tow ball stolen !!!

[Jayne_5078248]

went out to the car on saturday, walked passed the back, it looked strange, couldn't think what it was was, got in, got out again, and looked again, tow ball was missing, electrics still there, no ball, boy was I cross!!! Why on earth would someone steal the ball, then thought, how did they steal the ball, its not as if it just lifts off, this was premeditated, they saw, they came back, and stole it. Must have brought the tools with them thats the bit that really winds me up, it was really thought about, all for what, about a tenner at the camping shop, I thought us caravanners were decent people, now I'm not too sure. Have I got to keep taking the thing off and on now, just so someone else doesn't take a facy to it in the middle of the night again, what a performance, any iteas, to stop me getting " cross" again.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Jayne it doesn't neccessarily mean they want it to tow a caravan so it might not be a vanner. Its a pity we cant forecast these things happening and then in a perfect world you could have electrified the tow ball and fried them :O) sorry to anyone who is PC and this offends. If it does, tough ..... mlm :O)

 

[BigRoy]

Don't let them grind you down Jayne, just count yourself lucky that your caravan wasn't attached to it at the time.

 

[mcghee]

It's strange how folk seem to steal items of little to no value, or which are absolutely no use to them. On the subject of ridiculous thefts last year I took my step ladder out, washed half my caravan, went in to refill my bucket, and when I came back out my ladder had gone. In the space of 1minute it had gone. What really p****d me of was it had to be one of my neighbours, no one else could have taken it and disappeared in that time. I suppose you could prevent it happening again by putting a small spot weld between the backnut and end of the bolt.

 

[cris_408518]

Answer to the problem is a fine drill and a couple of panel pins.

Carefully drill between thread groove tighten the nuts and bend the end of the pin into the thread groove on the underside.

Nut jams on the pin and we have never got the nuts of without drilling or re tightening and then cutting the tail end of the bolt off.

We first did it 25 or so years ago when theives unbolted the towball locked to a car trailer and then must have rebolted it to their vehicle as they kindly left their towball!

 

[BigRoy]

I butchered the end of the bolts with a hammer and chisel on mine

 

[cris_408518]

That's fine Roy as is the spot weld, until YOU need to get the ball off. The pin and hole is very hard to see and works, if you have time and tools you can easily remove if you know it's there!

 

[mcghee]

Your 2nd to last post raises an important point which I suspect few people have given consideration. It's all well and good using your hitchlock when hitched to the car but there really is nothing to stop the towball being unbolted and bolted to another car. Maybe there's a market opening for whoever comes up with the solution?

 

[Lutz]

How about a swan neck towbar?

 

[cris_408518]

Having got fed up with bruised shins when vehicles are not towing anything, I've only used lockable removable towballs for years whenever possible.

Heard about a guy who locked his van to a towball on a post concreted into the ground. Theives cut the bolts and must have bolted the towball to their vehicle!

 

[Jayne_5078248]

thanks for all your in put, I'm glad to hear it's not just me being picked on, and your ideas to stop it happening again. I problem aired, is a problem shared. Thank you x x x

 

[Geordie]

I suppose you could say the thief had "balls of steal"