Protecting your RV

[jpainer]

I am concerned that with the number of people in the campground there is bound to be some that will come to your RV to steal something. What are some tips, tricks and recommendations that people have used to protect themselves in campgrounds, truck stops and Wal-Mart parking lots. Please provide your crime horror stories so other RV'ers can be better prepared.

[EV2]

allen8106 wrote:
Still not sure what compelled them to stick a knife in my tire.

The beer from prior coolers.:S

[deltabravo]

jpainer wrote:
I am concerned that with the number of people in the campground there is bound to be some that will come to your RV to steal something. What are some tips, tricks and recommendations that people have used to protect themselves in campgrounds, truck stops and Wal-Mart parking lots. Please provide your crime horror stories so other RV'ers can be better prepared.

I don't stay in Wal-mart parking lots or truck stops.

I don't leave my belongings out when I am not at my camp.

[Fordlover]

I used to lock everything up, was annoying that I had to have keys for everything. Then I discovered the truth of the CH 751 key. Quit locking the camper 10 years ago, never had an issue. To be fair, we store the camper in the back yard, and we do lock the doors while asleep. Not much to steal from the storage area, other than some old camp chairs, a really old well used grill, and some old Christmas lights. If they want em, more power to them, then I get to buy some new stuff.

[Desert_Captain]

We were camping at Roosevelt Lake east of Phoenix in early October. Lots of folks leave for the day to go boating and the CG is often fairly deserted during the day. While we were out on the lake a couple of low lifes cruised through the CG in a pickup truck with one guy driving slowly while his buddy wandered through the sites grabbing anything that was not nailed down.

The stolen goods were quickly tossed into the back of the truck and they were gone in about 20 minutes. A couple of people saw them and reported it but by the time the Rangers/sherriffs arrived they were long gone.

Mostly they got generators, BBQ's, propane cylinder, any electronics that were left un protected. Fishing gear and an assortment of tools also disappeared. They must have had quite a haul by the time they fled.

No RV's were broken into as there was plenty of snatch and grab items available. Your best protection is keep everything of value secured and out of sight.

Sometimes bad stuff happens but the folks who left items of value just sitting out in plain sight were seriously enabling these bozos and I doubt it was their first time.

:M

[allen8106]

Only issue I've ever had is this summer someone cut the sidewall on the tire of my truck and stole my beer out of a cooler sitting in front of the camper.

Found out later the next day that there we four car loads of kids roaming around digging into peoples coolers for beer at about 2:30 am. Still not sure what compelled them to stick a knife in my tire.

[2oldman]

gbopp wrote:
Interesting first post. 🙂

Yeah. We'll see if he comes back.

[dave17352]

No problems here in decades. I leave my boat with fishing gear trolling motors etc all the time never a problem. All though I think one time I did here of someones stuff being stolen but that's once and it wasn't me.

[ksg5000]

Camped extensively throughout Western USA/Canada for 30 years - only had one theft (beat up old bike that kids probably took because I left it close to road at night). I feel safer in most campgrounds than just about any place I go.

[gbopp]

Interesting first post. 🙂

[2oldman]

The only horror stories come from storage lots.

[BB_TX]

I think you are overly concerned about something that rarely happens. It is just not something reported on here very often at all. Not to say it can't or doesn't happen, just not something to dwell on. Commercial RV parks and national/state/COE campgrounds are of very little concern.

Having said that, if you camp at remote unattended campgrounds, or stay in remote areas of truck stops, or parking lots with little to no late night traffic, then there may be more concern. In the campgrounds, just put things away at night so that they can't easily walk away. In parking lots or truck stops you shouldn't be putting anything out any way.

We have never had anything stolen in all our years of RVing. But we do not do remote unattended campgrounds, truck stops, or parking lots.

[fitznj]

Been camping as a teenager and RVing since 1992; never had a problem and never
even felt "unsafe" or threatened.

[Lantley]

Your concerns are not warranted. There are very few thefts of occupied units as CG's.

[mbopp]

Lost some firewood to some drunken teenagers once. That said, we do lock the TT when we leave for the day & put valuables in the tv. At least if it's broken into I can tell the insurance company "Yes, it was locked."

[GrandpaKip]

The only thing we’ve had stolen was a pack of brats by a raccoon.