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Old 05-21-2015, 12:10 PM   #1
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We have been ripped off. They took everything.

This was posted in the FGRV forum:
We have been ripped off. They took everything. - Fiberglass RV

Mike Wendland does an RV podcast and travels in a Class B motorhome and was robbed while eating dinner. Some good advice on how to deal with it. And good discussion on FGRV on the issues. He starts:
Seven minutes is all it took for our RV to be burglarized, to lose $12,000 and counting worth of equipment – just about everything of value inside the motorhome except the dog.

Yes, just seven minutes.

That’s all it took for the bad guys to come into our space, take our stuff.

We know it was only seven minutes, too, from our dash cam recording most of it...
Read the rest or listen to his podcast at Roadtreking.com
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Old 05-21-2015, 12:18 PM   #2
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Mall security is a joke in most places. The only time I ever had a vehicle broken into was at a mall. The story illustrates an unfortunate fact - RV's parked anywhere except in an RV park or campground are hit much more often. We try to take the obvious precautions, like trying to park where I can see the trailer when I'm in a restaurant, etc -- but that isn't always possible.
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Old 05-21-2015, 12:58 PM   #3
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I parked the company van under the Surrey Court House, across from the Surrey RCMP headquarters. Got broken into.
But, where else would you most likely find bad guys?
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Old 05-21-2015, 01:58 PM   #4
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I'm actually more worried about getting broken into where I live. The trailer we eventually get will be parked by the house in a new graveled area that's fairly level (will be more so when it's finally completed). There's a lot of foot traffic by the house due to the bus stop at the edge of our property, plus we're on the corner of a busy intersection. Houses have been broken into around here, stolen cars left in front of our house, trash (including tires and a couch) left nearby, stolen mail remains left by the bus shelter. Yeah, lovely, huh?

I'm also wondering how long it'll take someone to tag our trailer as many of the fences around here get tagged, as well as the bus shelter. We don't have a garage.

I'm thinking of installing some sort of alarm that will only be set when the trailer is by the house (obviously not when we're driving with it). Hidden compartments for the laptop and other important goodies. Lo-Jack, which is also on my vehicle.

And telling someone to get good insurance is kind of cruel when you're looking at not having your rig for months on end until you can order a new one. Or filing all the claims and such. I think everyone knows to get good insurance.
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Old 05-21-2015, 02:09 PM   #5
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I read that Wendland posting. Random theft, becoming a target of opportunity when on the road, is very tough stuff. Seems to me the only effective, preventative defense there is, is:
  1. Lock it,
  2. Always park it where you can keep eyes on it,
  3. Take your most valued items with you, and,
  4. Do not assume anything.
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Old 05-21-2015, 03:16 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NW Cat Owner View Post
I'm actually more worried about getting broken into where I live. The trailer we eventually get will be parked by the house in a new graveled area that's fairly level (will be more so when it's finally completed). There's a lot of foot traffic by the house due to the bus stop at the edge of our property, plus we're on the corner of a busy intersection. Houses have been broken into around here, stolen cars left in front of our house, trash (including tires and a couch) left nearby, stolen mail remains left by the bus shelter. Yeah, lovely, huh?

I'm also wondering how long it'll take someone to tag our trailer as many of the fences around here get tagged, as well as the bus shelter. We don't have a garage.

I'm thinking of installing some sort of alarm that will only be set when the trailer is by the house (obviously not when we're driving with it). Hidden compartments for the laptop and other important goodies. Lo-Jack, which is also on my vehicle.

And telling someone to get good insurance is kind of cruel when you're looking at not having your rig for months on end until you can order a new one. Or filing all the claims and such. I think everyone knows to get good insurance.
Build as high of a fence around your property as is allowed by local ordinance and put a fabric cover over your Escape when it is not in use. And even though it goes without saying, make sure your insurance coverage is appropriate. Other than that, go camping as much as possible in your Escape so that it does not have to sit at home.
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Old 05-21-2015, 03:17 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gbaglo View Post
I parked the company van under the Surrey Court House, across from the Surrey RCMP headquarters. Got broken into.
But, where else would you most likely find bad guys?
I've seen buddy being taken down by undercover officers tailing buddy who was driving a stolen car. This was outside a probation office where buddy was going to his PO appointment

stolen cars are found sprinkled around court buildings by people driving to their court dates
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Old 05-21-2015, 03:31 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by ice-breaker View Post
Build as high of a fence around your property as is allowed by local ordinance and put a fabric cover over your Escape when it is not in use. And even though it goes without saying, make sure your insurance coverage is appropriate. Other than that, go camping as much as possible in your Escape so that it does not have to sit at home.
I'd check the insides of the trailer every once in awhile. I know of homeless folk breaking into trailers parked on storage compounds and doing some camping. And I know of a guy whose trailer was parked on his yard who went into the trailer to check it out. He noticed the blankets on the bed seemed jumbled, moved the blankets and woke buddy up. The trailer owner waited outside with a machete until RCMP showed up. Buddy got charged with B/E. (I suppose a cover would act as a deterrent ).
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Old 05-21-2015, 03:51 PM   #9
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Aren't Trailer Buddies the latest rage in RV's?
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Old 05-21-2015, 06:17 PM   #10
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What we need is a "trailer monkey".

Maybe Myron can MacGyver something together
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Old 05-21-2015, 06:18 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bdornbush View Post
"Yes, just seven minutes."
As can be seen in It Takes a Thief, seven minutes is lots of time... to steal from your house, and a trailer should be faster.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ice-breaker View Post
Build as high of a fence around your property as is allowed by local ordinance...
That seems like a good way to me to reduce the chance that your trailer will be noticed, but unfortunately it also gives a thief the privacy needed for the theft. Also, any non-folding travel trailer is taller than the tallest allowed fence in many places.
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Old 05-21-2015, 08:06 PM   #12
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Love the Suburban Auto Group! They're about 25 miles from me. I need a few of those monkeys for some of the people I work with....
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