Any advice on how to protect your pop-up from being stolen while in "storage"? I'll have mine outside at a relative's warehouse, fenced and locked, but should someone cut the lock it seems pretty easy for them to just drop the camper on their hook and go.
Locking boots for the wheel(s)?
Locks for the crank on the little tow-arm wheel?
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I use one of those hitch locks. However it is probably more of a deterant than anything. It would be easy to cut off.
Mine is stored in my garage, so I can't offer too much advise how to protect it while in storage. Maybe chaining a "junk-yard" dog to the PU tongue might work. Just have your relative feed him once a day.
I have seen a coupler locking gizmo that inserts into the ball receiver that looked pretty neat. It looked like it would slow the thieves down some.
Like stateed there is no security just deterant. Get the hitch lock that would be one. Put it on blocks and take the tires with you. Make it hard for them.
Put a good hitch lock on it, the kind that fills the ball hole. Much more than that would make it a chore for you to use it when you wanted too.
I used to hook my safety chains to each other so they were not long enough for anyone else to use for towing the camper away.
If there are items easier to steal, yours will be bypassed in favor of those.
Quote from: GeorgiaBoyLocking boots for the wheel(s)?
Kryptonite locks through the wheels -- making it darn hard to tow away!
I've also seen hitch locks, as other described above, that has a ball that goes into the hitch, then it clampes OVER the hitch itself and you lock it. Thus, one cannot even get to the tongue clamp or any part of it to monkey, without removiing the lock.
Hey there Georgiaboy! (Sorry just had to!) Though I do not as yet own a PUP, living in the city as I do has given me the incentive to do a considerable amount of research into anti-theft devices for when I do take the plunge.
Looks like everyones steering you in the right direction. Go to Google and type in words like RV security and you'll get wireless alarm systems, then type tongue or hitch locks and you get a kazillion of just that; wheel locks the same thing. If you wanna buy click Froogle or maybe check & see what Dave has in his store here.
Looks like there's two main ways to keep the slime away from your stuff when yer not there. Lock the wheel or wheels with a lock made for that purpose, and lock up the hitch where they can't hook up. Just google it man!
When all else fails there's alway's Mr Smith and Mr Wesson political correctness not withstanding.
See Ya!
For the times I'm going to store the camper, or even leave it in an unfamilar area, I have one of those coupler locks that slides on and then you use a key to turn a screw/bolt up into the couple itself. In addition to that lock, I picked up from Lowe's Bldg Supply, a 6' double ended looped cable and a H/D padlock; here I run one end of the cable through a couple of the camper wheel spokes and then a couple of turns around the camper axle and lock the loops together.
Like what's already been said, a "professional" thief would have already taken these things into account and would deal with them and be gone (with the camper, I fear). However, the would-be amauteur would certainly be delayed and maybe caught in the process.
Fly
I have these: A ball lock and a trailer keeper.
I heard about one trailer that was stolen even though it had a wheel boot on it. I do not know if this was true or not but what I heard was that they took the wheel off of the trailer and replaced it with the spare tire that was on the back of the trailer. All that was left was the booted wheel. If someone really wants it, they will take it. However, it does pay to make it difficult to steal. Why work so hard stealing one trailer when it's easier to steal another just down the road.
As I have heard my mother say many times that my grandfather (born in 1879) would say, "Locks are to keep honest people honest". If they want your PU bad enough, they'll get it. Not a real positive thing to hear I know. All you can do is make it more difficult and time consuming for someone to take it. I lock the tongue on mine and set all the stabilizing jacks down. Anything you can do to make it more difficult will discourage a would be thief.
Good luck,
Quote from: BaysideBruceI heard about one trailer that was stolen even though it had a wheel boot on it. I do not know if this was true or not but what I heard was that they took the wheel off of the trailer and replaced it with the spare tire that was on the back of the trailer. All that was left was the booted wheel. If someone really wants it, they will take it. However, it does pay to make it difficult to steal. Why work so hard stealing one trailer when it's easier to steal another just down the road.
The boot I have is attached by a lug nut and you can't get to the lug nut to remove it by either a lug wrench or cutting, unless maybe a cutting torch. But if someone really wanted it bad enough they would find a way I'm sure.