Stop Crime Before It Starts - Securing My Camp-Inn Trailer Part II

As we discussed in Part 1 of Securing My Camp-Inn Trailer, thieves don't care how hard you work to get your things. They only care how easy it is to take it from you. If you have seen my other videos or read my other blog posts, you know I bought a nice Camp-Inn 560 Teardrop Trailer last year. After hearing the horror stories of trailer theft, I started looking at various locking solutions, including coupler locks and wheel locks. No lock is perfect and therefore only a deterrent. So, I wanted my trailer to be less appealing a target to thieves. In Part 1, I talked about coupler options, which lock I chose and why. In this post, I will share more about the wheel lock I chose as a 2nd layer of protection for my trailer.

While the coupler lock is a good deterrent, I saved a long time to get the money to buy our trailer so I wanted to add another layer of security, therefore, I picked up a wheel lock as well. Again, there are a number of options out there with various designs. I wanted something that was easy to put on and take off, rugged and secure when attached, not easily removed by thieves and visible enough to act as a deterrent. I narrowed my choices down here to The Wheel Chock Lock by TriMax and The Claw by the same people that make The Club.

 

 

Both got favorable reviews from users and I think I would have been OK going with either option, but I ended up choosing the TriMax lock. It seemed to just meet my needs a little better and I was a little concerned about the design of the Club and how the locking bar attaches to the claw. I couldn't help but wonder if the attach points could be easily drilled out to remove the bar. I could be wrong and it may not be easily drilled out but I could not find any info either way. The TriMax design has square steel tubing and a plunger lock so there is no locking bar. To me, this just seemed like a better design with less weak points to be of concern and therefore, why I selected the TriMax over The Claw.

TriMax makes two different sizes of this design, the TCL 75 (for larger wheels) and the TCL 65, (my version). It looks to be made from 1/8th inch steel, weighs about 6lbs and is fairly rugged. It is powdered coated bright yellow providing a strong visual to would be thieves that your trailer is secure. It also has rubber tipped arms to prevent scratching or marring of your wheels/rims. The locking mechanism is a brass cylinder with high strength steel shank and a bullet style key/lock (comes with 3 keys) so I don't think it is easy to pick and should resist drilling. The lock is a spring loaded, plunger type and does not require the key to lock it making it easy to put on.

It also has a tire chock feature so that the wheel does not move easily once in place. As mentioned, it has square steel tubing so it is like a hitch/receiver design that fits snugly around the wheel. I have brakes on my trailer and it did not seem to interfere with the brakes in any way. The the version I have (TCL 65) retails for about $50.00 at the time of this posting and sold online and through retailers.

Now, as mentioned, there are also drawbacks to wheel lock solutions. One is that they don't secure the coupler but the other big one is that these are often defeated by just removing the wheel and putting on a temporary spare. There are some wheel lock designs that have a plate type design that covers the lug nuts but the claw style that I am using does not. Therefore, if you go with a claw style wheel lock solution, be sure to also use locking or keyed lug nuts. This will make it more difficult for thieves to remove the wheel and steal your trailer.  You can find locking lug nuts at your local automotive store or an online retailer like Amazon fairly easily. 

Between this lock and the coupler lock covered earlier, I think I have met the original objectives by providing enough of a deterrent so that thieves will decide to move on to an easier target. However, security products are only part of the solution. As I mention in my other blog post, get to know your camp neighbors, good neighbors will help keep an eye on your site while you are not around. If all else fails, I do carry insurance on it but I that is one thing I hope I never have to use.

I will be posting a youtube video of both my coupler lock and wheel lock showing them in more detail and how they install/remove. I will update this blog post with a link to the video once I have it ready. 

As always, feel free to leave a comment or question here or on my YouTube Channel and I will try to answer as best I can.

Until next time, take a bite out of crime and secure your trailer.
Jay T.

Stop Crime Before It Starts - Securing My Camp-Inn Trailer, Part I

"Thieves respect property. They merely wish the property to become their property that they may more perfectly respect it." - Gilbert Chesterton. There is a segment of society that does not play by the rules, they don't care about you or how hard you worked to get something nice, they only care about themselves...and while this may be a fitting description of a politician, I am talking about your regular ole dirt bag thief. You work hard and save your money so you can reward yourself with something nice only to have some punk ass thug come steal it out from under you. So, in this post, I thought I would share how we secure our trailer while camping, what products we chose and why. This is a 2 part blog post so stay tuned for both posts.

As you may recall, my wife and I bought a beautiful Camp-Inn Teardrop trailer towards the end of last year. Since then, I have seen a number of stories about people who have had their trailer stolen out of their driveway or while they were out hiking. Losing your trailer to a thief is not only painfully disheartening but a major inconvenience as you have to file a police report, deal with your insurance company (assuming you have insurance), find lodging if it happened while camping, replace the trailer and all your gear. If your trailer was hand-made, you have a lot of labor and hard effort put into the build process so it not easily replaced. The entire process can be emotionally overwhelming. I don't know what the odds are of getting stung by thief but I do know I want to take some steps to try and prevent it.

Now, there is no full proof security solution and a determined thief will find a way to defeat even the best lock. Therefore, locks are only a deterrent, the more difficult the lock, the better the deterrent. My goal is to provide enough of a deterrent that would be thieves will move on to an easier target. There are a lot of different security solutions out there, some as low at $20.00, some as high as $300.00 or more. Some from well-known brands and some from brands that might be new to you. However, consider the thousands of dollars you spent on your trailer or the hours you spent building it along with the emotional distress and inconvenience of having your trailer stolen, isn't a few hundred dollars a reasonable price to pay to protect your investment? You should also keep in mind that a $20.00 lock is going to give you $20.00 protection.  

Given there are so many different options, I spent a great deal of time reading reviews, looking at specs and watching videos to try and find the best solution for us. I found that there are generally two types of locks or ways to secure trailers, coupler (aka hitch) locks and wheel locks (aka the Denver Boot). Each has advantages and disadvantages. So, after extensive research, I decided that a two pronged approach was best for us and therefore selected both a coupler lock and a wheel lock. This post (Part I) will focus on the coupler lock while Part II will cover the wheel lock. 

Coupler Locks - These locks are supposed to prevent access to the coupler hitch on your trailer making it difficult for thieves to hitch your trailer to their vehicle. After watching a number of videos on YouTube, it became apparent that a LOT of the mainstream coupler locks were not much of a deterrent at all. They were easily defeated by a crowbar, hammer or bolt cutters in a matter of minute or two and in some cases, seconds....seriously....SECONDS! These solutions provided only a false sense of security and that was not going to work for me.

I did manage to find a few coupler locks that were actually quite rugged and not easily defeated by common tools from a hardware store. The AmpLock, Megahitch and Proven Industries lock all seemed to withstand quite a bit of punishment without failing. The AmpLock was made from cast iron while the other two were made of hardened steel and used lock designs that resisted both lock picks and other common attacks. The AmpLock secured the coupler by sliding over the lip of the coupler and a ball mechanism slid up into the coupler, preventing access to the ball hitch. The Megahitch and Proven Industries locks both covered the entire coupler.

Each of these seem like really nice locks and much more in line with what I was looking for in a coupler lock. However, there are two main drawbacks of coupler locks, securing the safety chain and securing the wheels. I will address the wheel lock in Part II and as for the safety chain, if it did not secure the safety chains on my trailer, it was a deal breaker for me. The purpose of a safety chain is to keep the trailer attached to your vehicle should it come off the hitch while traveling. If a thief shortens the chain(s) enough by looping it around the hitch or through the bumper, they can easily haul off your trailer even with your coupler securely locked. Of the locks I was looking at, only the Proven Industries lock secured both the hitch and the safety chain. For me, this was a major advantage and one of the biggest reasons I chose this lock for my trailer.

So, let's take a closer look at this lock and you can see why I like it over the others. It is a 3 piece design with a sleeve, tongue and puck lock. It comes with 2 keys. The sleeve and tongue are made from 1/4" hardened steel making the walls thick and very beefy. The manufacturing process uses a CNC machine for precision cuts and robotic welds so it is solid and well-constructed. The puck is aircraft grade aluminum and shrouded by the hardened steel sleeve.

The keyed lock has a brass cylinder with steel shank/shackle and locking pins that slides up and inserts into the tongue and sleeve. It is a 6 pin design with special security pins making it pick/bump resistant. It is on the underside so this does make it a little inconvenient but that also means it is more difficult for thieves to access. You can hit this lock with a hammer all day and this will hold firm. There is really no way to get a crowbar in there to pry it off and bolt cutters would be useless. I suppose you could spend a while with a loud cutting wheel and eventually make progress but thieves are looking for quick/easy targets.  

As previously mentioned, you can actually secure the safety chains as well by attaching them to the tongue and then inserting the tongue into the coupler and the sleeve over the coupler.

I like the aesthetic appeal of the Proven Industries lock over the Megahitch. I was told by the manufacturer that puck has 4 color options, Silver, Orange, Red and Blue. The lock retails for $195 at the time of this posting and is sold through retail trailer vendors. Contact Proven Industries to find a retailer in your area. 

As I said at the beginning, no lock is perfect and a determined thief can find a way to breach this or any other solution. I am sure there are ways to improve the design but overall, I am pleased with this lock. It it sturdy and well designed and should do a good job at helping secure my trailer. The ability to secure the safety chains does provide an extra level of protection and peace of mind. About the only downside I see with this lock is the location of the key access. It does make it a bit inconvenient as I did have to lay on my back so I could see what I was doing. This may get easier once I get more familiar with the lock operation and practice putting it on and taking it off. However, the inconvenience for me is also an inconvenience for would be thieves so this may be a bit of a wash. While I am not sure this will ever be an issue, I did note that there is no cover for the key access so it is not protected from the weather. I don't anticipate anything given the key is on the underside and made of brass so it should hold up well against the weather, but thought I should point that out. I really like the design and the color options are a nice touch. It seems to be a great lock and looks good on the trailer.

They do have different models that work with various coupler type designs as well. So if your coupler is a different style than what I have, check with Proven Industries for the correct model number for your hitch/coupler. 


With this coupler lock, I think I have met part of the original objective of providing enough of a deterrent so that thieves will decide to move on to an easier target. In Part II, I will cover the Wheel Lock I chose and provide more insight on the ins/outs of wheel locks.

However, security products are only part of the solution. As I mention in my other blog post, get to know your camp neighbors, good neighbors will help keep an eye on your site while you are not around. If all else fails, I do carry insurance on it but I hope I never have to use it. 

I would like to give a special shout out to Ron Lee, President over at Proven Industries. I had some questions about their locks and dropped him an email over the weekend. I was pleasantly surprised that he responded quickly and professionally that very weekend. Additionally, I explained that I was trying to get a lock before I left on my trip and was not able to find his lock online for a quick shipment and therefore, I was considering an alternative solution. He explained that if I was going with another lock, he recommended a competitor's product that was probably next best in quality to theirs. To me, this speaks volumes about the man and his company...he did not try to stall me or bash a competitive product, he tried to help me find a solution to my problem in the time frame allotted. So friends, if you are in the need of a coupler style lock, not only do I think that you consider the Proven Industries lock because it is good, but also because I think they have integrity...a quality that can be hard to find in many businesses these days. I think this is a person worth doing business with and a small company worth supporting.

I know this has been a long blog post but I am hoping it is informative and provides you some ideas on how you can secure your trailer from those punk ass thieves that want to steal your property. Be sure to catch Part II where I cover wheel lock type devices.

I will be posting a youtube video of both my coupler lock and wheel lock showing them in more detail and how they install/remove. I will update this blog post with a link to the video once I have it ready. 

As always, please feel free to leave your questions/comments below or on my YouTube channel and I will try to address.  

Until next time, take a bite out of crime and secure your trailer. 

Jay T.

Lights, Camera, Action - It's Movie Night

When I was a kid, my dad used to take us to the Drive In Movies. The rows of cars, all parked on those mounds looking up at the large screen. The big, grey metal speaker box hanging from the window. We would get their just before dusk to find a good parking spot. Us kids would run to the playground underneath the giant screen. Just as it got dark, we would race back to find that my parents had set up lawn chairs and pulled out blankets for us. I can remember the smell the buttered popcorn and taste the licorice like it were yesterday. As much as I love camping and getting back to nature, sometimes it can be fun to have a movie night out in the woods. Cooking up some Jiffy Pop over a campfire and firing up a movie can be a great way to meet your camp neighbors and have a relaxing evening among the stars. 

With the advent of modern LED technology, this is easier than ever to do. So, with this post, I thought I would share my thoughts on some recent advances in projectors and players that can help you have your own movie night while camping.

To start, let's talk about projection. Projectors can be big, hot boxes that require the lamp to warm up before you can use it and cool down before you can shut it off. Replacement bulbs were expensive and could be hard to find. But it doesn't have to be that way, not anymore. A couple of years ago, LED technology made rapid advances in projectors enabling small, compact boxes called Pico Projectors that can fit in the palm of your hand. These small projectors can be as small as a book of matches rated around 30-50 Lumens or so to the size of 2 or 3 decks of cards and have a rating up to 300 Lumens or more. I have even seen some that were built into a cell phone case.

As I do a lot of presentations for my day job and not every place has a display available, I picked up an Acer C205 Pico Projector. This is a small and portable projector that is great for work presentations, but it is also great for outdoor movie nights while camping.

Specs:

• 200 Lumens
• Bulb Life 20,000 (standard mode), 30,000 (eco mode)
• Power: A/C, D/C, Internal battery (4200mA)
• Native Res. 854 x 480
• Native format: 16x9
• Min distance: 28.74
• Min screen size: 30"
• Max distance 90"
• Max screen size: 100"
• HDMI Input
• Audio Line In
• USB

I did some quick testing of this projector and posted the video on YouTube here:

Overall, this seems to be a good pico projector. However, there are a lot of options out there so be sure to check out a few different brands.   

However, projectors are only part of the story. How do you get your favorite content to the projector? Just like projectors, there are various options on how to get and view content. Certainly you could bring along a portable DVD player and connect it up to the projector, but if you have a large DVD library, this could mean bringing a LOT of DVDs. If you have movies downloaded from iTunes (or other source) on your mobile device, that could be a good option as well. Another option becoming more and more common is the back up or digital copy of the movie provided by the studios when you purchase a DVD or Blu Ray. To do this, having a good player available that can play that digital copy, something that can play MPEG, h.264 or other digital formats comes in handy.

I discovered some time ago that the Roku 3 is perfect for just such a job. It too is a small box and offers some really nice advantages. First, if you have an internet connection at your campground or have a WiFi hotspot, you can stream movies from the internet just like you would at home (assuming internet bandwidth is sufficient for streaming). Got Netlfix or Amazon Prime? No problem. Second, if you do happen to have digital versions of your movies, it can play those too. Whether they are the digital copies provided by the studio or you have opted to make your own back up copies and put them on a portable back up drive, you can plug that drive directly into the Roku's USB port and voila, you have your favorite content, ready for your enjoyment. Just connect up the Roku box directly to your projector via HDMI add a little power and you are ready for your outdoor moving night.

So, having your own outdoor movie night while camping doesn't have to be all that hard. With just a few ingredients, you can be sitting under the stars enjoying a movie and popcorn by the fire. Just get yourself a pico projector, a media streaming box (like Roku) and bring your favorite content.

UPDATE:
On our recent camping trip to Palmetto State Park, I was able to give this a try in the wild. Overall, the projector did pretty good. The image quality was very good and we were able to easily drive a 10' screen without issue. The picture was bright and clear. However, there was certainly a challenge with the audio as noted in my review video. The speaker was just not powerful enough to deliver a good experience over the evening crickets and general campground noise. You could hear the audio but if there were quiet scenes with dialog, you could not hear what was going on unless you were within about 2 feet of the projector.
 
Solving the audio issues. There are a couple of ways to deal with the poor audio quality depending on how you are setting up your system. If you are connecting through something like the Roku listed above, you will need an HDMI splitter with an audio output on it. You can then hook up powered speakers to the splitter to get your audio. Be sure to do your research as quality on these splitters can be all over the place. Generally they will run about $20.00 and up depending on features, etc. Once I get one, I will do a quick review and let you know how the solution works.

For our weekend trip, I did not have a splitter so I had to work out an alternative. We ended up using a laptop to drive the projector.  We connected up the projector to a laptop via HDMI.  We then hooked up a Bluetooth speaker to the laptop and selected the speaker as the audio source instead of HDMI.  This worked great and we had pretty good sound quality for the movie. 

Hopefully this information helps you as you consider pico projectors for your needs.   

Until next time, save me some popcorn.
Jay T.


    
  

Strangers In A Strange Land - Making Friends While Camping

Camping brings opportunities and provides many benefits. It can bring you close to nature and mend your soul, bring families together that are separated by miles, and even provide opportunities to make new friends. When I was a kid, we knew every family on our street and most on the next street or two over. Everyone looked out for each other, kids played together, we even camped together. This was fairly common way of life so many years ago. However, it seems like times have changed, people get so caught up in their daily lives that people often barely know their neighbors. You may have a friend across the country that you met on Facebook and know everything about them but you barely know the person 50 feet from your front door. You might give a friendly head nod as they pull in their driveway or wave as they are mowing their lawn but you may not really know much else about them.  It shouldn't be this way, humans are social beings, it is part of our DNA. We band together because it makes us stronger and safer but also because it fills our need to have human contact and interaction. 

Camping has a way of bringing people together. While camping, people tend to open up more, embracing human interaction. But how do you meet new people, strike up a conversation? Some people are just not good at making new friends, they find it hard to get engaged. Perhaps they are shy or just awkward in social situations, but we all need and crave human contact. I for one have never been much of a social butterfly...it's never been easy for me to engage strangers in a crowded room. However, I have discovered a way that works for me to meet people while camping. While I did not do this on purpose, one of the best ways I have found to meet new people while camping is to inadvertently leave something at home. Everyone does it, the one item you forgot to pack, it might be a tool or lighter fluid for the coals, but there is always something.

In our case, it was a can opener. While on our maiden voyage with our trailer, we decided to celebrate our first night in our trailer with some steak, broccoli and ranch style beans. However, as we started to prepare dinner we realized we had no way to open the can of beans. So, we reached out to our nearest camp neighbors to borrow a can opener. It was the perfect icebreaker to start a conversation. As it turned out, it was their maiden voyage as well. We spent the entire weekend hanging with our camp neighbors and discovering that we had a lot in common. We enjoyed their company so much, we have stayed in contact with them and even went on other camping trips together.

We have been on both the borrowing end and the lending end. On yet another camping trip, one of our nearest neighbors was having trouble getting their coals lit due to rain the night before. As it so happened, I had an extra bag of coals that were dry. So, when they came over for some help, I was glad to provide some coals and help them get them started. In both cases, it turned out to be a great way to meet camp neighbors and make new friends.

Getting to know your camp neighbors can not only be fun, but also provide useful. Just like at home, camp neighbors that know one another tend to look out for each other. While not common, thieves have targeted campgrounds in the past. They might steal chairs, generators or coolers and friendly camp neighbors can help deter strangers from lurking around your campsite while you might be away. Friendly camp neighbors help form a sort of neighborhood watch.

So, next time you are out camping, leave your can opener at home and take a moment and get to know your camp neighbors. You just might make a lifelong friend and make your camping trip much more enjoyable. Oh, as for the can opener? Well, we never did get the can open as our neighbors didn't have one either but I am still glad we forgot to pack ours.

Some images used in this post provided under Creative Commons License