Ever had something stolen at a campground?

[MonkeyClaw]

Not yet, but I keep the more desirable stuff locked up or in the garage. We don't always lock our rig when we leave, but we have two big Rhodesian Ridgebacks in there to keep things safe.

I am less trusting when boondocking because we don't have any bored neighbors watching over the property. Even then, I'll leave the lawn chairs and grill out.

[Firebug5]

Been camping for 35 years in a wide variety of recreational vehicles, camping in a wide variety of campgrounds, in many states, in all seasons. I typically lock up the stuff I really want to keep, and like others have stated make it as hard as possible for the folks that may try to take it. While staying for a month in a campground in Georgia recently, we were placed in the section with the workers who stay in travel trailers for the work week, then go home for the weekend. Not my favorite section, but it was the only site available for the discounted monthly rate. The 2 oil rig workers next to our site were up by 6 am every day, and one morning I heard whispering outside our bedroom window. I went outside, and they were looking at a lock I had used to keep the electric receptacle locked while the cord was plugged in. I asked if they needed something, and surprisingly they simply said "what a great idea, we have lost several 50-amp cords recently and that may just help". At 6 am they had noticed a small lock on the electrical receptacle that I was plugged into? Who knows, but it worked for me that day.

Locks only help keep honest folks honest. A thief will carry a tool to dispose of most locks, but we can only hope somebody notices them messing with it in the first place and reports it immediately. 35 years without losing a single item, not bad in my opinion. Or, maybe my stuff is just not worth taking. . . . .

[jeryan59]

Had someone attempt to steel bike rack and bikes off the back in a Wal Mart lot in Atlanta, GA 12 years ago, but never had an issue in a campground. But I also tend to put things away out of sight at night.

[Francesca]

Not me, but I vividly remember the Shocking Experience that Moderator "Clifftall" suffered through way back in 2012.

Read all about it at the following link: http://www.irv2.com/forums/f64/the-d...ps-126071.html

It's a doozy, and long long- but read all the way through because it has a happy ending!

[HeatAir]

In 11 years of camping in a Class A, we have had 2 things stolen. One really peeved me and the other bothered me.

Maybe a bigger deal but someone opened the door to the Bride's SUV and took the GPS. That bothered me because I thought that I had heard to door open and close in the middle of the night and that I was the last one int he SUV and didn't lock it.

The one that peeved me was when I was at Victoria COE park on Lake Allatoona. I left my tube style air compressor stashed well under the camper and almost wedged in. This CG is at the end of a large residential area. It was gone and I was upset. The Bride and I wandered around and she found the tire pressure gauge that was on top of the compressor near the dump station. Yeah, we were camped near the outside of the place.

Now for the soap box. I've seen the worst of people. I have a Surge Guard surge protector. That's a high dollar one! I will not buy a lock to lock it to my camper cord unless I buy one to the pedestal. I do not want my camper cord cut because someone wants my surge protector, I'd rather them just take it without cutting my plug off. The CG management mat have a problem with my putting a padlock on the pedestal and the additional cords (for lights and other accessories) that may prevent the cover from closing enough to install the lock.

Rant off.

[sinnettc]

We've never had anything wander off when camping, but we did watch the cops run off an unsavory bunch of folks when we were tent camping at the lake a few years ago. They'd been obnoxious and loud neighbors, and it turns out they'd helped themselves to stuff in a couple of other sites. This is in a county campground/marina at a COE flood control reservoir.

I do lock the truck, the TT door, and cargo doors when we leave the site. I've generally got a few thousand bucks worth of camera gear, plus computers, etc. in the trailer and I don't want to have to replace them. I also lock the pedestal over my PI surge suppressor. I can't stop serious thieves from stealing things, but I can at least make it difficult enough to keep casual opportunists from helping themselves to my toys.

We've had the same concerns with the boat at the marina. I keep things locked and our boat is close enough to shore that the park hosts would see anyone messing with it. It's still disconcerting to know they had a boat disappear this spring; the lake isn't big enough that it could drift away and not be found.

[cptgregger]

I had someone pound on my RV door at 7 am the other day asking to use my cell phone. She had "meth teeth". Yes, I judged a book by it's cover that morning. First, [moderator edit] are you doing waking me up so you can make a call? Second, they had cases of beer at their campsite. If they can afford beer, they can afford a cell phone... sorry, it's just that simple. I know a trap when I see one.

3 weeks ago a kid on a bike BEGGED for me to give him a ride while I was playing with my son at the swimming pool. I thought about it at first but I then thought, "he has a bike, why does he need a ride so badly?" He was SUPER aggressive and a rather big kid. I'm not setting myself up for an ambush so I told him "no." He got really pissed at me and then demanded that I give him ride. A mother who was there with her little one suggested he call his mom for a ride and he snapped back at her "NO" in a rather crude manner. He was done in my book at that point. I told him to get stepping.

10 min later I noticed two officers in the area with lights flashing so I inquired. The kid wasn't a "kid". He was a 22 yr old adult who spat on a jogger. That jogger called the police and this kid was running from them (or biking as it were). The cops arrested (and later let go) a 10 yr old that was riding with him but weren't ever able to locate the 22 yr old.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a really nice guy and try to help out anyone in need. But beggers, gypsies, and meth-heads... well, let's just say I wasn't born yesterday. Where I grew up, traps were set up for the unsuspecting all the time. So whenever someone asks for help, and it's not obvious like a distressed vehicle on the side of the road with a flat, I always to try ascertain the angle they're playing first. Most times, in my experience, it's a trap.

Be careful out there and more importantly be aware of our surroundings.

The only things I leave unlocked are the bikes... 'cause they're typical Walmart junk from China and not worth much anyway. Ha.

[UTTransplant]

Never had anything disappear, but we came close one time. We had a popup at the time, and we generally kept a two-way adaptor to put on a water faucet. Cheap, maybe $3-4 at most, but handy at the spots that have shared spigots. One morning I walk out to find the folks in the huge $$$+++ motor home parked behind us had unscrewed out hose, unscrewed the adaptor, and we're walking back to their RV with it! I yelled, "Hey, that's mine!" And they walked back with it saying they thought it belonged to the campground! Did they think it was ok to steal from the campground? I still shake my head at that one.

In general we lock things up when we leave the trailer. I might leave the lawn chairs and a plastic table out, but that's about it. There have been two times we left a remote campground because we didn't like the look of the people who just kept driving around and around the loop, but that's it.

[Michael Coke]

Never had a problem. If you knock on my door before I get up at 6am be ready for a pistola in the facea. I get up at 6am most of the time. Stayed at many RV parks and all have had nice people willing to help you with anything from parking to setting up. If you are short an item they will come together to help you find a way to enjoy your stay. Then having 2 bulldogs keeps the riffraff away. After 39 yrs DW still hasn't figured out what to do with me. Married 39 yrs man I must be old.

[waroland]

In many years of camping I have only had one thing stolen. We were camped in TN and I washed my favorite suspenders, we do volunteer building and I used the suspenders for my tool belt, and hung them on the kingpin to dry. We went shopping and when we came back my suspenders were gone. I know the wind did not blow them away because I had them well secured. There was a out of town electrical crew in a TT next door and I assumed that one of the 5 or so guys in the TT took them. I have never found a pair of suspender like the and I have looked everywhere we go. I am still mad about my suspenders!

[Dick Noble]

Two years ago, at Palms River Resort at Needles, CA. there was a rash of thievery going on. Lots of bikes and an ATV were taken. One bike belonged to friends of ours and it was an expensive one. The thieves were caught not to far away riding the ATV. Never did get the bikes back. Our two bikes were chained to the rear of the 5er so we had no problems. Management did install more metal pillars in any area that large items could be taken through. The entire park had a wall around it but the wall did have spots that one could pass through.

[Michael Coke]

I saw a dog running around with some suspenders. Not wearing them; just running and shaking them. Sorry couldn't resist hope you find some more.

[WheelingIt]

I had my 15-year old beat up bike stolen from a gated campground in San Diego 2 years ago, but that's been our only incident. And we regularly leave stuff (chairs, grill, surge protector) outside and unlocked.

[Dog Folks]

30 years of camping, 8 years of full timing and campground hosting. Two items: Another campers lawn chair reported stolen. Our cheap outdoor radio taken, worth about $5.00 That is all.