Locking your hitch

[mjflora]

Has anyone had (or know of anyone who has had) there hitch stolen? Seems like they'd be too heavy to be easily stolen, but someone warned me about it. Do you lock yours down in the bed of your truck? If so, how?

Mary

[Native Tex]

Wow! Never heard of one being stolen unless it would fit the bottom rails exactly. I am not sure how you would lock one in, but assume you could drill a hole in the pins and add a pad lock in place of cotter pins.

[richfaa]

In all our years of camping we have no personal knowledge of a hitch being stolen or know of anyone with personal knowledge of the same.. I am sure it has happened.There are however many stories of a guy who knew a guy who had a friend, who's sisters brother-in-law had one taken..from their driveway no less????

[cmp-shooter]

Do you know the pin lock that goes thru the standard hitch on a towed trailer?? you can get them in WALMART the key goes in the cam and hooks to an "L" shaped rod.well I confused you but this slips in place of 1 of the cotter pin locks and works very well for me, 3 cotter pins and 1 lock

well I tryed to describe this better...somebody got a pict?

here is a link to what I mean- 1-1/4" is what fits mine.
http://www.etrailer.com/Merchant2/me...gory_Code=l114

[joe2speed]

I keep my hitch locked in TV. Maybe I'm paranoid? Grew up in the city where everything that was not locked down dissapeared. Still just a habit. I use a hitch pin lock, where the bottom of the hitch sits in the rails. Just one lock the other 3 just plain hitch pins. I use a long shank master lock to lock the head of the hitch to the yoke. Makes me feel better knowing that its locked in place. Keeps the honest people, honest.

[Kathi]

When we had our hitch installed the dealer advised us that we should purchase those kind of locks. We did but got the wrong size. We finally found the correct size. That was when we lived in So. Cal. so there that is there...We do have them on there now. We got ours at an RV supply store. They also make them for trailer hitches.
richfaa, I know that story, only the way I heard it was, someone had their 5th wheel stolen because they didn't lock the pin box...Yea, Yea, I think that is the way it went!!!

[richfaa]

I too removed one of the hitch pins and replaced it with a hitch pin lock. I mean..It could happen???Although the chances are higher that someone would take the entire truck rather than just the hitch...It is one of those things were ...it can't hurt.

[Montana Sky]

I have a chain (soon to be cable) around the base of my Superglide that is locked to a tie down loop in the front corner of my truck bed. I am sure a pair of handy bolt cutters would cut the chain or padlock in a second. More for keeping the honest folks honest, and figure if they want it they are going to have to work for it. After paying for the Superglide the first time, I sure do not want to have to buy another one if I can help it.

[Montana_738]

Boy if they go that far they might as well take the whole truck. I guess anything is possible.

Bill

[Glenn and Lorraine]

Never felt I needed one and I never met anyone who personally had one stolen. Heard many stories of "a guy who knew a guy who had a friend, who's sisters brother-in-law had one taken..from their driveway no less????

[Glass Guy]

reese sells a lock set-up that is pretty simple to use it has a plate that slides onto your pin at the base of your hitch and you use a pad to keep the pin from being removed. Reese part # R58093 they sell for $7.70 on thier web site. Roman

[Montana_1892]

hi, i don't lock the hitch in ... and well if someone stole it, i suppose that would be a good reason to buy a good one ...

[Dave e Victoria]

The Reese Signature series has lever arms on each of the quarter tun fasteners that hold the hitch into the truck. When installed, the tabs on these arms are secured in pairs with safety pins. I just replaced one of the safety pins with a padlock. I really didn't do this because of a security issue but rather one of safety. The padlock looked a better fit than did the safety pin. Guess I'll never be the source of one of those stories now.....

[carlson]

On our Super glide there is a total of 8 pins.
I bought a set of 4 Brinks all brass locks, keyed alike.
I drill out the (4) pins just enough so the lock went through and locked.
I put (2) where the hitch attaches to the bar and (2) where the hitch attaches to the pins in the truck.
Just put them on opposite corners.

[JH Sechelt]

Our neighbours had their hitch stolen once, but it was still attached to their truck. They were down in the Baja, Mexico decided to go out from their campsite for lunch. Stopped at a restaurant and when they came out to go back to their campsite, voila, no truck. A bit of a bummer as being from B.C. Canada. They had to fly home at their expense, deal with our provincial insurance company, buy a new truck, get it rigged up to pull their 5er and drive all the the way back down to Mexico and pick up their trailer. In all took about 4 weeks. ( At least they had replacement cost on their truck so that didn't cost them anything extra).
J & D

[Amps]

If a thief wants it.......it is gone.........
Saw this in the news last summer. A young couple from Nova Scotia stop for lunch at a shopping mall halfway between Quebec City and Montreal. When they came out the truck, 5th wheel and dog were gone.
A week later the cops spotted the truck and arrested the driver(thief). Two weeks later someone noticed a 5th wheel in a field somewhere, that was the one. The dog was never found.
What size lock does one need to secure TV & 5th wheel and to what...a tree, building.

[Parrothead]

No lock here - been doing this for many years and never heard of anyone taking one. Considering how heavy they are and the time it would take to unhook, seems unlikely.
Happy trails......................

[DL N K]

Keep mine locked in for different reason. You know the old I've been told stories, I've been told of folks, (irate truckers, pranksters or whoever pulling the clips off the pins. Then a few miles down the road, your hitch and trailer depart company with the truck!
I use small brass keyed alike padlocks on all 4 pins on my drawtite, plus a lock throught the safety catch on the hitch. All probably just cheap insurance for peace of mind.

[snowbunny]

We put a hitch pin lock on our Reese hitch. For the $10.00 it cost it wasn't worth wondering whether we should....

[ols1932]

My hitch is installed so tight in the rails that you can't budge the pins. I wanted to use the locking pins but decided that if I can't remove the existing pins without unbolting the hitch itself, then I don't think anyone could take it.

Orv