A question to those who trailer...

unlvrebel

New Member
Mar 24, 2008
341
Clearwater, FL
Boat Info
2005 220 Sundeck
2002 Dodge Durango 5.9L
Engines
5.0 Merc
Heading down to Islamorada in a couple of weeks and towing the boat down. Everytime I've taken my boat somewhere there has always been another vehicle for local travel. Not the case this time. What does everyone do to secure your boat trailer (and boat) if you ever have to disconnect and do some local travel without the trailer? I've got the standard Gorilla Lock for the coupling, but that does not seem sufficient to me. Does anyone run chain through the spokes of there wheels?
 
Yep.
Just ask J "Everthing's Irie" about unlocked trailers. (Sorry J)
I also have a short cable that loops from the trailer to the car when I'm traveling that I leave hooked up.
 
Chain through the wheels is a good idea - make it OBVIOUS that it's chained. In the end, though, you can only do so much. If someone wants it bad enough, their going to find a way.
 
Just a thought; I use the plastic inserts to take the weight off the trim rams and tie the leg off to one side on long distant trailer rides. A Merc tech advised me the B111 is one heavy "pig" and it tends to move around and strapping it over to one side prevents any sway.
 
Is your tongue foldaway? I would use a padlock for the ball release, and wrap the chains around the fold away tongue and padlock that too. As well, padlock the foldaway portion.

A chain through the rims is also a good addition.

As said, no matter what you do, if they really want it, they will get it. You can make them work for it at least.
 
Yeah, I get it. You can keep the "honest" guys honest, but if someone really wants it...

No folding tongue. Even with folding the tongue and chaining it, an ambitious type would be able to slowly slide a chain down the length. Now if there were a hole left to right through the tongue... But really, someone stealing a trailer doesn't care if the coupling is properly seated on a ball. All they care about is rigging up something that will hold up the tongue. Heck, if it fell off in transit, what do they care?

Whatever is done has to be done at the wheels. If it can't roll its a little tougher to move. Ideally, the parking area would have something to chain TO that was permanently anchored in the ground... Then it becomes a matter of how thick and strong is your chain...

Yeesh, just can't win.
 
Yeah, don't go to crazy with this. And try to keep it simple for yourself.

Ditto. I use a ball lock & a coupler lock. If I were leaving the boat/trailer for an extended period or in an area I was unfamiliar with I might consider a chain for the wheels. Beyond that is why I have insurance :thumbsup:
 
Make sure you strap down the boat on the transom side or you'll get a nice ticket from Monroe County Sheriff's Office. Dont ask me how I know.
 
I'm a locksmith and have pretty substantial padlocks locking my trailer up, but I don't go overboard chaining everything up. Last summer we left the trailer for 16 days at the launch we used. I think if someone's going to try and get it the more you can do the better, but beyond that , yes that's why we have insurance.

Have fun, do your best and don't stress about it.
 
No folding tongue. Even with folding the tongue and chaining it, an ambitious type would be able to slowly slide a chain down the length.

What I do is wrap it around and connect the links in the chain together behind the winch. They cannot slide it.

Of course, a really good hammer on almost any padlock is going to break it anyway...
 
Make sure you strap down the boat on the transom side or you'll get a nice ticket from Monroe County Sheriff's Office. Dont ask me how I know.

When trailering anywhere, you should ALWAYS have transom straps anyway, I would think. I could be wrong, but I would never move it without the straps on.
 
When trailering anywhere, you should ALWAYS have transom straps anyway, I would think. I could be wrong, but I would never move it without the straps on.

You would be surprise how many people dont strap down the transom here in South Florida.
 
You would be surprise how many people dont strap down the transom here in South Florida.
Damn that would scare me. Well, they probably know better than I on whether you need them or not.

Personally, I dont trust the winch to hold it on a trip. I live only about a mile and half from our boat ramp, and I am still anal about checking how secure the boat is on the trailer.
 
I left my trailer without any type of lock on it at all in a parking lot in Key Largo for two weeks. I just foregot to put the lock on it. I got nervous when I remembered two days later that I hadn't locked it and called the lot where it was parked to ask the guy if he would go lock it for me. He said not to worry, in the 20 years they have been storing trailers for people they have never had one missing. I would have gone back to do it myself, but I was a full day's boat ride away and there was no good way to get back there.

My point is I think you guys are all a little overkill here. Throw a lock on it somehow, and if it gets stolen insurance will buy you a new one. I wouldn't go all Fort Knox on it.

Okay, now everyone tell me how "lucky" I am.
 
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I left my trailer without any type of lock on it at all in a parking lot in Key Largo for two weeks. I just foregot to put the lock on it. I got nervous when I remembered two days later that I hadn't locked it and called the lot where it was parked to ask the guy if he would go lock it for me. He said not to worry, in the 20 years they have been storing trailers for people they have never had one missing. I would have gone back to do it myself, but I was a full day's boat ride away and there was no good way to get back there.

My point is I think you guys are all a little overkill here. Throw a lock on it somehow, and if it gets stolen insurance will buy you a new one. I wouldn't go all Fort Knox on it.

Okay, now everyone tell me how "lucky" I am.

I would think this varies greatly with the area you leave it.

For example, if I was to go in the LI sound, I may launch in Bridgeport. There I would probably even take a tire off the trailer! However, launching in Westport, I could leave it completely exposed with no lock and probably not worry.

Insurance is great, but if I am coming back with my boat on Sunday at 5pm, and my trailer is gone...
 
I left my trailer without any type of lock on it at all in a parking lot in Key Largo for two weeks. I just foregot to put the lock on it. I got nervous when I remembered two days later that I hadn't locked it and called the lot where it was parked to ask the guy if he would go lock it for me. He said not to worry, in the 20 years they have been storing trailers for people they have never had one missing. I would have gone back to do it myself, but I was a full day's boat ride away and there was no good way to get back there.

My point is I think you guys are all a little overkill here. Throw a lock on it somehow, and if it gets stolen insurance will buy you a new one. I wouldn't go all Fort Knox on it.

Okay, now everyone tell me how "lucky" I am.

I agree with the don't go crazy but 5000 boats a year stolen in Florida alone?

http://mediacenteronline.com/visitor/DemoSite/BO_Scans/boat_industry.pdf
 
I would think this varies greatly with the area you leave it.

For example, if I was to go in the LI sound, I may launch in Bridgeport. There I would probably even take a tire off the trailer! However, launching in Westport, I could leave it completely exposed with no lock and probably not worry.

Insurance is great, but if I am coming back with my boat on Sunday at 5pm, and my trailer is gone...


Yea, I agree completely - you should lock it, but I also wouldn't go crazy with removing tires, folding the tounge, multiple chains, ect. ect. ect.
 
Damn that would scare me. Well, they probably know better than I on whether you need them or not.

Personally, I dont trust the winch to hold it on a trip. I live only about a mile and half from our boat ramp, and I am still anal about checking how secure the boat is on the trailer.

Transom straps are a MUST.
 

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Transom straps are a MUST.

Ahhhh...ya know, I was thinking about the way it sits and keeping it from falling off the BACK. I totally forgot the main reason was to hold the boat in place if you have to stop short!

Good find, good post you made.
 

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