How To Protect Your Trailer

From hauling equipment, motorbike trailers for off-road adventures and oversized items, trailers make easy work of carrying large and heavy loads. It’s no wonder that any trailer owner is often fielding requests for loans from family, friends and neighbours. Whether you have left it to go for lunch or store it by your house, it’s too easy to be too trusting and leave it to the universe to secure your trailer from wistful eyes.

Thousands of trailers are stolen in Australia annually, so it’s crucial you protect your utility vehicle with the best trailer lock and security available. Theft isn’t only robbing you of your investment, regardless if your insurance covers it, it has an opportunity cost where it can harm your occupation if you require it as part of your job.

All, if not most, states require your trailer to be fitted with a licence plate. You don’t want to be responsible for fighting against any fines or infractions attached to your licence due to the thief’s driving.

To ward off opportunistic thieves, attaching trailer wheel locks to your trailer is a great deterrent. Adding some carefully thought-out roadblocks will secure your trailer and give you the peace of mind to store it at home without a second thought or primitively chaining your trailer’s frame to a tree that can be easily cut. From securing your vehicle with a trailer wheel lock and instituting other security measures, we will discuss the best ways you can secure and protect your trailer in the article below.

1. Install a tongue lock

One of the best trailer security locks, tongue locks are trussed to your trailer’s coupler, ceding your trailer’s operability or attachment to another vehicle without the direct intervention of the owner. When your trailer is out of use, stored away and most vulnerable, tongue locks offer an ideal solution for managing your trailer’s security.

2. Attach a hitch lock

A hitch lock is a fantastic trailer security lock that maintains a robust connection between your trailer’s hitch and the hitch receiver, rendering it incredibly difficult for the determined thief to disconnect your trailer. Whether you’re transporting goods across a distance with a tandem axle trailer or servicing a region with your trade with a lawn mowing trailer, a hitch lock will allow you to step away from your vehicle without having to look over your shoulder.

3. Secure your trailer with a chock lock

Trailer wheel locks like chock locks are a strong deterrent and offer fantastic trailer security. Chock looks offer many benefits, including preventing your wheels from turning in the event of theft and stopping your trailer from rolling if any guards attached to your wheels become unattached. They are one of the simplest trailer locks owners can use to protect their investment.

4. Mark your territory

Marking your trailer with spray paint or a large and recognisable sticker will help distinguish your vehicle from others in the unfortunate event it is stolen and make it far easier for police to spot and try to recover your trailer. Making your trailer stand out and attract attention will ward off potential theft by those who would like to go unnoticed.

5. Don’t advertise expensive goods

Don’t store empty boxes in your trailer to later throw out and broadcast to the world that you have new, expensive wares. Packaging from high-end products can signal to unsavoury characters a prime target waiting to be picked.

Until you’re ready to dispose of your packaging properly, store it in an area unseen by the general public or pile other waste on top to disguise it like a needle in a haystack.

6. Look to technology for your trailer security

Couple your trailer locks with technology and instil further security and peace of mind when your trailer is left unattended. A trailer alarm is becoming a popular item that senses vibration and the incline of your trailer to detect movement. From setting off alarms to advanced versions that activate a trailer’s electrical brake, alarms offer a great way to secure your trailer.

Another option for superb trailer security is a trailer tracker. Using GPS functionality, you can monitor the location of your trailer at home, work, when loaned to family or friends and to help recover it in the case of theft.

Modern Trailers for work, industry and home

Trailer locks are an important way to protect your investment and can be the difference between maintaining possession of your trailer or working to recover it. Whether you need them for work or general home maintenance, keep your trailer safe from prying eyes and stubborn friends and family who won’t accept no.

While you’re here, check out our range of trailers and find heavy-duty models for all activities and uses. Modern Trailers is a leading trailer manufacturer and supplier who can design and build your trailer and utility vehicle to make transporting heavy loads for whatever use you can think of easy. If you have any questions about our range, don’t hesitate to reach out — we’re happy to help with any queries.