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Old 01-05-2019, 06:20 AM   #1
whitmw
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RV Theft

Fortunately, I have not been a victim of RV theft but it looks like this is becoming more and more common. I am curious as to what seems to be the main driving factor in these thefts? I know the end goal is money, but where are the majority of the stolen units going? I haven't heard of a many recovery's Are they being resold with fake titles, stripped for parts, used to make drugs in?
Please post if you have gotten a recovery or theft story where the thieves were caught? Just curious. Thanks
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Old 01-05-2019, 07:28 AM   #2
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I don't have any answer but carry separate insurance to cover fire, theft ect.
I had a tree fall on old camper and insurance paid up nicely (Allstate)
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Old 01-05-2019, 07:43 AM   #3
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Honestly can't say I've heard of ANY rv theft, recovery or any stories related to either.
I have heard stories of break-ins where they've stolen all the electronic equipment which usually is found at a nearby pawn shop, but nothing about stealing the rv.
Maybe in Kentucky they're parked back in the woods by their stills!
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Old 01-05-2019, 08:08 AM   #4
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We don't have a "problem" in this area. I say that with the understanding that if you're the ONE person whose trailer is stolen, for you, it's a tremendous problem.... But, in this area, trailer theft is not a growing problem and I haven't heard of any that have "gone missing" in the last several years.

We do, as chuckster said, have numerous break-ins. This area is a "second home/resort" area and there are a lot of seasonal homes and RV's parked on a couple acres that people use on the weekends or for a couple weeks in the summer. Many of them are empty and abandoned for weeks on end. Those who tend to be dishonest (crooks) often break into these dwellings (both S&B and RV) when nobody is around. It may be months before the owner returns and realizes his home was robbed, so recovery is not easy and often the crimes go unsolved.

As for "dragging off trailers" we don't have a problem, but breaking into them is a problem. With the recent improvements in the economy, I believe the problem is shrinking. It may be that it's so common, the news/newspapers just stopped reporting it or it may be that it's not happening as often. Anyway, insurance is about the only way to protect yourself from theft in many situations.

Off site storage (using a storage yard, etc) is almost the same as parking on a couple of acres, but with so many other trailers around, it can become a lure to have a lot of stuff to choose from and crooks migrate to lucrative returns.... Reports of storage yard break-ins haven't been "frequent" on this forum, but they do occasionally happen. The last (as I remember it) was over a year ago.
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Old 01-10-2019, 10:43 AM   #5
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I am helping a friend install all low voltage wiring for a new home (cable, internet, phone, etc). As a thank you present, he gave me a present of a Ring Camera that cost him a good bundle at Costco. This gift is costing me!!! I have since bought and installed a Ring doorbell and this morning I started reviewing a Ring Security System.

If you have power and an internet connection at your storage location, the Ring security system would be ideal. Check it out on Amazon. Lots of sales and very good reviews. Monitoring is also cheap ($100 per year) compared to any other security service I have looked at
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Old 01-05-2019, 09:40 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by whitmw View Post
Fortunately, I have not been a victim of RV theft but it looks like this is becoming more and more common. I am curious as to what seems to be the main driving factor in these thefts? I know the end goal is money, but where are the majority of the stolen units going? I haven't heard of a many recovery's Are they being resold with fake titles, stripped for parts, used to make drugs in?
Please post if you have gotten a recovery or theft story where the thieves were caught? Just curious. Thanks
My first question would be where are you getting your information on RV thefts? Uniformed Crime Reports? Insurance Company statistics? Ads for locks? Just curious.
A few years ago we had our unit in a storage lot and 52 RVs were broken into, vandalized, and electronics stolen. The drug addict that did this was caught and convicted and serving time. He broke into over 100 units over several storage lots and RV dealers. When this happened it didn't even make the evening news.
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Old 01-05-2019, 10:36 AM   #7
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I also ask where or who tells you RV theft is a problem. As to why anyone steals? No single answer, I could write a book. 6 years full time auto theft det. Yes RVs get stolen, but far from common. I have investigated most that turned out to be a repo. Or common theft by fraud, from private party and dealer sales.
If your meaning theft from the RV, that is a big problem anywhere druggies can be found. About 90% or more of theft items go into pawn shops or now on craigslist etc. for fast money, pennies on the dollar. Got to buy the drugs somehow.
I forgot to mention, if you want real data just not opinions. NICB is a company that all insurance co.s belong to. You might find hard data yourself by web search. Members (insurance co) have more access to their data than you. Ask your agent if they would look it up what you want. RV theft maybe listed under special vehicles data.
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Old 01-05-2019, 11:07 AM   #8
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There were a couple of FEMA trailers stolen from a trailer park in Redding, CA, on Dec 28th. They were recovered after a few days after being spotted by a CHP helicopter crew who then directed Sherriff's deputies to the location.

http://https://riversidecountynewsso...ed-2-arrested/

Good work by the cops.
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Old 01-05-2019, 08:00 PM   #9
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There were a couple of FEMA trailers stolen from a trailer park in Redding, CA, on Dec 28th. They were recovered after a few days after being spotted by a CHP helicopter crew who then directed Sherriff's deputies to the location.

http://https://riversidecountynewsso...ed-2-arrested/

Good work by the cops.
Wow! Those guys were definitely not the sharpest pencils in the drawer stealing FEMA trailers, most places can't give them away.
Drove through central western Louisiana about 4-5 years ago & parked in a field there had to be 1000-1500 FEMA trailers sitting in the mud, our tax dollars sinking into the mud. Too bad they didn't sit them up for homeless veterans somewhere rather that let sit in the middle of nowhere sinking deeper into the mud.
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Old 01-05-2019, 09:14 PM   #10
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Wow! Those guys were definitely not the sharpest pencils in the drawer stealing FEMA trailers, most places can't give them away.
Drove through central western Louisiana about 4-5 years ago & parked in a field there had to be 1000-1500 FEMA trailers sitting in the mud, our tax dollars sinking into the mud. Too bad they didn't sit them up for homeless veterans somewhere rather that let sit in the middle of nowhere sinking deeper into the mud.

You know, we passed through Louisiana a while after Harvey? and we also saw huge amounts of decent FEMA trailers just parked in rows in vacant fields. Such a waste. I told DW it was probably because all the homeless got a new trailer, smelled the "new" smell which they were unfamiliar with, had it classified as formaldehyde then they put them all in vacant fields. Hmmmm, back when we called it the "new" smell.. and we're still here and healthy.!!
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Old 01-05-2019, 12:26 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by Ken / Claudia View Post
I also ask where or who tells you RV theft is a problem. As to why anyone steals? No single answer, I could write a book. 6 years full time auto theft det. Yes RVs get stolen, but far from common. I have investigated most that turned out to be a repo. Or common theft by fraud, from private party and dealer sales.
If your meaning theft from the RV, that is a big problem anywhere druggies can be found. About 90% or more of theft items go into pawn shops or now on craigslist etc. for fast money, pennies on the dollar. Got to buy the drugs somehow.
I forgot to mention, if you want real data just not opinions. NICB is a company that all insurance co.s belong to. You might find hard data yourself by web search. Members (insurance co) have more access to their data than you. Ask your agent if they would look it up what you want. RV theft maybe listed under special vehicles data.
I did not say it was a problem although any theft is a problem. I have seen where several people have posted "please keep a watch for this rv" and also the occasional news reports where rvs are stolen off lots.
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Old 01-05-2019, 12:30 PM   #12
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http://rvlife.com/rv-theft-prevention-tips/
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Old 01-05-2019, 12:08 PM   #13
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I just bought a lock for the trailer tongue so it can't be hitched up and a locking pin for my hitch on the truck so it (and trailer) can be taken easily. Of course some power tools will undo either of these measures. You will never be able to adequately secure entry into an RV, the materials used are just too cheap in the name of light weight.

I do store my trailer in my driveway in a nice suburban neighborhood though so not much risk there. I lock the doors when not in the trailer just so neighborhood kids don't get curious or do anything stupid.
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Old 01-10-2019, 10:46 AM   #14
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I just bought a lock for the trailer tongue so it can't be hitched up and a locking pin for my hitch on the truck so it (and trailer) can be taken easily. Of course some power tools will undo either of these measures.
I had one of the fancy master locks that went on my hitch. Friend who is a US Marshall was with me when we went to pick up the trailer and I didn't have the hitch lock key. He bet me that he could get it off in 10 seconds with a set of picks he carries.. He lost. It took him 12 seconds . I realized that they don't stop much.
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Old 01-10-2019, 10:48 AM   #15
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I had one of the fancy master locks that went on my hitch. Friend who is a US Marshall was with me when we went to pick up the trailer and I didn't have the hitch lock key. He bet me that he could get it off in 10 seconds with a set of picks he carries.. He lost. It took him 12 seconds . I realized that they don't stop much.
Oh without a doubt, locks and such are only to stop the laziest of thieves. Make it more work than the guy next door Most thieves, are in fact pretty lazy though - if they weren't they would just have a job.

And don't even get me started on the virtues of a battery powered angle grinder lol - hardened steel is useless there
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Old 01-11-2019, 08:37 AM   #16
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I've done a lot of research recently into padlocks. I was looking for one that could not be picked. Master lock is the easiest to pick. No matter what the price is. Your US Marshall friend was out of practice. According to the youtubes that I watched, Master usually takes 5 seconds or less. The padlocks built under government and military specs can also be picked, but take a few seconds longer. PUC locks can also be picked. The long story short is that all padlocks can be picked. Even the very expensive ones with pickles technology. It just takes a few seconds longer.
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Old 01-06-2019, 08:15 AM   #17
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The trailer is only one component for housing the homeless. Who's going to pay for the utilities, the land it's on, the taxes on same, insurance, etc? While I do believe it's an issue that needs to be addressed it's most likely in my experience as a construction project manager that it would be more cost effective to house people in an apartment or dormitory environment. Colleges, public housing, etc. have utilized the efficiencies of this model for decades. Yes, it is a shame to have so much money wasting away in a field of mud but the cost to move them to say a desert area (like mothballed aircraft) would probably exceed the replacement value of the trailers. JMHO
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Old 01-06-2019, 10:45 AM   #18
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whitmw, the stories you hear about or read may be signs of a problem or more now than before. I do not know. I do know RVs get repo'ed just like a car when you do not make the payments. Even my neighbor tried to convince me his utility trailer was stolen from his side yard. A phone call to dispatch confirmed it was repo'ed. As said you can get hard data. It could be a local or region theft problem.
Here most RV theft that is a true theft was of a motorhome. Some used as meth labs, some used to get the thieves out of the area. None for striping and selling parts. I and we do find TTs, MHs and campers abandon in the public forest lands every summer. No TTs that I am aware of were stolen. They are normally old POS RVs sold to unknown buyer maybe in the under 1 thousand value range. Used as meth labs and left full of home trash, some
get burned up.
Most of the time they get towed and a officer goes to the lot and may spend several hours locating the VIN and last owner. Normal answer is I sold that for xx to some guy I do not know.
In the years of full time auto theft I recovered 1 horse trailer with a front area RV, it was a new pull trailer that was stolen off a lot. It was stolen in another state and the guy pulled off all the brand decals, repainted it and took it to DMV. Those fools gave him a a title for a homemade TT. His ex girlfriend turned him in. Yes it can happen. He had it for about 6 months. That trailer would not have passed any inspection done at a roadside stop by any good police officer. I could read the footprint of the trailer maker still through the paint.
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Old 01-06-2019, 10:30 AM   #19
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Did we just get trolled ?
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Old 01-10-2019, 09:28 AM   #20
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couple good ways to stop a crook,

1: is park behind a very secure fence,

2: is two (or more) large dogs, (i like rotts).

3: is a (visible) home video and 2 way sound set up,

4: somebody there 24-7-365,

5: last is they are armed, and know how to use said... and why not to use said.


ok so more than a couple...




.
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