Does Fastway Universal Trailer Coupler Lock Use a Spring Loaded Lock

Updated 03/21/2019 | Published 03/20/2019

Question:

Is the lock spring loaded? Do you have to actually unlock it to be able to slide the bolt in or will it just ratchet in? My concern is that many of this style of lock can be defeated with a piece of pop can slid down the shaft and just wiggled around to push the spring loaded latch back out of the way.

asked by: Tim L

Helpful Expert Reply:

I reached out to my contact at Fastway who said that there are springs behind the tumblers that push them back in place on the Fastway Universal Trailer Coupler Lock # FA86-0015-318. I'm not sure if that's what you mean by spring loaded or not though.

I pulled the part from our warehouse and found that the shackle doesn't ratchet down into the locking mechanism. You will need to keep the key in the unlocked position until the shackle is at the desired location. The parts that extend out and secure the shackle in place are spring loaded and I was not able to get the core to unlock by pressing them in.

Please note that any lock can be beaten given enough time, determination, and tools. If someone were to know how to beat a lock like this then there is nothing stopping them from doing so when the trailer is by itself. That is just the nature of locks though, they are theft deterrents not necessarily preventatives. I can say that these coupler locks have performed very well which is reflected in the high amount of 5 star reviews this product page has received.

expert reply by: Jon G