Stolen tow bars

[Tom_Barb]

Second time this year friends have had their towing equipment stolen off the rear of their coaches.
If your tow bar is attached to your coach by a quick release pin, change it to a grade 8 bolt and a steel stop nut. Lock good and tight.

Tow bars are not cheap and they sell good on E-Bay.

Those who know how, can have your bar and be gone in 30 seconds.

Think about this too,, there are only 5 master keys that will unlock every compartment door in the entire industry.

But I see now the industry is starting to use keyless locking systems, I wonder how long it will be until those are compromised ?

[Archie_Kravitz]

Have someone steal the removable tow hooks off your tow vehicle. That's why I take mine off when not towing

[Fleetwood_Coupl]

doc brown wrote:

dcbrewer wrote:

Tom N wrote:
I use one of these locking hitch pins. Available everywhere.

Same one I use!!

Ditto, going on 13 years. Use on my Blue Ox tow bar set up.

Buddy of mine just had one of these shear in half, towing a car trailer with his new mustang on it while moving from NC to TN, pulling it with his class 3, he said it was really windy but that the pin was new he had just bought it for the trip. Luckily his wife was following and was on the phone with him when it happened. They got stopped without any damage, safety chains did the job. I recommend the Master Lock series of pin locks, the fit really tight and the key part is at a 90 degree angle, which is why I bought it, my electrical light hook up is in the way for the strait pin lock.

[Mile_High]

msmith1199 wrote:

Mile High wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:

hohenwald48 wrote:

discovery4us wrote:
The bolt and nut are good but a thief with a Makita impact gun will have it off just as quick as a standard pin.

And a thief with a cut-off wheel on a battery powered angle grinder will have the locks off just as quick.

I suspect most tow bar thefts are spur of the moment impulses on the part of the thief. If somebody shows up with intent, proper tools and a little planning nothing short of an armed guard will stop them.

And how many of those thieves pulling these "spur of the moment" thefts are carrying around a battery powered angle grinder?

Probably the same guys that pull up to your new diesel pickup with a battery powered reciprocating saw and steel your entire exhaust system while your in your hotel. $1,600 ca-ching!.

Pretty easy to find a victim pickup parked in a spot where you can get the exhaust. Not so easy to find a motorhome just sitting around with a nice tow bar attached just waiting to be ground off with a grinding wheel. The point being, lock your stuff. Yeah if they have the right tools they'll get through your lock, but the vast majority of thieves don't carry the right tools for these types of thefts.

ya that's true.

[msmith1199]

Mile High wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:

hohenwald48 wrote:

discovery4us wrote:
The bolt and nut are good but a thief with a Makita impact gun will have it off just as quick as a standard pin.

And a thief with a cut-off wheel on a battery powered angle grinder will have the locks off just as quick.

I suspect most tow bar thefts are spur of the moment impulses on the part of the thief. If somebody shows up with intent, proper tools and a little planning nothing short of an armed guard will stop them.

And how many of those thieves pulling these "spur of the moment" thefts are carrying around a battery powered angle grinder?

Probably the same guys that pull up to your new diesel pickup with a battery powered reciprocating saw and steel your entire exhaust system while your in your hotel. $1,600 ca-ching!.

Pretty easy to find a victim pickup parked in a spot where you can get the exhaust. Not so easy to find a motorhome just sitting around with a nice tow bar attached just waiting to be ground off with a grinding wheel. The point being, lock your stuff. Yeah if they have the right tools they'll get through your lock, but the vast majority of thieves don't carry the right tools for these types of thefts.

[SCVJeff]

Mr.Mark wrote:

DiskDoctr wrote:

SCVJeff wrote:
THIS Claymore is much easier:

Always liked the "Dead Simple" instructions on those things 😉

Guys, what is that? Never have seen one nor do I know what it is used for.

Can I have a simple explanation?

Thanks,
MM.

And you don't EVER want to see one from this angle. It's a shaped charge trip wire anti-personnel mine, and this is the business end

[Mile_High]

msmith1199 wrote:

hohenwald48 wrote:

discovery4us wrote:
The bolt and nut are good but a thief with a Makita impact gun will have it off just as quick as a standard pin.

And a thief with a cut-off wheel on a battery powered angle grinder will have the locks off just as quick.

I suspect most tow bar thefts are spur of the moment impulses on the part of the thief. If somebody shows up with intent, proper tools and a little planning nothing short of an armed guard will stop them.

And how many of those thieves pulling these "spur of the moment" thefts are carrying around a battery powered angle grinder?

Probably the same guys that pull up to your new diesel pickup with a battery powered reciprocating saw and steel your entire exhaust system while your in your hotel. $1,600 ca-ching!.

[Mr_Mark1]

DiskDoctr wrote:

SCVJeff wrote:
THIS Claymore is much easier:

Always liked the "Dead Simple" instructions on those things 😉

Guys, what is that? Never have seen one nor do I know what it is used for.

Can I have a simple explanation?

Thanks,
MM.

[msmith1199]

hohenwald48 wrote:

discovery4us wrote:
The bolt and nut are good but a thief with a Makita impact gun will have it off just as quick as a standard pin.

And a thief with a cut-off wheel on a battery powered angle grinder will have the locks off just as quick.

I suspect most tow bar thefts are spur of the moment impulses on the part of the thief. If somebody shows up with intent, proper tools and a little planning nothing short of an armed guard will stop them.

And how many of those thieves pulling these "spur of the moment" thefts are carrying around a battery powered angle grinder?

[DiskDoctr]

SCVJeff wrote:
THIS Claymore is much easier:

Always liked the "Dead Simple" instructions on those things 😉

[doc_brown]

dcbrewer wrote:

Tom N wrote:
I use one of these locking hitch pins. Available everywhere.

Same one I use!!

Ditto, going on 13 years. Use on my Blue Ox tow bar set up.

[slickest1]

Claymores or a Jesus bumper sticker. In other words Bless him or Blast him!!

[SCVJeff]

DiskDoctr wrote:

SCVJeff wrote:

irishtom29 wrote:

DiskDoctr wrote:
Claymores are the answer to so many theft problems, LOL 😛

You have to catch the thief in the act to chase him off with a sword.

Unnecessary with a Claymore

Awesomeness, LOL.

FYI: History of the Scottish Claymore Sword
Learn something new every day :C

That one is too much work...

THIS Claymore is much easier:

[JC2]

crasster wrote:

hohenwald48 wrote:

discovery4us wrote:
The bolt and nut are good but a thief with a Makita impact gun will have it off just as quick as a standard pin.

And a thief with a cut-off wheel on a battery powered angle grinder will have the locks off just as quick.

I suspect most tow bar thefts are spur of the moment impulses on the part of the thief. If somebody shows up with intent, proper tools and a little planning nothing short of an armed guard will stop them.

True. The lock stops the crime of opportunity though and the unprepared thief.

You know what is effective, putting a "Jesus is the answer" bumper sticker on your coach. 🙂

As the pro wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin used to say: A good dose of A....s whuppin is sometimes needed to distract certain people from inappropriate behavior.:R

[crasster]

hohenwald48 wrote:

discovery4us wrote:
The bolt and nut are good but a thief with a Makita impact gun will have it off just as quick as a standard pin.

And a thief with a cut-off wheel on a battery powered angle grinder will have the locks off just as quick.

I suspect most tow bar thefts are spur of the moment impulses on the part of the thief. If somebody shows up with intent, proper tools and a little planning nothing short of an armed guard will stop them.

True. The lock stops the crime of opportunity though and the unprepared thief.

You know what is effective, putting a "Jesus is the answer" bumper sticker on your coach. 🙂