Hey guys,
After reading quite a few posts about trailer and car damage around the Brisbane/Gold Coast area and being a fairly new boatie, I am interested to hear your experiences of some bad boat ramps and what security you do have for your trailer, ie locks etc.
I havent had any troubles yet but then again I only launch at Thornside and Redland Bay. All I have for security is a padlock from my trailer to my car.
Cant wait to hear.
I think with how many trailers are left at ramps vs how many thefts there are the % chance is still pretty low. That said, any security I guess can be a deterrent for the casual thief but if a pro really wants your trailer/boat, I guess they're probably gonna end up with it. I use a wheel clamp and hitch lock at the ramp, with the addition of a chain and padlock to a post when at home. I've come back twice to the Dry dock ramp at Tweed around midnight with the first time a bunch of kids hanging around my car (only one there) and the second my hitch lock had been beaten out of shape. Had worse happen at my place in Capalaba with neighbour spotting a car load of blokes turn up one day to check my boat out and another time my anchor got stolen (kids I guess).
Vegetarian - Ancient tribal slang for the village idiot that can't hunt, fish or ride.
Depends, my trailer is brand new so % chance of it being stolen increases massively. Who wants the rusty one when theres a nice, new freshly galved one sitting there?
Anyways I use a wheel clamp, padlock on the hitch, lockable hitch pin, padlock on the safety chains to my ute and spare wheel chained up on the trailer (no good having a wheel clamp when all you have to do is unbolt the wheel and change it for the spare!). Also the ute has the standard and an aftermarket coded immobiliser if they try to take the lot, hopefully that deters them enough
Confucius says.........."Before man become master fisherman, man must become master baiter".
Always park next to mitchdemeanor or someone else with a similar quality new trailer. Makes yours look much less attractive.
I padlock mine to the car always (unless behind a locked gate), its all you need, no system is any better than the quality of the padlock used, and the crooks can always unbolt (from the trailer or the car) or even saw off a hitch if they are determined.
similarly I have a $5000 dollar falcon to tow it with, the good car never goes near a boat ramp.
I thought this thread was about Bad Boat Ramps as well as vehicle,trailer & boat security?Hmmm!!
Anyways, My security for my trailer is pretty much the same as mitchdemeanor, 1 padlock on the coupling lock, I use a locking device that attaches over the trailer coupling when attached to the car as well as a locking pin for the hitch receiver.
Wheel clamps are good if they cover the wheel nuts so as to stop that unwary thief from removing the wheel nuts.My vehicle has the modern factory fitted immobiliser/alarm.
As for bad boat ramps? Two that I can think of are Dohles Rocks-Murrumba Downs & the ramp at Toorbul, I think ramps need to have more pontoon docking (Like Scarborough) so you can tie your boat off whilst car/trailer are being moved instead of your poor assistant having to hang onto the boat.Go figure councils?
LITTLE SKIPPER!
For the money spent on your boat/motor/trailer package, how many of you would spent the extra dollars to secure the trailer? Is an extra couple of hundred $$$ for a Cuda Alarm worth it? In my opinion any deterent is better than none. 2 wheel clamps, trailer hitch lock, padlock on hitch Cuda Alarm and alarm on shed. Why would I make it easy for the common scum to take my hard earned possesions? Insurance as well, but how much trouble are you in when you arrive back at the ramp to find no trailer? or worse no car and trailer? How many people remember one of our members who had his car broken into at the ramp only to find out his home had been ransacked? Spend the dollars and make it as hard as possible for these arseholes.
Regards,
Wags
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