What is the best way to prevent the theft of a utility trailer that is at a location that no one lives at? The ball lock that goes over where the ball gets inserted is in place. I would think someone with a drill could get rid of that within just a couple brief minutes. Any other advice? I was reading about the wheel lock but it appears people can drive off with that still on

OK, seriously, these days a battery cutoff saw will cut any chain or lock in a minute or two. Anything in an isolated location is at risk these days.

We had two tweakers break into our GUN RANGE not long ago. Cut our big locks, ripped the door off the range safety office. I mean this is where most of the area cops and security protecting our dams on the Colorado train. They stole our "mule" UTV and $10 in the coffee fund AND the coffee pot!

Never steal a cops coffee pot. It's worse than robbing the donut shop! Every cop in the area was after these guys - and thanks to our many thousand dollar microwave internet and security system we caught them in a couple of days, but not before they ruined the engine on the mule.

We are getting approval to have a caretaker live there. That is really about the only way to stop these criminals. Anything isolated is high risk unless someone is physically present.

If you take the wheels off they will bring replacements. If you chain it they will cut it, if you "boot" it they will winch it onto a bigger trailer. About all you can do is either not store it there or have someone watch it.

Back against building and leave pull vehicle there turned around or another vehicle, if someone wants it they will find someway to take it.

The best you can do is make it a harder target so it isn't worth their time to steal it. Some ideas I've seen used.

Replace the tongue hitch bolts with a hitch pin. When you leave it take the hitch off so they have to bring their own hitch and figure out how to hook it to the trailer.

I saw one where they welded drop down legs on the 4 corners. Dropped them and pulled forward to lift the trailer off the ground and then they put a lock on each leg.

lock and chain around wheels and frame, to a ground mounted pole, electric pole or similar. Use the biggest thickest chain you can find, hardened if you can find it to make it harder to cut and a big beefy lock or two.

chock locks that go between tires and lock.

let the air out of the tires so they look flat (only works if you have a tube in the tire.

Again, you could do all these things and if they want it bad enough they will still steal it. You are simply making it so hard for them that hopefully they will pass you by.

I'm a contractor with lots of trailers and tow-able equipment. Let me tell you of one story. I had an expensive cement mixer, tow-able. I parked it in the back of an apartment complex, that I'm the sole owner. There are many units and the back yard is an extra parking lot for the property. I chained up the cement mixer to the utility poll. I used a boat anchor chain, the links are made of 1/2" steel. I hid the chain under a trash dumpster and had some scrubs around the utility poll cover most of the chain. There was little light shining in the back parking area.

When I arrived the next day I saw the cement mixer had been moved out a few feet. Attached to the trailer hitch was someone's rear bumper off of a small truck. They attached the trailer to their hitch and drove away quickly, ripping off their bumper. After that I lock all of my vehicles down on a job site including a trailer.

I've heard that securing the chains, in addition to the hitch makes it tougher. Apparently, some seasoned crooks will hook up the chains and drag trailers to a better spot to grind off the hitch cover.

The log chain must. go thru the wheels AND the frame and around a telephone pole. If not they will remove the wheels or just drag the thing.

Padlocks without shackles - The COMMERCIAL round ones, not the $12 locks.

Check YouTube. The hitch locks are snapped off in 3 seconds.

Don’t need a hitch to pull a trailer. Just chain it to the truck. Or load it onto another trailer.

rent / loan it out to somebody that needs it

stop leaving an expensive piece of equipment laying around not making $$$$$$ for you

Exactly what LTD said.