My buddy had his enclosed trailer with everything in it stolen the other night.

[swingset]

Most thefts are preventable. Sounds like your buddy put it in a spot where it was easily hauled off, didn't lock it down, and had no plan for IF it ever got stolen. That's a recipe of "oops" right there.

My trailer goes inside the garage every night, with the truck detached but in front of it. For them to get the trailer out, they have to move the truck (which means hotwiring), open up the garage and pull the truck out, turn it around, then back up into it. Then, they have to cut the chain holding the trailer to the garage floor anchor, hook it up, and get it out of there in one piece. Not easy, and even less easy as it's only 25 yards from my back door and where my Labrador is sleeping with good ears.

When they DO get it out of the garage, I have a GPS tracker in the trailer so recovering the goods will be easier, at the very least it will help to arrest said scumbags.

Here's a good site with trackers:
http://www.brickhousesecurity.com/gp...e-logging.html

Insurance is for "all else fails", but I try very hard to make theft difficult enough that it's not worth it for the crooks.

[mow this!]

gps tracking systems can run off a 12volt system such as the lights in your trailor and can have a battery back up that charges itself. Today, you can buy these systems for your mowers, hdtv or what every you value. For me, its my HDTV. Some run off of 9volt batteries. The whole idea is you subscribe to a web based system on the amount of look ups you want to be able to do and how often the refresh is on your screen and wham! instant knowledge of where your sh!t is. These systems start at $200 a unit or so.

[br549oicu8]

Originally Posted by swingset

Most thefts are preventable. Sounds like your buddy put it in a spot where it was easily hauled off, didn't lock it down, and had no plan for IF it ever got stolen. That's a recipe of "oops" right there.

My trailer goes inside the garage every night, with the truck detached but in front of it. For them to get the trailer out, they have to move the truck (which means hotwiring), open up the garage and pull the truck out, turn it around, then back up into it. Then, they have to cut the chain holding the trailer to the garage floor anchor, hook it up, and get it out of there in one piece. Not easy, and even less easy as it's only 25 yards from my back door and where my Labrador is sleeping with good ears.

When they DO get it out of the garage, I have a GPS tracker in the trailer so recovering the goods will be easier, at the very least it will help to arrest said scumbags.

Here's a good site with trackers:
http://www.brickhousesecurity.com/gp...e-logging.html

Insurance is for "all else fails", but I try very hard to make theft difficult enough that it's not worth it for the crooks.

Very good plan and ideas!!! I have purchased from Brickhouse myself.

[grassman177]

sucks to hear. i hate theifs. we had a few trimmers and gas cans a few year ago, got a few times back, but we lock it all down now. have to

[Richard Martin]

Originally Posted by KathysLGC

Ins doesn't cover full value tho..... he is still at a loss.....

Sure it does if you ask for it. I've been driving my State Farm agent insane ever since 2000 over this. I see it in the policy, I pay for it and still I have to call them every year just to make sure. I have a full replacement value policy up to $20,000 worth of equipment. Then I ask them about listing the individual equipment on the policy and they have told me repeatedly that it is a blanket coverage policy. If someone makes off with a 20 year old Dixie Chopper that costs $10,000 to replace they pay for it.

State Farm has some nice policies but you gotta pay for them. I had lightning strike 2 80 foot tall Pine trees and kill them at my house. I get a quote from the tree guy to take them down, grind the stumps, remove all debris, blah, blah, blah, and took it to my agent. They not only paid for the tree guy (after a $500 deductible) but they also threw in an extra $500 per tree (covers the deductible and then some) for loss of landscape.

[JayD]

Originally Posted by swingset

Most thefts are preventable. Sounds like your buddy put it in a spot where it was easily hauled off, didn't lock it down, and had no plan for IF it ever got stolen. That's a recipe of "oops" right there.

My trailer goes inside the garage every night, with the truck detached but in front of it. For them to get the trailer out, they have to move the truck (which means hotwiring), open up the garage and pull the truck out, turn it around, then back up into it. Then, they have to cut the chain holding the trailer to the garage floor anchor, hook it up, and get it out of there in one piece. Not easy, and even less easy as it's only 25 yards from my back door and where my Labrador is sleeping with good ears.

When they DO get it out of the garage, I have a GPS tracker in the trailer so recovering the goods will be easier, at the very least it will help to arrest said scumbags.

Here's a good site with trackers:
http://www.brickhousesecurity.com/gp...e-logging.html

Insurance is for "all else fails", but I try very hard to make theft difficult enough that it's not worth it for the crooks.

Hey thanks for taking the time to place the web site on here, I never thought about this stuff until now. The old saying go's, "a lock is only there to get an honest man out" if the punk wants it he will get it. My brother had a trailer taken when he had a log chain on it chained to a telephone pole.

I hate people who steal from others....I wish we could adopt cutting off hands for doing that....