hi all we are getting ready for the first camping trip of the year and the first trip with a trailer what do people use to lock there trailer to the car when they park up at the service stations ??
any help on this would be good thanks
------------- 2017
June honeymoon
August not sure. Yet
Sep long weekend Rome
October week. In Devon
Someone always stays near the car/trailer when we stop somewhere. I suppose you could take a compact wheel clamp or reverse right up to a solid wall ect?
Never leave unattended as Helen says'take turns'
I sell caravans and hear many vans going missing even with locks on!
I used to caravan but returned to camping and we just are turns in going
------------- Tim
Harlyn August
Hopefully somewhere for a weekend in Sept
I don't have a choice except to leave the trailer unattended as I camp on my own with the dog.
In addition to a long padlock for the hitch, I have a 1.8m chunky motorbike security chain and lock for chaining it up to a post/fence/or the tow bar of my car.
Fingers cross that would be sufficient to deter any would be chancers.
DK
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Take turns and if needed wheel clamp if it's a case of getting food . But I'd never leave it unattended at motorway services . If you can lock it to you vehicle do that as well . If they can steel a locked twin axe plant trailer they'd have no issues with a small camping trailer .
I think you can buy hitch locks that you can use when hitched up to the car when you are parked. However i too would not leave a trailer in the services. If alone i would park for a few mins and buy food to eat in the car. Theft at service areas is rife. Ask lorry drivers and they will tell you how bad it is.
The Alko security device fits over the hitch release handle making it impossible to remove the caravan or trailer from the vehicle. A great device stationary with the hitch ball fitted or on the move.
Although people can still get things out of the trailer,it can't be removed from the vehicle. Not cheap, my Alko ak160/300 model cost £100 but far cheaper than the other option. Highly recommended bit of kit.
The Alko security device fits over the hitch release handle making it impossible to remove the caravan or trailer from the vehicle. A great device stationary with the hitch ball fitted or on the move.
Although people can still get things out of the trailer,it can't be removed from the vehicle. Not cheap, my Alko ak160/300 model cost £100 but far cheaper than the other option. Highly recommended bit of kit.
Yes a very good deterrent but don't always trust it!!! It's not impossible to remove ths device! I should know I sell caravans and know far to well hw easy caravans disappear !
However the time and effort they would need would put them off!
------------- Tim
Harlyn August
Hopefully somewhere for a weekend in Sept
I also use a motorbike chain lock to secure round the tow bar, I don't really worry about the trailer being stolen, but do worry about the contents. For this reason as with other posters, we leave one person with the car at services. I'm sure that theft from services can't be that bad though, as otherwise police would wait and just nick them as the robbers went about their foul trade. Police are always being accused of looking for an easy target arn't they
------------- Canvas tent, paraffin light, petrol stove. Heaven
I'd rather be kayaking.
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has any one used one of these for securing the trailer to the car we will still be parkiing next to the window so we can see the car or leave the oh in the car to scare people off ?
also does any one have a photo of the chain that i am ment to use to attach the trailer to the car people have been menching that the chain has a big loop on one end that gos over the tow ball befor the trailer hitch gos on as the chain that came with the trailer is just a standard chain which i can conect up to the tow bar via the hole for a brackaway cable.
thanks again
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------------- 2017
June honeymoon
August not sure. Yet
Sep long weekend Rome
October week. In Devon
The hitch lock you have linked to in your last post is for placing on the trailer when not attached to the car. The ball part goes into the cup of the trailer hitch and the arm fits over the top to lock it in so that you cant fit a tow ball in there to tow it.
The chain you asked about is the secondary link (required by law) between the trailer and the tow vehicle. So if your tow hitch were to slip off the ball , or fail the trailer would still be linked to the car by this chain that is placed over the tow ball behind the hitch. I think this chain is supposed to be short enough to not allow the tow arm to touch the tarmac if the hitch fails and the tow arm drops.
Watch this video from Highways Agency it will explain it all to you .
As for securing your trailer in services etc..... you could do all sorts to glue it to your car and it would still be there when you had finished your tea...... it might be empty though ! Perhaps look for wheel clamp to keep it waiting for you both at home and when your out for the day away from the campsite.
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Topic: trailer question
