Booting an AS

[Globie64]

It's true, it's not the ultimate deterrent but some kind of deterrent. It's one reason I've been not so quick to shine up our trailer, I didn't want to attract a lot of attention to it. If someone really wants it, with a flat bed truck, which, cargo helicopter or whatever, they'll get it. The tweaker with a truck and a hitch will have a more difficult time.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Aage

How will that stop a determined thief that arrives with a tractor-trailer and a winch?

Nothing will stop a determined and competent thief. The best you can hope for is to slow him down long enough to make other targets more worthwhile to him.

If you have solar power to keep your house batteries charged, or routinely store your trailer where you have access to shore power, the best deterrent is an alarm system. In particular, one of the newer systems that, in addition to a loud and obnoxious noisemaker with its own lithium-ion backup battery, also has a cell phone auto-dialer that will send a text message to your phone when the alarm is tripped, giving you a chance to call the law before the thief gets away.

One nice system is the Pro Tec PTS-2C, which automatically locks the trailer brakes when the alarm goes off, and will automatically send a text message to up to three recipients telling you the alarm has gone off.

The alarm system has the advantage that it not only help protect your trailer from being stolen, it also helps protect it from being vandalized or broken into. The motion sensor will even let you know when one of the tires goes flat, if it's set sensitive enough.

For the noisemaker (horn or siren), mount it on the roof of the trailer so it's harder to disable. Find a location on the roof as far as you can get from the door, trailer tongue, or rear bumper, in other words the least accessible spot on the roof.

[A W Warn]

Originally Posted by Aage

How will that stop a determined thief that arrives with a tractor-trailer and a winch?

A boot will not stop this type of theft either. Tire will slide.

[dznf0g]

I would only consider a boot for storage. Too heavy, and unless someone is camped really remotely, the neighbors and CG personnel deter more trailer thieves than any lock. I've never been concerned about theft at a CG. Storage....that's another story.

[gmw photos]

Originally Posted by FreshAir

We were visiting in England a few years ago. We were stunned to see that most caravans (travel trailers) in England were 'sporting' boots. My cousin has their caravan booted AND it was stored in their front yard behind a locked gate!

Neil

Either the theft rate is really high there or those folks are really paranoid. You should see the lengths they go to for locking down their motorcycles. Things like immobilizers buried in the concrete floor of their locked and alarmed garages. I'd be thinking it's time to move somewhere else !

[StreamNTyme]

As we heard of a hitch being stolen right off a rig at a campground, we lock our hitch to the trailer. With the stabilizers down and usually a couple boards under wheels for leveling, and then the bikes chained to the Airstream, it would not be easy to steal it.

[dznf0g]

I do keep the hitch locked, the compression anti-rocking thingy between the wheels locked, and when I feel necessary a large cable lock through the wheels of the AS. The longer it takes for suspicion of others, that it just doesn't look right that those folks are cutting locks, the better.

For true remote boondocking, not sure that much would help.

[RichHog]

Take it from someone who's had his Airstream stolen. Do everything you can to protect your trailer from theft. They are irreplaceable and there's nothing like having something that you''ve worked hard to restore or purchase disappear. That picture of the tongue lock that Allan posted is worthless and gives a very false sense of security. Had one on my trailer and a swift blow with a sledge hammer probably knocked it off in seconds. I'm sure a boot would have helped. If you are stupid enough to store your trailer where people can drive be and admire it (like I was) then you really should put a GPS tracker on it along with any other protection you can afford.

[Freedomrider]

The "Mega Hitch" was mentioned on this this forum before. They also have the specific one for the Airstream w/stand. Megahitch trailers locks

FreedomRider

[Lumatic]

I guess you could also put a LoJack in your AS