Near disaster averted. Stolen hitch pins.

[edmojenks]

Add this to the list of mishaps I have had since I got my new 5er 18 months ago. (the list is growing). This Saturday I was at my house. I hooked up the 5er, got in the truck, hit the accelerator and was nearly jerked out of my cab. I thought the 5er had come off the hitch. I got out and saw that the trailer nearly jerked the hitch out of the bed. Actually, the hitch was only slightly bend forward. What I discovered was that the cab side pins were missing. The tailgate side pins were in place. However, I had bent the railing, bent the tail gate and bent the lips on the hitch itself. Took it to a local hitch dealer to get a new rail and ended up replacing the whole thing. We have a lot of new oil/gas development in the area. A lot of oil field workers live in trailers. The hitch dealer told me the new thing was for people to steal hitches out of trucks. Sure beats paying for them. In this case I quess the guy got spooked after he had taken two pins out. Right now I am looking for hitch pins that you can lock. Add this to my pre-take off walk around list.

[DQDick]

All you need is regular hitch pins and the 5th wheel hitch lock plates that Reese makes. Here is where I got mine: http://www.hitchestogo.com/fifth%20w...cessories.html

[CamillaMichael]

Have used locks on ours since it was first installed...always some twisted person out there to be aware of.

[edmojenks]

I consider myself "street wise" but I swear it never occurred to me that someone would try to steal my hitch. Now that it has happened I can't imagine why someone WOULDN'T try to steal it. I ordered the hitch lock plates today. Now, what else am I unaware of? Again, add this to the growing list of mishaps: blowout, dropped trailer on tail gate, pulled out of garage with steps still out. So far I haven't left my antenna up or pulled away from a camp site with my unit still plugged in.

[TLightning]

Add checking the pins to the check list.

[lfw]

I took all the clips out of my pins, drilled the hole a little bigger and put in bolts with nylock nuts on them.... On the top ones on my hitch I replace the complete pin with a 1/2 inch stainless steel bolt with a nylock nuts..It makes a little more work for me when I take the hitch apart to inspect it.... but well worth it... I hope they carry some wrenches with them to remove them.. And I even check them before we hookup or after we make a pit stop...
lfw

[HamRad]

After reading about folks having their pins pulled I started doing a visual check after every stop we make and are away from the rig. We were at a rest stop in Oregon just north of Grants Pass when I noticed I was missing a pin! I thought for sure someone had pulled them and was just waiting for me to pull out so they could get a good laugh. Then I started looking around the bed of the truck and found the pin. I believe the reason the pin was out was because something had dislodged it. At the time I was carrying some wood. I believe somehow the wood plus the movement of the hitch caused the pin to come out.

I can't believe someone would take out only a couple of pins and leave them in the truck bed. I have no idea how long it had been out but fortunately there was no damage. I've never known anyone who actually had someone actually pull the pins. But the experience from here on the MOC plus from reading a couple of other Forums makes me keep checking --- Just in case I run across one of those no good bums! Thanks for sharing Eddie and I'm glad you didn't have any more damage than you did. Good luck. Dennis

[cdaniels]

Uh we where in Kentucky at the Good Sams Rally and someone tried to steal our Winegard we had chained to our bike rack that holds our scooter. They also did not get it done but we where unaware that the pin was pulled on the bike rack and drove from Kentucky to Maryland with the scooter on back with no pin in the hitch. Now have a locking pin in the hitch. Now on our check list.

If you did not have bad luck you would not have any at all. I must say you seem to be taking it well and not thrown in the towel to the camping experience. Keep positive!

[bear]

We have a super glide, went down to harbor freight ....Now have locks on everything that has a HOLE..

For all who read this if you are traveling on I90 from SD,Montana
N Idaho, Thu WASH look out ,hitches are a big hit with the low life
some say has to do with the OIL fields

Hamrad take my word for it ,IT does happen. Ours had two pins taken out and put in holes that we don`t use for the hitch,If I had not been in the Habit of checking every stop ,we been up a creek with out a 5th wheel, this happen in Dillon, MT in SEPT....

David in beautiful Coeur d Alene,Idaho

[TAKPAK]

Hmmm, makes me kind of glad that we have the "older" style Reese hitch (16K). It doesn't swivel side to side, or slide back and forth, but as I look at it and some of the newer ones, ours seems to be much more "substantial" in it's build. It's built more like a "big rig" hitch. Weighs around 100 pounds. The rails do stick up in the bed a bit, but they are bolted to the frame. Also, to install the hitch, you have to postion four "lugs" in their holes and slide it sideways to lock it in. Then there are two bolts with 3/4 inch hex heads on them that lock the hitch to the rails. You'd have to have a good size crescent wrench, or socket set to get ours out of the bed.

I do have a lock on the release lever, after hearing about others who have had their release lever pulled on them, without knowing it.

[sfish]

The Reese #58093 lock clips work great. I never worry about someone stealing the hitch, I can hardly get it out of my truck for winter storage myself.

[HOOK]

We have the reese locks as our friend had some extras and gave me a set. Thanks Dick. Larry

[Waynem]

As Hamrad stated, when you stop, do a walk-around before getting back in the truck. We had locking pins on our Reese 16k hitch. It is not only the low life thieves, but the prankster kids walking by that say, "Hey! Watch this." Now if you are a Redneck you know the Hey! Watch this," is not a good saying. It is usually followed by something stupid. In the case of young pranksters, they never give a thought that what they are doing may kill someone.

Get locks, always do a walk-around.

[Pete Hanson]

I recently found the rear rail pins for my Superglide in the holes that don't do anything and I blamed my old age for it. I couldn't believe that I would have done that and after reading this maybe I can say I didn't. Hmmmmm!

[Bill-N-Donna]

I really like having the fold-a-cover topper on the truck bed. Even though someone could still break into it, it gives an added sense of security having everything locked up. My thinking is “out of sight, out of mind.” Still though, when I think of it I will check around whenever I’m towing and had it parked in a parking lot somewhere for a while. Anymore you just never know what someone may try for kicks.

[ronnilu]

I have about 6 padlocks all keyed alike. As others, I drilled out the pin holes and put the padlock thru. Have them on the pins that hold the hitch to the rail, and all components of the hitch itself, including the flip down safety latch that keeps the unlocking arm in place. Never, never, never trust that some lowlife won't dink around when you're not looking. mike

[mtheo]

I also drill out pins to accept small pad locks.

[ols1932]

My TrailerSaver hitch is so tight in the rails that I can't drive the pins out. When the hitch was installed, all the bolts were inserted but not tightened. When settling the hitch into the rails, tightening the bolts caused the hitch to bound tightly to the rails. I've tried to get the pins out and I can't so I believe I'm safe. On top of that I have enough loose pieces of 2x8's and three 5-gallon cans full of diesel, all cabled into the truck.

I sure don't understand the impetus that makes fools out of people trying to do harm to others.

Orv

[RRman]

I don't think anyone can steal my gooseneck ball without stealing the truck!
I suppose they could unbolt and remove my Gooseneck Adapter off my trailer kingpin, but the market is much smaller for such devices...

[navybanker]

Will the Reese locks work on Husky hitch pins?