Burglar Alarm

[Cypherian]

Escape13,

You can check with local auto sound/alarm shops or boat shops if there happens to be one near you either one should be able to help you out. Do not sweat some of the answers you receive here everyone has an opinion of what they hold as valuable and some just have not been out to areas where things / people are a little more dicey. An alarm is a great deterrent since most would be thieves do not want to draw attention to themselves. Moreover, I plan on installing a system and a small safe for copies of documents etc. If you boon dock a lot it is only prudent in my opinion to at least try to prevent a loss. Most insurance plans do not replace small portable items lost out of cars I figure they will say the same about things stolen from an RV such as a generator, electronics, cameras etc are very expensive to replace. Moreover, if your hunting and you have weapons with you most gun owners I know do not want their weapons stolen and miss used. I have checked with 3 shops and will be doing my own system as their labor charges were high based on not having done this type of work before. I also suspect there are many here that have considered an alarm system but were not sure which way to go etc.

Cypherian

[santacruzer]

Don't have an alarm system, but my last two trucks have had TruckVaults installed for the expensive fishing and hunting gear, and other smaller items such as cameras, smartphones, etc. TruckVault also makes a line of secure metal Day Boxes that could likely be incorporated into a trailer compartment as a safe.

[Jubal]

The Escape trailers are not very secure. One owner posted how easy it was to remove the door to solve the "lock out" problem.
Yes there are several type of safes that can secure you valuables. No systems are 100% and can be defeated with the battery operated tools that are avaliable. A system monitored by a security company that can contact you or the authorities is effective but has its limitations.
So,as others have posted we depend on our insurance company and do not take expensive items with us or leave them in the TT when we are out and about.
We often camp in remote locations and often spend several days in the back country. We did invest in a tire boot/immobilizer.
Trailer Wheel Boots - California Immobilizer It is produced in Canada and was exported with our trailer with the assistance of Gerald the owner and the Escape staff.

[Cypherian]

Hey,

I apologize now. This is a wall of text to read but since it seems there is a diverse group of opinions about protecting ones possessions and several folks who like to know the facts and not being told “THEY SAY” or “ I HEARD FROM _____” . There is also a segment who feel using deadly force ( Guns, Knives, Dogs, Traps Etc) is a good way to protect their investment to those I say check your local laws on the legality of that in your state or any state you plan on traveling through or to. No one should ever post in a public forum that they plan on using said deadly force on someone. This could come back to haunt you later if something bad happens. Nothing on the internet is ever deleted permanently civil wrongful death lawsuits only require a preponderance of evidence not beyond a reasonable doubt like criminal charges.

Yes most mechanical means of securing items can be defeated Trailer Boot included as someone pointed out with battery powered cutters, screw guns etc etc. According to studies by USDOJ the factors involving thefts have a lot of similarities you can read about them in Burglary Of Single-Family Houses http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/e07021611.pdf . If you choose to read pay attention to pg’s 5,13,14,16,26 it explains what is stolen, which level of thief would go for what target and what you can do to reduce the risk of theft.

With some thought a person can make it harder, riskier or more time consuming for a thief to steal your things.
Exterior compartments there are combo lock replacements or mechanical lock replacements using specialized keys.
Exterior hardware that could be removed hinge screws and such can be changed out with security head screws of which there are many types available at local hardware stores.
Wheels you can get special lug nuts to prevent the rims / tires being stolen don’t forget one for the spare (Alum is selling for .60c to .72c per lb) or you can buy them back on Craig’s list :}.
Batteries (.23c to .26c per lb) locked in front storage or have them installed in the dinette seat inside.
LP Tanks Motorcycle lock cable/chain (heavy duty and longer compared to bike locks) through the handles and down to the frame.
If they want to steal the stinky slinky lol they can have it :}.
Chocks are 25 bucks cheap enough to replace at any Wal-Mart.
Outside if you’re going to be gone for a long time putting away your grill and any other item over 25 bucks at Wal-Mart would be a good idea. Your outdoor carpet is most likely to big and bulky for someone to grab and go with unless it is someone in the RV park or your way out in the boondocks with nothing around I will address that in a few more lines.

Using a few pieces of electronics a small motorcycle battery a little bit of time you can put together a decent alarm system which cannot be defeated from outside the trailer(well without high end jammers). For exterior Doors push switches like the ones on your car doors when it is open it connects the circuit sirens (yes two 1 inside 1 outside) sound and the lights on the outside of the trailer blink (markers, taillights and any others you wish to connect to. You can purchase a basic car alarm with remote arm and de-arm or use a keyed electronic switch or even a punch pad. You can even get devious and mount a key switch in an easily located spot dummy wire it or dummy wire a key pad. Two interior car motion detectors one facing front from the back and one from the back to the front prevents movement into the trailer from a window entry. These are tiny and if placed right no one will ever know they are there.
The motorcycle battery is mounted inside under the dinette enclosed and vented connected to the solar charger or main battery chargers with appropriate voltage regulators to prevent over charge / coach battery drain. Why you might ask well if your batteries are outside of the trailer one pair of heavy cutters says nothing inside your RV works presumably they were smart enough to unplug your trailer too. So even if they saw you set your alarm they think they are safe:}.If you have your batteries inside then you would not need the motorcycle battery. Make sure you mount a disconnect switch for the interior siren and motion detectors so if you wish to set the alarm for the evening when you’re in you won’t be deafened / disoriented if it is tripped. Use a siren that has an odd IE European warble to it people will look since it does not sound like any normal alarm. The sirens from whelen and a few other manufacturers are small loud and can be hidden anywhere.

I have tried to give the reader a lot of ideas without giving away the candy store, let your mind wander into the morass a criminal mind is and see what you come up with if you wish to secure your possessions.

Oh as far as protecting your out door mat or other items you don’t feel like putting away… A 5 gallon pail that is beat up , stained etc has trash bag and some trash no one is going to give it a second glance. This is nice since you have put a water proof game camera in the bottom of it facing out of the small hole drilled in the side. They have the motion detection range and are silent enough to take pictures of anything that moves in front of them. Bungee the pail to the bumper and tada great mug shot pictures so I hear :}.

With luck this has been informative and not boring enjoy:}

Cypherian

[MyronL]

Some years back was fearful my Burro could be stolen and bought a Fulton Trailer Keeper. It's bright orange, wraps around the wheel, is cleverly attached to an unscrewed wheel lug that's cleverly shielded. Employs a special padlock designed impossible to snap off with bolt cutters. I think I used this wheel boot once. Was just too much bother.

Have been thinking, I soon will be towing my new 19 and that $$baby we know, is really worth stealing. So I dug out the orange thing-- but could not find the keys. Took it to a locksmith who picked the closed lock for me and for fourteen bucks was willing to use locksmith's magic to make me new keys from scratch. I balked. Why, I dunno.

Now, later in the week I walked into Central Trailer Supply on Central Ave with the lock, looking for options. The counter guy took a look, then said wait a minute and went straight to a drawer and produced several old sets of keys and said, "Try these."

The first set was a perfect match. Free is good. Think I'll take the orange thing with me to Chilliwack next week. Hey, you never know.

[cpaharley2008]

just don't lose your car keys while enroute!!

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Cypherian

.... No one should ever post in a public forum that they plan on using said deadly force on someone. This could come back to haunt you later if something bad happens.

I don't remember anyone posting that advocated THAT. I was thinking personal protection (I'm a single traveler) and there ARE bears....

Remember, an all molded fiberglass towable has been described as being... hard and crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.

[Dave D.]

Since we sometimes end up in isolated or somewhat sketchy areas, I was also wondering about some kind of alarm so thanks to the original poster for bringing this topic up. Cypherian definately informative/not boring and thanks as well to others who posted with practical ideas.

One of the issues in this discussion is there are so many angles and levels to security. Throw in a foreign country and it gets even more difficult. Since it is such a broad topic if there is interest maybe a Security forum or a sticky could be created?

Dave

[Klimptaks]

We live in a working-class area of North Surrey, with frequent break-ins. Our vehicles & home are visibly armed, and that alone has functioned as a deterrent, compared to the non-armed older vehicles. Nearby friends of ours had their lovely new 26foot 5th wheel stolen right out of their driveway.

When we got Aubergine (Jan 2011), we immediately took her to a car alarm shop, had the door alarm, vibration sensor, & internal motion sensors installed. The system also goes off (loudly, according to Reace) whenever battery power is cut, or the horn is disconnected from the system.

For physical barriers, we also use a chock lock and dual coupler lock.
This sounds like a lot, but it adds perhaps one extra minute to our entire setup and breakdown process - and we go out boondocking, almost every weekend.

Our alarm system has a little flashing blue LED light (in one of the external clearance lights), so whenever we are out camping, we cover the light with a small piece of electrical tape - no one else wants to look at our blue light!

And yes, we have excellent insurance coverage, too - but we do not want to go through all that hassle...
Better to deter than to deal with the fallout.

Just our experience...

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

I don't remember anyone posting that advocated THAT. I was thinking personal protection (I'm a single traveler) and there ARE bears..

Donna, you may use a firearm against only a bear, but lots of people quite openly say they intend to use them for defense against people... and while we believe you no rational stranger would. Why can you buy "bear spray" in every city, in a can so small it couldn't possibly be useful against a bear? Because it's not for bears...

By the way, if your guns are for bears, why does it matter that you are a single traveler? Do bears care whether or not you are alone?

An alarm system might even be useful in bear country, by producing a loud noise and scaring the bear away.

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Remember, an all molded fiberglass towable has been described as being... hard and crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.

A classic.

It still beats a tent or tent trailer: soft on the inside and on the outside!

[J Mac]

[QUOTE=Donna D.;31944] I don't remember anyone posting that advocated THAT. I was thinking personal protection (I'm a single traveler) and there ARE bears....

Donna, re-read entry 20 by reetired.

[thoer]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

I, for one, am going fishing.

Sounds like a great excuse for some brews... good thing about brews is that they calm most of us down.......

[cpaharley2008]

agreed

[cpaharley2008]

let's keep it on subject off the other subject

[CADreamin]

Now, that trailer boot is a GREAT idea! Going to look into that. California immobilizer ... made in Canada. Go figure.
Jan