Theft preventionI

moldman05

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2006
Location
Rocky Mount NC
I'm going to pick up my new buggy today. This is what I 've wanted for many years. Seller is in Pa. near Pittsburgh. Wife and I are going to make a weekend of it so I probably will park trailer and buggy in locked storage yard till I head back to NC. I never have hauled a vehicle worth this much around on a open trailer. So I'm hours away from picking up my dream and I'm freaking out about somebody stealing it. Any advice?
 
The fewer people know what you have the less chance of it getting stole. I never post pics or Bragg to anybody about high dollar purchases. A lot of my friends thank I have all my stuff in a storage lot in town. Not that I believe they would steal my stuff but you never know who else may hear about what you have and where it is. My wife doesn't even know where I keep my toys.
 
Choosing a good storage lot in the right part of town is a plus. Get one with a locked gate and cameras. One where you can view the feeds online is a bonus.

If you are staying at a hotel with Valet service, might be worth calling to see if you can pay for a spot for you trailer/rig. Typically these lots are watched closely.

Run a chain with a lock through 2 wheels and put a lock on the tongue to prevent someone from easily taking the trailer. A gooseneck helps, as less ppl are prepared for that.

If you use chains to secure the vehicle to the trailer, you can lock them also.

As crazy as it might sound, letting alot of air out of the buggy tires where they are really flat, could discourage someone. That and removing the battery from it.

Most likely a thief is going to pillage whats inside the buggy or try and steal the trailer and all. They typically arent going to come prepared to unload a vehicle.



I recently went through this same thing. I was worried also, and ended up finding a local on another offroad forum that I was able to store my trailer at. Might be an option, although kinda last minute. @RatLabGuy
 
IMO, theft of big ticket stuff like a buggy/trailer/equipment is a crime of opportunity. So do everything you can to prevent giving some ass clown an opportunity to take your stuff. I have done everything from tongue locks to chaining wheels together to removing the battery and disconnecting an ignition switch.

As for the storage yard, I would look for one that requires you to enter your gate code to get out. Lots of them only require them for entry. Reason being, someone can just cut a section of fence, roll it back and drive in. Then hook to your shit and roll out. However, if the yard requires a code for them to get out, its a less likely that they will be able to just make a quick getaway. And the odds of them just sitting around waiting to follow a legit user out of the gate is fairly low. Why wouldn't they just go back out the hole they cut? Because usually a trailer or equipment is taller than a fence and they won't take the time or risk to F with the razor wire or barbed wire at the top. A buddy's dad's skid steer got jacked that way in S. Charlotte one night when we were younger and that stuck with me ever since.
 
Why not just pick the buggy up on your way back? Or leave it at the sellers house until you head back.

Locks, chains,kill switches, fuel cut off, line locks, steering wheel removal, etc.

Storage yards get broken into regularly. I'd feel just as comfortable leaving mine in a well populated hotel parking lot, and have, countless times.
 
Russ just chain up thru the wheeles of the trailer and buggy and get a tongue lock using your chain binders will probably denture most as they dont know how to take them off lol and take the steering wheel with you if your really worried drop those support legs on the back of your trailer and take some of the tires off lol

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
 
Most people never think to insure stuff like that...good idea. I'd probably have an inland-marine/floater policy on it, but you would only be able to do that if it was like a full tube buggy or something that wasn't manufactured and would fall sorta in the category of a side by side or fourwheeler. If it's a truggy or a highly modified truck/vehicle of some sort, you'd just have a regular auto policy on it even though it's not a tagged, street driven rig.

@rockcity you can't cover cargo or personal property on an auto policy.
 
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