Advice on theft and real world realities

They do have something like Emergency Road Service for people that carry a weapon. It provides complete legal representation in the event you need to defend yourself anywhere in the country. Cheap insurance and I don't leave home without it.

We are fortunate in the US and use to be western societies to enjoy a high level of civility and security.
We left our doors open, in many communities and rural areas. Grand Ma and Mom did have clothes stolen from the clothesline and some vegetables from the garden.
In town, where we lived, the doors were open all the time and kids up and down the street invaded everybody's home. It was more like everyone was family.
In some areas this was not the case, but we wouldn't have lived in an area where we had to live locked down.
The whole Country is being locked down now. There are places, that are cultures, of crime and they are drawing more, growing and spreading. The Interstate Network and so on and Politics are exaservating if causing the problems.
If they notice you they will come for your stuff, at some time. Expensive RVs and homes and vehicles is where the money is or stuff that can be easily carted off and sold for drugs or whatever.
Insurance, big noisy burglar alarms and watch dogs while you are away.
The only way to really stop Criminals is another Human with a weapon.
It was the rock, axe, sword, bow and arrow, and now firearms.
They are just tools and are not evil or vile.
People with firearms can save lives and property.
Don't brag about having a weapon, even if a slingshot. Just be prepared.
Know when to use it and how.
Those that don't want a firearm fine but don't expect society, unarmed, or Police to protect you.

That guy above from Canada might consider that here in the US we are in fact allowed to have guns. Its in our constitutions 2nd amendment. Also in many states we have a "castle" doctrine and a "stand your ground" law.....Don't know why anyone would want to live where only criminals have guns and you aren't allowed to protect yourself.....But also as said above it does you no good in the RV while you are out and about. Its just something else to be stolen.

We travel extensively in our 24" Class C (21,000+ miles last year), and prefer campgrounds over RV Parks. We have very little that would be of interest to a thief, no jewelry, we don't carry much cash, just one credit card each and they are always on us, two i Phones and my camera. These are kept out of sight and the coach is always locked up unless we are present.

Because we are often way off the grid in remote campgrounds I do travel with a weapon. In these types of CG's even "if" you have cell coverage the response time for the LEO's will often be 45 minutes to an hour. My Arizona concealed carry permit has reciprocity in 37 states and when not in those states the weapon is securely stored/hidden. This gives me the option of reaching for it should the need arise (it has, twice)... and it it is always good to have options.

:C

With 35+ years of RVing, either I am exceptionally lucky, or RVers are just good people in general. I have never had an item stolen. We camp for the most part in full hookup campgrounds, we do not boondock alone, and I believe I am situational aware when I decide on a campsite. We have left bikes out all day (a thin lock at night or when away for extended periods) I leave the BarBQ out and other assorted items. The RV is locked when not in a direct line of site. Valuables are not left in plain sight through windows when unattended. If we are uncomfortable in a parking spot or campsite we move, the RV has wheels, but I can only think of a very few times this happened.
Firearms in a locked safe are not real defensive, and the laws regarding transport of firearms in a motorhome (home vs vehicle) are cloudy to say the least. The NRA offers a few good publications on traveling with firearms.
Happy Trails.

..As already suggested a few times, most RV burglaries happen in storage yards, where RVs are stored away for long periods of time.

If you can keep your RV out of storage lots completely (like we always have, ours always stays at our house when not camping)....You reduce the odds of it being burglarized, drastically.

Also, as already noted, most thieves are looking for things they can put their hands on quickly and easily, and turn around easily for cash. This includes jewelry, flat screen TVs, tablets, computers, CDs, guns, ammo, and obviously cash. If you can minimize how much of those things you leave in your coach or at least how many of them are easy to see from windows, you make yourself less of a target as well.

Guns are allowed in all but about 20 of the park service’s 392 locations, including some of its most iconic parks: Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, Yosemite and Rocky Mountain National Park. Guns are not allowed in visitor centers or rangers’ offices, because firearms are banned in federal buildings, but they could be carried into private lodges or concession stands, depending on state laws.
Anywhere else, the state laws prevail and you need to check to see if your carry permit has reciprocity with the state you are visiting.

Don't show off your gun collection around the campground.

This summer we camped at a fair. There were about 40 RVs without hookups, including ours, around the perimeter of a car parking area meant for day visitors. RVs had all kinds of stuff sitting out from kids' wading pools to gas cans. There were signs posted cautioning us about not walking alone after dark and securing our belongings. It's no shock, then, that on two mornings people awoke to missing gas cans, propane tanks, and bikes, empty coolers, and radios swiped from picnic tables. Yes, two mornings. It was an IQ test apparently. No one bothered us. We keep vehicles locked and shove chairs and grill under the MH at night.

You've heard the old story: if you go hiking with a group and encounter an angry bear, you only have to outrun one person. Well, petty theft works that way, too. Thieves look for easy targets, where they can get in and out quickly without being noticed. In the case above, all the portable generators running covered up any noise the thieves made so no one heard them. BTW I'm FOR shooting open frame gennies!

Most thefts occur in storage yards where the thieves can be fairly confident no one is around. Thefts of an RV in use do occur but are extremely rare.

Golden_HVAC wrote:

...Remember that many National Parks prohibit any arms inside the park boundary, but I guess if they are locked up, and you have a empty 'gun safe' to show them if they ask, you will be OK....

As of a few years ago, the National Park Service follows the gun laws of whatever state they are located within.