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Discussion Forum

Trailer alarms – what are you guys doing

JulianTracy | Posted in General Discussion on April 28, 2006 04:04am

So my little trailer is all niftyfied and full of a bunch of cool tools and I have yet to get an alarm for it.

Never actually seen trailer alarms, but but never looked either – so what are you guys using and how’s it working out for you and what’d it cost?

Thanks,

Julian

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Replies

  1. toolbear | Apr 28, 2006 04:27am | #1

    Good idea.  One of our Habbie trailers was just driven off, complete with toys.

    Got a ball lock? 

    One was emptied of the good stuff (8K).  Cut the lock on the side door.  No alarm.  Probably the neighbors that did it.

    I don't like those with a delay.  You can rip a lot of wires in ten seconds.

    If you want to go cheap, you can framus up one with auto supply parts.  Had one that would go off as soon as the door opened - used a dome light switch for that.  You disarmed the circuit by shoving a pin into an obscure hole to open the circuit.

    Suggest that you do this, or go better - and that can get expensive - AND mount a job box inside.  That was the solution for one Habbie.  All the good stuff is in the box, bolted to the floor and the alarm is blaring and it has an internal battery for power.  They got nailed thrice - once was a rock, twice was something to cut the hinges, etc.

     

     

     

    The ToolBear

    "Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.

    1. JulianTracy | Apr 28, 2006 05:04am | #2

      I've got too much good stuff to fit in a jobbox, and we are only talking about a 5x10 trailer - no room for a job box.Have to get serious about it now though - too much of a risk the way I've been going.JT

      1. PatchogPhil | Apr 28, 2006 05:33am | #3

        You can also put LoJack in a trailer.  It gets it's own battery supply and charging circuit that gets juice from the towing vehicle while it is hooked up.

        You should also rig it up to prevent the trailer from being dragged away.  Make it near impossible for the trailer to roll.  Wheel locks.  Mega tow chain and lock to a sunken cement anchor or at least a large tree.   A ball-lock doesn't prevent a trailer from being hauled away by a chain wrapped around the tongue.  Or a flatbed tow truck.

    2. DanH | Apr 28, 2006 01:17pm | #7

      Yeah, brand new Habitat trailer was stolen here, full of tools and materials. They hadn't had a chance to get it painted yet.I'm thinking you need some sort of LoJack system, or a GPS locator of some kind. Another option, if you're leaving the trailer in one place for a time, is to take a wheel off (though a determined thief will work around that one).
      If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison

      1. toolbear | Apr 29, 2006 03:28am | #8

        Lowjack might be the thing if they are driving it off.  What works for the Empty in Place mode?  Some system that dials you up if the door is opened or it moves?

        Painting it would be nice for PR, but I suspect a lot in the trades don't paint because that just says Steal Me.  With 18v 4.5 grinders and metal cutting blades, I suspect the locks don't have a chance. 

        One guy did an accordion gate inside the rear ramp.The ToolBear

        "Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.

        1. JulianTracy | Apr 29, 2006 03:58am | #10

          That's it!I think having an accordian style security gate in both doors is the ticket. That, combined with some solar power night activated small flashing lights mounted on the trailer might just be the perfect low-cost, great value solution. Even better - run the fake flashing security light system from a Makita 9.6 stick battery - seems like it'd run a bunch of led flashers for a week or so at least one one charge...If you could find a security gate that had some sort of 3 point locking mechanism, that might make it just the right amount of F*&^ It - I'm outta here to most thieves. Or, figure out a way to lock the gate so the only way to unlock it is to stick my skinny arm through the gate with a key - thus preventing someone from cutting off the lock - they'd have to cut through each section of gate to get through it.Plus, being accordian style - they could stay mounted in the trailer and not take up much space.Here's a link to one - they have gates for 3-4' doors for only $130 each - gonna start trying to figure out how to make this happen.http://blockadergates.com/catalog/images/SSG1065.jpgThanks for the ideas - keep em coming.JT

          Edited 4/28/2006 9:14 pm ET by JulianTracy

          1. toolbear | Apr 29, 2006 05:29pm | #12

            Weld on tabs and lock the gate high and low.  Those puck locks come recommended.

            Then they will attack the hinges.  But, your alarm is playing strident music all the while, eh? 

            How bout a voice chip that counts down in Spanish - Demolition charge is armed.  15 seconds to detonation, 14 seconds to detonation, etc.

            A device that would fill the trailer with a riot gas...

            CS and tear gas are micropuliverized solids, so they will contamintate things for you.

            FWIW - DeWalt offers a system.  Think it's about 1K.  The ToolBear

            "Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.

  2. Tomrocks21212 | Apr 28, 2006 06:26am | #4

    I reworked an old motion-sensor alarm (house type) to work off of 12 volts. I put a tractor battery inside, with a trickle charger, my battery will keep the system armed for about 10 days without a recharge. But any place that sells car alarms could rig one for you.
    Also, (BTW, my trailer's a small 5x8), I use:
    Hitch lock;
    2 Kryptonite U-locks around the springs and through the wheel spokes;
    A puck lock on the factory hasp;
    Barrel bolts with padlocks on the inactive door;
    3 sets of grade 43 chain that allow the active door to open only enough to get the key in the locks.
    And more to come.... Chains or cables through or around tools and/or boxes, etc., and threaded behind the 1/2" ply I lined the trailer with.
    I had only one of the U-locks on there a few weeks ago (the other was protecting some ladders elsewhere) when the thieves came. They tried to make off with the whole thing. That U-lock was twisted and jammed too tight to even turn the key, but it saved my rig and my tools.
    I did a test with the hi-test chain. A fully-charged 18 volt DeWalt recip saw cut all the wat through 1 link, but ran out of juice halfway through the second one.
    I'll also chain the frame to a big tree if one's handy.
    You really can't stop the thieves, all you can do is slow them down and draw attention to them to make stealing YOUR stuff as big a PITA as possible. It's ridiculous what we have to go through to keep the stuff that's already ours.

  3. tmaxxx | Apr 28, 2006 07:15am | #5

    although i have not done it yet i have investigated on how to do that.  you have 2 choices.  you can have a system connected to the truck or and independent system.

    a system connected to the truck uses door actuated switches on the trailer doors connected to the truck via a second connector plug .  when the trailer is not connected it has no alarm and the truck needs a dummy plug that loops to tell the system the doors are closed.   so if someone were to pull out the dummy plug, the alarm would go off.

    the other option is to have an independent system.  for that you will need a whole alarm system, plus battery, plus a charging system in the truck to charge the trailer battery.  the safty brake battery isnt big enough.  and its recommended you use a deep cycle battery.

    with both systems, the alarm company recomended not using the vibration sensor or setting it really high. also most alarms auto set so you have to turn it off then on everytime you go in and out. really inconvenient if you have a crew.

    the other option (which i chose) is i custom made s.s. lock systems for the side door (uses a power bolt so i dont need keys) and a lock system for the rear latch that cannot be smashed, bolt cut, or pryed off.  if they want in, they need power tools.  if i could figure out why i cant post pics i wolud show you. or you can mail me directly to see what i have done.

    after having a trailer for many years i learned the hard way(got broken into the night after i bought it).  no matter what you do if they want in, they will get in.  i have seen trailers where they go through the cheap roof or the side wall.  i even saw photos of one ripped open by an excavator.

    also with pin lock type devices i have been told by the police that they just hook it up whatever way they can with chain and drag it away.  wheel locks are better.

    you can rig up a steel bar lock on the inside of the rear doors too but then you have to go in the side door to remove it every time.

    your best bet is to make it as hard to take or break in as you can. most of them will give up if its too hard unless they really want in.  the other thing is when you park it unhooked, park it where they have to be really goood at trailer manouvering to get it out but then so do you.

    Tmaxxx

    Urban Workshop Ltd

    Vancouver B.C.

    cheers.  Ill buy.



    Edited 4/28/2006 12:19 am ET by tmaxxx

  4. ponytl | Apr 28, 2006 11:33am | #6

    I haven't seen how he did it  but a friend of mine told me he welded up a deal on his trailer so that he could drop & pin 2-  2" sq  steel tubes (inside front & rear) with pads on the bottom.. down from inside the trailer when parked... so that even if they could get it hitched up .. which he didn't think they'd be able to do since it had no tilt with em locked in place... they'd be drag'n & spark'n go'n down the road...  this was after he had one stolen...

    p

  5. User avater
    dieselpig | Apr 29, 2006 03:43am | #9

    I have a TrailerDog alarm system in my work trailer.  Not that I leave it onsite very much, but it's still in there.  It's powered by a solar panel mounted on the roof.  It's small and doesn't get in the way of the racks up there either.  Pretty good system.

    The alarm is nice and loud and is tripped by excessive motion, drive off, or any of the doors being opened.  If it's tripped with a drive off, the brakes automatically lock up as if the safety wire had been pulled.

    My only complaint was that after four or five consecutive overcast winter days, the system wouldn't recieve enough of a charge and would go dead.  Then you've got to pull the battery out, recharge it, reinstall, and then whole system had to be reprogrammed.  Happened twice in 18 months... not too bad, but very aggravating.

    The solution is called a "DogPack".  I've yet to buy one but IIRC, it's around $200.  It's a huge battery pack that you can pull out and plug into 110 to recharge.  I think if (when) I get one, I'll just run an extension cord to it for a couple hours once in awhile.

    When I bought mine, about 18 months ago, I paid about $1000, for the system and installation.  They told me that within 6 months they were going to have the system GPS enabled but I haven't followed up on that.  Of course it would cost additional money, but if the alarm was tripped, the system would call your cell phone and alert you.  You'd also be able to track the location of your trailer from your home computer as well as be able to arm and disarm it via phone and computer.  Pretty good investment when you think about it.

    To be entirely honest though, I think the most valuable part of the whole alarm system is the flashing LED light on the outside.  I'm no thief, but I have to believe that it would serve as a deterant to keep some of the amateurs from messing around with it.  I think all you can really hope to do is keep the honest people honest anyway though.  That's why I rarely leave it onsite.  But even in my own driveway, the alarm is nice piece of mind.

    I think this is the link for more info:

    http://www.trailerdog.com

     

    View Image
  6. User avater
    Luka | Apr 29, 2006 06:13am | #11

    I made some home made large beefy sliding bolts not too long ago.

    Put two of these on each door, and it will provide excelent security for the door itself.

    Remember that everything should be bolted through. Use carriage bolts so that the only thing accessible on the outside is a round head.

    Here is the WIP I made up of the job.

    http://lukasmountain.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/5970031523/m/4930004523


    The destination is not the point. The completion is not the point. Enjoy today. If you can't enjoy today, then what is the point ?

  7. frenchy | Apr 29, 2006 08:06pm | #13

    julian,

      Park your rough terrain telescopic forklift over it.  leave your front tires an inch or so away from the back doors and the forks over the top of it with the goosneck keeping someone from hooking up to it and pulling it away..

          On the inside put a couple of really big cross bucks to keep the door from being pried off.  To advertize it do the same on the outside.

       On your forklift put a hasp over the ignition switch with a big padalock   buy foam filled tires so vandles can't hurt the tires on the forklift, with padalocks on the fuel and Hydraulic fluids..

      theves will take one look at that and go elsewhere.  never had a trailer stolen  or broken into that was protected like that in 15 years.

     Takes only a moment or two to lock up every night.

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