Lock em up... a long story

[Desert_Captain]

We recently moved to Payson AZ, a small town {20K folks} that sits at 5,000' 75 miles north of Phoenix. One of the many reasons we made the move last year was the friendly small town vibe and very little reported crime. Most of the homes in our neighborhood sit on large {half acre+} parcels and just about everyone has a trailer {utility, travel, fiver, boat etc.} and or a motorhome,
and or an ATV/UTV.

My neighbor from across the street parks his 20' TT on my neighbor to the south's property as there is lots of room. His trailer is just about 25' from the south wall of our house and well over 100' back from the street out front. When snow damaged trees appeared to be threatening the location of the trailer I expressed my concern and he and his kids did a great job of trimming the broken limbs back saving his trailer from probable damage.

About a week later he showed up my door looking none too pleased... someone had stolen his trailer the previous night and he was hoping my security cameras might have picked up the miscreants in action. Unfortunately my Blink Security system cameras, all 6 of them, provide full coverage of my house and property except... you guessed it, the property to the south to include his trailer.

Two days before the theft I was out in the north driveway splitting some wood for the evening fire when a large gray pickup with several tires piled in the bed and a couple of red gas cans pulled several lengths down my driveway from the street. I immediately walked down and asked "Can I help you?" There was a couple in the truck and the guy got out and explained they had lost their dog, a 70# Black Lab and were going door to door hoping someone had seen it. He said he had knocked on my neighbor to the south's door with no response and I told him the elderly gent that lived there won't hear you knock and his doorbell is broken.

In hindsight methinks I may have overshared but being a dog guy I was concerned for the lost doggie offering to take my Rzr SXS and go searching for him in the morning. I got her name and phone number and wished them luck. The trailer was in plain site from anyone coming to the neighbors door and was wrapped in nice new full cover.

Upon discovering this trailer missing my neighbor went door to door and the local police were soon on scene taking their report. I mentioned the truck I'd seen and they perked up. I got them the phone number and provided the best description I could. The next morning my neighbor placed a post on Facebook about his stolen trailer and after a lot of activity he got a call from a lady in Glendale who had seen the truck and trailer on her street {where parking trailers are prohibited} and she called my neighbor. He had her send pics and sure enough it was his trailer and and the same gray pickup I had seen. The Glendale police were notified and quickly on scene.

He will be getting it back eventually, no word yet as to the person or persons who took it and yes boys and girls he will be going out to buy a hitch lock and probably some additional security devices. Evidently the thieves just backed up, hooked up and rolled out probably in a matter of mere minutes.

I used to leave our Class C sitting unlocked in our driveway.... but not anymore. We close our gates every night but have learned my lesson and will step up my admittedly lax security posture.

Lock em up folks.

:C

[toedtoes]

Yes, there is a market. Most stolen goods sell for a minimal amount. A $10K trailer can sell to a homeless person, meth addict, etc, for $100 and it's a profit for the thief.

With my motorhome, they used it as a base to sell the contents.

[ReneeG]

Good for your neighbor and to you for being observant and talking to the perpetrators.

[Crowe]

trailernovice wrote:
Here's my curiosity....what's the point? is there truly a market for used/stolen travel trailers? They're not a 'flea market' item....no legitimate dealer would get anywhere near consigning, buying or accepting as trade in a unit without documentation, let alone one that's on the 'hot sheet' as having been reported stolen...seems like an odd thing to take just to joy-ride...

Where I live, right on the U.S./Mexico border, cars that get stolen are crossed over the bridge before the owner even realizes its gone...and never to be seen again...now it's in a foreign country...

And I've heard of 'copper theft' rings....even had people killed accidentally trying to steal copper

Is there some underground market for stolen travel trailers that I've never heard of? or do they have scrap value that makes it worth it to 'chop shop' them, and sell the salvage to a 'don't ask/don't tell' recycling yard?

(also, seems to me Oldman may not need to worry about his 5-er...unlike just a hitch and a ball needed to take a bumper-pull, doubt many thieves would do the planning or cost of getting a fifth-wheel hitch let alone an adequate truck)

Not necessarily the trailer but the items in it. They count on valuable items already being in there-cameras, radios, etc. Yes, there's a market for electronics. And yes, you should ABSOLUTELY do what you can to secure your trailers. Even if there's nothing in it the feeling of being violated when something like this happens is very real and very strong. I speak from experience having had a rental car broken into and losing cameras, laptops and personal items.

Word of advice-no matter how innocent they look if someone is asking specific questions about whether or not someone may be home, don't tell them. You know nothing. Then alert the neighbors someone was looking around. We have a neighborhood Facebook page and anything that looks not right gets posted there. "See Something Say Something" does have it's place.

[Desert_Captain]

"Here's my curiosity....what's the point? is there truly a market for used/stolen travel trailers?"

Makes no sense at all unless they were planning on turning into a meth lab up in the hills but then "Stupid criminal" has always struck me as an oxymoron. My point in posting was just to remind folks to be aware and careful. I never imagined a theft like this could/would happen but I was wrong {oh well it's not the first time and surely won't be the last}.

:S

[Old-Biscuit]

trailernovice wrote:
Here's my curiosity....what's the point? is there truly a market for used/stolen travel trailers? They're not a 'flea market' item....no legitimate dealer would get anywhere near consigning, buying or accepting as trade in a unit without documentation, let alone one that's on the 'hot sheet' as having been reported stolen...seems like an odd thing to take just to joy-ride...

Where I live, right on the U.S./Mexico border, cars that get stolen are crossed over the bridge before the owner even realizes its gone...and never to be seen again...now it's in a foreign country...

And I've heard of 'copper theft' rings....even had people killed accidentally trying to steal copper

Is there some underground market for stolen travel trailers that I've never heard of? or do they have scrap value that makes it worth it to 'chop shop' them, and sell the salvage to a 'don't ask/don't tell' recycling yard?

(also, seems to me Oldman may not need to worry about his 5-er...unlike just a hitch and a ball needed to take a bumper-pull, doubt many thieves would do the planning or cost of getting a fifth-wheel hitch let alone an adequate truck)

Meth Labs....parked or rolling
Trailers/RVs are stolen all the time for setting up a Meth Lab

[BarabooBob]

Here in Wisconsin stolen TT's end up parked in state or national forests in the middle of nowhere and get used as deer hunting shacks. I bet there is BLM and Forest Service property in almost every state that this could happen on.

[gbopp]

I'm guessing the lost dog story was bull snot. At least your neighbor got his rig back.
Let us know the condition when it is returned.

[trailernovice]

I am curious: What's the point? is there truly a market for used/stolen travel trailers? They're not a 'flea market' item...no legitimate dealer would get anywhere near consigning, buying or accepting as trade in a unit without documentation, let alone one that's on the 'hot sheet' as having been reported stolen...seems like an odd thing to take just to joy-ride.

I live right on the U.S. Mexico border...and there's folks who steal cars and get 'em across the bridge before the owner knows it's gone...according to confessions I've seen/heard, they will have a 'fence' on the other side of the border who give them x number of dollars/pesos for every car they get get across...that thievery kinda makes sense, because I can see the thief has something to gain

And I've heard of 'copper theft' rings....even had people killed accidentally trying to steal copper

Is there some underground market for stolen travel trailers that I've never heard of? or do they have scrap value that makes it worth it to 'chop shop' them, and sell the salvage to a 'don't ask/don't tell' recycling yard?

(also, seems to me Oldman may not need to worry about his 5-er...unlike just a hitch and a ball needed to take a bumper-pull, doubt many thieves would do the planning or cost of getting a fifth-wheel hitch let alone an adequate truck)

[2oldman]

Glad it ended well.

I recently had a concrete pad poured for my 5er. I can park it so the hitch is facing the 'wrong way', not the road, which should make stealing it pretty difficult.

[toedtoes]

I'm glad he was able to find it so quickly. Hopefully there is little damage to it and the contents are still intact.

My motorhome was stolen December 2019. It was gone just a couple days. When I got it back, most everything stored in it was gone, they ruined the ignition hotwiring it, stole the engine battery (but not the house battery), cut the fuel intake line on the front tank and stole the fuel from it (did not realize there was a second tank), overflowed the toilet and black tank, and did a lot of minor damage inside. Fortunately, my insurance (State Farm) was great and I got everything repaired and a new toilet.

It was locked. That wasn't enough. I am now having a fence and gate installed so they can't just push, drive, tow it out of the yard.

I have a hitch lock on the trailer, but know it won't be enough. So it will be behind the gate also. And the gate will be locked up tight.