:



The cable looped over the mudguard gets run through the wheel when stationary and not connected to the car. Padlocked, of course.

BTW, a decent set of bolt cutters will dispose of pretty much any padlock (but won't touch steel cable ... and the thieves generally try to cut the cable in the middle ... ).
Heavy duty garden pruning shears will cut through almost anything, including those GPS security tracking anklets they put on jail birds ...
An 18V or 36V angle grinder will go through just about anything!

[knoath]

Thanks fellas, all good ideas, I like the bolt and padlock idea now, I agree, it's only a deterent for the honest thieves, but it's better than nothing!

[chester ver2.0]

At the end of the day Knoath you are on holiday mate so take a few precaustions to prevent the opportunist then put it out of your mind as you are there to relax

Basically be the grey man

You dont want to be the guy i saw in broome whinging his fridge was stolen then told the cops he left it under the awning not chained up

But you dont want to be the guy on a caravan forum who electifys his door way (man that is a lawsuit waiting to happen)

Come out in the middle and you will be fine

[dazzler]

At the end of the day Knoath you are on holiday mate so take a few precaustions to prevent the opportunist then put it out of your mind as you are there to relax

Basically be the grey man

You dont want to be the guy i saw in broome whinging his fridge was stolen then told the cops he left it under the awning not chained up

But you dont want to be the guy on a caravan forum who electifys his door way (man that is a lawsuit waiting to happen)

Come out in the middle and you will be fine

So electrify the fridge half way between the awning and the door.  Sweeeeet!