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12-27-2022, 07:03 PM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: All over
Posts: 35
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Theft Deterrent Ideas
After 25 incident-free campground stays this year (full-time since March), we experienced minor theft at both of our last two campgrounds. We were very lucky compared to some other victims, and things could have been much worse. But we are wondering what a good deterrent might be? I am leaning toward a motion-sensing strobe light/alarm. Of course, I would never enable the alarm function in a crowded campground, but the strobe light seems a good deterrent. I'd also like to have something to alert me in the RV, but have not seen any such thing.
Apart from booking stays in better areas, or taking shifts on night patrol like in Platoon (ha-ha), what ideas do you have to deter thieves?
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12-27-2022, 07:22 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Bend,or
Posts: 471
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Depends what you are securing...
From cable locks to stick on vibration alarms with remotes, most things are cheaply secured.
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12-27-2022, 09:01 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Headed North to CLE
Posts: 1,054
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Were the items inside the storage compartment, or outside unsecured?
If you elaborate on your situation, you may get some constructive ideas.
Tim
__________________
2015 Silverado 3500HD CC DRW Duramax
2006 Hitchhiker Champagne
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12-27-2022, 09:19 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,057
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If you are talking about things getting stolen during the day when you leave them out and you leave the campground, of if you leave things out at night while you are sleeping inside, I have a simple rule. I never leave anything out that I would miss if it went missing. If it's important enough, I'll put it inside when I'm not around.
If you are talking about people breaking into your RV or into your external compartments when you are not there, to me that seems more serious. There are inexpensive alarms you can get (motion sensor and/or window/door type sensors) that can protect your actual RV. As long as they are only going off during a real robbery (and not a bunch of false alarms), I wouldn't be worried about a siren at a campground. PM me if you'd like an inexpensive alarm option.
Stay safe!
Chris
__________________
2 x 2015 Thor Majestic 28a 30' Class C. Ford e450 v10. 500w solar. 2000w inverter. 200AH
2013 Coachmen Leprechaun 210QB 23' Class C. Ford e350 v10. 300w solar. 1100w inv. 220AH
*** Addicted to mods and tinkering ***
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12-27-2022, 09:51 PM
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#5
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: All over
Posts: 35
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This is not about a break-in, just items being taken from our little yard area at night. We left some things on the table -- outside, unsecured. Table and chairs were not taken, but the items were. I guess I'd like to prevent someone from walking in to our little area undetected. But I think Chris is probably right that it is best to just lock everything up if it is easily purloined and of some value.
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12-27-2022, 10:09 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Enjoying the Western States!
Posts: 19,791
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Don't leave anything of value outside overnight or when you're away.
Please don't think of using strobe lights or an alarm!
Where did this happen? We full-timed for 16 years with no thefts.
__________________
Full-timed for 16 Years . . .
Traveled 8 yr in a 2004 Newmar Dutch Star 40' Diesel
& 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th wheel
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12-28-2022, 07:46 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 1,308
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Sounds like some bored kids running around at night. Scare lights may help. Lots of solar powered motion lights available.
Another thing, though it won't stop the theft is a game camera. You'll have pictures of the incident.
__________________
2018 KZ 270thle
2015 Silverado.
2012 GL1800
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12-28-2022, 11:36 AM
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#8
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: All over
Posts: 35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by twogypsies
Don't leave anything of value outside overnight or when you're away.
Please don't think of using strobe lights or an alarm!
Where did this happen? We full-timed for 16 years with no thefts.
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This was at a resort in Pahrump, NV, and then at a resort in Desert Hot Springs, CA. (I'd rather not name park names). I agree the strobe light function could be very annoying, especially since it might be hard to keep it going off when the wind blows the trees or bushes.
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12-28-2022, 11:38 AM
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#9
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: West Palm Beach, FL. USA
Posts: 27,704
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For us, it was always a matter of our convenience vs value of the items. Mostly convenience won out, but we mostly avoided parks where theft was a concern. Maybe our antennae were better than most - in over 20 years of camping we've lost only a few trivial things to thieves. A bottle of wine from a cooler, a potted plant, that sort of thing. If the park inhabitants looked a bit dodgy, we put stuff away and locked the bay doors. If not, we risked it.
__________________
Gary Brinck
Former owner of 2004 American Tradition and several other RVs
Home is West Palm Beach, FL
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12-28-2022, 11:46 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 128
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Desert Hot Springs is a nice place to visit, but many of the residents are CROOKS. This is well known in the area. These crooks are aware people are passing through so they just drive through and shop a few times a week. This even happens in the nice areas. A few weeks ago in Carlsbad my buddy had his generator stolen that was locked with a cable while he slept.
__________________
Tony
SoCal, 2022 Newmar Dutch Star 4081,2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Eco Diesel ,Blue Ox Avail, RVI Brake
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12-28-2022, 12:24 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 752
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Can’t comment on Pahrump, but if all you lost in Desert Hot Springs were a few tabletop items you got out lucky. I wouldn’t venture into that town in the middle of the day with armed guards. Spent many a winter in the Palm Springs area and one trip into that hovel was one trip too many.
As for alarms and strobes etc., all they would do is annoy the neighbors, a snatch and run thief couldn’t care less.
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12-28-2022, 03:34 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2021
Location: Brenham, Texas
Posts: 2,287
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If you get you some Visible Stain Anti Theft Detection Powder available on Amazon, you can sprinkle it on a few of your broken power tools or whatever else that you would want to throw away anyhow. Place them under your coach. The powder will stain their hands for days. Maybe they will think twice before they come back to the neighborhood.
Be sure to handle with gloves and if the items don’t get stolen, store them for the next time.
__________________
Eddie and Jomaye, Retired
2018 Newmar Ventana 4369
2021 Jeep 4 dr Wrangler
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12-28-2022, 07:40 PM
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#13
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: All over
Posts: 35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Country Road
If you get you some Visible Stain Anti Theft Detection Powder available on Amazon, you can sprinkle it on a few of your broken power tools or whatever else that you would want to throw away anyhow. Place them under your coach. The powder will stain their hands for days. Maybe they will think twice before they come back to the neighborhood.
Be sure to handle with gloves and if the items don’t get stolen, store them for the next time.
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Neat idea, Eddie. Probably a good thing to try the night before departure to avoid retribution!
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12-29-2022, 07:26 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Cedar Falls, IA
Posts: 2,231
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We have camped so often in bear areas that the only things left our overnight are chairs and maybe a table. Everything g else including grills and ice chests, gets packed up,when we are away from our rig. When we had an external generator and portable satellite antenna, they were attached with double hardened chains and high quality locks. You want your site to look like either there isn’t anything worth pawning or that that your site is less attractive than the neighbor’s.
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