BLOG It happened to me. Everything was stolen from my campsite

[Neal]

https://www.rvtravel.com/happened-stolen-campsite-1275/

 

[Kevin D Pem]

That is conserning!

I may get a tracker for my most valuable item.

 

[murphysranch]

I read that this morning, and was so dismayed at her loss and at the lack of compassion from the park employees.

 

[T’sOVR&Explore]

Those of us who are USA natives over 50 yo were born into a high trust society, in which if you stayed out of the worst areas, not much predation was likely to impinge upon your circumstances from thieves. We are beginning to see what life in a low trust society will be like. Oh sure, YOU can be still be trusted, since you live your life with the same integrity that you were taught and keep internalized.

The media-instilled excuse of "people just need jobs" is nonsense. They did not steal your stuff because they wish for but don’t have jobs. If you don’t believe it, leave your current pair of steel toed work boots that you have been using (when mixing concrete or doing your plasma cutting or welding work) out by the picnic table at each campout in the future. Your nice cooking gear, chairs and mat may disappear, but not the boots. Individuals of low/no income who are desperately looking for work would want the boots...

We keep a wireless router running in our camper that is not connected to anything, just emitting it’s wireless SSID in the open. Thieves typically DO have cell phones. They may see the “wireless network available” notification pop up on their phone when they get near. the camper. “RV CrimeCam #5” is the SSID that ours broadcasts out into the open. (You might want to be creative and have your provocative faked wireless network SSID be “ICE Mobile Van #3” or similar. We were told by the originator of the provocative SSID broadcast idea that such an SSID can really clear out excess customers at a Home Depot in some locations).

If the camper is still there after the miscreants visit and the storage bin and entry door locks were unmolested, consider yourself fortunate and just replenish the missing chairs, mat and such with dowdy looking replacement items obtained from yard sales. Good chance then that the crooks will pass your stuff up next time and go get what the first time campers in the adjacent site have deployed right out of the box from new.

 

[Trav_lr]

The work boots.... that's a great analogy! So true. I like the idea of putting an obsolete router back to work too.

Receiving a printed page, warning of potential theft within the campground with the check-in package has become the standard in many areas. Some places we've stayed used a 3rd party security firm to patrol the campground at night. At Oregon state parks seen the local police patrolling day and night. I now better understand why some leave their outside lights on all night.

 

[Rosy]

Brutal.

When we stay in the national parks, I'm pretty careful to lock everything in the truck or trailer at night or when we're gone.

Staying in a pretty secure RV park right now. Some of the seasonal residents leave a lot of stuff out that I wouldn't, including propane tanks, lawn mowers...

 

[Phillbo]

Thieves suck. My dog woke me once and I realized someone was trying to steel my honda generator I had chained to a tree. Flipped on the awning light and he ran off... i was wanting to sneak up on him with my are handle but there is no way to quietly open an RV door in the dead of night so I opted to just light him up.

 

[rjshiflet49]

We keep a wireless router running in our camper that is not connected to anything, just emitting it’s wireless SSID in the open. Thieves typically DO have cell phones. They may see the “wireless network available” notification pop up on their phone when they get near. the camper. “RV CrimeCam #5” is the SSID that ours broadcasts out into the open. (You might want to be creative and have your provocative faked wireless network SSID be “ICE Mobile Van #3” or similar. We were told by the originator of the provocative SSID broadcast idea that such an SSID can really clear out excess customers at a Home Depot in some locations).

We have a wireless router running that is "FBI Evidence Unit". And, a fake security camera. Those two things have done the trick over the years for us.

These folks that feel entitled to "get without working for" things really are the worst. I'm about to turn 77 years old and I've worked at least part-time (during school) since I was 15 years old right up until my 65th birthday. I saved...I did without...finally we get to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

An earlier comment that those of us in our age group "are beginning to see what life in a low trust society will be like" and what happens when the government gives handouts to people too lazy to work.

Don't get me wrong. For those disabled and TRULY UNABLE to work...for TRUE WELFARE cases, absolutely let's help the less fortunate. But teenage to 30-year olds...GET A JOB!!! Work for what you want. SAVE your money for what you want.

 

[John&Andrea]

I saw the story. I am a trusting old guy, years of leaving stuff out and not worrying about it. Heck sometimes I don’t even lock the camper when we leave.
Times have changed.

 

[RobertE]

Sounds like camp site was not in a good area. We’ve never had anything stolen but we stick to state parks.

 

[MNC]

We have been lucky never had anything stolen but I can see this getting worse before it gets better

 

[Rollin Ollen]

https://www.rvtravel.com/happened-stolen-campsite-1275/

I saw the story. I am a trusting old guy, years of leaving stuff out and not worrying about it. Heck sometimes I don’t even lock the camper when we leave.
Times have changed.

In all of our years of camping we have lost one cooler and almost a second. The second was an attempt (at around 2:00 AM) by a couple of probably underaged teens hoping it contained beer. The dog growled waking me up. I looked out the window, notice them walking off with it and I just yelled. They dropped the cooler and ran. We boon dock and when we leave to go shopping, we lock up the e bikes and the coach and that's pretty much it. I still believe campers are mostly honest people.

 

[Scooterfan]

We camp at Rincon Parkway in Ventura CA regularly. It's the old hwy right along the ocean. Beautiful views but it's known for theft. One doesn't leave valuables out at night...especially generators, ebikes, etc. they will be gone in the AM. It's a sad truth but at this point, "careful" is the only deterrent. Blessings

 

[JBright11]

The only thing we ever leave out are our chairs.
Everything else gets locked in a compartment every night and when we leave camp.
It's a PITA for sure, but better than having things stolen.

 

[John&Andrea]

We have never had anything stolen.
Funnest thing I heard was a guy saying years ago his Dad wrapped black tape on food extension cords. To keep them from being taken. They looked like they were patched up.