Theft: the bad, the bad, and the really bad

I was checking in at a park in Milton, FL when the police showed up. Some guy had walked into an occupied RV and grabbed a woman's purse right off the dining room table. They didn't catch him.

It surprises me how many people lock their homes and cars, but when they come down here to Florida they don't bother locking up their RVs. I came back to mine once and someone had tried to pry the door open. They had bent the lip of the door all up. They stole my battery and took the cable from the breakaway switch.

I had my sewer hose stolen once. I suspect it was the final act of an altercation we had with some rowdy campers which resulted in several of them being ejected from the state park.

Never had anything stolen. Mostly stay on Military bases or private RV parks, I do have a cheap dash cam pointed at my pathway X-2 for what its worth, and a steel cable with lock, plus small Video surveillance sign on it. This being stolen would ruin my day. Anything else, not so much.

I have been camping all my life and we have never experienced any thefts, however as camping/RVing has become so popular and wide spread, you have all walks of life camping, from cabins, tents to Class A. I keep everything locked and move anything I don't want to disappear. I forgot and left my Yeti 65 outside over night this year and in the middle of the night got up (had to wake the son to help) and brought it in doors.

Lost zero things camping. Virtually every vist to local CW results in some small - pocket size item missing. Last time I double checked bay locks before and after service. EVERYONE of them was unlocked.

We are also in the never had anything stolen club. I usually leave the chairs, grill and snack tables out and some of the basement doors unlocked. We do lock the RV when we leave, but typically the windows are open.

Lou
05 Travel Supreme Envoy

The only thing we have had stolen (repeatedly) in two years of full timing are silver valve stem caps. We've lost 12. They typically 'fall off' four at a time.

rockhillmanor wrote:

Mlewin51 wrote:
So we are starting fulltime in June.
Although I'm not overly paranoid I am cognizant of my surroundings. That being said going fulltime or anytime for that matter leaves "doors open" in and around the RV. What has been your experience whether with you or someone you know of things gone missing as in stolen? I'm running through possible items such as expensive surge protectors, bicycles, etc. along with coming up with my own list I'm starting to create plans to protect some stuff. Cheers!

First of all when you go full time you will find that within a few weeks of being on the road, you will eventually loose that weekend warrior syndrome of....
"put EVERYTHING out like you are having an RV week-end camping party" every time you pull into a CG. :W

After you settle in Full timing. A lawn chair will most likely be the only thing you put outside your RV. :C

This is ALL so true rockhillmanor!

Actually, we're not "full timers", but a few years ago we simply got tired of putting out all the "junk" that served no purpose. We realized we were inflating our own "egos" by putting "stuff" out in site, as if to say ... "Hey everyone! Look at us! See how much stuff we have! We're the ULTIMATE campers!"... no no no! No more!

UGG! We've realized we don't need to "impress" anyone, because in the end ... really ... no one really cares.

Now, it really is just that simple! Pull out the lawn chair and a drink and sit back and relax! Set-up and breaking camp is so much easier now! And really ... no one need to know what kind of "stuff" we have anyway. We use it, and take it back inside. Simple.

I lock up. Why tempt the relatively honest people?
Locks may slightly slow or inconvenience a thief, maybe.

Yes, I have had stuff stolen.

In the past 20 years of camping I have had propane tanks "switched out" and a fishing tackle box stolen.

Thus I chose to have a hardwired surge protector and I lock stuff up.