Need help with a beginners question for towing...

[startingtower]

Hey everyone I'm sorry if this is a dumb question but I need a little help trying to find something for my truck... I'm going homeless for a few months and will be living out of a camper. The area I'm in I have had a few tow balls stolen off of my truck well in store or something.... I don't have a normal tow hitch like everyone else. I can't use a locking pin to hold the ball hitch on... The ball bolts directly to my bumper is there a lock ball hitch nut so people can't run through with a impact and steal my ball again I don't care if it's like a lug nut bolt where I have to have a special socket to take it off but something to deter someone with a impact gun from just gun and go with it

[doingitall]

Long shaft ball, drill a hole near the end of the shaft, and put a lock through? Picture might help. I have to ask, why do you need a bumper mounted ball hitch? Just for the camper? If you do not need it often, just remove if the dumbass thieves keep stealing it. if it needs to be semi permanent, put a tack weld or two on the nut/shaft. Maybe I am naive, but I have never seen an ongoing problem like that, receiver hitches maybe, but who is desperate for just the ball?

 

[startingtower]

26 minutes ago, doingitall said:

Long shaft ball, drill a hole near the end of the shaft, and put a lock through? Picture might help. I have to ask, why do you need a bumper mounted ball hitch? Just for the camper? If you do not need it often, just remove if the dumbass thieves keep stealing it. if it needs to be semi permanent, put a tack weld or two on the nut/shaft. Maybe I am naive, but I have never seen an ongoing problem like that, receiver hitches maybe, but who is desperate for just the ball?

 

I'm not sure why it's such a big problem around here I'm fairly certain it's tweakers trying to add to their scrap metal weight... We have a few scrap yards around the area I live that pay you for the weight of your metal no matter the metal for a set price, of course you get paid more for separating the metal yourself. The issue isnt to big it only happens like once every few months in a couple certain parking lots in the same neighborhood. So I could just take it off going to that area just a pain in the butt taking it on and off. Saddly I move the trailer every few days so not likely to take it off long term, and yes this hitch is only for the trailer.... However I do have to take it off about once maybe twice a month to tow a different trailer for moving things.

1 minute ago, startingtower said:

I'm not sure why it's such a big problem around here I'm fairly certain it's tweakers trying to add to their scrap metal weight... We have a few scrap yards around the area I live that pay you for the weight of your metal no matter the metal for a set price, of course you get paid more for separating the metal yourself. The issue isnt to big it only happens like once every few months in a couple certain parking lots in the same neighborhood. So I could just take it off going to that area just a pain in the butt taking it on and off. Saddly I move the trailer every few days so not likely to take it off long term, and yes this hitch is only for the trailer.... However I do have to take it off about once maybe twice a month to tow a different trailer for moving things.

 

36 minutes ago, doingitall said:

Long shaft ball, drill a hole near the end of the shaft, and put a lock through? Picture might help. I have to ask, why do you need a bumper mounted ball hitch? Just for the camper? If you do not need it often, just remove if the dumbass thieves keep stealing it. if it needs to be semi permanent, put a tack weld or two on the nut/shaft. Maybe I am naive, but I have never seen an ongoing problem like that, receiver hitches maybe, but who is desperate for just the ball?

SSomething similar to this not exactly though mines a 1991 Chevy s10

 

[Andy]

Have some one weld the nut on. 
 

if you need a second size ball drill out a spot next to it. A lot of bumpers used to come either pre drilled or with knock outs for a second even third ball. And with that bumper it’s not like you’re going to be pulling a lot of weight any way.