kgreen Posted October 25, 2022 Share Posted October 25, 2022 Plain black and white trailers are more often stolen than those with graphics. I note the recent theft and fortunate recovery of the '31 Reo. One post suggested graphics along the lines of "vehicle contains radioactive waste", another post suggested DOT problems if the vehicle and trailer were mistakenly identified as a commercial carrier. The trailer that I bought had Vodka graphics as the previous owner who hauled his project cars likely used the trailer personally but wrote off the cost for his business. That's not recommended but I'm sure it happens. I also removed the graphics. Either way, I'm thinking about putting new graphics on my trailer as a means of making the trailer more identifiable to deter theft. I also use a wheel lock on the trailer, a hitch lock on the ball retainer and don't disengage the trailer when traveling. I'd say the truck is theft-proof, but if someone wanted the whole rig, I'm sure they would figure out a way to take it. Show us your graphics, what other features do you employ to deter theft? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary_Ash Posted October 25, 2022 Share Posted October 25, 2022 I considered graphics on my trailer, but didn't put anything on it. I didn't want to announce to the world what might be inside. With cordless tools aplenty, anyone could grind through the two padlocks on the rear ramp door in a couple of minutes and be inside. I guess I worry more that someone could use the jack in the front to remove the load from the hitch, pull out the hitch pin, and move/turn the trailer enough to connect it to a scoundrel's truck. Paranoia strikes deep! However, I do like the trailer that belongs to the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, IN. And, a fifth wheel hitch does make it harder to steal the trailer. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgreen Posted November 1, 2022 Author Share Posted November 1, 2022 This one says "STEAL ME" 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgreen Posted November 1, 2022 Author Share Posted November 1, 2022 Note to trailer thief: "never mind" 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angelfish Posted January 27, 2023 Share Posted January 27, 2023 (edited) I work in the retail end of the construction business and we see tools and trailers getting stolen on a regular basis. The owners agree that it is the unmarked trailers that get stolen and they are turned into meth labs. The contents, well that's fair game regardless. In the era of cordless tools it's impossible to keep someone out, all you can do is slow them down. Puck locks are harder to cut than a regular pad lock so they just cut the door around the lock. On a job site they use a large hole saw and reach in and open the door from the inside. Edited January 27, 2023 by Angelfish (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
californiamilleghia Posted January 27, 2023 Share Posted January 27, 2023 you want something on the top 2 foot of the sides , so when it is parked in a lot with other trailers you can point it out ..... Some numbers on the roof can also help in recovery 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ex98thdrill Posted August 5, 2023 Share Posted August 5, 2023 I recently retired from the Sheriff's Department. At the Sheriff's Department we had a ghost car. The ghost car is a black Dodge Charger with black reflective scotchlight. During the day it looks like a plain black Dodge Charger, at night it reflects the same as a marked patrol unit. I did the same thing with my trailer. During the day it looks like a plain gray trailer. Depending on the light and where you stand, sometimes the graphics are lighter than the trailer, sometimes they're darker than the trailer and sometimes you can't see anything at all. At night, a DIFFERENT STORY. I also went as far as put my name on the roof in large reflective black lettering. I did this for two reasons: 1. It makes it harder for a thief to steal the trailer because it would be too time consuming to remove the graphics, and too obvious if they take off with the trailer. 2. In the event I lose power to the lights, the trailer is still visible at night. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgreen Posted September 27, 2023 Author Share Posted September 27, 2023 Is your AACA graphic custom made from a shop local to you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trulyvintage Posted September 27, 2023 Share Posted September 27, 2023 Conspicuity reflective tape can be bought online in rolls or at brick & mortar stores like YT Tractor Supply or Walmart in multi packs of 12 inch lengths Every enclosed car hauler trailer I have owned has had the back barn doors or ramp door patterned similar to this …. Since the most common view of an enclosed trailer is from rear this distinguishes your trailer easily from other trailer while adding needed visibility at night. Don’t put the farm triangles on. In some states they are reserved solely for agricultural equipment. Years ago I got waived into an Iowa Check Station during the daytime because they were on this trailer - I removed them in front of the Vehicle Enforcement officer but I still got a ticket … Jim 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Shaw Posted September 28, 2023 Share Posted September 28, 2023 On 1/27/2023 at 10:41 AM, californiamilleghia said: Some numbers on the roof can also help in recovery This is the best idea! Maybe put your cell# on the roof? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldschoolantiqueauto Posted December 3, 2023 Share Posted December 3, 2023 (edited) This is a great topic. I am setting myself up to start driving cost to cost buying & selling vintage car accessories at swap meets, & visiting all the car shows I have always wanted to go to. So I am re-building a small 2 horse trailer for my adventure, & I have been thinking? I need to make my trailer hard to steel or break into. Most of these ideas sound real good, like adding something on the roof to ID it from the sky & something on the sides & back to spot it going down the road. What about having a strong 12v battery inside the trailer hooked to a loud town/country horn? There are ways to hook it to the back doors to sound the alarm if they are opened? Maybe a ground wire going to the frame so that if it is unhooked from the ball which will cut the ground, the horns will sound. Or maybe hooking it to a ball which will complete the ground & sound the horns. And having a mercury switch in the system will sound the horns when it's moved? Having a GPS system added to the trailer should locate it quick if it does get away? There must be a way to make a trailer safer from theft? Edited December 3, 2023 by Oldschoolantiqueauto (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarNucopia Posted December 3, 2023 Share Posted December 3, 2023 19 minutes ago, Oldschoolantiqueauto said: Having a GPS system added to the trailer should locate it quick if it does get away? There must be a way to make a trailer safer from theft? I put an Apple AirTag in my trailer when I'm traveling. It updates you on the trailer's location based on when it is in contact with other iPhone users. An interesting feature is, if someone "tags" an item that is not theirs, Apple notices it and alerts the person. If this happens to a thief, I'd expect they'd abandon the trailer for fear of getting caught when they get the message below. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ex98thdrill Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 On 12/3/2023 at 11:05 AM, CarNucopia said: I put an Apple AirTag in my trailer when I'm traveling. It updates you on the trailer's location based on when it is in contact with other iPhone users. An interesting feature is, if someone "tags" an item that is not theirs, Apple notices it and alerts the person. If this happens to a thief, I'd expect they'd abandon the trailer for fear of getting caught when they get the message below. I have one of those in the trailer as well 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ex98thdrill Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 On 9/27/2023 at 6:11 AM, kgreen said: Is your AACA graphic custom made from a shop local to you? maybe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgreen Posted February 19 Author Share Posted February 19 (edited) 5 hours ago, ex98thdrill said: maybe That being the case, I'll consider your idea off limits. Thanks. Edited February 19 by kgreen (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trulyvintage Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 On 12/3/2023 at 11:05 AM, CarNucopia said: I put an Apple AirTag in my trailer when I'm traveling. It updates you on the trailer's location based on when it is in contact with other iPhone users. An interesting feature is, if someone "tags" an item that is not theirs, Apple notices it and alerts the person. If this happens to a thief, I'd expect they'd abandon the trailer for fear of getting caught when they get the message below. What if the driver of the tow vehicle pulling your trailer doesn’t have an IPhone ? Do they still get a notice ? What is the “ real world “ range of the air tag you put in your trailer that is linked to your phone ? How far will it send a signal ? What is the realistic battery life if it is activated and constantly sending a signal ? Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarNucopia Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 25 minutes ago, Trulyvintage said: What if the driver of the tow vehicle pulling your trailer doesn’t have an IPhone ? Do they still get a notice ? What is the “ real world “ range of the air tag you put in your trailer that is linked to your phone ? How far will it send a signal ? What is the realistic battery life if it is activated and constantly sending a signal ? Jim The device only updates it's location when it connects with an iPhone, any iPhone. If the person who has stolen the trailer has an android, it won't update via them or let them know it's there unless they add an ap for that purpose. The range is probably 20 feet or so. I have one in a truck parked in a garage an hour and a half from me. It updates me when someone with an iPhone is in the area. Battery life is a year or more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ex98thdrill Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 (edited) On 2/18/2024 at 10:01 PM, kgreen said: That being the case, I'll consider your idea off limits. Thanks. The AACA logo is a registered trademark. If I were to have that made locally there is a possibility that someone might not like it. AACA doesn't make what I want, so I might've found someone to make what I wanted my way. Edited February 26 by ex98thdrill (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ex98thdrill Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 (edited) On 12/3/2023 at 10:40 AM, Oldschoolantiqueauto said: What about having a strong 12v battery inside the trailer hooked to a loud town/country horn? There are ways to hook it to the back doors to sound the alarm if they are opened? Maybe a ground wire going to the frame so that if it is unhooked from the ball which will cut the ground, the horns will sound. Or maybe hooking it to a ball which will complete the ground & sound the horns. And having a mercury switch in the system will sound the horns when it's moved? Having a GPS system added to the trailer should locate it quick if it does get away? There must be a way to make a trailer safer from theft? Be careful how you do that. My dad had our old trailer set up where the breakaway was hooked to a 12 volt car battery where it was strong enough to stop the trailer, run the winch and jump the battery on the car in the trailer if we needed to. When I went to order my new trailer I wanted to get the same set up in my new trailer and the dealer REFUSED to do that. He told me that he wouldn't do that, and there is not a reputable dealer that would do that. We always thought a 12 volt battery was a 12 volt battery, but when it comes to trailers they are not. A 12 volt car battery provides too many amps and those amps will burn the wiring out of your trailer. The dealer told me that the small batteries that come with the trailer provide enough volts to do the job, but not too many amps to where it'll burn the wires out of the trailer. Ironically in hindsight, I was having electrical problems with the trailer and that's why I decided to get a new one. After the dealer told me that, I took the car battery out of my old trailer and replaced it with a small battery and our problems went away......... Imagine that!! If I had bought another used trailer, we would've made the same exact mistake a second time. I think some kind of identification on the roof and an apple air tag is the best way to go. Edited February 26 by ex98thdrill (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ex98thdrill Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 On 2/19/2024 at 3:34 PM, Trulyvintage said: What if the driver of the tow vehicle pulling your trailer doesn’t have an IPhone ? Do they still get a notice ? What is the “ real world “ range of the air tag you put in your trailer that is linked to your phone ? I don't have an Apple I-phone but my sister does. My sister lives in West Virginia and she can tell you exactly where that trailer is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ex98thdrill Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 On 9/28/2023 at 2:01 PM, Mark Shaw said: This is the best idea! Maybe put your cell# on the roof? You can put your wife's measurements on the roof. Who cares?? I went with my name in big black reflective letters on the roof. Cops can see if from a bridge, you could see it with a drone, etc. In either case no matter what you use, chances are the thief isn't going to think to check the roof of your trailer before they steal it. As hard as it is to peel scothlight off of things, and then get the glue off, there is a pretty slim chance that even if they know my name is on the roof, it isn't going to be a five minute job getting my name and the glue that holds that lettering off of the roof of my trailer. If they paint over my name, you're still going to have a raised lip from the vinyl if it's still there. With it being reflective, if you hit the roof of the trailer at night with a light, my name is going to show up. The man who installed my vinyl on my trailer gave me the strangest look when I asked for it, but it cost me $400 to put my name on a $40,000 trailer. When I explained to him that I looked at it as "cheap insurance" he put my name on the roof. I paid a little more money to get a gray trailer instead of a white one, but gray won't fade like your darker colors, it hides the dirt better than white, and it's not as common as the other trailers. With the odd color, Scotlight I have on the back, sides, front and roof of the trailer I think even the dumbest of thieves will take the easier way out and steal somebody else's trailer instead of mine. If I'm pulling into the trailer lot at a national meet and it's dark, it's a whole lot easier to spot my trailer too. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 (edited) 37 minutes ago, ex98thdrill said: We always thought a 12 volt battery was a 12 volt battery, but when it comes to trailers they are not. A 12 volt car battery provides too many amps and those amps will burn the wiring out of your trailer. The dealer told me that the small batteries that come with the trailer provide enough volts to do the job, but not too many amps to where it'll burn the wires out of the trailer. I disagree with your statement. All of the lights on your trailer run off the 12 volt car battery and they do not burn out the wiring. If you are burning out the wires in your trailers you have a short somewhere in the system. Putting in a smaller battery just runs dead quicker because of the smaller energy capacity of the battery. The only place that might cause the wires to melt are the two wires that go to the trailer brakes. If the emergency switch pin was pulled and left out it might be possible but unlikely that the wires would melt as they are usually larger than the wires for the trailer lights. The wires go to an coil magnet that is sized with the proper resistance to have the correct voltage drop without melting wires. If you are melting wires with a car size battery look for the short in the system. I personally use a marine battery in my trailer so I have enough capacity to power the winch and interior lights. By the way, nice trailer. Edited February 26 by Larry Schramm (see edit history) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ex98thdrill Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 (edited) 48 minutes ago, Larry Schramm said: I disagree with your statement. Disagree all you want. I had problems, listened to the dealer and my problems went away. After shelling out the money I shelled out, I'm not going to take that chance nor am I going to do anything that could void my warranty. If the guy was crooked he'd have given me what I asked for when I ordered the trailer. He might be wrong, you might be right, I'm just telling you what was happening. We had rewired our old trailer at least three times. I appreciate your kind words on my trailer. We got 18 years out of a used trailer, so if I can keep the new trailer out of the elements and off of the salt covered roads, I'm hoping to get 25 years out of this new trailer. If I can get 25 years out of that trailer, I'll be 80 years old, so I'm hoping this will be the last enclosed trailer that I'm ever going to need. I do want to buy an aluminum tilt bed open trailer for short trips, and of course I still have the fire truck hauler too. Unless I'm going for a Repeat Senior AGNM with the fire trucks, everything that I have that won't fit in the enclosed trailer is going for either an HPOF or a Repeat Preservation, so I don't have to have everything letter perfect because the big stuff has already won its' awards. Edited February 26 by ex98thdrill (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ex98thdrill Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 (edited) 40 minutes ago, Larry Schramm said: By the way, nice trailer. Back in 1989 my dad and I started out with a homemade stock car car trailer and pulled it with a Ford Ranger. Over the period of the last 30 years the two of us pooled our money and bought bigger trucks, bought used trailers and slowly as we could afford it, worked our way up to better equipment. My dad would skin me alive if he knew what I paid for the new trailer, but he'd love it. Many cars, many shows, many years and many miles later and I finally have really good towing equipment. We have two Chevy pickups, but the 3/4 ton is starting to show its' age so in a couple more years I want to replace it with a new truck. In the meantime, the 1/2 ton will do the job. In either case, I still have three pulling rigs. The only thing that I can't haul are the two ladder trucks. Edited February 26 by ex98thdrill (see edit history) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 12 hours ago, ex98thdrill said: He told me that he wouldn't do that, and there is not a reputable dealer that would do that. I suspect the real reason is potential liability in case of an accident where the emergency braking fails. The dealer doesn't want to tie the emergency braking switch to a battery that is being used for multiple purposes (no matter how large the capacity). That situation would potentially lead to a dead battery if the owner doesn't keep it charged. The small gel-cell battery typically used for the trailer emergency brake is dedicated to that purpose and if tied into the vehicle's wiring (as is usual) there's much higher probability that the vehicle's charging system will keep it topped-off. Like any battery, however, it needs to be maintained and the emergency brake function tested periodically by the owner. That said, an accident where the factory system fails is likely to result from lack of maintenance, which would generally fall to the owner, not the dealer or manufacturer. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ex98thdrill Posted February 27 Share Posted February 27 11 hours ago, EmTee said: I suspect the real reason is potential liability in case of an accident where the emergency braking fails. The dealer doesn't want to tie the emergency braking switch to a battery that is being used for multiple purposes (no matter how large the capacity). Again for the money I spent for that new trailer, I'm not going to debate this nor am I going to do anything to void the warranty. If someone wants to shell out what I did and ignore things being said, that is entirely up to them. It's their trailer, it's their money and the risk is entirely up to them. Oddly enough, most people who would thumb their nose at any of this, wouldn't shell out that kind of money for that trailer. If by chance they do, it's their trailer and their decision. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted February 27 Share Posted February 27 10 hours ago, ex98thdrill said: If by chance they do, it's their trailer and their decision. Once it's in your driveway, you're free to do whatever you want to it. I'm not saying what you described wouldn't work; I was merely trying to explain why the dealer didn't want to do it for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 Donnybrooke is the old name for Brainard International Raceway in Minnesota. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 (edited) On 2/25/2024 at 9:54 PM, ex98thdrill said: A 12 volt car battery provides too many amps and those amps will burn the wiring out of your trailer. The dealer told me that the small batteries that come with the trailer provide enough volts to do the job, but not too many amps to where it'll burn the wires out of the trailer. I'm thinking that what the dealer was saying is in the event the breakaway switch is left activated for any length of time a large capacity car battery has enough stored CAPACITY (amp hours) to possibly over heat the brake wiring and/or the magnets before running down. The brakes will draw exactly the same amperage no matter the size battery. It's the law (ohm's). I can see the dealers reluctance from a liability standpoint. All that said my travel trailer uses a large deep cycle battery for every thing on the trailer including the break away switch. Possibly there's a circuit breaker or other over draw protection. Good point. I'll have to check..........Bob Edited March 23 by Bhigdog (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 21 minutes ago, Bhigdog said: I'm thinking that what the dealer was saying is in the event the breakaway switch is left activated for any length of time a large capacity car battery has enough stored CAPACITY (amp hours) to possibly over heat the brake wiring and/or the magnets before running down. The brakes will draw exactly the same amperage no matter the size battery. It's the law (ohm's). I can see the dealers reluctance from a liability standpoint. All that said my travel trailer uses a large deep cycle battery for every thing on the trailer including the break away switch. Possibly there's a circuit breaker or other over draw protection. Good point. I'll have to check..........Bob Bob, I agree. If you measure the resistance of the brake magnets a calculation could be made on the current draw. The calculation must include all of the magnets in the circuit, not just one. Then look at the current draw and then look at the brake wiring for capacity of the wires according to the size. Another way would be put an amp meter in the circuit and see directly what the current draw of the brakes are and then look at the wire size. This would need to be checked or calculated at the front of the trailer where the brake wiring is going to the brake battery with the battery disconnected. Not hard to do, just takes some time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ex98thdrill Posted April 18 Share Posted April 18 (edited) On 3/23/2024 at 3:37 PM, Bhigdog said: I'm thinking that what the dealer was saying is in the event the breakaway switch is left activated for any length of time a large capacity car battery has enough stored CAPACITY (amp hours) to possibly over heat the brake wiring and/or the magnets before running down. The brakes will draw exactly the same amperage no matter the size battery. It's the law (ohm's). I can see the dealers reluctance from a liability standpoint. All that said my travel trailer uses a large deep cycle battery for every thing on the trailer including the break away switch. Possibly there's a circuit breaker or other over draw protection. Good point. I'll have to check..........Bob I honestly and truthfully don't know the answer and/or the exact reason, but I know that since I listened to him I didn't have any more problems. For what a brand new Featherlite trailer sells for, I'm not going to debate it. For almost 35 years we ran used and/or homemade trailers. Now that I have something brand new, I'm going to try to get it to last as long as I can Edited April 18 by ex98thdrill (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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