My Trailer ....Stolen by Low Lifes

[scoutcub]

It's a horrible feeling, and after the deed is done you always question yourself "why didn't I do X and XX".

In 2006 I had a 2005 F-350, Lance truck camper, pulling a trailer with a TLB, mower, Lawn tractor, my good chainsaw, cash, personal papers, golf clubs, etc. stolen from a motel parking lot. I had just retired from the military, and was starting a new job in Seattle, and was going to live in the camper for awhile. After the fact, I told myself....if I just extended the backhoe out to the side, they could have never drove away.....along with numerous other security measures that I thought of. But, as typical, you only think about it after it happens.
To add insult to injury, after I placed several "stolen" and "reward" postings, some low life scum actually called me and said they knew where the stolen items were, and if I wired them $100 thru western union they would tell me the location.....nice.
Now I'm extra vigilant (and paranoid) whenever I leave some gear/equipment somewhere unattended. There's been several threads on tractor theft/countertheft measures which might not deter some pros, but will slow them down and deter the amateurs.
Word to the wise.....

Brin - sorry you had to go thru it.

Anyone have some claymores for sale??

 

[kenmac]

That's bad.. I had 1 stolen a few yrs ago 16' dual axle, brakes all steel.. I used it to haul my tractor. I guess they needed a truck to pull the trailer..That same yr. My truck was stolen.. My truck was later found.. My trailer wasn't

 

[CrownHawg]

I had a 16ft utility trailer stolen from my GFs house while I was in Iraq last year. I could only call her every few days and when I finally did get to call her, she was totally distraught. She started out just bawling and crying, I was REALLY freaked thinking something bad had happened. She was so afraid I was going to be mad. When she finally told me that my trailer was stolen, I was so relieved it was not serious. I told her that was what insurance is for. When I got back, insurance paid off and I bought an even better trailer, that stays locked at MY house. Still sucks to have scumbags think they deserve YOUR property....

 

[lakngulf]

Did your regular homeowners ins take care of it, or is other ins needed?

 

[eepete]

Brin, that's very sad. It seems to be a right of passage in life that stuff gets stolen from you. I had all my small electronics and hand tools stolen from work once, and have had cars broken into three times. The older I get the more I realize you can never be too paranoid.

Someone mentioned having or putting a gate up. I'd like to comment on that. I do the volunteer firefighter thing, and about once a year somewhere in the county there's a call and things go bad because of the delay getting past the gate. When we see these big honking gates with everything set up so you can't take them apart or cut chains, etc, we call them death gates. So think about using a 5/16" chain that can easily be cut with bolt cutters. It will detour the opportunistic thief and amateur. Some super-duper setup will only delay a professional by about 10-15 minutes (thats about the longest we have spent taking a gate apart).

So I like the gate, but consider a trade off you're making regarding your own safety and the safety of your other property (if there was a fire). I would make a gate part of your entire security plan. Hidden ID's, alarms, fences for just your property with honking gates, and other items can be used as a gauntlet that you make the evil idiots run. And the last hurdle in the gauntlet is making sure you have good insurance in force because it seems like the idiots win way too much.

Again Brin, I'm sorry this happened to you.

Pete

 

[kenmac]

Did your regular homeowners ins take care of it, or is other ins needed?

HM paid for mine.I think they had a max they would pay. If I remember correctly,,Around 1k


Did you get to bid on the scrushy compound at lake martin ?

 

[Mark_in_NH]

Someone get rid of this guy and his billboard tarps.

I guess the post from the guy peddling his billboard tarps was deleted long before I read this thread. In no way am I defending the spammer, but I bought a billboard tarp ( I don't think from him) to cover my 14' landscape trailer for the winter. What a tarp !!! Wish I had bought one years ago.

 

[CrownHawg]

At first, my GF tried to claim the trailer on her homeowners. She was told that since she didn't own it, it would have to be claimed on mine. They paid promptly with no problems. Worked out in the end. Like others have said here, if a thief wants something, all you can do is slow him down.....

 

[Thomas]

Scoutcub.
I'll keep it short..if they should catch the knothead/knotheads all they get slap on wrist,but if there was still some fronter justice we wouldn't have half this going on...we got those knotheads around here also,if they can't steal it they bust it up.

 

[lakngulf]

HM paid for mine.I think they had a max they would pay. If I remember correctly,,Around 1k


Did you get to bid on the scrushy compound at lake martin ?

If I boat out a bit in front of my house I can see the mansion, but I did not think they would accept my bid. What a mess!