Self-Defense

[Wizards&OZ]

Does anybody carry any self-defense mechanism with them in their motorhome? Of course, if you do your research and stay in well appointed campgrounds, nothing bad is likely to occur. However, when boondocking or overnighting in a parking lot... things COULD happen. Just wondering if anyone carries something to protect themselves in the event of an intruder? Obviously, not everything is legal in all the States. What do you do? 

[Dollytrolley]

33 minutes ago, Wizards&OZ said:

Does anybody carry any self-defense mechanism with them in their motorhome? Of course, if you do your research and stay in well appointed campgrounds, nothing bad is likely to occur. However, when boondocking or overnighting in a parking lot... things COULD happen. Just wondering if anyone carries something to protect themselves in the event of an intruder? Obviously, not everything is legal in all the States. What do you do? 

Hi Wiz,

We boondock mostly except wen we stay at Rodeo or Fairgrounds since very few RV parks allow Dolly our painthorse at their RV park.......while we have trained Dolly to not bark much so still on occasion whinny so........

As far as self-defense Dolly has four strong hoves and if a aggressive dog decides to try to nip at her it seems that the bad-dog has a really bad time just before the attempted bite........Dolly has never killed a dog but the TWO mutts that had bite habits were "mitigated" with one swift-kick and the "training" was very good since dogs Never come back for more......"training".

Only one time did three dogs gang up on Dolly but a swift couple jabs with a pitch fork ended that training session........very quickly.

To tell you the truth on way too many decades of camping all over N. & S. America the most dangerous situations have been dealing with overly-aggressive-drivers that we all seem to have to share the road with.

A few years ago we were towing Dolly in a trailer north bound up Highway 95 just South of Gold Field Nevada it was very cross wind but we were towing at 62-65 mph when a Kenworth with a empty flatbed pulled up close behind but he was unable to pass for a few miles due to opposing traffic..........finally nice 3 mile break in traffic opened up and the Kenworth pulled up along side us and atarted blasting his air horn so a slowed down some.........and he slowed.......I slowed down to 40 mph ......he slowed to match...... a small wide spot on the shoulder of the road appeared and I  pulled over as best I could without tripping Dolly in the trailer but the Kenworth did not have enough room to pull off on the shoulder so.......he drove about a 1/8 mile and pulled off the shoulder and got out of his truck...... I got out of our Freightliner and went back to the horse trailer to check on Dolly.....she was pretty wide-eyed and nervous but she was not injured........when I looked back up the road the jerk-driver was walking back toward us with his chain binder pipe swinging from side to side.......so......I opened the dressing room door and opened the closet and unlatched the 338 Mag and stepped off 75 feet to the side of the road and shot a white rock the size of a watermelon into a dust cloud.......well guess what? Seems that the Mad-Jerk-Driver spun right around and started running back to his truck......maybe he did not want to bring a PIPE to a gun-fight.......

Now here is the real problem with Self-Defense........It is a Double-Edge-Sword (pun intended)....... I did NOT bring the 338 Mag along for Self-Defense on the trip .......however.....I had very little time to deal with the evolving threat and my Leatherman tool is a great tool for many tasks but not dealing with a crazed driver swinging a pipe.......

Now was the 338 Mag the proper "tool" for this "Self-Defense" situation.......maybe.....sorta....maybe not......but no one got injured or killed so I suppose that one might say the situation was resolved somewhat......

Here is the real deal with Self-Defense.........my many decades of self-defense exposure has affirmed that the best Self-Defense is.......to back away from dicey situations.....turn around.......become no target.......keep aware and do not attract scumbags.......

The above situation was one of the situations where I could NOT get turned around in the space I had so my options became limited to deal with the threat........so I quickly had to use the limited "tools" that I had at hand and the 338 Mag was likely the only real choice I had to deal with the threat posed by the pipe........now some folks that read this might think that I had the threat mitigation well in hand.......maybe........sorta.......maybe NOT.......What if crazy man ran back to the Kenworth and grabbed his AK-47 with a few 30 sot clips.........now I have a gun-fight with semi-auto crazy man..........

The real problem with Self-Defense is..........it really is NOT like the movies........

Call me chicken.........but IF I can turn around and get out of the threat zone....... I will.

 

Drive on..........(stay aware........Self Defense ain"t easy sometimes)

 

[SWharton]

We keep a can of wasp spray in a bottle holder by the door. Just in case. Not much, but something.

[FL-JOE]

2 hours ago, Wizards&OZ said:

Does anybody carry any self-defense mechanism with them in their motorhome? Of course, if you do your research and stay in well appointed campgrounds, nothing bad is likely to occur. However, when boondocking or overnighting in a parking lot... things COULD happen. Just wondering if anyone carries something to protect themselves in the event of an intruder? Obviously, not everything is legal in all the States. What do you do? 

Being a retired LEO my requirements/restrictions for CC or even possession of firearms is a little different.  But I probably would still protect myself and my property the same even if I wasn't.

Many folks may not want to reveal information about firearms in their RVs.  I can understand that and it is probably a good idea.  

It is rare that I am away from the RV without a firearm on my person.  It is just as rare that I am traveling down the highway without a firearm within easy reach.  I hope it would be even more rare that I would ever pull it out and have to use it.  The only way would be if there was a very serious threat to my family or me.  It is a different world out there today and a life and death threat can present itself at your grandkids basketball game, in line at your local Walmart, in the movie theater, or about anyplace else.  

[Optimistic Paranoid]

1 hour ago, SWharton said:

We keep a can of wasp spray in a bottle holder by the door. Just in case. Not much, but something.

Actually, wasp spray not only is "not much", it's NOTHING.  There is absolutely NO documented evidence that it will stop another human if he is attacking you.

Here's a news story about an intruder who was stabbed to death with a kitchen knife by a wife while he was struggling with her husband, AFTER he had been sprayed with wasp spray, which had no effect.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2529190/Intruder-killed-Crossfit-owners-planned-abduct-rape-wife-attacked-hours-earlier.html

Here's a link to an explanation by a chemist who works for one of the pepper spray manufacturers:

https://www.sabrered.com/blog/why-wasp-spray-won’t-work-self-defense-against-humans-chemist-explains-0

Here's some links to some YouTube videos demonstrating just how useless wasp spray is for self-defense:

Wasp Spray for Self Defense Debunked!

Pepper Spray vs Wasp Spray

[markandkim]

🔫

[remoandiris]

This topic has been discussed A LOT.  You may want to search the forum and read up on what has been mentioned in the past.

[Kirk W]

5 hours ago, Wizards&OZ said:

Does anybody carry any self-defense mechanism with them in their motorhome? Of course, if you do your research and stay in well appointed campgrounds, nothing bad is likely to occur.

The answer to your question is, yes many of us do. 

5 hours ago, Wizards&OZ said:

What do you do? 

The first part of the answer is "don't ask and don't tell." We lived in a motorhome for 12 years fulltime and have owned RVs for most of the past 45 years. In all of that time, there have been only 3 times when I felt seriously threatened and none of them lead to an actual need for protection. What I actually carry with me depends on many things. If you plan to cross into Mexico you can not carry any type of firearm or ammunition and if crossing into Canada you need permits for any long guns and no pistols are allowed. Remember too that any large bore firearm will shoot through not only the walls of your RV but also one or two neighboring RVs. I know someone who had the experience of a neighbor discharging a .38 magnum pistol that shot through both walls of his motorhome, passing directly over his occupied bed! 

If you choose to carry any firearm you need to practice regularly and stay proficient with it. You also need to do so understanding that to defend yourself with a gun you must be willing to kill another human being. If I were to carry a firearm in my RV for protection, it would be a shotgun loaded with birdshot. It would be far less likely to harm a nearby RV than any solid round. Another option that is less likely to violate the laws of the states you travel through but is effective if used right is pepper or bear spray. If using either of these you need to be aware that most of them do have a shelf-life and it is wise to occasionally get a new one and then discharge the old one just for familiarization. I know a single lady who travels with a siren that she can set of remotely rather than any weapon and exterior lights that flood the area around your RV would also most likely deter most intruders. The best protection is good judgment in where you spend the night. 

[jblo]

"Call me chicken.........but IF I can turn around and get out of the threat zone....... I will."

"It is a different world out there today and a life and death threat can present itself at your grandkids basketball game, in line at your local Walmart, in the movie theater, or about anyplace else.  "

The above statements are pertinent to self-preservation today.  We are FT now for 20 months, and have RVed for over 40 years--have only been in 2-3 situations that could have been a problem and hope I never have to use the firearms that are handy.  I now bothers me to be somewhere that I cannot legally carry a firearm--paranoid, maybe, but just have to be aware of surroundings/people/potential for trouble.

If you choose a firearm, be sure to be legal to have it where you are, be sure you are confident in using it, and be prepared to defend yourself in court no matter how much in the "right" you think you are.

 

 

[Wizards&OZ]

3 hours ago, FL-JOE said:

Being a retired LEO my requirements/restrictions for CC or even possession of firearms is a little different.  But I probably would still protect myself and my property the same even if I wasn't.

Many folks may not want to reveal information about firearms in their RVs.  I can understand that and it is probably a good idea.  

It is rare that I am away from the RV without a firearm on my person.  It is just as rare that I am traveling down the highway without a firearm within easy reach.  I hope it would be even more rare that I would ever pull it out and have to use it.  The only way would be if there was a very serious threat to my family or me.  It is a different world out there today and a life and death threat can present itself at your grandkids basketball game, in line at your local Walmart, in the movie theater, or about anyplace else.  

Joe, thank you for your response. And, you're absolutely correct. Nowadays, a life and death threat can present itself just about anywhere you least expect it. Being a retired LEO, you have the knowledge and training. Obtaining a CC license is attainable for me. But, when traveling and crossing State lines... different laws come into play. It's not a one-size-fits-all situation. Same goes for pepper spray. 

I do know some truck drivers who have carried metal baseball bats, pipes, etc.... but, that doesn't appeal to me at all. Too close range for a fight if you're asking me. BUT, I would do anything to protect myself and my family. 

As mentioned, it sounds like this topic has been discussed many times before in the forums and I will have to do some more research. Thank you for your input. I appreciate it!

[noteven]

#8, 2x#4, 2x 00.

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

While camping and site seeing, I haven't had the "Feeling" that something was going on that I wasn't comfortable with.  But at my job, we work in all neighborhoods. good, bad, ugly, meth parks, section 8 housing, etc.  While we are not able to carry a concealed weapon on the job, being aware of your surroundings, and having common sense is everything.   

[GlennWest]

Not a fan of guns but a pump shotgun is a good deterent in a break in. The sound of a pump putting a round in chamber will make most any intruder leave. Don't even have to see them.

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Glenn, if you plan on using a pump shotgun in a trailer for self defense, I would suggest a short bullpup design like a Keltec KSG over a longer, conventional pump like a 18" barreled Mossberg 590.

Not that I would EVER condone violence, everyone that knows me can see that I am a passivist that wouldn't hurt a fly.

[GlennWest]

I can't/won't share what we have. But a hacksaw and a custom stock make one very easy to handle while laying in bed.

[OregonJim]

3 hours ago, noteven said:

#8, 2x#4, 2x 00.

Works great boondocking, but I wouldn't want to reach the 00 in a park.  Could ruin the day for my neighbor, and the one next to him.

Even for a good guy with training, self defense insurance is worth considering.  You may have saved lives, but the financial and legal burden is just beginning...

https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/

[GlennWest]

That's why our choice. I don't want to hurt anyone. I want the deterrent. 

[NDBirdman]

I carry a shotgun for animal deterrent only when boon-docking at my favorite lake way out in the sticks where we have never seen another camper.  Any other time, a snap of the fingers and threat is over.  I have not met anyone, criminal or not, that has not backed off and left while facing a snarling set of teeth (and he's a small dog).  Best threat deterrent... know your surroundings, road rage, just avoid the idiot and when you can't, again, snap my fingers.  But, to each his (her) own choice, just be safe.

[GlennWest]

We can't fathom a dog , large enough to be a threat,  being in camper with us. 

[ARGO]

.....and I can't fathom a kid, any size, being in a camper with me. To each his own.

And BTW, the old style credit card machines sound remarkably like a pump being racked back. And legal.

[GlennWest]

Well I enjoy our grandchildren, I would rather go to there house. Understand your statement.

 

[2gypsies]

As traveling full-timers for 16 years and staying on public lands the majority of time, we've never had a feeling of concern.  We would hate to have to be s paranoid and constantly worry about it or be suspicious of people.  In all those years and being around hundreds of full-timers, we never heard of an occurrence.  You're a lot safer in the boonies than in some of the RV parks we've seen.  We don't do cities.

[GlennWest]

Actually we were too close for comfort during a cop killing in an RV park close to us. Actually started in job parking lot. Ended at RV park. Because of my job, we sometimes in places we are not comfortable in. 

[sandsys]

Location awareness and unlimited optimism. Never came close to having a problem whether in an RV park or boondocking. Unlike Glenn I get to pick where I park.

Linda Sand

[richfaa]

We have been on the road for over 12 years and I have Been travelling for over 30 years. We have never been in any kind of harms way. Having said that anything can happen at anytime to anyone, I would be more concerned  in today's environment of being confronted by a dirt bag with a gun in a wall mart or  restaurant.  What we do is no ones business but our own. I take that back about being in harms way as several years ago we had  a close encounter with a very large black bear in a mountainous area who figured he had a right to anything he wanted in our campsite and he was correct. We take the necessary precautions and that may or may not include  firearms.