The welded trailer ball thwarts that type of thief, but there are those that just compromise the lock that secures the hitch to the ball. Some of these thugs are relieving boat owners, of their trailers, while the vehicle and trailer are in the ramp parking lots. While shooting them is a definite deterrent, I highly recommend consulting your local laws beforehand so that one of these idiots do not wind up your roommate for the foreseeable future. Typically these individuals are compromising several popular locks on the market without the use of a grinder, because on the noise. YouTube has several videos showing how this is done, and yes thugs watch YouTube also (lol). The locks I listed are some of the best prevention devices I’ve seen. I hope this thread will generate ideas from members so that we can lessen our risk of loss.