Spare Wheel Security

[2iar]

Hi All,

I'm currently driving around with the spare wheel for the trailer in the back of the truck. I'd like to mount a wheel carrier to the trailer - probably on the frame at the front rather than the winch post because I don't think it'll fit).

I'm wondering what steps can be taken to prevent the wheel from being flogged? I'm aware that I could padlock/chain the spare to the trailer and weld the U-Bolt nuts, just wondered if there are any smarter or more secure ways of doing it?

Once I've done this, the spare should be secure, as well as the port side trailer wheel which has a Klamp-It fitted. I don't suppose there's anything to stop some mongrel jacking up the starboard wheel and pulling it off other then fitting another Klamp-It, but at least I should have two wheels to use if worst comes to worst.

Any thoughts or recommendations?

Good luck,
Mike

[chuss]

lock nuts on the trailer wheels
Spare with a padlock.

Cheapest and easiest.

But if someone wants to steal something, they'll do it.. all you can do is slow them down.

do you have a trailer hitch lock?

[coasty]

my spare in up under the front deck of the boat. its out of the way and cant be flogged when im out in the boat.

[2iar]

lock nuts on the trailer wheels
Spare with a padlock.

Cheapest and easiest.

But if someone wants to steal something, they'll do it.. all you can do is slow them down.

do you have a trailer hitch lock?


Yeah I thought of lock nuts, but putting them on the trailer *and* the spare carrier. I'm not sure how secure they actually are though?

I've got one of the cheap locks that keep the trailer on the tow ball, but I'm sure anyone who knew what they were doing could have it off in no time - hence the Klamp-It. I only bought the lock as it also came with a matching lock pin that keeps the tongue in the tow bar.

You're right about only slowing them down. I guess you can only encourage them to look for an easier target. Thieving b***ards.

Good luck,
Mike

[2iar]

my spare in up under the front deck of the boat. its out of the way and cant be flogged when im out in the boat.

Thanks mate. I've only got a 4.6m cuddy cabin, so there's not much room and I don't want to add weight to the boat either.

Thanks for the reply though.

Good luck,
Mike

[DR]

mine is in the back of the truck as well... goes in on he front seat when i go out fishing ;)

[Tony_N]

Mine is an Oceanic trailer. #The spare wheel bracket which clamps on to the rail at the front of the boat via two u-bolts has a bolt with a hole transversely in the end. The bolt #passes from the frame of the bracket through one of the bolt holes in the spare wheel. Three other bolt holes have fixed threaded bolts with nuts to hold the wheel in place. Simple to put a HD padlock through that hole.

Hope that makes sense.

Tony

My boat is having some "fine-tuning" done at the moment (read hydrofoil) #to stop it from porpoising - otherwise i would take a pic for you.

Tony

[2iar]

Thanks Tony,

That's exactly the setup I had on my old rig. I'm just not that convinced a padlock is really all that secure. I guess nothing really is...you've just gotta do what you can to deter or delay.

Hope you sort out the porpoising...I had this on my boat, even after fitting a foil though it was less extreme. I found raising the engine a notch helped immensely. Otherwise moving what weight you can from the stern to the bow should also help...

Good luck,
Mike

[2iar]

mine is in the back of the truck as well... goes in on he front seat when i go out fishing ;)


Only trouble with this is that if your spare is targetted for stealing, you also end up with a broken window on the truck (or worse) :'(

Hope it never happens to either of us, mate.

Good luck,
Mike

[finga64]

Mine is an Oceanic trailer. #The spare wheel bracket which clamps on to the rail at the front of the boat via two u-bolts has a bolt with a hole transversely in the end. The bolt #passes from the frame of the bracket through one of the bolt holes in the spare wheel. Three other bolt holes have fixed threaded bolts with nuts to hold the wheel in place. Simple to put a HD padlock through that hole.
Tony
Gidday Tony,
What stops the "mongrels" undoing the two u-bolts and taking the tyre and bracket?? It's only one nut more then taking the wheel of the bracket. :P
A hole drilled through the nuts of the u-bolts and a little roll type pin (not a split pin) put in should deter them. Or a dirty big, rattley chain around and through the lot.
Hope you sort the 'handling' problems. #:'(

Cheers Scott

[bignick]

As already stated, if thieves are going to steal something, they're going to steal it and that's that. All you can try and do is slow them up a bit and make your stuff a little less attractive or easy to get at than the next bloke's. Good brackets can be purchased from most of the chandlery shops and they don't cost the earth. Locknuts are the cheapest and easiest way to secure the spare; just remember to keep the locknut key in the boat, not in the car.

Cheers,
NICK.

[Fishin_Dan]

You can't leave dogs in the car anymore... Otherwise a big Rotweiler curled up on the spare would've stopped em!!!

Mike - I think the answer is going to be car, padlock, or lock nuts.... Although some ingenious bugger on here has probably got some brilliant plan they don't want to share...



The other option you have is to get a spare (Or make your one) look really old and crappy. Then that way, they won't want to steal it :D

[finga64]

Gidday 2iar,
Maybe time to find a new boat ramp with the apprehension you have with the current one. Where is it??
How do you stop them from pinching the ute and trailer with the spare still attached??
Sad world when you can't leave the car and trailer for a days fishing. :(

[Tony_N]

Gidday Tony,
What stops the "mongrels" undoing the two u-bolts and taking the tyre and bracket?? It's only one nut more then taking the wheel of the bracket. :P

Yeh Scott #- gotta start thinking like a criminal :) I had thought though that a decent set of bolt cutters would make very short work of the lock I have on it at the moment. #As people keep saying - you can only deter them, you can't stop them if they are really keen.




Hope you sort the 'handling' problems. #:'(


The handling problems were an unexpected turnup. #Part of the problem seems to be that I have put the dual batteries (sorry now that I didn't take your advice and forget them) in the back of the boat, as is the 25 litre fuel tank. #With a 40/4st and a tiller steer keeping the driver at the back, its all a bit ar$e heavy. #With a hydrofoil, a smaller prop and a passenger upfront it just might be OK. #I'm putting in an extra fuel line so that I can move the fuel tank upfront when I am fishing alone.


ahh....its all part of life's rich tapestry

Tony

[Oldyella]

All you need to do.. is make it harder to steal than the next poor B%$^$^&d parked there.
A thief knows all the tricks and will get your wheel if it is in view. Mine goes in the boot of the car.

[Oldyella]

All you need to do.. is make it harder to steal than the next poor B%$^$^&d parked there.
A thief knows all the tricks and will get your wheel if it is in view. Mine goes in the boot of the car.

[DR]

mine is in the back of the truck as well... goes in on he front seat when i go out fishing ;)


Only trouble with this is that if your spare is targetted for stealing, you also end up with a broken window on the truck (or worse) :'(

Hope it never happens to either of us, mate.

Good luck,
Mike

back when i was a boy, a few of us owned MGB soft tops. after 1 was slashed so some creep could go through it looking for something, we all bought steering locks, emptied out the gloveboxes & always left them open so it could be seen that they were empty & always left cars unlocked. pretty sure we had people/mongrels go through them , but never had anything stolen or any damage to car :-? still tend to leave glovebox open & use steering lock..so far so good!!!
truth is if they really want it they will come prepared & take it, most measures only stop opportunists...

[2iar]

Gidday 2iar,
Maybe time to find a new boat ramp with the apprehension you have with the current one. Where is it??
How do you stop them from pinching the ute and trailer with the spare still attached??
Sad world when you can't leave the car and trailer for a days fishing. :(


Hi Finga,

Believe it or not, I've never had any problem at any ramp I've ever used (mainly using Nudgee now) or at home, and I'd like to keep it that way. Maybe I've become a bit paranoid from some of the stories on here, but I'd still like to do everything practical I can for peace of mind. Having said that, I haven't got $200k of rig or anything, but I do absolutely love it. :-*

Good luck,
Mike

[2iar]

Gidday Tony,
What stops the "mongrels" undoing the two u-bolts and taking the tyre and bracket?? It's only one nut more then taking the wheel of the bracket. :P

Yeh Scott - gotta start thinking like a criminal :) I had thought though that a decent set of bolt cutters would make very short work of the lock I have on it at the moment. As people keep saying - you can only deter them, you can't stop them if they are really keen.




If you're unlikely to need to move the U-Bolts, having them welded works. You'd then need an angle-grinder to get them off.

I've got the same concern as you about padlocks, but they might help deter rather than prevent and are surely better than nothing.

Good luck,
Mike

[Bashir]

Locknuts are easy to remove with a hammer and an old chisel

Padlocks can be cut with a pair of bolt cutters, as can chains, cables etc...

Personally I would go for locknuts, and one other measure, just to slow them down.

[coasty]

my spare in up under the front deck of the boat. its out of the way and cant be flogged when im out in the boat.

Thanks mate. I've only got a 4.6m cuddy cabin, so there's not much room and I don't want to add weight to the boat either.

Thanks for the reply though.

Good luck,
Mike

ive only got a 4.5 brooker forward control.
it just lays there under the life jackets

[reel_killer]

The best option for the spare would be to weld the bracket to the trailer frame. #Then weld a vertical piece of 6 x 30 strap for the wheel to go over and secure with a padlock that has a shrouded shackle. # ;)

[Boz]

Spare, what spare???

[staino]

Gooday 2iar,
Plenty of good suggestions there. I thought I'd add my own 2 bob's worth, I hate all thieving mongrel bastards passionately. My spare wheel is mounted on a hub which is attached to the chasis via a cut-off stub axle in turn sitting in box section welded on. My train of thought goes like this, lock nuts are only so good, a pair of vise grips will easily undo them, most thieves, I imagine will carry boltcutters, so to me chain isn't the best. I bought some thick wire rope from bias, (6mm I think) swaged a thimble on one end, covered the wire with garden hose then swaged the other end. I bought a round disc lock (yale, stainless) but any lock with a staple that you can't get bolt cutters into, will be better than a standard lock, thread through & around chasis, then lock up under the wheel (making it more inconvenient for thieves).The wire requires parrot beak cutters to cut (expensive-too dear for lowlifes?). I also use 2 different style lock nuts. Or you could use chain as well, with a separate lock, which will make getting your wheel look like hard work & I reckon we all know what those bludgers think of that.
cheers, staino

[coasty]

talking to a bloke today and his is locked onto the trailer. the only problem was someome piched the alloy spare off the back of his prado.he reckons you just cant win.