Keeping your AATV secure while traveling

[Bud]

I was talking with Tim Shaefer at Adair Argo the other day, and he asked if I would be interested in heading down to Texas this spring for an AATV ride.

How do you folks secure your machines when traveling and staying the night somewhere? I doubt that a motel parking lot is going to be a secure spot, and while I like to camp, I am a grouchy old man who likes my sleep and does not suffer noisy fools gladly in the adjoining campsite.

[wfo]

i wouldnt worry about that, just tie it down good..most people wouldnt even know
what it is anyway letalone how to drive it

[Mike]

A chain (or cable) and a padlock loosely around the axles to the trailer would give you some piece of mind. A battery cutoff switch is another good security measure. I usually just back the trailer up to something like a dumpster to prevent anyone from backing the ATVs off the trailer, but I have 2' sides on my trailer so you can't drive off any other way.

wfo does have a good point though.

[racerone3]

Because of the design of my trailer, and the fact that i like to carry all my toys, a broken tie down could very easily result in a machine being lost on the highway for that reason, I have a chain for each machine. i took a 10 foot chain and bolted the center of it to the center of the trailer. once the machines are tied down, one end of the chain gets attached to the axle on each end of the machine. that way if a strap breaks the machine can only move a few inches in either direction and I'll notice the movement before any harm is done. the added advantage is that I can put a lock on each machine.

[polishale]

what about something like this?Polaris ATV Lock and Hold DownFULTON ATV LOCK / HOLD-DOWN SYSTEM from Parts Unlimited ATV & UTV

[Bud]

All good suggestions. I am leaning toward logging chain and a big padlock, since I already have those.

[plott hound]

cable locks are good.a theif has to nibble away one strand at a time to cut the cable off.takes a lot of time.

[Roger S]

I have a hardened chain I bought from harley davidson, and a hardened padlock, both pretty good size. You have to get down on the ground, but I tightly padlock one end of the chain to an axle behind the axle flange, and the other end goes wherever.. to the trailer, a tree in the woods, light pole, etc. If on the trailer, I chain the trailer to the truck just as tough.. no little tounge lock that can be cut.

Thieves tried to take my trailer w/ argo on it out of my driveway.. I woke up, ran them off, and found broken jaws of their big bolt cutters, and some dings on my big hardened American brand padlock.