Articles - Trailer Hitch Locks - GusHill Industries

Crime reports, site visits, victim interviews, and a community survey revealed that trailers were more likely to be stolen if the trailers were small and placed in accessible, remote locations without security, and that unregistered or unlicensed trailers were less likely to be recovered. Microchips and an ownership database were used to monitor and identify trailers, and the media informed the public of these protective measures, substantially decreasing trailer theft.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

Ken Gustafson

Many times we enjoy our success by owning something of value that is carried on a trailer. It could be a fine boat you've worked for years to get. A trailer could house your tools you use to earn your livelihood. You may even be spending your retirement in a travel trailer. No question about it, Americans have billions of dollars worth of possessions invested in trailers and their contents - and thieves know this. Often a thief can make off with a trailer, sell it and its contents, and earn more than they could in most other types of crime. Sadly, in most cases, it's very easy crime to commit. Thieves can wait until you leave, then step over and quickly cut the padlock off your your trailer and tow it away. How often does that happen? Every day. The latest figures reveal that Billions of dollars in trailers and cargo are stolen this way each year. Of course, there is a simple, affordable, and effective solution that could prevent these trailers from being stolen. NEW types of trailer hitch locks that are VERY difficult to defeat. Look for locks that are encased to resist defeat. Locks that have standard 6 pin tumblers or 7 pins for more security. While these locks cost just a little more than a quality padlock, the added security is much greater. Yes, this is a case where an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Taking just a little effort to secure your trailer can reduce headaches and save a BIG expense. Ken Gustafson is part owner and founder of www.trailerlocksonline.com where more can be found on types of trailer locks.

Locks For Pintle/Lunette Hitch

Matthew Long

DaPlug is a patented trailer lock for what is commonly call a pintle hitch. The pintle hitch is what connects the vehicle to the trailer. In other words...the pintle is like a trailer ball on the vehicle and the "lunette" is the connection on the trailer. A "lunette" is a very strong trailer connection. Example: a trailer ball even the biggest, 2 5/16", has a verticle load of 750 pounds. A lunette, the eye, on the trailer and a pintle, the hitch on the vehicle, has anywhere from 10,000 pounds, 5 tons, up to 30 or more tons, 60,000 pounds. This is a verticle load rating so in towing heavy loads...the lunette/pintle hitch is as strong as it gets for common vehicles. Beyond common vehicles comes big trucks which use a Kingpin connection. DaPlug is a lock that fits in a lunette (eye) on a trailer to reduce the chance of the trailer being stolen. The picture becomes more clear on....www.trailerlocksonline.com

Matthew Long

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BullDog Trailer Hitch Lock

Stanley Long

DaBull is a patented trailer lock. Again DaBull is unique in that it encompasses the whole end of the trailer hitch. In most of the available trailer locks some part or parts are exposed for defeat of the lock. On others the wire is cut bypassing the actual lock. In the case at hand on the DaBull everything that is exposed is very..very difficult to defeat. The story can best be explained by viewing the site....www.trailerlocksonline.com and viewing DaBull in motion by pressing the part you wish to "see" in motion. You actually...see...how the lock functions. www.trailerlocksonline.com...then pick the lock you wish to "see" come apart and return for viewing.

Stanley Long

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King Pin Extra Secure Lock

Kenneth Gustafson

DaKing is a patented trailer lock. DaKing is a very unique lock for kingpin type trailers in that this lock encases the kingpin 180 degrees on 1 side of the kingpin and about 33 or 34 degrees on the opposite side. This unit is a solid block of aluminum which has a housing for the actual "puck" lock made by Pacific Lock Company. This lock comes standard with 6 pins which makes it even harder to pick but can be ordered in 7 pin setup which is what the U.S Military Forces use for security. This lock is solid hardened steel which sits in a pocket of the aluminum block which in turn encases the kingpin. All of the above can be viewed at....www.trailerlocksonline.com...and can be seen in motion by clicking on the individual "hotspots" to "see" how unique this lock is in motion. www.trailerlocksonline.com ....a new generation of trailer security.

Kenneth Gustafson

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Special Trailer Locks

Bryon Gustafson

Our business is to reduce the chances of your trailer becoming a negative statistic. At least 10 BILLION dollars worth of trailers and contents are stolen every year in the USA. Our locks are unique...we have the Patents. Very...Very tuff to defeat. Please view...www.trailerlocksonline.com... and "see" what we mean by very...very difficult to defeat. It takes time and either very special skills or very very special equipment to overcome our trailer locks. Check us out. www.trailerlocksonline.com It takes time.... no matter how you intend to defeat our locks. www.trailerlocksonline.com check us out....see how these locks "work". Very special trailer locks.

Bryon Gustafson

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Horse Trailer Security

Ken Gustafson

Jackson, CA Imagine your horse and horse trailer, new boat and trailer, your expensive tools and utility trailer, or your travel trailer stolen. What would you do? Sure, youd probably have good insurance, but what other costs are there? Time, effort, sentimental value… Having a trailer stolen can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time of the day or night. Thieves simply cut through a padlock on the trailer hitch, and drive off with the trailer and its contents. Whats worse is that some people dont even use a trailer hitch lock. In those sad cases, the trailer is just waiting for a thief with a truck to come by and haul it off. Still more troubling can be the contents of the trailerespecially when those contents include something irreplaceable, like your horse!

There are many things people do to protect their trailers. Some work better than others, but any effort is better than none. For one, a person can leave their trailer attached to their vehicle and back it in to a spot where it cant be moved with the vehicle there. This isnt always convenient, but neither is having your trailer stolen! Other times people park their trailers in busy, highly visible places. This works well when the people who have the good visibility know its your trailer and watch it for you. Otherwise, its impossible to know who should/shouldnt be hauling your trailer away and the thief might look just as natural hitching up your trailer as you do. Other people take the opposite approach and tend to park their trailers out of sight or in obscure places to hide them. This can work too. If a thief doesnt know your trailer is there, then it is probably safe. Unfortunately, if he does find your trailer, he can take it without anyone knowing what hes doing. Theres no perfect answer to trailer security, but the more you do, the better off youll be.

Sometimes the trailer isnt as important to the owner as what is in it, so they remove and reload the trailer contents each time they move it. This might keep your horse or gear safe, but it still leaves your trailer unprotected and can leave you in a bad space if your trailer is stolen. Besides that reality, the prospect of unloading and reloading isnt always feasible, especially when traveling long distances or making short stopovers. Some people just expand their theft insurance coverage (at considerable cost). Again, an insurance check wont bring your trailer back and it sure wont replace something precious, like the horse that might be in the trailer.

While each of the above tactics provides some deterrence, none of them are going to stop a determined thief. Most people secure their trailer with a padlock thinking that will keep it safe. This will help, but a skilled thief can cut through any padlock in virtually no time at all. With billions of dollars of trailers and cargo stolen each year, your chances of becoming one of the statistics are higher than you might think. No question about it, Americans have billions of dollars worth of possessions invested in trailers and their contents and thieves know this. Often a thief can make off with a trailer, sell it and its contents, and earn more than they could in most other types of crime. This is serious business for criminals, so it takes a serious approach to stop trailer theft.

Short of having a private security guard standing next to your trailer, your best bet by far is to install a specially designed, high quality trailer hitch lock. When thieves see one, they know they're beaten and move on. Although no lock is perfect, a quality trailer hitch lock lets the thief know he should spend his energy on an easier target. The small investment in a quality trailer hitch lock is minuscule compared to what you could lose to a thief. Specialty trailer hitch locks are specifically designed for your model of trailer hitch. Theres one for just about every kind of trailer whether you tow with a ball, lunette ring/eye, or kingpin hitch.

Now GusHill Industries is making trailer theft a whole lot harder with the introduction of several lines of theft-deterrent, high quality, specialty Trailer Hitch Locks available at www.TrailerLocksOnline.com. GusHill models include:

* The DaPlug trailer hitch lock is for trailers with a 2 3/8 or 3 inch lunette ring/eye hitch. Made from rock-solid cast-iron with a 6-pin tumbler lock, the hitch is encased and the lock is protected.

* The DaKing trailer hitch lock is for kingpin hitch trailers and uses also uses a 6-pin tumbler lock to protect 5th wheel trailers. It is an excellent choice for many larger horse trailers.

* The DaBull trailer hitch lock is designed for trailers with Bulldog (ball) couplers. This design fully encases the coupler making it nearly impossible to get to the hitcheven if the collar release wire is cut. It too utilizes a 6-pin tumbler lock.

All GusHill Industries trailer hitch locks include 6-pin tumbler lock mechanisms made of top quality materials and are designed for years of trouble-free service. See the wide selection of trailer hitch locks, designs, and sizes at www.TrailerLocksOnline.com.

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