Theft at campgrounds???????????

[TheGreatWaz00]

How prevalent is theft at campgrounds?

I see items to lock your power cord down so it cant be stolen, locks for coolers, etc. What about leaving your RV unlocked while at the pool?

Thanks

[Chock_Full_o__N]

DH & I have camped for 17 years (yeah, we were late to the party :B) and have never had anything stolen. We leave our camper door unlocked most of the time, except at night. We leave the bikes, coolers, chairs, grill, camp stove, etc. sitting out all the time. Never once had a problem.

The only time we did lock everything up was when we were staying at an RV resort in Anaheim, CA. The resort itself was fine, but it was located in an urban setting where it would be very easy for someone to just dart in and get away with our stuff.

[loggenrock]

I used to think other campers weren't the issue. Worked several seasons as a State Park Ranger. We used to have to deal with locals coming in at night, usually stealing beer from coolers, bikes, or the like. Few years ago while at Myrtle Beach SP had our camp sign and small folding table taken while we were off-site with the van during the day. That's what we left behind as a "place-holder", right in the middle of the site to show it was occupied. Obviously not locals - zippo value to them for those items. Quick walk around the CG and we spotted our little table in front of a high-end 5er. It was a $2 item from a tag sale. Really no way to prove it was ours, opted not to get into a p*****g match over it - simply commented to the occupants "hey - nice table"... They knew we knew - they were gone very early the next day. Figured our camp sign became kindling for their fire. So now everything has a unique identifier on it. Too bad it came to this. ST

[chainsaw02]

I retired as a campus cop and through the years learned to lock it up or keep it out of sight. My wife and I have camped many places and haven't lost anything so far. We also do over nights in a certain big box stores parking lots and some rest areas but situational awareness is our top priority. If we don't have that comfortable feeling we move on.

[Dutch_12078]

In 72 years of camping the only items I've had stolen were some food taken by small bandits wearing fur coats and masks.

[rockhillmanor]

the_happiestcamper wrote:
I've never had a problem - maybe this is why:

This definitely IS a good deterrent! I sure wouldn't wan to mess with your RV!!:B

[Terryallan]

at the beach there are 10 of us staying in the TT. We only have 4 keys. so the TT stays open all day. Some at the beach, some at the pool, some site seeing. By open I mean the door is open, fastened to the outside of the TT with the screen only closed. We do leave the TV on to give the appearance of some one being in side, and the outside fan is left on.

[rockhillmanor]

Depends with who and where you are camping.

35 years of horse shows and dog show campgrounds. Doors always left open. Literally the main door latched to the side of the MH wide open and thousands of dollars of equipment left outside. Never hear of any thefts.

That said, I lock doors and I don't leave anything outside my MH at a regular CG if I leave the premises.

[Community Alumni]

wbwood wrote:
Lock the door when away. The only thing we have had stolen was a cooler. It was located in the dunes the next morning minus the beer. We had left underneath our TT and was taken overnight, presumably by kids.

Brian you know as well as I do that is a right-of-passage for teenagers along Myrtle Beach! :B

[wbwood]

Lock the door when away. The only thing we have had stolen was a cooler. It was located in the dunes the next morning minus the beer. We had left underneath our TT and was taken overnight, presumably by kids.

[2oldman]

Bicycle theft is very common in urban CGs. Never leave them unattended - especially overnight.

[4X4Dodger]

TheGreatWaz00 wrote:
How prevalent is theft at campgrounds?

I see items to lock your power cord down so it cant be stolen, locks for coolers, etc. What about leaving your RV unlocked while at the pool?

Thanks

There are many many products out there that are "Fear Based". Products that play to our fears. Fear based marketing has become very popular and prevalent among companies. Good Sam is right at the top of this list. I think a lot of what is sold is done so on the basis of fear, uncertainty and insecurity.

I think from reading the posts the consensus is theft is rare...very rare among campers in campsites.

Don't let the fear-mongers get to you.

[profdant139]

Very interesting thread -- not a scientific poll, but a pretty good sample of folks with a lot of experience. Bottom line -- theft is not a big deal in campgrounds. I agree -- we have now spent maybe 500 nights in the last ten years in campgrounds, with no problem. But I never leave anything of value outside or unlocked -- we're from urban Southern California, where precaution is a habit.

[Community Alumni]

In all our years of camping/rving we have never had anything taken. I only lock the outside storage bays while actually traveling and rarely lock the door.

[_tpc_]

We leave out inexpensive stuff. More expensive stuff will get put away at night or when away. Our cord is fixed into the trailer, so aside from cutting it, hard to steal.

Those honda generators are nice. If I had one I'd been chaining that sucker up and putting it away as well.

There is something to be said about the locks on most trailers. The outside storage locks are pretty much all keyed with the same key. For every trailer. The door locks may be different but chances are, someone in your CG has the same key that will unlock your rig. Point about the outside locks...friend bought a 2000 trailer. Mine is 2014. When I went to look at it, he left key for outside storage in the house. I had mine, opened it right up...

Also another thing I have heard...the locks on a trailer only keep honest people honest. Makes sense. If someone wants to get in your trailer or outside storage to steal something, those locks aren't going to stop them and chances are they won't have a key. For this reason I know some folks don't lock anything because they rather not risk damage to the trailer.