 | Home > Maintenance & Modifications > Securing adjustable tow hitch |
 
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| szracer Member Since: 10 Oct 2010 Location: Cotswolds Posts: 356   
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Hi all,
I have the dixon-bate type adjustable tow hitch on the back of my 110. However, it has always worried me that all someone has to do to steal my trailer (even with hitch lock), is to remove the 'r' clip and pin from the spreader plate, and bob's your uncle... Anyone got any tips for preventing the pin removal, or other scurity measures? 
2010 110 XS USW (the slow one) 1960 Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ (the fast one) 2005 Ducati ST3 1954 Sunbeam S8 |
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17th Apr 2011 5:37pm |
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| cobs Member Since: 12 Jun 2008 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 336  
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James,
have a look at this site: http://www.dixonbate.co.uk/spares/spares_list.asp?SubSparesType=1 |
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17th Apr 2011 6:40pm |
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| Fifth Horseman Member Since: 08 Mar 2011 Location: Lanarkshire Posts: 322 
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http://www.dixonbate.co.uk/towing/product.asp?PartNo=202018
Is the official (but expensive) solution - I'm sure mine was a lot cheaper when I got it. If you go with this, don't leave the plastic cap that it comes with on all the time as water will build up over time and cause the locking mechanism to rust - I caught mine just in time. You could try drilling a standard pin to take a padlock (either as well as or instead of the R clip, depending on the amount of metal at the end of the pin), so the pin can't be removed with the padlock in place. |
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17th Apr 2011 6:43pm |
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| szracer Member Since: 10 Oct 2010 Location: Cotswolds Posts: 356
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Thanks, Chaps.
I had thought of the padlock solution, but since it has to be a pretty thin padlock, I guess (as Zagato says) it's only a visual deterrent. Expensive as it is, think I will have to stump for the D-B solution - Still a lot cheaper than a trailer! 
2010 110 XS USW (the slow one) 1960 Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ (the fast one) 2005 Ducati ST3 1954 Sunbeam S8 |
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18th Apr 2011 9:05am |
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| mse Member Since: 06 Apr 2008 Location: UK Posts: 5024 
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Do what my made does - stonking big chain around the A of the trailer/caravan etc to the bar of the tow bar (the bit you can easily remove) Mike
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18th Apr 2011 6:23pm |
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| leeds Member Since: 28 Dec 2009 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 8578
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I use a small nut and bolt to 'secure' pin.
On red 110 a chain/cable goes through the A frame and through a welded on recovery loop HTH Brendan |
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19th Apr 2011 2:09am |
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| diesel_jim Member Since: 13 Oct 2008 Location: hiding Posts: 6046 
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Large motorbike chain from the frame of the DB hitch, to the A frame (or a welded on "ring") of the trailer.
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19th Apr 2011 8:16am |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 16941 
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I had one of the proper (and very expensive) DB locking pins for a while on my discovery, and to be blunt, it wasn't worth the money. The lock is nothing like durable enough for the position it ends up in, and in a short space of time it corroded so badly it became useless (and I always kept it as clean as possible by cable-tying a length of bicycle tyre inner-tube over it to keep the muck out.
After the lock broke I made a replacement which used a locking wheel-nut to secure the pin, which worked a lot better and was far more durable, however in the end I simply went down the big-chain-and-padlock route since most of the trailers I tow are ring-and-pin hitch anyway, and there's no point really securing the slider to the car if the trailer can still be unhitched. So for me as well it is the big chain and marine grade stainless steel padlock round the A-frame of the trailer and round the tow bar frame. I suppose someone could still steal the slider and leave the trailer, but it hasn't happened yet. |
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19th Apr 2011 9:37am |
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