Forum Discussion

sg_evergreen's avatar
sg_evergreen
Explorer
Jul 14, 2015

Security System?

We are buying a travel trailer and I'm wondering about security. I've heard they are easy to break into; and it would be obvious when we are away (since our vehicle would be gone) from the campsite.
My initial thought was to get a motion detector, but we will be leaving our dogs sometimes inside. (And I don't think small dogs are a huge deterrent). Should we worry about someone breaking in? I tend to be paranoid and worry more about someone letting my dogs loose as they are breaking in, than actually losing anything of value.
Is it common to have someone break a window out or jimmy a doorlock?
  • We use a security system. It's called Ginger and Pasha (see sig). You won't get past them and be able to leave without leaving some part of your anatomy behind.
  • RoyB's avatar
    RoyB
    Explorer II
    Same here at camp grounds... Get to know your neighbors everytime and look out for each other. Also never leave anything of value out in the open like a HONDA 2KW Generator etc... Out of sight is best. I keep mine secured in the covered truck bed tailgate corner. When I need to use it I drop the tail gate and pull it out to run it. When done I close it all back up... The generator goes where I go...

    I like the idea of the motion detector lights. I one in the fron and back of the trailer and when tripped it will turn on the lights in the front patio area..

    I saw one guy have a large dog bowl outside with the name KILLER on it. Then he had a rather larger dog chain tied up to the trailer just laying there... No DOG.

    I only have seen one large thief which was at ELKMONT camp in the Smoky MTN Natl Park. I came to the one loop that only had one other POPUP trailer in it near the center of the loop and my spot was right across from him on the other side of this one way loop. We were the only two campers on this loop. No other campers in sight of us. He had just purchased him a new 3KW Hinda Generator and had it chained to a medium size tree. He was real proud of his generator he just got. Showed me what all he had hooked up to it... Nice....

    The next day around noon I headed into the little town to the east to get some supplies. On the way a couple of hours later I found I could not go down the loop because of tree was down. I thought it was strange as no storms this day. I just went on around and came up the other side of the loop and got to my popup trailer. Sure enough someone had cut down the tree and got this guys generator. Apparently he had gone to town as well and neither one of us was at the site. He pulled up just after I did and there we both stood looking at the downed tree... geeesch... I ran a cord across the road to help him keep his batteries charged. ELKMONT is a no hookup place - just fresh water at bath room building. I left a couple of days later and he had not got his new generator replaced yet... True Story...

    Roy Ken
  • If I began to worry about security in and around my rig while camping, I am in the wrong campground.
  • even paranoids have real enemies. if you have some kind of an alarm, if it goes off when you are away, what do you expect to happen? if the thief leaves it will still be blaring the rest of the day till you get back. by and large there are few such break ins, or at least they are not reported here often. perhaps a cooler full of beer will disappear but other than that, bicycle, generator, etc. good lawn furniture, should be put away.
    bumpy
  • Never in 35 years have I worried enough about it to have a security system. We are always parked where people are around, someone will always be watching. Most campground theft seems to be ice chests full of beer. You can usually guess who is doing that.