youngm357
North Idaho
Senior Member
Joined: 06/25/2008
View Profile
 Offline
|
I heard of a guy who lost an expensive boat while parked at a restaurant. Yes, the tongue was locked into the receiver, yes the trailer was locked to the ball, NO the ball was not locked into the tongue. They unscrewed the nut holding the ball to the tongue and dropped it on their tongue and drove off. It was probably a little tricky for the thief but I now have my trailer ball welded to the tongue.
|
JoeChiOhki
Sauvie Island, OR
Senior Member
Joined: 11/20/2003
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
 Online
|
Its really not hard to lock a tow ball so long as it has extra thread. Simple drill a whole through about a 1/2" up from the end of the thread that's a hair larger than the shackle on the padlock.
Congrats, you have a locking tow ball.
Follow me as I full-time the Redneck Way at The Journey of the Redneck Express
CB Channel 17 Redneck Express
'1992 Dodge W-250 "Dually" Power Wagon - Club Cab Long Bed 4x4 V8 5.9L gashog w/4.10 Geared axles
'1974 KIT Kamper 1106 - 11' Slide-in
|
Glen41
North Texas
Senior Member
Joined: 01/25/2008
View Profile
Offline
|
Thieves are usually smarter and more determined than we give them credit for. All we can really do is slow them down which will "usually" discourage most professionals. Amateurs are different in they don't care if they destroy the object in the process.
Having said that, I padlock the locking arm on my fifth wheel hitch and remove the fuse from the 12 volt feed to the front jacks when I am not using them. I'm just trying to stop the "Hey Dudes, Watch this..." idiots.
* This post was
edited 02/05/10 06:46pm by Glen41 *
Doing my part to keep America's highways cluttered up.
2006 Chevy 3500 D/A DRW Prodigy, AirBags, 34 ft Travel Supreme
http://smartsforsale.blogspot.com
|
woodworker40
Western Pa.
Senior Member
Joined: 09/22/2004
View Profile
|
Queens Carriage wrote:they stole the hitch or just the reciever?
I believe the receiver is the part welded to the truck.
|
JerryDBryant
San Angelo, TX
New Member
Joined: 01/12/2010
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
I always lock my hitch when I have my fiver hooked up.
2008 F-250 6.4L Powerstroke Diesel Pickup
2008 Wildwood LA 246RLBS by Forest River Fifth Wheel Travel Trailer
|
|
|
K3WE
Missouri
Senior Member
Joined: 05/24/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
mowermech wrote:A ball mount is always in the truck receiver, the motorhome reciever, and often in the Jeep reciever. None are locked. I have never had one stolen.
Theft of these things seems to be a fairly rare occurance around here. Perhaps they aren't worth enough to take them.
Concur.
BUT steel prices are up, the economy is tough, employment is down and I think crime is up.
Given that people are stealing copper pipe and getting electrocuted trying to steal ground wires, pulling a pin and swiping a 100-dollar equalizer head or even a cheap $25.00 bar & ball is some quick and easy money.
|
CR CRUISER
Campbell River,BC
Full Member
Joined: 04/21/2006
View Profile
Offline
|
I just take my ball mount off when I'm not towing. It's more of a courtesy thing so that other people aren't finding it with their shins in a parking lot. It has sat in the truck box for 4 years and nobody has taken it yet.
Because I take it off and on all the time, I got one of those quick pins that has the end that pulls out and folds down to hold it in place. I was taking my small ball mount off last summer and IT happened. The lock flipped over when it was inside the hollow tube of the ball mount. The receiver is closed off on the front side and the mount is closed at the rear. There was no way to get at the lock to straighen it out. I wound up having to cut the pin off with the cutting torch. Back to Old Faithfull. Now where the heck is the hairpin?
|
miltvill
Ft. Lauderdale FL
Senior Member
Joined: 10/20/2008
View Profile
Offline
|
I have a lock pin for my hitch. But I don't drive around with it attached. I don't like it getting dusty and I don't like smacking my knee on it. After I unhook my TT I remove my hitch.
2008 Chevy 2500HD Duramax Diesel, Allison Transmission, 3.73 rear end, tow package, Prodigy Brake Controller, Equal-i-zer Hitch.
Trail Cruiser TC23QB
|
ryanallie1
Magalia, Calif
Senior Member
Joined: 04/12/2005
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
Hi All.
I have special parts that slip right over the hitch pins. After you slip that part on, you just add a Pad-Lock. I have them on all four corners on the bottom of the Hitch. I also have them on the pins on the Top-Half of the Hitch. I also welded on some washers on the Pull Bar Handle, and on the Top Hitch, they also get Pad-locked also. Nothing can go missing. Since everything is Pad-Locked. Besides, we usually eat in our 5er. The food is much better. That and it is much faster and cheaper. I remove the Hitch from the Truck after each trip. Yep, I keep it all Pad-Locked together in the shed. I'd like to see some one carry off our Hitch, with the BedSaver on the Hitch also. We have a Real Covered RV Port to keep our 5er in. Yep, I even keep a King-Pin Lock on our 5er also. We also have ADT watching everything on the property, besides the house. Great for a good Insurance Discount. ADT, costs us nothing. When all else fails, I guess its just me, and Mr. S&W. Good Luck. Happy Camping. Dan & Jill
1998-33.5 Rexhall, Rexair SL. 460 EFI. F-53. HWH Levelers. 5.5G Gen. Convection/Microwave. 12 Cu Ft Side by Side. Water Purifier. Water Softner. 2 A/C's. Alarm Systems. 2 Honda EU2000i W/Kit. Toad CR-V W/SMI System. FMCA #F414397 Nam-Vet, 66-67-68,& 70-71
|
mowermech
Billings, MT
Senior Member
Joined: 06/28/2003
View Profile
Offline
|
K3WE wrote:mowermech wrote:A ball mount is always in the truck receiver, the motorhome reciever, and often in the Jeep reciever. None are locked. I have never had one stolen.
Theft of these things seems to be a fairly rare occurance around here. Perhaps they aren't worth enough to take them.
Concur.
BUT steel prices are up, the economy is tough, employment is down and I think crime is up.
Given that people are stealing copper pipe and getting electrocuted trying to steal ground wires, pulling a pin and swiping a 100-dollar equalizer head or even a cheap $25.00 bar & ball is some quick and easy money.
Copper and aluminum are still quite high. the last time I checked (quite a while ago) steel was at $20 a ton. Yep, ONE CENT per pound.
I have an old car sitting in the pasture that I would like to get rid of. It must be "prepared" for salvage before I can haul it to town to get rid of it. ALL fluids must be drained, and the gas tank removed. Anybody who thinks scrap steel is worth something is welcome to come get it.
The average ball and bar weighs less than 20 pounds. Risk jail time for less than a quarter? Doesn't seem logical to me! Collecting them and hauling 500 pounds of them into a scrap yard for $5 seems even dumber. How do you explain where they all came from? Any reputable scrap yard would turn you in immediately, and would NOT buy them!
CM1, USN (RET)
'94 Dodge 3500 4X2 CTD, 5 speed, 4.10 LS diff., Jacobs Rambrake, 275,000 Miles
'95 Tioga 29H Ford-based Class C
Daily driver: 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee Hemi
Toad: 2006 Jeep Rubicon LJ
"When seconds count, help is only minutes away!"
|
|
|
