Long story short, I’m unloading my truck in the dark just now and I amazingly remember to avoid the hitch insert. So I look down and…
No insert. Gone, despite the supposed “high security” lock.
I hope the thief drops it on their foot. Repeatedly.
Got to get that driveway alarm and cameras in, because I’m betting it happened in my driveway rather than one of the few parking lots I’ve been in recently. Never enough hours in the day.
I take mine out and lock it in the toolbox.
Only way to keep it from leaving.
If there ain't a trailer attached to the ball, it isn't in the receiver.
Kind of what B said above. Most tools get damaged if left out, the trailer hitch will damage me if left out and I've had the bloody shins to prove it. When I get done using it to haul something it gets put away.
I take mine out of the receiver because if I don't, I'm constantly bashing my shins on the damn thing. And it makes it that much harder to park. (Full sized SUV.)
B, I guess I'm going to go with the same thing, but what's to keep them from prying open the tool box? Or buying keys on eBay to just open it? After all, that's how I got keys for mine when I bought it. It would be easy enough to buy up enough keys to open any box. The key you need is stamped into the lock, just to make it simple.
SFJim, I've been used to watching for the hitch for 20+ years. That's actually how I found out it was missing. I was loading in the dark and looked down to make sure I wasn't about to hit it. And then alerted the neighbors by the full volume cussing. 🙂
Deb, you're right about the parking. No one makes parking lots for full-size vehicles any more. I tend to pull through and just let my @$$-end hang out a couple of feet into the space behind me.
I guess it's just another sign of the times. Thanks for commenting, y'all.