Question about campground theft.

[Mich F]

The thread asking how people secure their portable surge protectors got me wondering about campground theft. Has anybody had a surge protector stolen, or know of someone who has had one stolen? The same question applies for those automatic satellite dishes, which are quite a bit more expensive than most surge protectors. I've probably seen many more sat dishes without, than with, any type of lock.
In all the years I've been camping I only had 1 thing stolen, which I believe was a skateboard or a Razor (it was a lot of years ago probably early 90's). That particular campground was on the inter-coastal with waterfront sites and occasionally people would come in at night by boat, and help themselves to fishing rods, coolers, bikes or whatever.

[twinboat]

I'm with you there. I see the walkout dish things everwhere, just sitting in the clearings.

I believe most thieves are looking for stuff to unload quick. Bikes, power tools and radios. They wouldn't know what the thing on the power pole was.

Like you, I had 2 bikes taken back in the 90s. That happened in a large, lakefront, state campground.

Maybe there is a hot market for them.

[MSHappyCampers]

We've been RV'ing for 14 years and have never had anything stolen. I have heard of campers losing coolers, etc. Guess we've just been lucky! We leave our chairs out at night. I lock the bikes to the RV at night!

[jondrew55]

Well, knock on wood I've never had anything stolen. We have bikes, bbqs and other goodies we leave out. We also have a carry out sat dish that pets plunked wherever we can find a clear view of the sky. I used to secure the dish using a kryptonite cable and lock. But everything on the sat dish is plastic that the cable can attach to so a thief could easily cut the dish free of the cable and the dish would not be functionally damaged. Bottom line, we rarely lock anything up unless we're going to be away from camp for an extended period. Like I said, we've been lucky so far

[grizz427]

We were camping at Deep Creek State park in western Maryland. We had our boat tied up at the park Docks. That night we went to the bar across the lake and as we were sitting at the table I saw a couple of guys on our boat. So I drove back to the campground to find the cabin had been broken in to all my fishing gear and most of my scuba gear was missing. The rangers never had this happen here before. Guess I was the lucky one. But as far as anything ever go missing at the camp site never. I have been know to leave the keys in the motorcycle over night and no one has ever bother it. Honor among campers we watch out for each other.

[Bruce C]

Well over forty years of camping and never had a problem, I do make an attempt to talk to my neighbors and we more or less watch out for each other. Just lucky I guess.

[1bigmess]

Do what you need to do to enjoy your camping trip. If that means cables, locks, chains, alarms, cameras, and a security team, if that is what will make it possible to enjoy your camping trip, then get it all.

It's your stuff, your trip, do what you need to enjoy it. If others do or don't, that's their thing. Do your thing and enjoy your trip.

[ralphie]

Perhaps we've also been lucky; nothing ever stolen in over 40 years. I do take extra efforts to secure our $600 bicycles because they're so easy to remove, but otherwise trust our RV brethren.

[cwsqbm]

Bicycles are the only thing I worry about, and that because bored kids would steal them. Campgrounds are on average far safer than the average suburb.

[Old-Biscuit]

Originally Posted by Bruce C

Well over forty years of camping and never had a problem, I do make an attempt to talk to my neighbors and we more or less watch out for each other. Just lucky I guess.

Lucky...maybe
BUT one of the first things I do is introduce ourselves to the neighbors and let them know if they need anything just ask.
They feel included and are more likely to watch out and notice what's going on.

7 Yrs of FT travel........never had anything stolen
Portable surge protector hanging from power pedestal and 50A detachable cord, Faulker full recliners sitting out, Weber BBQ set up

40 yrs of camping........lost a cooler full of beer
Not the cooler just the beer....idiots

BUT I have read horror stories on Forums of folks having portable generators stolen, gas cans stolen, propane cylinders stolen, bicycles stolen and even trailers stolen


Just lucky...I guess

[Bigd9]

We did have a slice of bread stolen once. I had placed the toaster on the picnic table with two slices of bread in it, one for me and the other for Sharon and I went to the opposite side of the camper to get my extension cord. When I came back with the cord I saw a thief running away with one of the slices of bread! I yelled to my wife "Sharon that duck just stole your slice of bread right out of the toaster!

[wa8yxm]

Back in my PUP days one of the first trips we took, we stopped at a State Park and when we woke up we found we had lost our breakfast.. I'd have liked to eat it first. but it was gone (Farm Fresh eggs and such).

Only time I've been ripped off.. Though I have left a few things behind by accident from time to time. Only that one time. like 30+ years ago, have I ever been ripped off.

[DDDonkey]

We have had chairs stolen but that is it. I lock everything up for the most part at night, chairs, bikes, smoker, atv's. Funny thing is they stole the old broke chairs and left the good ones, maybe they were doing me a favor. I am over over protective though, especially with my wife and kids around.

[Hammer bird]

We've never had anything stolen - at least that I'm aware of... We have bikes and we lock them to the rear bumper of our TT and then DH covers them with a tarp! I'm a freak for putting everything away at night!