If you have a travel trailer, you should have a wheel lock. You may not choose to use it all the time, but there is going to be a time when you wish you had one and you need to plan in advance. In this article I will explain the basics about wheel locks and what we bought to make our camper look less attractive to steal than the one down the block.
Types of wheel locks
Let’s start with the basics because as with all things camping, there are a bunch of terms and four different types of wheel lock types that you will see when researching what to buy.
Clamps - Do a google search for camper wheel locks and this is the most common result. These pincer-type locks can expand to fit different tire sizes and to use it you just put one arm around either side of your wheel and lock it. They are often bright yellow or orange making it easy to see that you’ve made an effort to secure your rig.
Brace - These wheel locks are designed to work with dual tires and are shaped like an X. The brace sits between the two tires and prevents the tires from rolling.
Boot - You’ve probably seen something like this if you’ve ever seen a car with a boot on it due to a parking violation. The design includes a plate that covers the entire center of the wheel and it also has pincer arms like the clamp wheel lock.
Wheel chock - This one is also like a clamp lock but it has a plate that braces on the ground with sharp teeth. It’s name says it all. The design combines your need for a chock with a wheel lock.
What type of wheel lock do you need?
That depends on your rig. Using the process of elimination, unless you have dual tires, you wouldn’t buy a brace so let’s set that one aside. Clamp locks and wheel chock locks are basically the same thing from a security perspective, so for the sake of ease of discussion, let’s just call these both clamp locks - which means the question is…
Should you get a clamp lock or a boot lock?
Keep in mind that we have a Happier Camper HCT, so our choice is based on our rig but I will give you a simple answer - if you can afford it, get the boot lock. From a pure security perspective, a boot lock is harder to remove than a clamp lock - so it’s the obvious answer. Get a boot lock. YouTube has dozens of videos showing how easy it is to remove a clamp lock with a crowbar, but that doesn’t mean that if you choose a clamp lock it doesn’t add value. Let me explain.
Camper security is about looking less attractive than the next guy
And I don’t mean having a less attractive rig, I mean that when someone with ill intent looks at your rig next to someone else’s, yours looks like it is going to be more difficult and will take longer to steal. It’s as simple as that. YouTube is littered with videos showing how, with the right tools, almost every physical security measure you implement can be removed. I recommend that you don’t watch them, they will just make you anxious. What you need to figure out is, what is the right amount of money to spend to make my rig look less attractive to steal than the person next to me and what makes me feel less nervous that my very expensive investment is going to be where I left it.
the right answer for us
We have a boot lock (and a hitch lock). We had a clamp lock when we first started out but it doesn’t take a sophisticated criminal with the right tools to remove it so, for us, it felt like having no lock at all. It was a big financial step up to get a boot lock but given how we want to camp (boondocking and leaving our rig to take off and explore), we felt the upgrade was warranted. We recently bought the Brahma boot lock and it’s outstanding. I did a video on this and you will note that I didn’t film the actual install of the lock. Well, I did film it but it involved Mike swearing a bit and multiple attempts to get it put on so I didn’t use it. I’m sure with practice it’s going to get easier but this is an important point for you to consider because the truth is, for most of the camping we did in our previous rig we had the clamp lock but we never used it. Wheel locks are sort of a hassle to put on and we are a bit lazy so you need to think about your personality, your risk profile and your budget when making your choice.
Hopefully this helps you figure out the best wheel lock option for your situation. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below.