Another way to help secure your Boat Trailer
Sometimes a simple idea can add one more layer of security to your boat trailer—and you may already have the hardware sitting in your truck.
Like plenty of skiff and bay boat owners, some of us are fortunate enough to keep our trailers inside a garage. Others, including yours truly, keep them under the house, beneath a carport, or otherwise outside where they are a little easier for unwanted visitors to reach.
That got me looking for another simple way to make removing the trailer more difficult.
On a previous trailer, I discovered that the same style of receiver hitch lock I already used on my tow vehicle fit nicely through the location normally occupied by the swing-tongue pin.
Our Amera Trail trailer also uses a swing tongue—a great feature when storage space is limited—and the same basic idea works there as well. The original receiver lock was simply too short for the Amera Trail setup, so I needed one with a slightly longer shaft.
For this application, I used a Master Lock Stainless Steel Barbell Receiver Lock, Model 1469DAT, designed for 5/8-inch receiver applications.
Its weather-resistant design also makes it better suited for the environment a boat trailer regularly sees.
You can check out the Master Lock 1469DAT to see if it fits your application.
The idea is simple: when the trailer is parked and the swing tongue is folded, replacing the normal pin with a locking pin creates another obstacle for anyone attempting to quickly straighten the tongue and tow the trailer away.
It certainly is not intended to be the trailer's only security measure. A good coupler lock, secured storage location, lighting, cameras or other deterrents can all play a role. But trailer security is largely about adding layers—and making your trailer considerably less convenient to mess with than the one down the street.
And sometimes one more lock is all it takes to make somebody decide they suddenly have somewhere else to be. 😄
Now, this is not the only measure employed to help keep ours secure and under the house where it belongs. This is just an extra obstacle and should help slow (them) down at least long enough, to turn around and look down the barrel of whatever I grab first... 😉 And those motion lights also come in handy, since my eyes are not what they used to be even with the upgraded night sights. 😊
Amera Trail offers both standard swing-tongue and Zero Tolerance Swing Tongue configurations for applications where reducing overall trailer length can make storage easier.
As always, check the dimensions and configuration of your particular trailer before purchasing or installing any locking hardware.
Hopefully this inexpensive little trick helps keep your skiff—and the trailer underneath it—right where you left them.
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