Escape Hatch Cover Stolen

[GhostZero]

Hey all-

I went back to my storage space to check on my camper, and found that my escape hatch above the cabover was gone. Nothing was left- No scraps of plastic from wind, no hinge, nothing. It looks like a very clean removal. The hatch itself is still there, with the screen and the mechanism for raising/lowering, but the cover was gone. Is it possible it was stolen? I've had lumber stolen out of this yard before, but no one has thus far actually got on top of my Lance and stolen anything.

Of course during the time it was gone we had the one day of rain in the San Francisco area in like a year, so my bed is now mildewed and for the most part ruined.

Does anyone have any idea of how to prevent the escape hatch, which is screwed on from the outside, from being stolen? Maybe security screws, or using jbweld to secure the screws in place?

Thanks-

Ghost.

[jimh406]

Some of the covers get very brittle. Wind could easily lift it and tear it off.

[Grit_dog]

That's low! Best way to prevent that is don't store it there. If you bolt it down doesn't that defeat the purpose? (Not that I'd be I fear of my life if there was not an escape hatch......)

[Fisher_Bill]

I put two of these vent covers on my TC and couldn't be happier, I can store, drive and park with the vents open and keep dry.

http://i5.walmartimages.com/dfw/dce07b8c-f0f7/k2-_ee53efa9-c3c2-41eb-88ee-21294270c4c5.v1.jpg

[GhostZero]

the bear II wrote:
An escape hatch makes a pretty big sail. If you left it open even a small amount wind gusts coming from just the right direction could remove it. provided one of the lock screws was missing from the hinge. I had a roof vent disappear during a very strong wind storm. I no longer leave them cracked open.

Or a thief was attempting to get in to your camper and was scared off once they removed the escape hatch.

I've lost vents too- Watched one sail away in the wind in Montana. 🙂

I'll go through the camper again, but I have a heap of tools in there and nothing was changed that I could see. There were also undisturbed items below the hatch, on the bed.

My thought was someone just wanted the hatch cover, but otherwise wasn't a "thief". They cost close to $100, so I can see why someone would gank it, but I would really prefer to believe that it was the wind. I'll settle for just securing this one so I don't have a repeat customer, if someone did take it.

Thanks-

Ghost

[the_bear_II]

An escape hatch makes a pretty big sail. If you left it open even a small amount wind gusts coming from just the right direction could remove it. provided one of the lock screws was missing from the hinge. I had a roof vent disappear during a very strong wind storm. I no longer leave them cracked open.

Or a thief was attempting to get in to your camper and was scared off once they removed the escape hatch.