wheel clamp on trailer

[PinHead]

Having had to move everything to another shed I thought a couple of wheel clamps may come into use on the boat trailer (when I get it) and also the camp trailer. Probably not required but a bit of overkill never hurt anyone. Moved the camp trailer to the new premises...and fixed the wheel clamp.

Too easy..but then..i tried to unlock it..nothing. The Bloody lock does not work.
I tried for ages until the inevitable happened. The key snapped. Hmmmmmmmmm.
Of course, me being me, I stayed cool , calm and collected and not a foul word was said in anger.

I sent an email to the store I purchased them from and also the supplier asking for advice on the easiest way to remove it without damaging the tyre and rim.

What did I get? The obligatory, give us a call and we will discuss it. I don't want to discuss it..I just want the damn thing off. Several emails back and forth and finally the manufacturer answered my question. Told me what to do and even offered to send out their State Manager to assist. No need for that.

I start doing what they said..bloody hell..too much effort for a Friday arvo.
Back to the ute and out with the 18V battery De Walt angle grinder.
One cut in under 30 seconds and the clamp is off.

My conclusion..wheel clamps are not worth a cracker. Someone could hook their car to your trailer..out with the grinder and in under 30 seconds be gone with the lot. By the time you heard them cutting it, it would all be over and they would be gone.

I think I'll just take the other clamp to the dump...not worth anything to anyone that is for sure.

[Bros]

I start doing what they said..bloody hell..too much effort for a Friday arvo.
Back to the ute and out with the 18V battery De Walt angle grinder.
One cut in under 30 seconds and the clamp is off.

My conclusion..wheel clamps are not worth a cracker. Someone could hook their car to your trailer..out with the grinder and in under 30 seconds be gone with the lot. By the time you heard them cutting it, it would all be over and they would be gone.

I think I'll just take the other clamp to the dump...not worth anything to anyone that is for sure.

Locks are for honest people the others will do what it takes.

[Tracker]

I stayed cool , calm and collected and not a foul word was said in ager.(ager???)
bsThat cranky you cockup.

[PinHead]

anger not ager..I know..I am a lousy typist.
I di stay cool, calm and collected..they offered me refunds, replacement..told em no thanks..just answer my question.

Not worth my time to go back for a refund..too many other things to do.

[Scott nthQld]

same could be said about all the other 'security' devices for trailers Pinhead, nothing it too big of a challenge if someone really wants your boat/trailer, all these devices are good for is to deter the 'lazy' thief, or opportunistic thief, most others will have the boat and trailer well sussed out before they even approach it.

A good idea as a deterrent, but as Bros said, locks are only for honest people and most of these things aren't worth the scrap you would get from their materials.

[FNQCairns]

Nothing beats the one nut per side holding each rim on, just don't forget

Short of that, a trailer needs to almost drip with anti-theft jewellery.

cheers fnq

[STUIE63]

I heard of a bloke at Mt Isa who had his boat in the carport and someone had backed their car up and hooked on the trailer . started to drive away and bang (there was a huge chain from the trailer to the carport) .it stopped the trailer so suddenly that the towball sheared on the car . the blokes missus came out and saw the car and reported it to the coppers

[goat boy]

was that a wheel clamp from a certain very cheap auto spares place? (in their colours)?
I bought one for use as a deterrent but found out it honestly wasn't worth even a tenth of the cost price. As Stuie mentioned, I now have a chain and padlock to the carport with a trailer lock. Still not much better but I figure thieves are lazy and would rather take the un-protected boat down the road....

[Trekka273]

As has already been said, there is only so much you can do. If someone is good enough and desperate enough, they will get what they want.

On my boat, which is under the car port, I have a very heavy chain around the trailer with a very good quality padlock and then around the brick support, a coupling lock on the front with a very good quality padlock, and another good quality padlock to prevent the couplingbeing lifted as well. Makes me feel safer, but in all honesty, they could still get it if they really wanted to.

[PinHead]

was that a wheel clamp from a certain very cheap auto spares place? (in their colours)?
I bought one for use as a deterrent but found out it honestly wasn't worth even a tenth of the cost price. As Stuie mentioned, I now have a chain and padlock to the carport with a trailer lock. Still not much better but I figure thieves are lazy and would rather take the un-protected boat down the road....

No it wasn't one of theirs

[Eelman]

Even though I know it would be easy for any thief with any sort of determination to get the tow ball lock off my boat, it's the minimum security required by my insurance company. As long as that's on the trailer in my yard, I'm covered.

[Hornet Rider]

Anything that makes your trailer/boat look more difficult than then the next one is worth the effort, unless you need the insurance money

[Scott nthQld]

my latest acquisition in anti teft devices and a recently acquired Mastiff, true its only a couple of months old, but when I'm through, a couple of 100kg blokes will be easy compared to the big tuskers she'll be bringing down

[PinHead]

Scott..don't rely on a dog as a deterrent to serious thieves..easiest thing in the world to stop..the barking is the thing that thieves hate...brings attention..a dog that is quiet and wants to bite is no problem to them.
I have had Rotties and Ridgebacks..only old ridgeback left now...never had any problems here but then again I have left 40k of a/c units sitting on the driveway for days and never anyone tried to take them...must just be lucky..in a reasonable area maybe.

When I think about it..not really sure why I thought about securing the trailer..only about 2500 worth...I have work equipment in that shed unsecured worth 4000.

I was just surprised at how easy that metal was to cut..I would have thought some hardened steel would be more appropriate.

[Scott nthQld]

its OK I have 2, one a foxy that barks at anything and everything he doesn't know, also we're on a big block out of town so they have a long way to go if they want to flog my boat.

Cops aren't even safe at my place haha.....on my 21st a few years ago, they turned up to tell us to turn the music down, murphy was on top of them in an instant, biting one when they wouldn't stop. We had a bit of a shit fight on our hands, they wanted him put down, the only thing that saved his skin was that they entered our back yard without permission and unaccompanied, especially when there were people, including me, inside the house and they was no obstruction for them to get to my front door