How Do Hitch and Wheel Locks Work?

Security is an absolute necessity if you are going to tow a trailer or a caravan. Unless you can stand guard over them, some form of security device is going to be essential to prevent thieves from simply unhitching your trailer or caravan and making off with it. As such, wheel locks are one of the most popular camper trailer accessories you can find in Australia. The other leading security products sold as caravan accessories are hitch locks. Both perform similar tasks, but how do they work?

Hitch Locks

Basically, a hitch lock is a gadget that is designed to attach to the hitch head of a caravan or a trailer in order to prevent anyone else from hitching up to it. This is very helpful when you have unhitched your caravan, perhaps to head out for provisions or on a day trip. Disconnected caravan hitches can look very tempting to would-be thieves who – without a device of this type being fitted – can simply hitch up to their own towing bar and drive away.

When choosing which sort of hitch lock to buy, ensure that the one you are considering fits particular hitch head you have on your trailer or caravan. There are different types and sizes. However, when you install one with the correct dimensions it will only be able to be removed with a key. So long as you keep your key secure, your caravan becomes nigh on impossible to steal. Made from steel and other heavy duty materials, they cannot be easily snipped off, even with specialist cutting equipment.

Wheel Locks

Trailer wheel locks come in different sizes, too. Although this is handy because trailers and caravans have differing sorts of wheels, you do have to make sure that the product you choose is suitably sized. Unlike wheel locks designed for preventing people stealing alloy trims, a wheel lock runs over the outside the tyre, not just the locking nuts.

Many products of this sort come in two sections. The first sits over the tyre on one side and is connected to another part which sits on the other side of the tyre. As the two parts are connected and then tightened together they form a physical barrier which means the trailer cannot move. Just like a parking clamp, they can only be undone by the owner. Some wheel locks designed for caravans have a combination code release mechanisms, but most use a key.