How To Lock A Trailer – 9 Tips For Securing Your Gear Properly

Trailers are expensive. Not to mention the appliances and personal items that are usually in the trailer which makes them a prime target for thieves. So how do you lock a trailer to prevent thieves from stealing it?

In this article, I will share with you 9 effective tips to lock your trailer and prevent them from being stolen.

These tips are useful whether you are keeping your caravan at home or using a caravan storage facility.

Tip 1: Use trailer hitch pin locks

One of the most affordable ways to lock a trailer is with trailer hitch locks.

Hitch locks are pins inserted in the holes of the hitch and locked with a key to preventing the hitch from being released. Think of them as a padlock for the hitch.

They can be used when your trailer is hitched or unhitched to a tow vehicle.

One disadvantage of hitch pin locks is that they are easily undone by the use of a few hand tools. So invest in a high-quality hitch pin lock for more security.

You can get alarmed locks that will sound when they detect that someone is attempting to open them without using the key.

Tip 2: Use a coupler lock

A coupler lock comes in different forms, sizes, and colors. Basically, it is something you’d insert into the coupler to prevent vehicles from coupling with your trailer.

This is used when your trailer is unhitched to your vehicle. Coupler locks work well in conjunction with a hitch pin lock and a receiver lock.

Tip 3: Use a receiver lock

A receiver lock locks the whole assembly of your vehicle’s receiver so thieves can’t simply pull the entire assembly out and slide it in their truck.

This is typically used while your trailer is hitched to your vehicle.

This works great in conjunction with a hitch pin lock.

Tip 4: Lock your safety chains together

Another useful tip is to lock your safety chains together when your trailer is unhitched.

That way, thieves can’t simply attach the safety chains to their vehicles and drive them away.

Tip 5: Use wheel clamps

Probably the most effective way to secure your trailer is with the help of wheel clamps.

Wheel clamps are locked into your wheels to prevent a complete rotation of the wheel when thieves try to drive them away. These things are similar to the ones used by traffic enforcers when you park illegally.

The problem with the cheap ones you usually get online is that thieves can easily remove your tyres to undo the clamps because it does not cover the bolts on the wheels the way a boot-style wheel clamp does.

One effective way to prevent that is by putting on locking lug nuts so your tyres cannot be removed easily.

Tip 6: Chain your trailer to an immovable object

Another cheap and effective way to prevent your trailer from being stolen is by chaining them to an immovable object like a pole or a bollard.

Using a thick chain and some high-quality padlocks, this simple yet effective solution can give amateur thieves without proper tools a hard time.

Tip 7: Full coupler and safety chain lock

I’ve found this interesting locking system that slides right in the entire coupler of the trailer including the hitch and the chains.

It does the jobs of the hitch pin lock and coupler lock as well as secures the chains to prevent them from being used to tow the vehicle.

What’s good about them is that they’re less likely to be broken when drilled or hammered, which is a common problem seen in coupler locks and hitch pin locks.

However, these locks are very expensive, and only worth it for expensive caravans or similar.

Tip 8: Install a vibration and displacement alarm

Vibration and displacement alarms may not physically prevent your trailer from being stolen but they sure will scare off the thieves and alert bystanders once they fire up at 130 decibels.

Tip 9: Install a GPS tracker

This tip isn't necessarily used to lock your trailer but you can use this to track your trailer once it’s been stolen.

Simply install a GPS tracker inside the trailer and show the exact location to the authorities when it gets stolen.

Final Thoughts

Any dedicated and experienced thief can find a way to steal your trailer if he wants to. Even if you do any of the tips we discussed.

But the goal here is to install as many redundant systems as possible to deter thieves from stealing your trailer. The more security systems you have in place, the more likely it is that thieves will just move on and look elsewhere.