Like Bill, I left the locking lever undone 1 time on my utility trailer....but thankfully for a short haul between the "winter" and "summer" storage lots in the subdivision I used to live in. But I now use the "storage" coupler padlock as my in transit coupler pin. After removing the padlock, I now try to remember to place it in the floor board of my truck while hooking up, so that it is in the way (and where I can see it), and a reminder for me to make sure the coupler is down and padlocked for travel. I do several walk arounds, just to make sure everything is a go.
And as for the padlocking in transit, I am just giving theives a little more trouble, but maybe enough that they will go elsewhere. I had a friend hauling a load of ATVs on a borrowed trailer coming back from a hunting trip to Oregon, and someone unhooked the trailer and took it with the ATVs while the guys were sleeping in a motel near Denver. Even though I seldom leave the TV, TM combination unattended, I am not going to give a thief any opportunity.
Chap
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