Do you leave car & trailer in a car park & go hacking?

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inthehills

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I've just passed my trailer test- and it has opened up an exciting world of hacking possibilities away from the rocks, mud and bogs of home!

Or at least I thought it had, until I started looking at maps and realised most of the good riding involves parking in remote car parks (such as forestry commission ones).

Does anyone do this? and how do you secure the trailer? I have a wheel clamp at the moment but looking to get a hitch lock of some sorts too. Wondering though if this is enough to put determined thieves off in a quiet/potentially empty car park.

Any thoughts would be welcomed!
 
Yes I do this. I drive to a couple of local commons/forestry commission. I prefer large car parking in order to turn trailer and as far off the road as possible just in case horse breaks away. I secure my trailer to the car with a motorbike chain and padlock so it can't be unhitched while I am riding :-)
 
Around here you often hear of car window's being smashed to steal items inside at local beauty spots so I'd add to take the minimum of kit/personal items with you so there's nothing to tempt the thieves.
 
Yes I do - and the car is locked and the hitch lock is used but I am guilty of "hiding" the keys in the trailer so I don't lose them whilst out and about...
 
Yes although I have only used car parks on the pennine bridleway and other major trails so they aren't very quiet. I lock my trailer onto the tow bar and leave nothing in the trailer, everything goes in the truck, and I put the keys in a secure pocket!

I can highly recommend the parking at Hartington Station on the high peak trail. Amazing facilities for horses, no need to reverse, Gates to prevent escapes, mounting block, hitching rail, tap, shelter the works.
 
I'd use the wheelclamp as well as a hitchlock. Trailers have been targeted at my local Forestry Commission car parks. One attempted theft was foiled by a coach driver, after two pick ups sped in and stopped either side of the car/trailer. The thieves were unhitching it and would have been off with it in no time, if they hadn't been challenged.
 
I do this all the time :) luckily we live in a small place so everyone knows it's me and it's mostly dog walkers where we hack out. I lock the hitch once it's on the towball and then use a bulldog lock. I also have a little card in the car window with my name and number just in case someone needs to get hold of me. The car is left empty, I only carry the bare minimum so should anyone want to smash the window they won't find anything as it will all be on me and my horse ��
 
inthehills said:
I've just passed my trailer test
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when people say the lock it with a hitch lock do they mean an external heavy duty job? given the inbuilt ones are pretty easy to bypass.

We used to do this a lot and always put our wheel lock on (it was an easy clip on and off jobby)
 
Oh and make sure the clamp is on one of the rear wheels as even with a hitch lock and wheel clamp it is easy to lift the front end so high that a clamp on a front wheel is useless.
 
How strange, I just came on to post this and you've already done it for me :biggrin:

I'm glad to hear that other people leave them. Mine isnt a desirable trailer so hopefully less of a theft risk. I also have the addded benefit of being in a carriage so I can take anything with me. I still feel twitchy at the thought of leaving it, but I'm sure once I've done it a few times I will feel better!
 
Gosh. I'm way too trusting... I just park up, lock the car and lockers on the trailer, and go. I do leave the ramp down (nothing inside) as it stops people parking where the ramp goes (side ramp). And I leave nothing in the car. To be fair, the Defender is probably at higher risk of theft than the trailer...
 
If you can - obviously depends on trailer type and where the ramp is - reverse back as far as you can into a parking space and if you can get on the end get in tight so it's hard to unhitch and swing round. When I had a trailer, I also put a wheel clamp each side and a hitch clamp on. You just have to make it as hard as possible to steal. X
 
Leo Walker said:
How strange, I just came on to post this and you've already done it for me :biggrin:

I'm glad to hear that other people leave them. Mine isnt a desirable trailer so hopefully less of a theft risk. I also have the addded benefit of being in a carriage so I can take anything with me. I still feel twitchy at the thought of leaving it, but I'm sure once I've done it a few times I will feel better!
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glad to be of help :-D
same here, I've been feeling anxious about leaving my lovely trailer in a car park somewhere, but at the same time the main reason I bought it was to get out and about hacking, so not doing it kind of defeats the point in having it!

thanks everyone for their tips and advice :-)
 
I don't leave mine to go hacking because I have fantastic hacking but I do go hunting and leave it at the side of the road, often with lots of others. I've never put any more locks on it, never crossed my mind to!
 
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