Stolen TT - a word of advise

[3_0charlie]

My TT (in signature) was stolen last night on a well lit parking lot, which is located next to my father-in-law home. I have very little faith of ever finding it, and I'm not sure I would want to use it again. Now that being said, it was secured with twin Master locks:

The tongue coupler style (like this: Tongue Master Lock) and the tongue lock was secured with a Master U-lock. None of the 2 locks were found nearby.

The policeman explained that the thieves back up with a towing truck. They attach chains and hooks to the tongue, and lift the A-frame. They then travel to a safe location nearby to remove the locks. There they hook up to a pick-up and off they go into the night.

Next trailer will be secured with twin 3/4" chains: into the trailer wheels, and one to a tree. Heck, I might even remove a wheel.

*******s.

Now to lease a TT for our trip, which is suppose to start this Saturday.

John

[nomad297]

Bird Freak wrote:

Campfire Time wrote:

Bird Freak wrote:
You can slow a thief down but not really stop them. True story here. back in the early 70's muscle cars were getting stolen in our area almost nightly. A friend of mine bought a new Chevelle with all the goodies, 396, 4 spd, cowl induction, posi. suspension package. Every night he backed it up to a huge oak tree in the front yard and put a logging chain around the rear axle and tree. This was right outside his bedroom window. Got up one morning car was turned around facing tree. Chain was coiled up neatly on the hood with a towel under it and a note that said-- If We Want IT We Will Get It!! Never chained it again.

I would love to see a documented news story with photos and quotes of this. It would put to bed the urban legend...

http://www.snopes.com/autos/theft/carthief.asp

Do you really think that was news back then? For what its worth I knew the thief.

BUSTED!!

We now know to not believe anything Bird Freak says is true.

Bruce

[2012Coleman]

Bird Freak wrote:

Campfire Time wrote:

Bird Freak wrote:
You can slow a thief down but not really stop them. True story here. back in the early 70's muscle cars were getting stolen in our area almost nightly. A friend of mine bought a new Chevelle with all the goodies, 396, 4 spd, cowl induction, posi. suspension package. Every night he backed it up to a huge oak tree in the front yard and put a logging chain around the rear axle and tree. This was right outside his bedroom window. Got up one morning car was turned around facing tree. Chain was coiled up neatly on the hood with a towel under it and a note that said-- If We Want IT We Will Get It!! Never chained it again.

I would love to see a documented news story with photos and quotes of this. It would put to bed the urban legend...

http://www.snopes.com/autos/theft/carthief.asp

Do you really think that was news back then? For what its worth I knew the thief.

LOL! I love me a good urban legend! Funny how these types of posts bring them out of the woodwork like roaches when the lights go on!

OP - glad you got it back - good luck getting it back on the road.

[3_0charlie]

An update. Provincial Police found the TT last night, and I made a visit this afternoon to see the damage done. I was expecting some serious issues, like an interior torn apart, torn frame... but no.

Biggest damage is to the rear bay window, which they tore apart a smaller window to gain access to the inside. Main window is unaffected though. The electric tongue jack leg took a hit, and needs replacement. All locks have been removed from the inside - I found the screws at the door sills. The slide-out is not fully retracted, but is sticking out at both ends from an equal distance - like it's simply not fully closed.

They stole most personal belongings, but the large items are still present? Like the Arvika bike rack, the PI EMS, the water filter - heck, even the RhinoFlex black water hose is still there. The Reese DC arms and chains are accounted for, just like the spring bars (I built a rack for the bars, they are still there...).

I'm pretty sure it was not used for the 3 weeks it was stolen. Tables and countertop surfaces a clean, fridge is clean, bathroom is impeccable.... Weird.

John

[mlts22]

B.O. Plenty wrote:
All these wonderful "ideas" could be eliminated if you just have the right insurance. If you want mine, take it...I just don't want to see it again. My insurance company will handle it from there and I don't have to cobble up some "motion detector" that no one will hear, or take the wheels off every time I park, or some obscene license plate..

B.O.

Insurance is nice, but there is always the deductible factor, the fact that you might get it back in deplorable condition... but not so bad it can be totaled, and the fact that a gone trailer has a lot of other stuff in it that can be hard to replace. Of course, the insurance company may just not cover the rig's loss if it isn't "reasonably" secured, similar to how leaving the key in the ignition can result in a claim denied. A lot of people spend more on a U-lock for their $250 bicycle than they do a lock on a $30,000 trailer.

Then there is the philosophy of it. I earned what I have, either through my work, or work through a loved one. I refuse to make it easy and hand my belongings to a thief upon "request". It only encourages that behavior. If they want to steal my trailer, I'm not going to give them a freebie. They are going to have to put themselves at risk of being caught and have to use power tools (or at least a good set of bolt cutters) to get my TT. My next storage trailer, if they want that, they better come with a flatbed and a crane, or at least a set of angle grinders, rims and wheels.

[3_0charlie]

CavemanCharlie wrote:
Might as well post a picture on here too. You just never know.

Why not.

[CavemanCharlie]

B.O. Plenty wrote:
All these wonderful "ideas" could be eliminated if you just have the right insurance. If you want mine, take it...I just don't want to see it again. My insurance company will handle it from there and I don't have to cobble up some "motion detector" that no one will hear, or take the wheels off every time I park, or some obscene license plate..

B.O.

The OP has stated he doesn't want it back. He just misses the personal objects he had inside. As for insurance company's. Don't be so danged sure they are going to give you much, if anything, for it. If they can wiggle out of a deal using some loophole they will. They are after all the worlds 3rd greatest evil. Right after Lawyers and Banks. I know they would never give me much for my 21 year old TT. I would never find one in this good of condition, in a floor plan I love, for what I paid for this one again. That's why I said I would cry if something happened to mine.

[B_O__Plenty]

All these wonderful "ideas" could be eliminated if you just have the right insurance. If you want mine, take it...I just don't want to see it again. My insurance company will handle it from there and I don't have to cobble up some "motion detector" that no one will hear, or take the wheels off every time I park, or some obscene license plate..

B.O.

[wa8yxm]

3.0charlie wrote:
Heck, I might even remove a wheel.

When I lived in Detroit I found they have an "Abandoned Vehicle" ordinance on the books. In order to qualify for a ticket you must meet 3 conditiosn

1: Motor vehicle (Uh, Your Honor, it is a trailer, no motor anywhere)
2: NO valid registration plate (Uh your honor here is a photo of the registration plate, well and properly attached and no evidence of tampering with the bolts, the paper support showing it is valid is stapled to the reverse side)
3: Incapable of being started and operated safely upon the highways.

Well, they had me there, no way to START a trailer.

By the way, The charges were dismissed.

Seems the officer overlooked item #2 on the list, (The valid plate)

[CavemanCharlie]

Might as well post a picture on here too. You just never know.

[3_0charlie]

I still have a glimmer of hope to find our personal belongings - it's all that matter for the moment. Another 263RLS can be bought, and customized again just like I did with our stolen one.

I was not clear when I explained before; the Coleman I found for our vacation is a 2-week lease. The RV store actually has it as a used 2011 model for sale (the link), but the owner of the place offered the Coleman as a lease, since all his other TTs to lease where unavailable.

As for our policemen; my grand-father was one, and my Wife's cousin is one in the city where the trailer was stolen. I respect their work very highly; unfortunately, from the cousin himself - unless there is a large number of stolen trailers, they will not open an investigation.

Weird tidbit though; my Wife is a Facebook fan - she has over 500 'friends'. She sent a message Tuesday morning with pictures and I added some external cues of the trailer to easily spot it. There are as of this writing over 30 000 shares of the message. Oddly enough, we may have more chances of finding information through FB than the traditional means...

We'll see.

[CavemanCharlie]

3.0charlie wrote:
All interesting ideas, including the Hellfire. Insurance will cover the TT, that's fine. It's the man-hours of labor, sweat and blood I put onto that TT to make it perfect in my view, alongside the personal items that we've had for the last 3 TTs that are gone forever that pisses me off (including personal belongings of the deceased MIL - my Wife is very upset about that).

I found a TT to lease nearby, a 2011 Coleman 270BH (this exact TT: link). It'll suit our needs for this vacation. Doesn't come close to my 263RLS' floorplan, but to find a TT in great condition on such short notice, I'm quite pleased.

John

You say you don't want the trailer back and I understand that. But, why have you have given up so quickly on it being found and you getting your personal stuff back? Are the cops in Canada as incompetent as the ones around here? I know I shouldn't say this because there are retired LEO's on this site and maybe they are going to tell the local PD that I said this. BUT, quite frankly our local cops couldn't find there as* with both hands. All they do it fill out a report , go back to the station, and eat another donut. I guess your cops be the same way.

[3_0charlie]

All interesting ideas, including the Hellfire. Insurance will cover the TT, that's fine. It's the man-hours of labor, sweat and blood I put onto that TT to make it perfect in my view, alongside the personal items that we've had for the last 3 TTs that are gone forever that pisses me off (including personal belongings of the deceased MIL - my Wife is very upset about that).

I found a TT to lease nearby, a 2011 Coleman 270BH (this exact TT: link). It'll suit our needs for this vacation. Doesn't come close to my 263RLS' floorplan, but to find a TT in great condition on such short notice, I'm quite pleased.

John

[calamus]

We didnt steal the car but in High school we took the science teachers car a chevette if I remember right and put it between the post of the front doors to the school, side ways! A class in the 70s took the ag teachers car apart on a friday and put it back together in the hall way over the weekend. If they want it and you fall asleep they will get it.

[souraider]

Nothing a GPS, Predator drone, and a Hellfire missile can't fix.

[cyntdon2010]

I carry Insurance.

I have left my camper at campgrounds for weeks. with no problems.