For over 15 years, I drove a Jeep Wrangler. This was the version called a TJ, smaller and more basic than Wranglers are now, and the one I had was a year-round soft-top with those quirky Jeep half-doors.

In all that time, I don’t know if I locked the doors more than a dozen times. My reasoning was, seeing as the roof, sides and windows were vinyl, if someone really wanted to get in I would rather they just opened the door than slashed it open with a knife… the repair/replacement would have surely cost more than anything inside was worth.

Teardrop Trailer Doors are No Fortress

I have similar thoughts about locking my Teardrop. The camper doors they use on Teardrop trailers are not very robust and it wouldn’t take much work to get in—but it would take a lot of work (and money) to repair a busted-up door.

Sometimes, if I am leaving the Teardrop in a busy location like a roadside stop or picnic area and heading off for a hike, I will lock the doors. In that sort of scenario I figure (a) with so much coming-and-going of people someone could readily enter the trailer through an unlocked door and nobody would necessarily think they are not the owner, and (b) it is busy enough that people would take notice if someone was tampering with the trailer door. In such locations, I try to park it so both sides of the camper are visible to others rather than one side, unseen, facing the bush.

But most other locations, including anywhere that it would not likely be noticed if someone were tampering with the lock or breaking the door, I don’t lock it. I also don’t leave anything of importance or high value in the Teardrop trailer interior.

I do tend to lock the metal box at the front of the trailer, since it is reasonably resistant to tampering/damage… and it includes the power system, which is probably the most valuable (and not readily replaceable) part that could be removed from the trailer.

In those 15+ years leaving the Jeep unlocked I never… to my knowledge anyhow… had anything stolen from it. Hopefully I will have similar luck with the Teardrop.

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So, that’s how I do things with my Teardrop Trailer but by no means the full story or the best way. What about you? Add your own methods, ideas and experiences using the comment box below for the benefit of all readers.