| This past week I was talking to a friend about trailer | | | | swing-down hasp right behind the lock. The DL-80 |
| theft. He said, "I don't know what to do. In the past, | | | | lock is one of the best I have seen. These locks |
| we would paint up the sides of the trailer to let | | | | cover the entire hasp area of the locking mechanism, |
| everyone know what we did. We were, and are, | | | | and are virtually indestructible. Again, place a good |
| proud of our drag racing accomplishments. Then, | | | | lock on the tongue of your trailer and lock your |
| trailers started getting stolen so we took all the | | | | safety chains together to the tongue lock, as many |
| graphics off. Now, more and more trailers are getting | | | | trailers have been stolen by dragging the trailer down |
| stolen, and they all tend to look the same. You | | | | the road by the safety chains alone. |
| wouldn't know yours if it passed you going down the | | | | Alarms mounted on the trailers are great! These will |
| highway. Now I am thinking of painting it back up | | | | and have thwarted off thieves by the droves. Many |
| again so if it is stolen, I can identify it. Lyle, what | | | | alarms have an LED to mount on the outside of the |
| should I do?" | | | | trailer to warn the crooks. If they decide to take it |
| This is a tough situation. Trailer theft is definitely on | | | | on, there are shock sensors that will set off the |
| the rise; thieves don't seem to care if something is | | | | alarm if they try to knock the locks off. If you are |
| painted on the sides or not. And, this can get you | | | | also using a simple padlock, and the thief uses bolt |
| into a very sticky situation with the state DPS. What | | | | cutters, the door sensors will activate the alarm. |
| I mean is, many states are starting to insist that | | | | Many alarms also have optional motion sensors to |
| those who pull a trailer, regardless of the size and if | | | | place inside the trailer. But are these alarms just noisy |
| they have ANY type of advertising on the side, must | | | | horns like car alarms? NO! These alarms will flash the |
| carry a CDL drivers license. | | | | running lights on the trailer, sound a 120db siren, and |
| At the very least, paint the roof of the trailer with | | | | lock the electric brakes on the trailer. There are also |
| some sort of large identifying marks such as the | | | | optional paging units to page you up to a mile away. |
| trailer license number which would be hard for the | | | | These are good for those over-night stays at hotels |
| thief to remove. Then take a can of fluorescent | | | | motels when you are on a trip. Don't forget, many |
| paint, and paint an area on both the tongue and the | | | | insurance companies offer discounts for their use. |
| rear frame of the trailer. While you are at it, paint a | | | | Finally, GPS tracking systems are excellent for |
| small circle, about 2" in diameter, on each side of the | | | | notification of theft as well as theft recovery. If you |
| trailer, out of the way. These are all marks that you | | | | have your GPS activated, you can have it notify you |
| would be able to recognize if necessary. Hopefully, | | | | when your alarm goes off, or if it goes beyond the |
| the small circles would be small enough that a thief | | | | geo-fence you set up. If the unit is not active, and |
| won't consider them as identifying marks. If you | | | | you want to use it as a theft recovery device, you |
| choose to paint your racing stuff on the side, DO be | | | | can do that as well. Again, contact your insurance |
| careful. | | | | company because you might get a break for using a |
| Other things that can be done for theft prevention, | | | | theft recovery device. Regardless of what you do, |
| whether for the trailer or the contents, are: good | | | | do what you can. These are only suggestions; there |
| locks, alarms systems, and/or GPS tracking systems. | | | | is no 100% guarantee that your trailer won't be |
| The locks on the doors and tongue must be good. If | | | | stolen. |
| you get cheesy padlocks, you're asking for it! Even | | | | Keep yer stuff safe! |
| the big round locks are easy prey; thieves cut the | | | | |