Recommendation to Prevent Trailer Theft by Using Safety Chains

Updated 05/05/2020 | Published 05/03/2015

Question:

I was watching a video on youtube about a way to steal a trailer by backing up to the trailer and looping the trailers safety chains around the tow hitch of the truck at the ball and connecting the chains together and taking off. This would make most trailer locks ineffective wouldnt it? I placed a cable lock on my trailer tongue and wrapped it around the jack handle so a would-be thief could not raise the trailer to fit on a hitch ball. Is there something better that would maybe get around the safety chain problem I was mentioning? Thanks.

asked by: Steve M

Expert Reply:

It is possible to move a trailer by just attaching to it's safety cables. Most people would avoid the method you described as the trailer will slam into the back of the tow vehicle while stopping. Basically it wouldn't be a thief's ideal method for theft of a trailer but it would be an option.

As a way to prevent that type of theft I would recommend a wheel lock like the part # RA-25. This will attach to your rim and will make it nearly impossible to move the trailer. Check out the review video I attached for this lock as well.

expert reply by: Jameson C

Tim

5/2/2020

Im looking for a secure system for my trailer. Seems to me the wheel locks could easily be defeated by simply removing the wheel.

Chris R.

5/5/2020

A wheel lock like the Rack'em # RA-25 can be defeated, just as any security measure can. It basically comes down to how difficult you can make it for a potential thief so that he/she either gives up or takes one look and decides that it's not worth even trying. A thief could remove a wheel lock by taking off the wheel, but then of course the trailer would be missing a wheel, which would lead to an awfully rough ride. There are other good security devices that you could add though to make it even tougher - a coupler lock like the etrailer # e98895 for example would help prevent a parked trailer from being hooked up to a truck's hitch ball. Simply adding a wheel lock to more than one wheel is also a good idea. I've linked our full selection of coupler locks below that you can look through as well.

Helpful Links

dept-pg-trailer_coupler_locks.aspx