Leaving Trailer at Campsite?

[archer75]

Leaving the trailer as the campsite is what you do. I've never heard of anyone having one stolen. That said, I do use a lock on the coupler. Hell, I even leave gear outside of the trailer when we leave. Never in my life has anything been stolen.

[rbleau6885]

We do a fall fling for 7 weeks camper stays on the site the whole time and it's based off Friday to Monday can't go doing the week a couple have been broken into and you know there kids because they Pry the door open little do they know most compartment keys are the same and they could craw in through them and unlock the door.. They took tvs and went though everything I leave my golf cart locked to the steps in front of one door and chair in front of the other with the slide in and I changed my compartment door locks not Guna stop them but makes me feel better also a cable with a lock holding the seat down because people like to cut the cables and grab the battery's at 140 a piece x6 sad world we live in but that's what insurance is for I guess

[bttravel]

Just a comment from your post. You are getting a toy hauler and mention towing with a car. Since this is your first TT and towing I'm curious and I think others might be as to what your are buying, model and size, and what are you planning on using for a tow vehicle. Usually toy haulers and cars don't jell well unless it's a small TT and you have a hemi Durango or something like that. Just don't want you to be overwhelmed and over loaded. Spending some time in a big empty parking lot practicing turning and backing, etc to get you used to dragging a big box behind you is a good idea.

[Some1]

If we're staying for more than a couple of nights we'll throw on the hitch lock but that's about it. For chairs and stuff we'll just store them under the trailer when we're not around to protect them from rain and we'll lock the deadbolt with the standard key that everyone has anyway and that's about it. WDH has a keyed pin so is locked to the truck but the bars we just leave in the bed of the truck as we don't have room in the pass through and don't want grease in there any way.

Mostly we just leave everything where it lie as there is usually lots of people around the state parks to watch your stuff which tends to keep thieves away.

[rideandslide]

Same here, we stay at mostly state or COE parks, never do more than lock the tongue and the camper, all other goodies stay outside, never, up to now, a problem !!!

[Idiotfool]

Originally Posted by bttravel

Just a comment from your post. You are getting a toy hauler and mention towing with a car. Since this is your first TT and towing I'm curious and I think others might be as to what your are buying, model and size, and what are you planning on using for a tow vehicle. Usually toy haulers and cars don't jell well unless it's a small TT and you have a hemi Durango or something like that. Just don't want you to be overwhelmed and over loaded. Spending some time in a big empty parking lot practicing turning and backing, etc to get you used to dragging a big box behind you is a good idea.

I have a 2014 V6 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk with Tow Package, rated to tow 4500 pounds. The trailer is a Whitewater 819 weighed at 3500 pounds. It's a twin axle at 19 feet long (total, with tongue).

I'll definitely take my time practicing on short trips or in parking lots before I go crazy. The only toys I'll ever take are my kayaks or my 300 pound 250 cc motorcycle. I mostly wanted the gate for the drop down wall effect so that I'm still part of nature in my protected trailer.

I realize it's not the most conventional pairing, but I think I can manage it for a few years. I'll take it slow on the highway and won't take any trips to the Rockies (I'm in flatland Wisconsin, currently). Once my little Suzuki SX4 dies, I'm getting a diesel Grand Cherokee that'll do much better at towing.

[Smithers]

Echoing what others say about walking away- do it all the time.

This is also where that term "community" comes into play.

When you are in the campground keep an eye out for people who seem to be trolling the grounds, if we all keep an eye out for things that "don't look right" we will all have less to worry about.

[Dr-G]

I grew up in NJ, so I don't trust many people. I secure everything. Maybe I'm paranoid. I do hear the camping community is pretty good but there are bad apples everywhere.

I use a padlock on the hitch, along with a hitch lock. I lock up the spring bars on the trunnion itch in the storage compartment. The WD stays in the receiver with a lockable receiver pin.

I have cable locks under the spare tire cover securing it to the mount as with the propane tanks. Yep I have to unlock them when they need to be swapped out or filled but it's not that big of a deal.

As far as the storage compartments, I reinforced the access points to avoid someone getting in through them.

I have cables to attach to the bumper for the generator if needed.

I also have log nut locks on the tires.

I'm just a wee bit paranoid and OCD.

[Hit_the_Rhod]

Originally Posted by Idiotfool

I have a 2014 V6 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk with Tow Package, rated to tow 4500 pounds. The trailer is a Whitewater 819 weighed at 3500 pounds. It's a twin axle at 19 feet long (total, with tongue).

I'll definitely take my time practicing on short trips or in parking lots before I go crazy. The only toys I'll ever take are my kayaks or my 300 pound 250 cc motorcycle. I mostly wanted the gate for the drop down wall effect so that I'm still part of nature in my protected trailer.

I realize it's not the most conventional pairing, but I think I can manage it for a few years. I'll take it slow on the highway and won't take any trips to the Rockies (I'm in flatland Wisconsin, currently). Once my little Suzuki SX4 dies, I'm getting a diesel Grand Cherokee that'll do much better at towing.

Question, was that 3500 lbs from a brochure, or actual weight of your trailer? From a brochure, the weight will not have battery, fresh water, or ANYTHING extra. By the time you add 300 lb motorcycle, two 35 lb kayaks, your clothes, food, fresh water, chairs, pots and pans, etc, you can EASILY exceed that 1000 lbs you have remaining before you overload your Jeeps pulling capacity!

I would load it up and then weigh it, trailer separately, unhooked from car, and car separately. It would be nice to have the tongue weight too!

You also need to look into your gross COMBINED vehicle weight rating, especially if you are putting ANYTHING in your jeep like fuel for the motorcycle, etc . . . Even if you are within the weight rating, you will be right at the MAX, and personally I like to have a build in safety margin of about 20% minimum . . . If you like the lifestyle, you might want to do yourself a favor and upgrade your tow vehicle real soon!

[IC2]

Originally Posted by Dr-G

As far as the storage compartments, I reinforced the access points to avoid someone getting in through them.


I'm just a wee bit paranoid and OCD.

Did you change the usual CH751 cam locks that most OEMs use?

And if not, you may as well just leave them unlocked as most of us here, plus way too many thieves, have a key

[JohnBoyToo]

And those 751 keys are SO expensive the thieves will never buy them
CH751 RV Compartment Key Pair | eBay

BUT, to the OP,
I want to revisit your tow vehicle and towed rv ....
not to chastise you, but to help from OUR experience

I would be willing to bet:
1) your rear GAWR WILL be exceeded
2) your rv will be the tail wagging the dog as the newer cherokees are small
3) It will be a bear to tow/control
4) your jeep MAY be a unibody and MAY not be able to handle a WDH.

Please research it closer - or at least post the exact year/models/etc. of your jeep and rv so we can offer some suggestions to help.
Is this the rv: Product Description

Overall Length 19'6"
Hitch Dry Wt. 500 lbs
Carrying Capacity 3480 lbs
Exterior Width 8'

They don't state total weight - only dry wgt and that is ficticious on every rv I've ever had.

(and this is coming NOT from the 'weight police' segment or IRV2 - just a concerned future rv friend !)

[Idiotfool]

Originally Posted by JohnBoyToo

And those 751 keys are SO expensive the thieves will never buy them
CH751 RV Compartment Key Pair | eBay

BUT, to the OP,
I want to revisit your tow vehicle and towed rv ....
not to chastise you, but to help from OUR experience

I would be willing to bet:
1) your rear GAWR WILL be exceeded
2) your rv will be the tail wagging the dog as the newer cherokees are small
3) It will be a bear to tow/control
4) your jeep MAY be a unibody and MAY not be able to handle a WDH.

Please research it closer - or at least post the exact year/models/etc. of your jeep and rv so we can offer some suggestions to help.
Is this the rv: Product Description

Overall Length 19'6"
Hitch Dry Wt. 500 lbs
Carrying Capacity 3480 lbs
Exterior Width 8'

They don't state total weight - only dry wgt and that is ficticious on every rv I've ever had.

(and this is coming NOT from the 'weight police' segment or IRV2 - just a concerned future rv friend !)

Appreciate the concern.

1) 3500 pounds is what's printed on the trailer from the certified weighing. Add in 120 pounds, or so, for propane and batteries. I'll never haul water since I won't boondock with the Cherokee as the TV. 120 pounds in Kayaks and 100 pounds in food/cookware and I'm still under 4000 pounds with a 4500 pound towing capacity. Swap 350 pounds for the 120 pounds in Kayaks, and I'm around 4100 pounds. This is a dual axle trailer, so I'm not sure why you think the GAWR of my rear axle would be so bogged down. Any weight I put into the trailer outside of the propane tanks and battery will be rearword and will alleviate tongue weight, in theory.

2) I was lead to believe that the dual axles of the trailer, with the WDH/Anti-Sway that I would have no issues with sway/wagging.

3) Perhaps. I'll know when I get it in a week or two. I live in a state forest so if I only make short trips to camp then it was a poor investment that I can still use.

4) The 2014 v6 Trailhawk Jeep manual states that I should use a WDH for trailer loads greater than 1500 pounds, so I assume I can use such a hitch with it.

[archer75]

Don't forget the weight of the passengers in the TV. And weight from gear adds up far quicker than people realize.
Being so close to the limit is not fun.

[JohnBoyToo]

Originally Posted by Idiotfool

1) ... the GAWR of my rear axle would be so bogged down. I meant the rear axle of your jeep based on the trailers pin wgt...

2) I was lead to believe that the dual axles of the trailer, with the WDH/Anti-Sway that I would have no issues with sway/wagging. And that may be true!

3) Perhaps. I'll know when I get it in a week or two. I live in a state forest so if I only make short trips to camp then it was a poor investment that I can still use. (We are jealous then !)

4) The 2014 v6 Trailhawk Jeep manual states that I should use a WDH for trailer loads greater than 1500 pounds, so I assume I can use such a hitch with it. cool - some unibody vehicles specifically say do not use a wdh - so good on you

No worries, just trying to help...

the manual stating pin wgt of 500lb gives you a starting point, but typically close to 20% of the total weight is what is on the pin (i.e. your jeeps rear bumper and rear axle)

In a week, you can know for sure when you get it and spend $10 at a cat scale near you to know your weights...

the pic below is a snippet of a cat scale weigh of our previous 5'er where I realized the posted numbers were wrong...
putting me 100's of lbs over on the trucks GCWR of 23500 and the rear axle rating of 11500...

Was it the mfg's numbers or my loading or ?!?! didn't matter, a diet was needed

We did some serious weight reduction and became the 'shoe gestapo' as my wife called me to make sure we only carried what was needed - until I traded that truck in on a better suited truck.
good luck !