Bought the Club Tire Claw . . .

[Expidia]

My biggest fear is getting back to the launch area and finding no trailer!

I've read threads where this has happened to others. I get back late sometimes in the dark and sometimes 3 hours from home and even though I have insurance what do you do with your boat still in the water and no trailer.

So for the $78 I just paid at Amazon with free shipping at least it will serve as a visual deterrent. I know if someone really wants your trailer, they are going to get it anyway.

I figure it will deter the amateurs who like to grab the small trailers like mine and use it for a snowmobile or jet ski trailer or break them up for the parts.

There were some other brand models that some reviews said as soon as you drive off the pin brakes and renders it useless as they drive off with your trailer.
I have not found any reviews on the club (by Winner) yet, but they make solid units for the cars that I've used over the years.

Looks like it locks on without the key, so that should save time.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Bought the Club Tire Claw . . .

I happened upon a box of keyed alike Bike Club locks, they work great on the wheels, through the spokes and around the spring leaves on my bass boat as well as on the spare tire. I actually use only the Club U bolt to hold the spare on my one trailer. it ratchets down and holds the tire tight to the tongue.
I didn't intend to leave it that way but it don't rattle or move so I left it that way.

A buddy of mine did come out and find his spare tire missing a few weeks ago, they left the locked rim but removed the new tire by itself. They tried to remove the electric winch but I had spot welded all the bolts and nuts when I installed it for him. They did get the winch strap though.

 

[bgtony1]

Re: Bought the Club Tire Claw . . .

My biggest fear is getting back to the launch area and finding no trailer!

That's a scary thought! Mine too!

What other types of security have you guys been using to prevent theft?

I've drilled the hitch pin on my hitch at the truck to size large enough for a keyed Masterlock. I use another Masterlock (keyed the same) on the tongue.
I should really look at locking the spare and maybe using locking lugs on the trailer tires too.

Up in northern WI you might be the only person for miles comin in late. To bad you can't stop those worthless idiots from stealing what you worked so hard for! At least we can make it harder.

Tony

 

[Expidia]

Re: Bought the Club Tire Claw . . .

I read on one of the boating sites of a Lojack type device that is small and get mounted inside the frame and the trailer could be tracked by satellite as soon as it leaves the launch area. That sounds like the best prevention albeit an expensive one. Let's face it the pro's can always pop what ever lock setup we use and tow your trailer away on a flatbed.

The only thing we can attempt to do is make our trailers a little less attractive to steal with these types of devices and hopefully they steal the one that's parked next to yours

The poster above who said his buddy had his tire stolen but they left the locked rim and tried to steal the winch but he had welded the bolts on, shows you what we are up against

All launch areas should have closed circuit cameras in my opinion, especially the State and Town owned ones (they can afford it). Even if they were not monitored, they would still have the thieves on a loop.

I don't like getting back too late as most of these launch areas are a ripe place to get mugged, in my opinion. At least their is safety in numbers during the earlier hours, when the launch areas are busier.

Really . . . what do you do if you get back especially at night and the trailers gone. Your boat and all your stuff is still on the boat, in the water and unprotected. You could call a tow company if your cell phone worked in the mountains but what tow truck comes to you with a boat trailer attached?

You would have to sleep on the boat (with the bugs) and wait until you would have to wait until a boat dealer finally and if it was Sunday or a holiday you are screwed.

I figure the Club Claw is real cheap security (if it works). Cause I can't imagine what a debacle like a missing trailer is going to cost in lost time and towing plus the cost of a new one, minus whatever your insurance would pay, after the deductible.

You could sit in the woods with a shotgun and plug a thief as they are stealing your stuff but then their Families would probably sue you for everything you've got.

And they call boating . . . recreation Are we having fun yet?

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Bought the Club Tire Claw . . .

I can't count the number of times I've come back late in the dark with no one around, my boats all have good lights so I can run at night when others usually can't. The public launch is known for trouble there and I usually come prepared.
My truck and trailer are old and not worth much, and everything is locked together.

I'm the smallest guy in the bunch of us who all fish together at 6'4" tall about 300 lbs, so a caught thief would have plenty to worry about either way and I've been known to have a short fuse in those situations.

I've seen everything from torched off hitches and bumpers, stolen rollers and winches, and missing axles. A buddy came back one day and found his Jeep ransacked and his glove box ripped off it's hinges. They stole his radar detector and sunglasses and cut the passenger side window open even though the doors don't have locks.

I drove an old Dodge truck for years that had no door locks and about half of the body had rusted off the frame, they never touched that, the bed of the truck was always full of old shotgun shells as was the dash. The truck smelled like bait and had a padlock hasp on each door, not so much to be able to lock it up but to hold the doors shut after the door latches fell in from rust. The trailer was just as nice, I could leave that anywhere and no one would touch it. The blood trail over the tailgate and bed rails from gutting a few hundred fish did wonders for it's appearance as well. I only sold it after the body rusted out so bad the cab dropped down onto the frame and jammed the shift linkage one day. I sold it for more than I paid for it since the motor was still good. The bed was held together with metal patch panels and sheet metal screws. Mechanically it was pretty much fine, it just looked rough.
It didn't even have keys, just a toggle switch inside the lighter socket to turn it on and cheapie push button to start it. The steering column switch had gone bad long before I got it. The key was broke off and jammed in the lock to keep the steering from locking. The half bald skunks tail hanging from the rear view mirror added a nice touch too. Some one wrote 'Tetanus Shots Required" on the passenger door in black marker. (The inner door edges were rusted through and pretty jagged and the seat was mostly old blankets over springs and burlap sacks). I kept using it even though I had a new truck at home, sort of daring them to steal it. It was never touched.

The best part was the reaction I got when I'd back it in up to the cab to retrieve a large boat at low tide. When something rusted off, I just forgot about it so long as it wasn't too important. Rear brake lines were an annual task, but after awhile they got blocked off as well. I didn't run far to that ramp, maybe 10 miles or so at best. I had that truck for about 8 years and it was the best $200 I ever spent for a truck. After the rear brakes were gone, I was hoping some thief would take it, just for the entertainment value.