??? Campground Theft, How Often ???

[NLB]

Hitch locks and the like will only slow em down. If you want to really make em look for an easier opportunity take a wheel off when in storage.
Locks, chains, cable will not stop a determined pro, but will keep an opportunist at bay.
When I lock up my ebike I take the battery and seat off. Why? Because most people don’t. My bike looks like a pita. ( pun intended).

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Hitch locks and the like will only slow em down. If you want to really make em look for an easier opportunity take a wheel off when in storage.
Locks, chains, cable will not stop a determined pro, but will keep an opportunist at bay.
When I lock up my ebike I take the battery and seat off. Why? Because most people don’t. My bike looks like a pita. ( pun intended).

I agree... if something looks like a pain then it prob. won't walk off.

 

[xxxapache]

I see little need for a hitch lock at a PUP campsite. I don't the a thief breaking camp and folding down a trailer.

 

[Hilldweller]

I see little need for a hitch lock at a PUP campsite. I don't the a thief breaking camp and folding down a trailer.

Didn't they steal the Brady Bunch trailer while it was up?

 

[JiffyPopJunkie]

Like Steve said earlier, dont give em the opportunity. Lock up what you need to and stash the rest. The only incident I had was a raccoon climbed up on the table next to me while making smores, look me straight in the eye from about 2' away and took my chocolate bar! And also the mosquitoes constantly stealing my blood!

 

[kcsa75]

We have a travel trailer so more secure than a Pup, but as others have said the only thieves we've encountered were raccoons.

I'm a little uneasy though about our Power Watchdog EMS. The box has a pretty bright light that sticks out like a sore thumb at night so I usually put a trash bag over the power pedestal to make it a little less obvious.

 

[kitphantom]

@kcsa75 Our Progressive EMS has a plate on the cord, meant to use a lock or cable in to secure it. We use a MasterLock Python cable with most power columns, so it can't be easily taken. I have had one weird power column that the cable helped suspend the EMS, otherwise, I was afraid gravity would pull it out of the outlet.

 

[Nbjoe57]

I'm always nervous that something will walk away. I lived in the city (Baltimore) for a bit and if you didn't chain it down it was gone, so maybe it's leftover from that. So far nothing has "walked" away, but I'm always a little nervous. Having a PUP doesn't make it any easier either as it's just velcro to undue and you're in.

How often is theft a thing? Have you experienced it? I tell the kids not to leave wallets or anything of value just laying out inside the camper, but I haven't locked the door yet. On our trip last weekend I did turn the music on inside down low just to make someone think someone might be in there while we were out.

Maybe I'm being paranoid. For the record, I've never met campers that are a--holes, so my feelings are not at all based on experiences I've had. I was just curious to see what others have gone through. I mean, a stolen hitch or part from a WDH or whatever could make for a very unpleasant dilemma.

I have been camping for 32 years in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and mostly upstate NY, and the only thing someone ever tried to walk away with is a plastic table cloth. I never lost ant equipment even though I leave my campsite often to visit other areas.

 

[kcsa75]

@kcsa75 Our Progressive EMS has a plate on the cord, meant to use a lock or cable in to secure it. We use a MasterLock Python cable with most power columns, so it can't be easily taken. I have had one weird power column that the cable helped suspend the EMS, otherwise, I was afraid gravity would pull it out of the outlet.

The Watchdog has a metal loop as well. I probably need to look into a cable lock.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

We have a travel trailer so more secure than a Pup, but as others have said the only thieves we've encountered were raccoons.

I'm a little uneasy though about our Power Watchdog EMS. The box has a pretty bright light that sticks out like a sore thumb at night so I usually put a trash bag over the power pedestal to make it a little less obvious.

The company makes a decal sticker that can go over the face to help with the light...

PWD-EPO Dimmer Shade - Hughes Autoformers

For use with either the PWD30-EPO or PWD50-EPO Power Watchdog units, this screen cover will reduce the light output of your Power Watchdog unit. We understand whether you are a stargazer or concerned over too much light, we get it. This shade sticks to the front of your EPO unit with 3M adhesive...

hughesautoformers.com

I have been camping for 32 years in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and mostly upstate NY, and the only thing someone ever tried to walk away with is a plastic table cloth. I never lost ant equipment even though I leave my campsite often to visit other areas.

As it should be and as we would all want it to be.

I think it helps a good bit that A.) we don't leave stuff out to give anyone an opportunity (at least I don't... the kids do sometimes) and B.) I'm in a popup. No matter how much I like it we're really a dying breed and there are many nicer TT's and campers and 5th wheels and hotels on wheels that look like they have much nicer things then I'll ever even want to take camping with me.

I see people's who's outside amenities and appliances cost more than my whole camper.

 

[Sneezer]

I have only heard about Yetis getting pinched, and the odd remote campsite where someone came back and found some of their gear missing. You don’t see or hear about ti much at most state parks and such. I have never experienced it, although I do lock the door and the travel door if I am going to be gone for a bit. Leaving a radio on low is also a good idea.

 

[djmello99]

I was tent camping once with my girlfriend at the time and another couple. In the middle of the night, my girlfriend woke me up cause she heard noises outside the tent. It ended up being 4 guys looking through our coolers trying to find which one had alcohol. As I woke up, they found which one they wanted and took off running with it. I ended up chasing them down and cutting them off at the road. When I lit them up with my flashlight, they ditched the cooler and ran. I ended up getting the cooler back to camp but heard them driving up and down the road all night looking for where they ditched it. Funny part of the story is, the cooler belonged to the other couple we were with and the guy it belonged to never got out of his tent to help even though he was wide awake from the commotion. That was the last time I camped with them…

 

[xxxapache]

We have a travel trailer so more secure than a Pup, but as others have said the only thieves we've encountered were raccoons.

I'm a little uneasy though about our Power Watchdog EMS. The box has a pretty bright light that sticks out like a sore thumb at night so I usually put a trash bag over the power pedestal to make it a little less obvious.

I use a gun cable lock through the handle of my Camco Power Defender. I usually secure it around the conduit running the up pedestal. If I can't do that, I run the cable through the handle and then wrap it around the TT power cord a time or three. The plug is too large to come through the wrapped cable.

 

[tzmartin]

Never had anything stolen. Honestly, I don't have many things of high value lying around when I'm camping. I would guess a criminal would be looking at the big rigs for more valuable items.

 

[JunieB]

One of my 1st camp out ever, in a tent not Pup at a federal campground, crooks broke into multiple cars like a dozen & stole all kinds of goodies including Travelers checks (supposedly secure back in the olden days). This was before the car alarms era—- dating myself. seemed like semi-pros as so many lost goods, all between 2 AM & 5 AM According to sleeping & waking times folks reported.
Moral of the story— don’t leave any valuables in your car. Sleep with your wallet/purse, whatever you camp in. Majority of crooks are looking for easily carried items or high value-quick cash trend stuff, thus the Yetis I guess.
Main idea is to make your site less appealing than the neighbors. Keep a clean site. That cool Weber Q broiler thing you love— yeah others might too, so put away at night into vehicle or Pup. As for the casual crooks, they seek cash, drugs, jewelry. Fast high or fast cash. A Pup itself is a big monster to unload & more easily traced, doesnt drive itself.

The cooler -surfer dudes look for alcohol or drugs it seems. Though with the price of meat these days who knows…
& if a Russian spy is after you then no kind of lock is good enough— just sayin.

 

[Tonya Harding]

Travelers checks

Dang, had forgotten about them, been at least 30 years since we used those lol...good synopsis of grab & go thieves; coolers/fishing gear were/are major targets around the OBX, especially Hatteras, mainly younger folk. Not uncommon to hear of people fishing the point at night, falling asleep, cooler/gear missing the next morning, taken right off the rod racks or sand spikes...

 

[kcsa75]

The company makes a decal sticker that can go over the face to help with the light...

PWD-EPO Dimmer Shade - Hughes Autoformers

For use with either the PWD30-EPO or PWD50-EPO Power Watchdog units, this screen cover will reduce the light output of your Power Watchdog unit. We understand whether you are a stargazer or concerned over too much light, we get it. This shade sticks to the front of your EPO unit with 3M adhesive...

hughesautoformers.com

I have the decal. It helps but doesn't cure the problem.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

I have the decal. It helps but doesn't cure the problem.

I wanted to avoid all that so I hard wired mine under the bench in the camper. I allowed enough slack that if I ever have to replace it the wires would allow it to come out and lay on the floor. It's secured upside down under the bunk.

The plug in model is much easier, but I didn't want to deal with the hassle of theft, damage, light, etc.. plus it stays dry 100% of the time and out of the sun.

 

[JJBerk]

Does anyone use the hitch locks that they sell on Amazon??
View attachment 85538

Yes! Works great.

 

[Ladiesman]

I do not leave things laying out when we are not there or over night except some chairs. I put the Blackstone in the bed of the truck the yeti in the TT when we leave or go to bed. As for my surge protector I have never locked it. I figure no punk knows what it is and most people with a pup or TT or HTT or camper of any type already have one.