Stolen Trailer recovery unit

[Bling]

I'm buying a new trailer this winter. A big problem with these trailers is them getting stolen.

I've been in contact with a company out of California that does GPS tracking. I told them I wanted a system that would track my trailer if it was stolen. The problem is the constant power needed.

Here's what they offered.

For $290.00..a GPS Tracking device that you intall that hooks up to your power line. ( that hooks to your truck)
$100.00 year for having the system on line.

If your trailer is hooked up to a vehicle, you recieve a phone call within 60 seconds, telling you your tailer is on the move. If its you...than hang up ...if its not, you know your trailer is on the move.

After you recieve the phone call, you can go to your computer and login the the web site and track you trailer real time.

If they park your trailer 20 minutes away, and unhook it. The batteries in the system would transmit for several hours

I looked into Lojak...only avail. in it seems in major met. areas.
Here in Chicago if the take your trailer over the border (45min away) into Wisconsin ...no deal.

This seems like a inexpensive insurance policy. Plus the time issue.

I've just ordered mine. I'll post agean to update how it works.

I just wanted to share this info. It seems like too many trailers are getting ripped off and this seems like a way not only to recover your stuff quick, but to catch these roaches.

This is not spam. I dont have anything to do with this company. I'm just sharing alot of leg work I did.

Heres there email address: WWW.Terratracker.com
The guy I spoke with is, Don Birningham 805-653-7813

Jon Ytak
CCS Midwest #171

[the_weggie_man]

Hey Jon,

Go on line and check out some trailer/wheel locks. There are some good ones out there.  I checked some out when I had my small trailer but never got one.

The system you're getting sounds pretty cool.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and the family!  Hell, Happy thanksgiving to everyone out there. ;D ;D

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

     A problem I see with the theft of a smaller trailer is that the person stealing it may not be using a vehicle to steal it, and even if they do they may not hook up the plug. A problem in my area is theft using ATV's, especially at night. If I arrive home late at night I often times hear them buzzing around in the distance, I just stand there wondering who's getting ripped off now.

     If your adding this to a trailer without electric brakes you could easily hide a motorcycle battery somewhere on the trailer to power the tracking system. In order to keep it charged just splice into the running lights of the trailer and connect it to the battery to provide a trickle charge when the lights are on. The problem with doing this is that you have to have a battery isolator to stop the tracking system battery from back feeding and keeping the running lights on, also the battery only gets charged when your tow vehicles running lights are on.

     If you have a trailer with electric brakes you have several options. You could tie into the break-away brake battery (BABB) for a 12V power source for the tracking system (TS). You could also do this but have a 2nd (BABB) or motorcycle style battery hidden for the (TS) that would stay charged off of the main (BABB). This would prevent a thief from disabling your (TS) by disconnecting the power wire from the main (BABB) and returning later or another day after the (TS) onboard battery dies, the 2nd battery should last for quite a while. A problem with this situation is the possiblity that the thief shorts out your 2nd battery and/or (TS) by grounding the 12V power lead that was feeding off of the main (BABB), a dual battery isolator may possible prevent this. You could also tie into the 12V hot wire coming from your tow vehicle thru the 7 pin plug as a charging source for the 2nd battery, this could be more hidden and not so obvious. The 12V hot wire is generally used to power the lights in your trailer and may also recharge the main (BABB) while connected to the trailer. Depending on how your trailer is wired (or re-wired  ;) ) the (BABB) could be tied in with the 12V power supply coming from the tow vehicle and allow you to use the lights in your trailer when not hooked to your tow vehicle. Some revenue collectors...oops, I mean police ;), say that you have to have the main (BABB) completely independent of the rest of the electrical system (except for charging of the main (BABB) itself), but most police wouldn't know to check.

     Another concern is with the 12V power being supplied to your trailer from your tow vehicle. I have seen a few different ways this is done by different vehicle manufacturers. Some vehicles supply 12V power to the trailer thru the hot wire at all times while connected to the trailer. A vehicle I owned had a relay that would kill power to the 12V trailer hot wire as soon as the key was removed from the ignition. Yet another vehicle had a timer that would allow the 12V hot wire to work for a short period of time after the ignition key was removed, but would then kill the power to avoid draining the tow vehicle battery. I bypassed both of those systems by removing the relay in the fuse box for the 12V hot wire going to the trailer plug and using a heavy gauge jumper wire in it's place to provide power at all times to the trailer. A word of caution in doing this though, it's highly recommended that you have a fuse in the jumper wire or at least in the 12V hot wire leading to the trailer plug.

     Lastly, a word of caution about servelience security systems. There are some really crazy (pronounced: stupid!) laws that require you to display a notice that you have such a system installed. Each State is different, but it would be well worth checking to see if it's required in your State. By what I understand a thief in some States may avoid prosocution because he was 'unaware of the tracking system' (which is total BS!).

     Though it's rather expensive, I use the 'out of sight, out of mind' way of securing my trailer and other toys by keeping them in a storage shed and not having the door open for any real period of time. Good luck! :)

[cornercamping]

Damn, I wish I would've seen this thread before you ordered it.  I could've got you a system alot cheaper than that from a reliable company  :-/  I just got back from LA dealing with this stuff today.  Well, if anyone else needs one:

www.skytel.com

Click on fleet hawk. The system  rocks, and it's dirt cheap for a montly cost, and they also have a "pay per use" scheme.  Kind of like no recurring fee's, and if you ever need to use it, it's $50.00 so you only pay if you actually have to recover your trailer.  Otherwise, I could've gotten you the hardware on a deal from them for under $100.00 with a simple phone call.   After I make the call, you just have to call them, or call SkyTel and ask for Don Solar and tell him Dan sent ya.  :D

[cornercamping]

Hey Bling,

One thing you might want to seriously find out, is the "network type" the device you bought uses.  If it is "analog cellullar" like CDPD, Mobitex, Cellemetry, or AMPS I'd return it if I was you.  Those analog networks have been decommissoned by the FCC and won't be around much longer.  More or less, it has less than a 2 year life span.  Go with GSM, ReFlex or CDMA instead.
Just trying to save you a headache.

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

6 sticks of dynamite, a tip switch, and a disarming switch.  They'll only try to steal it once....

[EX#996]

6 sticks of dynamite, a tip switch, and a disarming switch.  They'll only try to steal it once....

I like this approach.....    LOL!   ;D

Dawn   ;)

[Ryan125]

LOL. what good is it if you dont get the call??? What good is it if your not near a computer. and what good is it if by the time you find the trailer its empty??? LOCK IT UP. if they cant move it, they cant take it! I have 4 locks on mine. A cable through both wheels, a lock where the ball goes and a lock on the lever that locks down the ball. Also use locks that are made for trailers. most of the time you cant get a bolt cutter on them. oh also park the trailer in a way that makes it hard to move out! If you make it too much trouble for them, they will just move on to the next victim.

[cornercamping]

LOL. what good is it if you dont get the call??? What good is it if your not near a computer. and what good is it if by the time you find the trailer its empty???

This system is only there to help recover or locate the trailer.  Usually, once you discover it's gone, within a reasonable amount of time, you could recover the missing stuff.

Nothing's perfect.  :-/  

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

LOL. what good is it if you dont get the call??? What good is it if your not near a computer. and what good is it if by the time you find the trailer its empty??? LOCK IT UP. if they cant move it, they cant take it! I have 4 locks on mine. A cable through both wheels, a lock where the ball goes and a lock on the lever that locks down the ball. Also use locks that are made for trailers. most of the time you cant get a bolt cutter on them. oh also park the trailer in a way that makes it hard to move out! If you make it too much trouble for them, they will just move on to the next victim.

     I'm a Tool & Die Maker by Trade and I have all kinds of neat toys at my disposal that I could easily get passed your various locking devices rather quickly! 8) I make cutting tools that go into punch presses that exert up to 3 Million pounds of pressure. Making something to destroy those locks at the trailer would be childs play. Plus there are even easier ways to destroy them, good thing I'm not a criminal! :)

     I think the blocking in of the trailer is one of the best ways to slow a thief down. If they are looking to steal the trailer itself then opening it wouldn't be important at the time, and could be done elsewhere later, so that wouldn't slow them down at all. A cable thru the wheels would only take a few seconds to remove, so it doesn't really count either as being effective. Something like the 'Boot' that cops use would probably be one of the more effective theft deterrents, but even then the trailer could be stolen without removing it (by using a very common towing company device). Tongue lock doesn't stop them either because you can surely pull the trailer without using a hitch ball (I have seen this done personally, though the trailer wasn't being stolen).

     I gave these examples because I think it goes to show how effective a hidden/self powered tracking system could be in the event of the trailer being stolen. I would imagine you could have the tracking system set up so if moved it would automatically contact police and guide them to it, like Lo-Jack. Then when you want to use the trailer just have a hidden bypass switch that disengages the tracking system. When you get where you are going to park the trailer again just turn the system back on and your protected again.