Useless Wheelclamps

Mollers · 06 September 2005, 08:41

Doesn't everyone do as I do? Jack it up and take a wheel off. It takes a determined and smart thief to sort out nut/bolt sizes, threads and wheels etc. By which time the sun has come up and you can offer him a coffee.These clamps that the insurance companies insist on appear to be rubbish.

Nick Hearne · 06 September 2005, 08:48

Yep but most insist on them so you will not be covered if the wheel is off!
But may be if it is off but with the wheel clamp fitted to the wheel

wavelength · 06 September 2005, 09:42

take one wheel off and clamp the other

hard1 · 06 September 2005, 10:41

It would be a brave man that flew against the "advice" of their insurance company. I can hear their squeals of delight at your uninsuredness from here!

Does this make sense? Most boats on trailers are nicked from Marinas, yet they almost "insist" on Marina storage, unless hitchlocked, wheelclamped, chained to a post etc with (wait for it) a separate outboard motor lock for a motor weighing in at almost 1/2 a ton! Yeah, there's a lot of guys out there with forkifts - beware.

Best do what they advise no matter how daft.

thorper · 06 September 2005, 11:12

Our club boat was stolen, despite one of the wheels being missing (the bearing failed and it fell off). They just lifted the whole trailer onto a lorry and drove off.

Ricky

Roy Smith · 06 September 2005, 16:59

Lets face it, if a thief wants it he will take it,
I have seen photos of engines that have been cut from the transom with a disc cutter and the transom still attched. you can only do your best and as long as it complies with the insurance companys rules, who cares.

fred bolton · 06 September 2005, 17:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mollulnan

Doesn't everyone do as I do? Jack it up and take a wheel off. It takes a determined and smart thief to sort out nut/bolt sizes, threads and wheels etc. By which time the sun has come up and you can offer him a coffee.These clamps that the insurance companies insist on appear to be rubbish.

A smart thief will know pretty quickly which wheel he needs, probably nick it off a similar trailer my guess is it's easier to put a wheel on than remove a crap wheel clamp. If it's going to go it's going to go !! therefore make it the Insurance Company's problem not yours, follow their conditions to the letter, don't give them any excuse to get off the hook

Scotty · 06 September 2005, 20:23

I got a heavy duty bulldog clamp. This is no piece of piss.

Mollers · 06 September 2005, 20:55

The bolts/nuts do differ greatly. How about one wheel off, a clamp on the other and remove the hitch (only two bolts). Would that do the trick? If not they deserve to have it off with the thing! :-)

Richard B · 06 September 2005, 21:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mollulnan

How about one wheel off, a clamp on the other and remove the hitch (only two bolts). Would that do the trick?

Not if that dodgy Fred Bolton is around! So street-wise, he must have been spending too much time with MeMe I reckon!

roycruse · 06 September 2005, 21:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mollulnan

and remove the hitch (only two bolts)

Only 2 bolts to put a new one back on though - cost of £10 - £15 for a new hitch to be able to tow away a 10k or 20k or even more boat.

good investment id say (if i was a RIB thief that is)

I think all you can do is slow them down as much as possible and hope they get seen or disturbed before they get through all your security.

My trailer will be chained to the wall with a chain that is too thick to cut with hand bolt crops, it will have a wheel clamp and locking wheel nuts, another chain secures the area where its parked and the hitch will have a hitch lock.

Add to that a security light so that anyone trying to get all that off will be under a 500W flood light and im just hoping that someone will spot them before they get the boat away.

At the end of the day there are not many security devices that an 18V cordless angle grinder with a steel cutting disc wont get through in a few minutes.

Nos4r2 · 06 September 2005, 21:26

I've got large blocks of fluorescent paint mixed with luminous glow in the dark pigment on my trailer and then 'POLICE STOP- IF NOT (reg no) THEN STOLEN in black marker over the top of it.

It's in 4 inch high letters in places that can't be covered by a tarp without getting tangled in the wheels. You can read it from 10 feet away while the trailer is in the dark-and 30 feet in daylight.

Mollers · 06 September 2005, 21:26

A full-time security guard could be cheaper Roy :-). There was a 6tonne, 1904 wooden yacht craned out of a yard at night, loaded onto a lorry and not seen since, near Falmouth recently. Amazing.

roycruse · 06 September 2005, 21:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mollulnan

A full-time security guard could be cheaper Roy :-)

how much do they actually cost

im getting paranoid now - off to find some cctv equipment

Mollers · 06 September 2005, 21:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by roycruse

how much do they actually cost

im getting paranoid now - off to find some cctv equipment

Or a bloody great dog and a length of chain!! or... keep the missus on a long enough piece of chain to reach the kitchen, the bedroom and the rib at the end of the garden to keep an eye on it!!

Rodan · 07 September 2005, 09:05

So where is the best/cheapest place to buy a cursed wheel clamp?

Never thought I would end up wanting one on my wheel but hey ho....

roycruse · 07 September 2005, 09:12

heres a couple of options

http://www.towsure.com/default.asp?t=148&p=0&d=36
http://www.saundersonsecurity.co.uk/...el_Clamps.html

the second one has free delivery so take that into account when comparing prices

MarkWildey · 07 September 2005, 09:20

In some ways the wheel clamp is only as good as the lock. For educational purposes only, you understand, I have used lock picks and your average lock only takes 3-5 secs to pick, even with anti-pick pins.

For about £12 you can get your own picks and in the hands of a pro the time will be 1-2 secs.

Mark

Scary Des · 07 September 2005, 09:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rodin

So where is the best/cheapest place to buy a cursed wheel clamp?

Never thought I would end up wanting one on my wheel but hey ho....

Go for a bulldog titan

and don’t worry about locking wheel nuts they are useless on a steel wheels, come off in seconds

Des

Scary Des · 07 September 2005, 09:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkWildey

In some ways the wheel clamp is only as good as the lock. For educational purposes only, you understand, I have used lock picks and your average lock only takes 3-5 secs to pick, even with anti-pick pins.

For about £12 you can get your own picks and in the hands of a pro the time will be 1-2 secs.

Mark

Mark that is bollox,the average lock in the UK is a Yale and it takes even the best people almost a minute to pick one