hornet28 wrote:
In your case you put a false floor in and had a hidden compartment such as smugglers use. That's a lot different than someone installing a safe. As far as a couple of 20's under the floor mat it would take a real stretch of the imagination to figure that was illegal.
Yes, I'm sure I could of smuggled something under that false floor. But I never did, but have no idea how I could prove that. You think smugglers would not use a safe if it did not fall under the same laws? I will talk more about the $20s later.
I had an experience a few years ago when I was traveling alone and ended up having a medical problem on the road. I had to call 911 and an ambulance was sent to get me, I was not conscious when admitted to the hospital. A state trooper had gotten my pistols and came and asked if there was anything else I needed to have safeguarded. I tried explaining where a few thousand dollars was hidden and had to give up. He never blinked an eye about the money being well hidden and ended up coming back for me after his shift was over and taking me and my pistols back to my rig
You met a good LEO. But at least a few cops are not good, and some department policies expect money to be collected.
When I was working, often the only thing I could find on the radio was stations broadcastings people that wanted to compete with the drug addict that made his living attacking people. For those times I would download interviews by the National Press Club. A couple of those might make people that wander wonder about where the danger lies.
1 was a wheel of the DEA. When asked about the nation-wide network of license plate readers would reduce the movement of drugs replied "Not Much.
But they will help with more Civil Asset Forfeiture" Another was with the head of Kansas Highway Patrol, at the time right after Co legalized recreational use of pot, and Ks was proving tax cuts don't increase government revenue. When asked what effect budget cuts would have on his department, "Do to changes in Co law, we will be watching East bound traffic real close. There will be some vehicles sold"
MikeDupont wrote:
Folks, the fed law pertains to altering the vehicle to make a hidden compartment. Adding a firearm safe which is cable locked under your truck seat or putting your pistol into the glove box is not a violation + fulfills the locked up requirement (which usually reads 'inaccessible').
This was taught to me in a law enforcement training course years ago and again in the 2000's in a drug interdiction course. Personally, i agree that it is Stupid- you own the vehicle and in my America, you can alter it however you want to. But that isnt going to change the law's existence. And again, i dont recall how this applies to motorhomes. It doesnt apply to TTs, 5ers, or truck bed campers, just the vehicles that we think of as passenger vehicles.
(and like many laws on the books, i have never heard of a non-criminal ever being charged under this law)
First, I brought up state laws.
And your experience, and mine, are by no means universal. But conviction or even charges are not necessary to loose cash or property to CAF. Few years back most every news network was talking about the church group that had been collecting money for charity. Their bus was stopped in OK, and all cash they collected was seized. But unlike most times similar happens they got attention, and money returned.
schlep1967 wrote:
Really folks, if it is a hidden compartment and there is no drug dog keying on it, how would they know to confiscate you vehicle? Only if they asked you if you made any hidden compartments in your vehicle and you actually told them you have.
If a safe is inside your RV and can't be seen through the open door, without probable cause no PO has any reason to enter and perform a search without a warrant.
Put in your safe and bolt it down.
I have questions about this; Remember years back when we learned that Government might be hearing are calls, reading are E-mails? Some at all levels of government, and people from all walks of life where singing "If you are doing nothing wrong, what have you got to hide?" Now, while you are thinking about how widespread that idea is, want to bet that when you tell the LEO outside your window "No, you can't look around" the judge he calls will not decide "MUST HAVE SOMETHING TO HIDE"?
Now let's talk about the money under the floor mat.
I took a job to spot a load of Red Cross supplies in Fla. The way they work is load supplies in a rented trailer, then guys like me pull them into where the hurricane is expected, drop the trailer, and run for safety. Before I left town, I stopped at the bank got enough cash to feed me and my Cat for a few days (Can anybody say that is a bad idea?) Run went as planned, all expenses on plastic, until middle of Tenn on the way back. I got stopped for a "CMV roadside safety inspection". In the course of that inspection, LEO found the envelope under the mattress. (Would like explanation of what part of safety is under the mattress) Now they had read my logbook, knew what I was doing. The Bank envelope had the bank printout in with the cash. Still that officer had to contact his sergeant, who had to check with his office, before they could give me back my money.
