"Heavy Duty Wheel Lock" (was previously "security of your Trailmanor")

[rickst29]

What do I think about the 14" tires? Well, you know what I made them do to my 2619 If your 2619 has the lift kit, THEN it can almost certainly handle the 15" wheel. (Not the expensive recessed-lug-nuts aluminum one, just the normal stamped white steel wheel, like I've got. This wheel is readily available all over the place, darn near anywhere which sells trailer stuff.)

Without the lift kit, you definitely won't have clearance for the slightly taller 225/R15 tire. And of course, you'd need to replace all 3 wheels and tires. That's a lot of $$$$. But, if you look at the notorious "More Marathon Tire Failures" marathon, (er, AKA "Thread"), you'll see that a lot of smart people DON'T LIKE riding around on the R14" Marathons anyway. Some have done this upgrade, just because of the "running at maximum load" TIRE issue.

(Although it causes issues with the wheel well cover, at least for RockyMntRay. I don't know if maybe he didn't have the lift kit, and he's doing/already done a quick replacement of wheel well cover to resolve the issue. No problem on my 2619, but I've got the big axle, not just the big wheels/tires-- my layout inside the wheel well isn't the same, because the arm on my Torflex doesn't have as much "give" and also because it starts out with a lot more height between the wheel and the body. I don't have the lift kit, the "bigger" Torflex already makes more "lift".

Maybe PM RockyMntRay, or make a new Thread which gives him a holler? He's done it, YOUR WAY, with the 15" wheels on the 3500 lb Torflex. And at the same time you swap the wheels, you could maybe also do a bit of "wheel well conversion" (i.e., the metal lining) plus stronger "mud flaps", or actually extend your metal wheel well liner to BE the stronger "mud flap" (protecting the toilet plumbing and dump valves).

As I've already said, the standard HDWL, exactly as it comes, seems to go into one of the 15" wheel cutouts nicely enough. Having looked a second time, the exposure doesn't seem adequate to attack either the wheel cutout or the lug nut.

I don't know if I wrote about this before or not, but if your locking solution depends on a padlock, go to a locksmith (not Wal-Mart) and get a high security padlock. Expect to spend $75 or more. But the $5 or even $10 Wal-Mart one is extremely easy to pick - when I worked in security, I learned how to pick them on my own in about 20 minutes, since I was curious about their security. I can pick them in about 15 seconds now...and a lockpick set is much smaller than a bolt cutter or sledge hammer, and attracts much less attention.

If you don't know what to buy, ask for a Medeco lock. There are other good locks, but Medecos are among the best and almost all locksmiths will know what you're talking about. The average thief won't be able to pick them - most professional locksmiths can't either.

For me, I try to park something in front of the TM and I have a basic tongue lock to discourage (but not stop) people from taking the TM. But I live in an area I can leave my car keys in the ignition of my truck, a $20 bill on the passenger seat, and all the doors unlocked - and nothing would happen.

[fcatwo]

We lived in Juneau, Alaska for a number of yrs and I never locked my vehicles when parked on the street -- until I came back one afternoon and found someone had put a paper bag full of kittens on the front seat. I locked it after that.

[rickst29]

your posts are "right on!" and "interesting", respectively. But like the one I just moved and deleted, they're not exclusive to the HDWL... maybe move 'em to the general thread?

[rickst29]

Even on the 15" wheel, it's a good idea to trim the end (4 places) so that it can go further into one of the triangle-shaped cutouts of the wheel.

The distance between locking points (holes on the bar, setting the width), wasn't quite right to prevent aggressive wiggling and ultimate removal of the outside end from the cutout.

Two slightly large cuts (more long, less wide, and not going all the way through the corner of the steel) at the corners of the end closest to the tire (This is the "end" of the long triangular cut they made). And then, also necessary, a couple of tiny cuts along each angled portion, exactly where they "run into" the sides of the triangle.

I just ground it down on a wheel grinder, which took only about 5 minutes (very little steel was involved). I'll buy some red Rust-Oleum paint the next time I'm at a store.
- - - - -

BTW, I can imagine an attack on the lug nuts, even the two under the plate, because I have to mount the "protector plate" in reverse from their pictures (with the plate away from the wheel, right next to the corner of the lock's welded arm). This is because the plate is too large to fit BESIDE the TM wheel's central "lube cone", and has to go completely on top-- and our central "cone" sticks out a really long distance. You can easily finger a lug nut into place under there.

But after the lug nut, you'll need an unusual angled "extender" piece, because there's not enough working angle to get the lug nut off. And of course, it's at 110 ft-lbs. And of course, you'll need to get the wheel rotating "freely" by lifting the whole thing off the ground first, so that you can swing the lug nut which you're attacking to a place where the TM body structure doesn't interfere with getting leverage.

There are two solutions to this "problem": First, with good cutting equipment, you could make the protector plate SMALLER-- so that it would fit beside the "cone", not having to go over it. It's then right on top of the lug nuts, with no room to put on a socket or wrench. But this placement requires reversal of the plate's mounting direction, back to the way they show it in pictures-- and that exposes the four kinda small welds to attack. The other solution is to have them (or your local steel fabricator) build you a much BIGGER plate, covering a lot more of the wheel.

My solution? Neither! Even if a "smart" thief comes prepared with equipment to attack both of the "protected" sockets while still under the plate, he's gonna be turning them one click at a time. Too slow! And after getting the wheel off, he's still gotta mount the spare-- another 5 minutes. The other, more direct attack (on the welds at a corner of a "main arm") is faster and WAY more convenient. The only thing this attack has going for it is the quietness: it's quiet.

As Bill, I, and everyone agree: if a dedicated thief wants YOUR Trailmanor, he's gonna get it. But this lock is so troublesome, he'll probably want to go for something easier-- 99% of Trailers aren't protected as well as putting on ONE of these.

[Bill]

Cheese, guys, this is getting out of hand. Where are you parking your TM?? In a bad part of Jersey City, Philly, or the Bronx? Or Baghdad, Calcutta, or Nogales? I've never gone to a place where the thieves have the equipment, expertise, and dedication you describe. If you go to those places, you can't beat 'em ... so don't go there! These are not places where you'll enjoy camping anyway.

Make sure your insurance is paid up - just as it is for your car - then go to a nice place, and enjoy yourselves. Really, 600 bucks for an anti-theft device? C'mon! Do you pay that much for an aftermarket chain-and-lock-and-key-and-plate-and-bar-and-alarm-and-whatever for your car - a much more lucrative target for thieves? Remember, very few thieves want a TM. TMs are too unique, too identifiable, too hard to resell or to strip. Sure thefts occasionally occur, but so do lightning strikes on a golf course. I suppose you could wrap yourself in tin foil and ground rods and keep on playing, but a better answer might be, don't go golfing in a thunderstorm!

Just my thoughts ... and obviously these thoughts don't apply to pricey accessories like generators or mountain bikes...

Bill

[rickst29]

including shipping.
including the lock.
and including 4 keys instead of two (I spent $10 extra.)

$600 was the 'police-force style' Denver Boot, which is best attacked in exactly the same way as a smart person would attack this one. (You'd buy a better lock separately on that one, but only AN IDIOT would attack the lock on either device.)

Something more than near-worthless hitch "locks" is suitable, I think. This comes on and goes off fast with the key, takes up very little room within the TV, and it DOESN'T have the absurdly weak wheel connector of the "Trailer Keeper".