SIMPLE SECURITY UPGRADES FOR YOUR TRAVEL TRAILER

If you own an RV, particularly a travel trailer, you very likely have either had problems with theft or have concerns about it.  Here are a few simple upgrades that may help prevent the theft of your house batteries, propane tanks, the content of your storage bins or even your whole trailer.

Change the Locks on Your Storage Bin

Many RV’s, particularly travel trailers, come with a universal lock on the storage bins, most keyed with the famous CH751 key. Our fifth wheel’s front hatch has one and the locks on our new Keystone Passport travel trailer have them on both hatch covers.  I’m not sure why this is the case but most likely it makes it much easier for the RV sales people to be able to lock and unlock storage bins without having to carry a dozen different keys in their pockets.  It is also makes it very easy to replace if people lose them.  The one advantage this universality brings is that if you did lose the key while camping, you could easily find some one to loan you one so you could at least access your gear.

If you find this universality a little disconcerting, like we do, the locks are easily and inexpensively replaced.  Either head to your local RV supply store or shop on line.  You will need to measure the exact length of the cylinder of the locks you have and make sure if you are ordering multiples, like we did, you order them all keyed the same.  One more tip is to watch for locks where the key can be removed in the unlocked position.  Being able to remove the key in the unlocked position is much more convenient if you have more than one lock on a bin door.

You can purchase locks with standard keys, or tubular locks, which are a little more expensive and theoretically harder to pick.  In my opinion if someone was determined to get into your storage bin I don’t know whether they would waste time trying to pick your locks, a pry bar would make short work of them!  All you are really trying to do is deter the would be criminal who sees an easy opportunity.

We found some nice black standard keyed locks online for about $8.00C a piece.  We bought four of them for our two hatches because we decided to replace the existing CH751 and the thumb turn on the the other side of the hatch to make it a little harder for someone to just open the one side and pry it open. The black looks great on the trailer!

The original CH751 and thumb turn locks

New black locks installed replacing the CH751 and the thumbturn lock

Securing Your Batteries

Batteries on many travel trailers sit out front on the hitch, nicely exposed and secured by a nylon strap and buckle.  This provides a very easy target of opportunity for thieves. This is particularly a concern if you have a couple or more 6 volt batteries installed and particularly, lithium batteries, as they aren’t cheap.  There are a number of ways to secure them, many quite expensive including welded aluminum boxes that can be locked or commercially made locking systems like the Battery Shackle.   For around $50.00C in materials you can make your own locking mechanism with a couple of 4′ lengths of perforated steel strapping and padlocks. Here is a video to show you how:  DYI Battery Locks. What I ended up using are Yakima Ripcord locking kayak straps. (Thule also makes a similar version).  I picked these up at my favourite kayaking shop, Ocean River Sports, here in Victoria for about $120.00C.  They are combination of nylon and steel cabling, quite strong and very easy to use.  A quick turn of the key and they are locked.  They’re a little long, but they could probably be cut to a shorter length with a little effort.  I just wrapped them around and tied them off in case I decide on a different system down the road.

Yakima Ripcord Strap Locks installed on our 6 Volt Battery Boxes

Battery Shackle battery locking system

Securing Your Propane Tanks

Propane tanks aren’t cheap, neither is the propane in them, and they are very easily removed from your trailer. Once again, there are some commercially available locking mechanisms from Battery Shackle.  However, a steel cable and a padlock will also work.

Propane Tank Lock from Battery Shackle

Securing Your Trailer

What if someone just backs up to your trailer while you away or while it’s in storage and just drives away?  There is nothing really stopping someone from doing just that.  There are a variety of hitch locks available that will make it a little more difficult for that to happen.  If you do an online search for hitch locks or go to Amazon you will find a wide variety of hitch locks for travel trailers and fifth wheels.  Some are quite inexpensive some very expensive,  check the reviews and decide for yourself what you may think will provide a decent level of deterrent for a reasonable price.  We decided on Gorilla Guard Lock, about 35.00C from Amazon. Seems like a fairly decent system, but we did have to grind a bit of material off to make it fit on our trailer hitch as some of the reviews suggested.

Gorilla Hitch Lock

There are also wheel locks available and I have seen some RVer’s run a steel cable with a padlock through their wheels.

Trailer Wheel Lock.

Final Words

Nothing is going to stop a determined thief.  All you are trying to do is deter the would be thief who sees an easy opportunity or perhaps encourage the more determined ones to move along and find some easier pickings.

Our Passport Ultra Light GT in Storage