Thieves love those trailer hitches!

   / Thieves love those trailer hitches! #1  

Kernopelli

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2006
Messages
2,207
Location
Carterville, Illinois
Tractor
Mitsubishi MTE2000D, Dig It 258 Mini Ex, Deere Z930A ZTR
Ran into the store the other day and was gone 10 minutes. Came out and my pintle hitch was gone. I mentioned it at work and 2 of the 3 guys I was talking to said they had had a hitch stolen in the last year. $150 lesson for me....not sure what it cost them but rest assured, I learned my lesson! Thought I would mention it and hopefully save someone else the same fate. Lock it or take it out when you are not using it. It's actually illegal in IL to leave your unused hitch in now anyway....just little known and seems rarely enforced.....guess I really don't have a right to complain since I shouldn't have been driving around with it in anyway.....but I sure hate a thief!!!!!
 
   / Thieves love those trailer hitches! #2  
If I have a stinger in the hitch, it is locked. No one borrows it and no one plays a prank by taking the pin.
 
   / Thieves love those trailer hitches! #3  
My hitch comes off the moment the trailer is disconnected...Theft and shins are the main reason.
 
   / Thieves love those trailer hitches! #4  
You think they steal them for scrap?
 
   / Thieves love those trailer hitches! #5  
I had 1 stolen several yrs ago while I went into the store.Since that time my hitch stays locked
 
   / Thieves love those trailer hitches! #6  
My hitch comes off the moment the trailer is disconnected...Theft and shins are the main reason.

Same here mine is always locked, but the shins are definitely the number 1 reason i remove mine. It really sucks when its dark outside and you ram into them at speed

Dave
 
   / Thieves love those trailer hitches! #7  
I take my hitch out and put it in the back of the truck. We have issues with hitches getting rusted in.
 
   / Thieves love those trailer hitches! #8  
I take my hitch out and put it in the back of the truck. We have issues with hitches getting rusted in.

When i bought my 1500 i had to cut one out of my truck with a 8" saws all blade and pound the 3 pieces out with a large chisel. Oxy acetylene , penetrating oil and a winch with sledge wouldn't budge it. I didn't have any liquid nitrogen on hand to try shrinking it with.

Dave
 
   / Thieves love those trailer hitches! #9  
What kind of hitch? I leave my drop hitch in 90% of the time. Keeps idiots that dont know how to park from giving my bumper a tap at the store. Its thoroughly greased in the tube, so removal isnt an issue (usually).

That said, I do have a hitch lock. Maybe I should use it. I dont have much faith in the lock remaining free with our sal condidions however.

Im seriously thinking of going pintle anyways. Not only are they less of a target to theves, nobody will want to borrow my trailers :D Plus they are a bit easier to hook up.
 
 
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