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generator security need?

Maurice45
Explorer
Explorer
Getting ready to purchase genny for our 5er. Have seen a lot of allusions to gennys being stolen, is this paronia or a real concern? If it's real, how do you secure yours?
24 REPLIES 24

dave54
Nomad
Nomad
Lock it to the bumper or other hard point when not in use. On the side away from the road. Throw a camo tarp over it so the bright colored thing is not so obvious to anyone cruising the campground looking for easy pickings. Hides the shape, size and color. A couple yards of camo cloth from Walmart fabric department will do it. Won't fool anyone who actually walks up to it, but makes it harder to spot from wandering eyes on the road.

Also record the serial number. If it is stolen the officer taking the report can put it in the computer in case it shows up years later.
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So many campsites, so little time...
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randy328
Explorer
Explorer
When I had a different trailer with an eu3000, the trailer had a platform for the genny and I used this lock system: http://lowprolockdown.com/shop/complete-lowpro-lockdown-system-for-honda-eu3000is-redblack/
Worked great I assume since it was never stolen!

Now have an Onan4000 factory mounted.
KZ MXT2920, Ford F250 4dr long bed
Bunch of Motorcycles - Track Instruction and Race
German Shepherd "Qorkey"

Redterpos3
Explorer
Explorer
I grew up in an area where we locked things up. I've spent most of my adult life in areas where its not needed. On one of my outings last year with the trailer, I left my kindle outside when I went in the trailer for something, as I stepped outside I noticed someone in the woods just off the road had just turned back onto the roadway. I wondered if he was headed for my kindle? Paranoia or just being aware?? Don't know, but I'm more careful what I leave outside now when I step away!
The Travelin' Terrapins!
2016 Ford F-350 SRW;CC;4x4;172WB;6.7PSD;34,000m
2011 Nash 27T 12,995m
2013 Yr1 30nts 3150m
2014 Yr2 52nts 3365m
2015 yr3 25nts 2260m
2016 yr4 46nts 2500m
2017 yr5 24nts 1720m
2018 yr6 4nts 30m

Rmack1
Explorer
Explorer
At the first State Park campground I visited with my TT, I heard that a couple of weeks prior someone went through during the wee hours with a bolt cutter and stole over a dozen of them.

When I parked at a place called 'Ludlow' in California, which is just a gas station and a truck parking lot, someone came in the middle of the night and stole my battery right off of my hitch. I had both generators running to operate my air conditioner, so I guess they figured (correctly) that I would come boiling out loaded for bear if the AC went off.

This made me pretty paranoid. I wound up buying a motion sensor alarm. This thing is pretty cool. It covers a wedge-shaped area about thirty feet long at an angle of about 40 degrees. Anything larger than a rabbit will set it off.

I heard from a friend that he has a better one. Instead of setting of an ear-splitting alarm, it sends a signal to another unit that alerts the owner.

The only drawback is that on windy nights, I need to put a weight on the unit, which is about the size of a couple of packs of cards, otherwise it gets buffeted by the wind and goes off.
Ray and Carol, Boxers Duke and Duchess
2013 Forrest River Rockwood Mini-Lite 22' trailer, with the Murphy bed.

DSDP_Don
Explorer
Explorer
I bought both my daughters Honda 2000's for Christmas a few years ago and I found this lock.

It secures a metal handle over the Honda plastic handle (which people saw through), allowing you to loop a cable through it.
Don & Mary
2019 Newmar Dutch Star 4018 - All Electric
2019 Ford Raptor Crew Cab

DrewE
Explorer II
Explorer II
I don't lock up my generator. Any thief that's determined enough to spend a couple of hours disconnecting and dropping the Onan 4KY, and able to do so and make off with it (all ca. 175 pounds of it) without detection will earn both my admiration and my ire in equal measure.

If I had a generator along the lines of a Honda inverter generator, I likely would keep it secured.

Atlee
Explorer II
Explorer II
Most of the time we deploy our generators it's at football tailgate weekends. Things are generally safe. During the time we'd be most vulnerable, during game time when everyone is gone, the lot is usually manned by airport personnel, or we have an occasional drive through by campus police.

But we all will either chain or cable all our generators and extended run fuel tanks to the RV chassis, or the fence/fence post.
Erroll, Mary
2021 Coachmen Freedom Express 20SE
2014 F150 Supercab 4x4 w/ 8' box, Ecoboost & HD Pkg
Equal-i-zer Hitch

tatest
Explorer II
Explorer II
Depends on where you are. If other things of comparable or even lesser value are regularly stolen, then yes, a portable generator is a good target.

I know places where folks leave their barns and storage sheds open for years and not lose anything, others where tires are removed from parked cars, A/C compressors carried away at night from occupied buildings. Nearest big city is having to replace all the wiring for the street lights in along one parkway because someone stripped out the copper.

There are campgrounds that are secure, some secure but not necessarily safe, and others open to the public around the clock. If non-campers are coming through checking out stuff, then anything of value should be locked up or tied down.
Tom Test
Itasca Spirit 29B

Mr__Camper
Explorer
Explorer
I never said to not lock it up. A thief will find a way to do it and do it quickly. Campground rules usually state that they are not responsible for lost or stolen items. They put that there for a reason. We lock our hitch and even put a chain around our electric post, surge protector and the electric cable. Still, a determined thief can still make off with it. I'm just saying...
Mr. Camper
Mrs. Camper
Fuzzy Kids = Tipper(RIP), PoLar(RIP), Ginger, Pasha
2013 Open Range Light; 274ORLS
2004 Dodge Ram Turbo Diesel
Retired and love spending the kid's inheritance

LJAZ
Explorer
Explorer
Mr. Camper wrote:
Many years ago my wise grandfather taught me that "locks only keep honest people honest." If a person wants to steal something they'll find a way to get it done.


That is true, however the goal isn't to make it impossible to steal, only more difficult to steal than one that belongs to someone who didn't take precautions. The usual way thieves 'get it done' is quick and easy.
2011 Chevy Silverado Crew Cab 4X4
2009 Funfinder 210 WBS
Prodigy P3

SoundGuy
Explorer
Explorer
Mr. Camper wrote:
Many years ago my wise grandfather taught me that "locks only keep honest people honest." If a person wants to steal something they'll find a way to get it done.


That's no excuse for making it easy. :S Lock it, hide it, make it annoying as possible to steal, at least the thief will have to work for it. ๐Ÿ˜›
2012 Silverado 1500 Crew Cab
2014 Coachmen Freedom Express 192RBS
2003 Fleetwood Yuma * 2008 K-Z Spree 240BH-LX
2007 TrailCruiser C21RBH * 2000 Fleetwood Santa Fe
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Mr__Camper
Explorer
Explorer
Many years ago my wise grandfather taught me that "locks only keep honest people honest." If a person wants to steal something they'll find a way to get it done.
Mr. Camper
Mrs. Camper
Fuzzy Kids = Tipper(RIP), PoLar(RIP), Ginger, Pasha
2013 Open Range Light; 274ORLS
2004 Dodge Ram Turbo Diesel
Retired and love spending the kid's inheritance

RoyB
Explorer II
Explorer II
I went to town one day and just me and one other camper in our side road at ELKMONT in Smopky Natl Park TN.. I guess the other guy went to town too for supplies... He had his 3KW Honda chained to a tree. When I got back a couple of hours later I couldn't get down my road for a tree down over the site road. I drove around to the other side and came up the wrong way to my camp site. Sure enough someone cut the tree down in broad daylight and stole his 3KW Honda.

My neighbor drove up just after I did and there we both stood in disbelivement.

I shared my 2KW generator for the rest of the week to keep our batteries charged up... It was right next to the road chained to the tree...

Roy Ken
My Posts are IMHO based on my experiences - Words in CAPS does not mean I am shouting
Roy - Carolyn
RETIRED DOAF/DON/DOD/CONTR RADIO TECH (42yrs)
K9PHT (Since 1957) 146.52M
2010 F150, 5.4,3:73 Gears,SCab
2008 Starcraft 14RT EU2000i GEN
2005 Flagstaff 8528RESS

kalynzoo
Explorer
Explorer
Mostly situational awareness. In 40+ years of vacation RVing I've never had anything taken from my campsite. However, there are always signs around warning to lock your valuables, so I guess some have been less fortunate. My son did have a spare tire stolen from his boat trailer at the lake.
A good bike lock and chain will probably keep honest people from procuring something they need. A thief will find a way to take what they want.
Good Luck, and Happy Trails.