Thieves broke in, what to expect?

[hdrolling]

So I just got back from my storage area, four RV's were broken into last night and one was mine. They only hit the newer campers and just grabbed electronics.

So now I have two ruined doors were they pried them open, and I had 3 TV's 2 Blu ray players and a sound bar taken.

I was able to get the two doors closed enough to lock them but their both bent all to heck.

I use Progressive via USAA camper insurance, I already filed an online report. The police swept for prints but found nothing and the storage security cameras couldn't make out the car that cut through the back fence.

I'm just wondering how this process goes from members that have dealt with this before, any helpful tips?

Is getting the doors replaced a quick fix or am I looking at waiting a month before my camper is secure again?

We don't plan to use our camper until June so I would hope it's ready by then.

[bsmith0404]

That sucks!! Can't help you with answering your question, never dealt with a door replacement before. Let us know how it goes with your insurance. I have the 5er insured through GEICO because they were much cheaper than Progressive via USAA. I've had to file claims in the past (hail damage) and it was very smooth and easy with GEICO.

This makes me feel much better when I pay too much for my inside secured storage each month.

[chuckster57]

Sorry you got targeted, got no use for thieves.

Door replacement is easy, just make sure they order the right decals.

[hdrolling]

We don't have any local indoor storage areas for campers, this is the highest recommended storage place we have. It's directly across from camper world, they don't do storage at this store so they send everyone to the place I use.

I know it will be fine and work out, just need a day or so to cool down.

[the sodfather]

If there is anything I hate more than a thief, I don't know what it is!

Someone stole the grill off the back of my camper a few months back. The storage facility I use has more cameras than you can imagine. Of course they didn't have a good angle for protecting my grill...

[JRTJH]

I've only had one claim filed with Progressive. It was when a tree fell on our trailer at a campground. Progressive was on it the day after I filed the claim and towed it to CW for repair. The entire claim was processed and finalized within 72 hours of the damage. Except for the deductible, Progressive paid for everything. I think from that perspective, you'll be OK. It's just getting over the feelings that result from being a victim.

Changing out the doors is relatively easy, it's just getting them ordered and making sure, as chuckster said, getting the correct decals.

Hopefully you'll hear from Progressive tomorrow and things will start looking up...

Wishing you all the best,

[hdrolling]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

I've only had one claim filed with Progressive. It was when a tree fell on our trailer at a campground. Progressive was on it the day after I filed the claim and towed it to CW for repair. The entire claim was processed and finalized within 72 hours of the damage. Except for the deductible, Progressive paid for everything. I think from that perspective, you'll be OK. It's just getting over the feelings that result from being a victim.

Changing out the doors is relatively easy, it's just getting them ordered and making sure, as chuckster said, getting the correct decals.

Hopefully you'll hear from Progressive tomorrow and things will start looking up...

Wishing you all the best,

That's good to hear.

Now when campers go in to get repairs is all your camping gear good to stay in the camper (chairs,grill, toaster etc.) or should you remove everything?

[Ken / Claudia]

Sorry to hear your story. I must vent about security camera's. I just cannot believe that SO many business still have lousy cameras and they put them in lousy places. They are glad to show the police camera footage of a car and something that appears to be a human. Than expect police to solve the case. I tell them we really need face shots and plate shots that can be read during the night. My opinion is to many just put up cheap stuff to get better insurance rates.

[chuckster57]

We don't require any customers remove personal belongings, but every place I've worked has the standard limit of liability printed on the repair orders.

I would ask the service dept. where your going to take the trailer to.

[papi]

My sister's camper and mine got broken in a few years ago at the storage facility also. Her door got forced in just like yours she went in and all electronics gone. Mine looked like nothing happened. So out we went camping. When I opened mine at the CG all electronics gone. I started wondering how did they got in. The sad thing about it was, they took the time to removed one of the vent covers, then they broke the original square cover that comes from factory and yes believe it or not they use a child to go in through the vent to open the door. I then went on the roof to check on the vent and found foot prints from an adult and a child.At least they where nice enough to installed the vent cover back. We had Allstate and had no problem at all. It is such a bad feeling,Good luck with everything.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by hdrolling

That's good to hear.

Now when campers go in to get repairs is all your camping gear good to stay in the camper (chairs,grill, toaster etc.) or should you remove everything?

When we take ours in (many times) we never remove our things. It is usually fine. I do know on one occasion we ended up missing something but it had to be negligible because I can't remember what it was at the moment. The last time we took it in I did ask the service advisor (we had to bring it in at the last moment just before leaving for FL the next day or so) if my Rolexes would be OK. She just looked at me funny.....looked over at the other service advisor then shook her head and said "you need to remove all valuables before you bring it in". I understood what she was saying.

[PARAPTOR]

So sorry to hear about your theft. When I take the Raptor in for service I try and get a good feel for when they are going to work on it and take it in just before that. I also inform the service Manager that I still have my stuff in there and ask if he can store it locally behind the bays rather than the remote storage lot. In the event he can not and has to take it to the remote lot, I will remove some of the stuff. Have yet to have an issue even when I know it was in the remote lot.

[notanlines]

HD, I read your post and noticed towards the end "am I looking at waiting a month before my camper is secure again?" Secure meaning what? Some infamous person said that locks only serve to keep honest people honest. Geico handled our claim very much to our satisfaction. You will probably end up with better TV's than came with your rig.

[hdrolling]

Originally Posted by notanlines

HD, I read your post and noticed towards the end "am I looking at waiting a month before my camper is secure again?" Secure meaning what? Some infamous person said that locks only serve to keep honest people honest. Geico handled our claim very much to our satisfaction. You will probably end up with better TV's than came with your rig.

I was referring to "secure" meaning that right now I have a huge gap in the lower section of my main door. Not so much worried about humans getting in as I am about water and pests getting in.

Right now with the front door closed and locked I can see into the camper from the bottom edge of the door. They pried both doors at the locks and on my front door they also pried and pulled the bottom of the door out so not there is a gap.

The only high dollar value items left in the camper are the bigger items like the generator, washer/dryer and the King sleep number bed. I don't know what I paid for my weber gas grill but when I head over there this morning I'm pulling that out and bringing it to the house.

[JRTJH]

The main door is fiberglass, but the frame is aluminum. You can use a 2x4 placed near the door lock and push on the top and bottom of the door to "re-warp" it into a position that will allow it to close better. It'll never fit properly, but should eliminate the 1" gap at the bottom enough to prevent critters from entering. As for rain, if you spend enough time with the door, you should get a "good enough" seal on the door. If not, after the insurance company is finished with their inspection, you can use duct tape to better "close the gap". If you do, be sure to apply the tape only on the door's exterior frame (apply it to the door and the "screw cover" in the perimeter frame. DON'T let the tape touch the actual trailer sidewall skin, it may leave stains that won't scrub off.

[hdrolling]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

The main door is fiberglass, but the frame is aluminum. You can use a 2x4 placed near the door lock and push on the top and bottom of the door to "re-warp" it into a position that will allow it to close better. It'll never fit properly, but should eliminate the 1" gap at the bottom enough to prevent critters from entering. As for rain, if you spend enough time with the door, you should get a "good enough" seal on the door. If not, after the insurance company is finished with their inspection, you can use duct tape to better "close the gap". If you do, be sure to apply the tape only on the door's exterior frame (apply it to the door and the "screw cover" in the perimeter frame. DON'T let the tape touch the actual trailer sidewall skin, it may leave stains that won't scrub off.

Thanks for the advice, I just got off the phone with progressive and he said as long as I have photos of the damaged doors I can go ahead and pry the door back closed.

So now that it's light out I'm heading over to see if I missed anything last night that might be gone.

I guess the adjuster only works certain areas on certain days so he might not be able to come check my camper for a few days.

[hdrolling]

Well I went out to work on my doors and the thieves came back last night and broke into three more campers as well as the storage area down the road that had four campers get hit.

[Tbos]

Sad to hear about your theft. I store my rig on a military base and as far as I know there has never been an issue like this. I think those storage lots need to step up to the plate and get better security. Are they actually driving though the fence? It's probably too late now but I'm hoping the police have increased their presence in that area. Good luck. Let us know how it works out.


2016 Passport GT 2810BHS, 2014 Silverado 1500 LT in Deep Forest Green

[hdrolling]

Originally Posted by Tbos

Sad to hear about your theft. I store my rig on a military base and as far as I know there has never been an issue like this. I think those storage lots need to step up to the plate and get better security. Are they actually driving though the fence? It's probably too late now but I'm hoping the police have increased their presence in that area. Good luck. Let us know how it works out.


2016 Passport GT 2810BHS, 2014 Silverado 1500 LT in Deep Forest Green

I have a few friends that leave their campers on FT Bragg but it's a 45 min drive to get there, the place I'm at now is 10 minutes down the road and across from camper world so it works great if I need to go grab something or check on it.

I may have to look into leaving it on base just to prevent this crap. My buddy was going to check on his today and ask if they ever had any break ins over there.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by hdrolling

Well I went out to work on my doors and the thieves came back last night and broke into three more campers as well as the storage area down the road that had four campers get hit.

If it were me I would escalate this issue with both the responsible law enforcement agency and the owner of the storage facility. Once is bad enough but two nights in a row, and apparently no plan to stop further problems, would be unacceptable. "Hoping" for the best by either of those parties would be the wrong answer.