dave1607 Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 Hi All Not strictly Land Rover related but it will be towed with my 90, and I expect it's something alot of people on here have experience with so I hope this is ok. The wife is looking at buying a horse trailer (probably an Ifor Williams) and I want to sort some security for it. What do people use in the way of hitch locks and wheel clamps, at the moment I'm looking at the Stronghold hitch lock and possibly the Stronghold wheel clamp, or maybe the Bulldog QD. If she does go for the Ifor Williams I believe they have the Knott-Avonride coupling. What are your recomendations? I know that if they want to take it then they will, but the aim is to make it as difficult as possible. Thanks Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casperboat Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 It's difficult, you can only really stop the opportunist, i've heard of thieves using a gizmo that will clamp onto any drawbar, whether it has a lock or not, allowing it to be towed away, also thieves who carry spare wheels, hitches etc so they can put them on if the owner has taken them off for security.. I box mine in, seems about all you can do.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynic-al Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 My trailer has (I think) a bulldog hitch lock on a bradley hitch (which has it's own lock), I picked it as the two halves are reversible so that you can lock it on or off a tow bar. Figured it'd be extra security for when your parked at the services or whatever. You have to look at the bigger picture and try to make it harder to steal than the one down the road. I have mine behind a locked gate so that it's out of sight (one of the best defences is if they don't know it's there), there's a security bollard as well. For my caravan I went to town as I can't hide it. It has a sold secure hitch lock, 2 sold secure wheel locks, as I couldn't hide it I park it in full view of the street so any attempt to remove the security devices has to be done in full view. If I'd put it in the back garden all they have to do is jump the garden fence then they can spend all day getting the security off undisturbed. I drive it in forwards and round a corner over mossy grass using a motor mover and it's surrounded by an evil hedge to make it as hard as possible to get onto the road once the security is off. The axle is chained to the floor with a sold secure chain and lock, it has it's own alarm and it's alarmed to the house which is monitored. Trailer insurance is pretty poor, they devalue them very quickly but it's an option. If you can build some sort of shed for it it might be covered on your house insurance. I fully believe that if someone wants it badly enough they can take it, just look at the jewellery robbery in London recently, but hopefully I have done enough to make someone think it isn't worth it. After all neither of the above are particularly flashy or valuable so I'm sure that sort of person can find something more profitable to steal more easily... hopefully... Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanuki Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 I recommend a couple of decent [set in concrete to half a metre or so] ground-anchors, and decent chains/padlocks. And, as a primary alert-mechanism, dogs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickwilliams Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 The Bulldog wheel clamps are more for show than effect, IME. If you forget to take it off before driving off then it will come off of its own accord. Don't ask me how I know..... I'd recommend sign writing the side of the trailer to make it more distinctive and more difficult to shift on the black market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazzar Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 Take all the wheels off and store them under lock and key: Ditto jockey wheel. Makes it expensive to sell on. Make access difficult but visible. Engrave/stamp your postcode/NI/registration/trailer serial number on all surfaces, register it with a trailer watch company, get that number spraypainted onto the sides, large. Steel bollards and a solid thick steel hoop in good deep rebar & concrete, coupled with a longer rated grinder resistant chain and padlock. Think battery grinder, HIAB, breakdown trailer and 4 strong men, and counteract. And pray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickeyw Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 Also think about where it will be kept. Not too obvious for all can see you have something of value, but not so secluded that no one would see the takewhatyoulikies up to their tricks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Divster Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 I'm using the stronghold hitch lock. I really like it, it's really well designed with minimal opportunities for the budding thief to remove it. Regardless on whether you can get your trailer out of sight or indoors, I really would recommend one of these Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 Ifor Williams keep a trailer database, and build in lots of serial numbers when they build them, not all of which they tell you about 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zim Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 Concrete & rsj's ! With an assortment of decent padlocks / bars. G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elbekko Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 The Ifor Williams trailers I've seen have a built-in hitch lock, so that's a start. But yeah, if they really want it, they'll take it. A lock keeps honest people out and all that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dantastic Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 Been looking in to this as well recently. My conclusion was that most commercially available solutions are pretty pointless. They wrap a chain around the A-bar and just drive off. The wheel clamp will just fall off before the first intersection. A big mean security post seems to be the only genuine deterrent I have come across. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casperboat Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 If laying the trailer up for an extended period, I weld a length of angle iron sticking down into the ground. Just grind it off when I want to move trailer later, but it makes towing it a bit hard and obvious for the thieves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave1607 Posted August 19, 2015 Author Share Posted August 19, 2015 Thanks for all the replies. I think to start with we will go for the Stronghold hitch lock as you can use it when hitched up, so when she is parked up in the middle of nowhere and goes off for a ride she can put the hitch lock on (I don't think it would take much to get around the built in lock), and some sort of wheel clamp. The idea being that even if they are easy to get around it atleast adds a bit more time and they have to make a bit more noise. The wheel clamps seem to come in a couple of designs, either one that fits over the tyre with three hooks, or the type that fix to a wheel bolt and then have an arm which goes around the wheel. Not sure which is best (probably neither) but I think the second one would be easier for her to fit and will mean it actually gets used. Once we have sorted a perminant parking place I think I will look at a ground anchor (could make something like this) and a 19mm chain. It isn't parked at home, it will be at the yard so can only hope to make it as difficult as possible and hope someone in the surrounding houses notices. It will be parked next to a friends Ifor Williams flat bed trailer, so I only have to make it more difficult to nick that that. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casperboat Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 It will be parked next to a friends Ifor Williams flat bed trailer, so I only have to make it more difficult to nick that that. Dave Handy, the thief can put your trailer on the flat-bed and take both Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwakers Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 the ifor standard hitch lock is useless. i defeated one on my dads trailer in less than 5 seconds with a big hammer and punch.(he lost the key.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 Ha, if you're really unlucky they'll put your's on the flatbed and nick both! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tacr2man Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 The best answer is buy one that looks a heap, as anything as a deterrent is a waste of time. They took my 2 axle bailey caravan it had hitchlok , chained to a security post, two wheel clamps, and was behind a 5 bar steel gate that was chained and padlocked . It was cris marked on all windows and lights , postcode roof marked , never seen again !!! Its just luck of the draw , make sure its well insured . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddy Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Hitchcock to security post if possible, after that put some personalised motifs/stickers on it, insure it and leave it empty. If they really want it they take it, and doing everything else only makes it more of a faf and means your less likely to use the trailer/security. Recently round here farmers have been swaying away from putting farm/herd names and postcodes on their trailers as thieves have been noting who has a nice landrover or sheep/cow/pig/bull/tupp/wife/goat/dog/horse ect and don't even have to follow you home to scope the place out. Will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynic-al Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Or leave it full of all your old junk. That way atleast if they nick it it saves you a trip to the tip 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Move somewhere that people don't nick trailers. None of mine are secured in any way, not even the one with the RIB on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cackshifter Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 I have an Ifor HB510 which has a Bulldog Mini AW hitchlock and QD wheelclamp, as a condition of insurance by NFU. The Knott coupling lock is a token gesture. It used to be stored in the middle of nowhere and sure enough it was attacked. The hitchlock was very bent but the locking bit is stout and held out. We have the Bulldog QD wheelclamp rather than the Titan which is very heavy - if I was buying one now I'd go for the Milenco Mega. The clamp is always on a back wheel, and we have a set of locking nuts on also. It's now stored in a yard where to get to it you'd have to pass a barrier by a house with a dog and a bloke with a 12 bore inside, so it probably won't get nicked. But, to be honest just make sure it is insured and don't leave anything valuable in. You can get winter wheels which are basically just steel plates instead of wheels if in a specially dodgy area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discomikey Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Set a box section receiver into the floor, so you can lock a box section post into it. Weld a row all to the top of the post and hitch your trailer to the post. Lock your trailer onto the post and even if they can pull any drawbar they'll have to get it off the post in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynic-al Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 A lady I used to work with was married to a farmer. She was washing up one day and a 4x4 pulled into the yard and the driver gave her a wave. She figured it was a farmer friend going to see her husband in the yard. They pulled out with a trailer shortly after and gave her another wave. She waved back figuring her husband had leant them the trailer. He then came home and she informed him his friend had come for the trailer. He knew nothing about it. It never came back. :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discomikey Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Oh dear! Unfortunately all too easily done though in today's busy environments though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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