Security lug nuts

[Fox hunt]

I'm mostly thinking about a lock for when i camp in areas that are less secure - not sure i need one but if i can find something that's not too big and not too difficult to take on and off i would consider it. I also have a tracking device in my trailer.

[drjenk]

Originally Posted by drjenk

Yeah I know what product you’re talking about, I’ve got one of those too :-). I’m thinking that if anyone is able to still my trailer now, they are quite ingenuitive and mechanically inclined, and maybe they’ve gone and got themselves a degree by now thus removing the need to steal mine. This level of security will only serve to filter out the complete idiots, and lazy ones.


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Too lazy to work so hard stealing my trailer that is, not to get a degree. Reading that back it sounded a bit judgmental, not what I meant.



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[Steve Clark]

Originally Posted by drjenk

Yeah I know what product you’re talking about, I’ve got one of those too :-). I’m thinking that if anyone is able to still my trailer now, they are quite ingenuitive and mechanically inclined, and maybe they’ve gone and got themselves a degree by now thus removing the need to steal mine. This level of security will only serve to filter out the complete idiots, and lazy ones.


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I was going to ask you to use “ingenuitive” in a sentence, then I noticed you just did

[drjenk]

Originally Posted by Steve Clark

I was going to ask you to use “ingenuitive” in a sentence, then I noticed you just did

Lol


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[drjenk]

Originally Posted by hughharden

I'm all for anyone wanting extra security to use the locking lug nuts. Just be aware that most of them do not have as positive engagement with the wrench as a normal lug nut so you have to be extra careful putting them on and off.

I had a bad experience spending a couple of hours with a hammer and cold chisel removing one from my son's Subaru, it had a particularly poor design.

My partner's Mini Cooper has them, but the tool to remove them is splined so I think it will work well in the long run.

That sounds like a nightmare. I’ll definitely be buying a reputable brand. I bought the gorilla ones for our teardrop and they seemed easy to put on and torque so I’ll probably buy that brand again.


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[drjenk]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

What happens when the cost , time and inconvenience of a security device exceeds the value of the item we are trying to protect ?
I have witnessed people spending a considerable amount of time securing their trailer , then going inside their trailer , never to reappear until the next morning when they load up and leave.

Ya. We tend to sight-see leaving the trailer behind inevitability. If we don’t think we’re going to leave the site we probably won’t go to the trouble, Much less even unhitch.


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[steve dunham]

We were at a campgrounds where some juveniles thought it would be clever to put superglue into random locks
It turns out that the owners of the locks who possessed the keys had just as tough a time getting the locks off as the thieves do.
I watched a gentleman spend 4 hours in the rain trying to remove the security devices from his trailer so he could hit the road !!

[drjenk]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

We were at a campgrounds where some juveniles thought it would be clever to put superglue into random locks
It turns out that the owners of the locks who possessed the keys had just as tough a time getting the locks off as the thieves do.
I watched a gentleman spend 4 hours in the rain trying to remove the security devices from his trailer so he could hit the road !!

Yikes. Yes one downside is you sure do not want to lose the keys. I’m going to adopt my wife’s policy of chaining them to my belt loop.
It’s really a very quick operation to remove the chock locks, there’s really not much more time to doing it then removing regular chocks.


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[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Fox hunt

I'm guessing my 5.0 with the Anderson hitch attachment would be hard to steal unless the thief also had and Anderson hitch.

Difficult for an average person, who would have either a bed-level ball or a normal fifth-wheel hitch, if they didn't remove the coupler block. Not a problem for anyone with tools, or for a tow truck, or for anyone with a ball on flat-deck truck (which is higher than a typical pickup floor level, and comparable to a typical fifth-wheel).

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

But then again if you ever need a road call where someone else needs to tow it back someplace there might be an issue.

There might be, but shouldn't be. In addition to the ease of removing the coupler block, tow trucks routinely have accessories which mount a ball on the lift arm, and can lift the arm high enough to carry the 5.0TA's tongue.

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by Fox hunt

I'm guessing my 5.0 with the Anderson hitch attachment would be hard to steal unless the thief also had and Anderson hitch.

Don’t think it took me 5 minutes to install the pin adapter for the Anderson and it wouldn’t take any longer to remove. All tools needed where in my tool box, nothing exotic or expensive. This is good in case I need it towed by someone with a conventional 5th wheel hitch. For security I use a Fort Knox lock which I could not be happier with.


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[drjenk]

Originally Posted by Chotch

Don’t think it took me 5 minutes to install the pin adapter for the Anderson and it wouldn’t take any longer to remove. All tools needed where in my tool box, nothing exotic or expensive. This is good in case I need it towed by someone with a conventional 5th wheel hitch. For security I use a Fort Knox lock which I could not be happier with.


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I got one of those, glad to hear you are happy with it. I won’t be trying mine out until the 19th, when we pick up our escape.


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[ReagentGrade]

Originally Posted by Chotch

For security I use a Fort Knox lock which I could not be happier with.

I have one of these too and like it a lot. It's very easy to put on/take off. Takes about 30 seconds.

But that's not all, my friends...

I also have a Spot Trace hidden in a cabinet and hard wired to power. When the trailer is in motion it sends the GPS coordinates to a satellite. Mine is set to:
1. Send the position every ten minutes.
2. Send the position each evening, even when not in motion. (So I know it's working.)
3. It sends a position alert each time the trailer starts moving
4. It sends a position alert each time the trailer stops moving.
5. I believe it will send out a low battery alert if running on its internal batteries.

The device itself costs $100, but it's worthless without the tracking service which costs $150/year.

That's not cheap! But an additional benefit is that my family always knows exactly where I am, even if I'm outside cell service. And they can use the app to track my progress as I travel.

Between this and my SensorPush temperature history, I was able to determine that my fridge was not wiring on propane on my previous outing, not just this one. I wasn't sure when I had traveled; my SpotTrace history told me.

Maybe this is overkill, but I love it!

Link to SpotTrace vender: https://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=128

Screenshots from the Find Me Spot app.

My path of travel (I can expand the map enough to see my exact location in a campground)



This is the list view


This is detail screen I see when I click on position icon on the map view or the list view

[Moaboy]

I’ve had good luck with quality security lug nuts in the past. I like to boondock and the ones I put on work well. Yes I might regret it if I have to change a tire in the rain or snow etc. and it is true u can’t put as much torque on them as a regular one, but if u have a good quality lug wrench and fit them together well, my experience, only driving for 47 years...is they work fine.

[Fox hunt]

What kind of pad lock do you use on your Fort Knox Anderson fifth wheel lock?

[Great Eggstrications]

Originally Posted by drjenk

I am going to buy some security lug nuts...

I'm real happy with these from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The "keyed" sockets have internal splines, not the wavy-groove-on-the-face-of-the-nut like some others. The set of 5 is $21.00, and it works well to have one on each of the 4 mounted wheels, and have the 5th for the spare. I've neither heard of nor personally had any issues with torquing them to spec, unlike with the wavy-groove-on-the-face-of-the-nut variety which can tend to pop out of the groove unless you are really pushing the socket hard onto/into the nut.

[AllanEdie]

These are a better design for not much more money:

https://www.amazon.com/Gorilla-Autom...el+locks&psc=1

This is a set of five which covers the spare wheel as well.

The simpler ones can be removed quite quickly by pounding the right sized socket onto them - tad brutal, and might require one socket per wheel, but it works. The X2 nuts have a rotating top which would defeat such attempts. If they are in deeply recessed sockets in aluminum wheels like ours, I am not sure how they could be removed without a key - a good thing to keep in mind when storing the key...

As usual, not necessarily unbeatable, but more trouble than the neighbor's wheels.

OTOH, others have mentioned that trailer wheels may not be high on the list of desirable targets for wheel thieves. Dunno, but I bought a set of the X2's for our trailer.

[Great Eggstrications]

Originally Posted by AllanEdie

These are a better design for not much more money:

https://www.amazon.com/Gorilla-Autom...el+locks&psc=1

This is a set of five which covers the spare wheel as well.

Yeah - those look like a good bet. I don't think they had those out when I got mine 3 years ago, as suggested by the recentness of the reviews. In any case, I get the impression that Gorilla has a good reputation.

[C&G in FL]

I would again caution that the removal tool be stored inside (with) the trailer in an “unforgettable” location. And bear in mind that if the internal mechanism fails or binds in any way, removal may be difficult if not impossible on the side of the road or miles from civilization. I still personally believe that security lug nuts rank very low on the list of possible alterations one can make to prevent property theft.

[Iowa Dave]

I had a Mercury automobile with a locking nut on each wheel. The unlock nut was stored in the glovebox in the car with a wire and a tag on it. I rarely remembered to mention the location to any service personnel but never had one call me, they always seemed to know where to look. Maybe just lucky but never had anyone forget to put the nut back either. If any security device gives you peace. It’s worth the money. It is confusing when a $3.00 nut in your hand gives you more joy than a $350.00 receipt for an insurance payment.
Iowa Dave

[Brian B-P]

I lost the key for the set of security nuts that came with our Sienna (dropped it in a gravel driveway, didn't realize until later, couldn't find it). I needed something at a Toyota dealership anyway, so I asked them to remove the security nuts and replace them with regular nuts. They had no problem removing the security nuts without a key - they said they do it routinely - and didn't charge for the replacement nuts because they had spares... from the installation of other customers' security nuts. I'm glad to be rid of them.