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by Craig Nicholson
(©2004 by Craig Nicholson. All rights reserved.)
Last winter, a friend of mine left his tow vehicle and empty enclosed trailer at a hotel parking lot while he and three companions went on tour for a week. When the group returned from their trip, ready to drive back to home and work, the entire rig was gone, never to be seen again.
I’m pleased to report that stolen vehicles and sleds are not the norm, but thieves are looking for targets of opportunity. The good news is that many preventative measures are available to foil theft, so why leave your vehicle unprotected?
Many of the expensive new vehicles required to tow loaded snowmobile trailers come with standard anti-theft devices such as computer chipped keys and engine immobilizers. You can add an after market alarms system or get fancy with a satellite tracking system. These devices allow a central station to monitor your vehicle and call authorities if it moves without delivering the proper computer signal. While each of these inventions warns potential truck-jackers with window warning stickers, adding a very visible, mechanical first line of defense doesn’t cost much.
Considering that the average tow vehicle is probably worth $50,000 or more, spending a couple of hundred dollars for additional security is a good investment. Several manufacturers offer steering wheel locks that prevent the wheel from turning. They install in seconds and are very obvious to passersby.
When I started to think about vehicle security, I remembered reading about the “parking boots” used by some police forces to prevent a driver from leaving without paying a fine. I figured that such a device had to be available to consumers and after numerous calls across the United States, I discovered the brightly coloured Alpha Lock. Now available in Canada too, this metal U-shaped device separates into two halves. Each half fits around one side of vehicle tire and slide into each other where a key locks the sections together, gripping the tire rim. Protruding from the bottom of “U” is a straight metal shaft, which sits against the ground, preventing the wheel from turning. Alpha Lock comes in two sizes — one for trailer tires, and one for trucks and SUVs. In addition, I make certain that my trailer is well locked to the tow vehicle and that both are parked in a well-lit, visible area.
On tour, I lock my sleds each night, and when they are in the trailer, I secure them with a Superclamp front and back. Not only is Superclamp easy and clean to use, once the lever is closed to fasten the sled skis in place, it can be locked.
Often, the weakest link in your line of defense is the lock itself. You get what you pay for. Look for heavy-duty locks that have hasp protection, making them less susceptible to bolt cutters. If all are the same make and model, you can get your locks changed so that one key works for all. Remember to always carry a spare and never leave it in your vehicle or sled.
I know that, given enough time, a determined thief can circumvent any prevention device. I also know that many snowmobilers leave their rigs totally unprotected. So if you were a thief, which would you choose, the one that is obviously locked every which way or one of the others? My goal isn’t to prevent theft; it’s to persuade a thief to steal your rig instead of mine. Besides, most vehicle and sled theft is by joy riders out for a thrill, so even if I lower those odds significantly, I’m way ahead of the driver with no protection. Now if I could just persuade my insurance company to recognize my efforts with a lower premium!
Until next time, remember to take it easy while riding OFSC trails.
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