The Story of the RV Bandit

[Smitty77_7]

(If this is posted and I missed it, we'll just shut this thread down!)

 

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/news/the-rv-bandit-004524310.html

 

 

I admit that while in RV parks, we make a judgement call on what to leave out and about in the patio area. We've also been known to keep the door open, with the screen closed, and go for 5-10 mins 'exercise' walks around the park with our dog. (May do this a little less often now:)!)

 

Wow, all those years he hit the sporting events...

 

Best to all,

Smitty

 

 

[Pat & Pete]

You'd change your lifestyle due to a single criminal ?

[Kirk W]

I sure would be careful about that if I were staying at a racetrack or anything similar.

[Pat & Pete]

I sure would be careful about that if I were staying at a racetrack or anything similar.

 

Granted , a high traffic 'event' calls for more awareness than the typical campgrounds we care to frequent .

I guess our aversion to crowds helps us stay away from those places .

[Smitty77_7]

You'd change your lifestyle due to a single criminal ?

 

 

No.

 

But I would sure alter my behavior when it's very possible I may have become too complacent. I've always told my family and friends the importance of what I call 'Situational Awareness'. I do the best I can do so.

 

I also find that traveling I've found a different mix based upon the regions we've traveled too. For example some parks go out of their way to warn you to not leave valuables out in the patio area. And or to leave your RV's unlocked and or unattended. But then you visit say an Escapees Park - and it is so easy to just feel 'comfortable' and not be quite so concerned.

 

Thieves. Flimflam Men/Women. Etc. are prevalent in some areas. At our now Vacation Home, I've had a few occurrences of people ringing the bell. Some were testing to see what would happen. I've personally watch a few go down the street, and when they felt it was a house OK to do so - disappear into the back or side yards. (In one occurrence about 2 years ago, the police responded in time to catch a person that had came in thru an unlocked window. Was drinking a beer from the fridge, and had a group of stuff already stacked by the front door to take off with.).

 

I posted this due to the uniqueness of our RV lifestyle. How easy is it for us to assume all of those around us are OK... No way would they take advantage of any of us... Reality is no matter where we are, common sense precautions should be taken. Do I like this? No! My neighborhood was one where front doors remained unlocked 7/24 growing up. Which I now realize was just the luck of the draw of where my parents landed to raise us...

 

So based upon where I lived an grew up in the 60'/70's, etc. - sure, maybe I've altered my lifestyles. But maybe a part of that is me not being only responsible for myself. (Eighteen, nineteen, twenty - etc! - and invincible. Is different then when you have a wife and kids you're responsible for too. I've walked away from a few situations in my mid twenties, with my wife and child with me, that I would have not done so when I was single... ).

 

Have you not altered your lifestyle too over the years?

 

Don't get me wrong... The cup is half full, until proven to be half empty - I just now really try to be sure I have enough reserve stashes of water (life) - to replenish the cup to half full again...

 

And no apologies from me form doing so...

Best,

Smitty

[Barbaraok]

I always lock the door to the interior of the coach when we go out, even for just a 10 minute walk. But usually the bay doors are unlocked - if someone really wants extra rags/cleaning products, oil/ oil filters, water/paper plates/TP take them rather than busting the door. And same goes for the few things we leave outside. Chairs are old, as is the table and grill. And if I have a feeling in the pit of my stomach that I should lock up the bay doors, it is time for us to keep heading down the road.

 

Barb

[Pat & Pete]

"Have you not altered your lifestyle too over the years?"

 

Of course , everything changes , always . I'm sure we all have 'changed' over time .

But , not due to a single 'incident' . Unless that particular incident was the straw that broke the camels back .

 

If I felt I had to lock the door every time I left the rig for 10 minutes , I sure wouldn't be there any longer than needed .

[bobsallyh]

We have parked our RV at race tracks since 1976 from Indy to Daytona and many places in between. Sometimes the doors were probably left open. And when we both worked for race teams, we would be away from the RV for at least 10 hours at a time. The only time anything happened was in 1979 someone tried to steal a homemade flag from our RV at Pocono. My mother in law was with us that weekend but not at the race. She stepped out and asked the idiot "what the hell do you think your doing"? He left. The only thing I ever had stolen was from the RV park in Yuma several years ago was the worst bike in the 156 site park. Big events will draw certain style bandits that specialize in certain things. We also have attended numerous NCAA Mens and Womens Final Four Basketball tournaments. The cops finally broke up the "Rolex Gang" one year that had worked Final Fours, Daytona, Indy, and the Super Bowls for years. They were successful only because people had to "show off" their wares.

[motojavaphil]

There is absolutely no way to predict if you are going to suffer a break-in or theft. Even in an Escapees Park it can happen. It just takes one to snag a bicycle or take your TV. Locks on our rigs for a reason, they are cheap to use and keep people honest. We want to trust people but it just is not that way, sadly. I am honored to camp Host in an Arizona State Park. I see some folks leave their rigs wide open while hiking the trails and I see others with a Ft Knox approach. I also see campers I would trust on sight and others that I feel like I have to inventory the gold in my teeth after talking with them. I had someone try to steal my bicycle but my dogs alerted on it, saving the day. This is in a Park where theft is extremely rare but that said it only takes one.

[RV_Fan44]

 

 

No.

 

But I would sure alter my behavior when it's very possible I may have become too complacent. I've always told my family and friends the importance of what I call 'Situational Awareness'. I do the best I can do so.

 

I also find that traveling I've found a different mix based upon the regions we've traveled too. For example some parks go out of their way to warn you to not leave valuables out in the patio area. And or to leave your RV's unlocked and or unattended. But then you visit say an Escapees Park - and it is so easy to just feel 'comfortable' and not be quite so concerned.

 

Thieves. Flimflam Men/Women. Etc. are prevalent in some areas. At our now Vacation Home, I've had a few occurrences of people ringing the bell. Some were testing to see what would happen. I've personally watch a few go down the street, and when they felt it was a house OK to do so - disappear into the back or side yards. (In one occurrence about 2 years ago, the police responded in time to catch a person that had came in thru an unlocked window. Was drinking a beer from the fridge, and had a group of stuff already stacked by the front door to take off with.).

 

I posted this due to the uniqueness of our RV lifestyle. How easy is it for us to assume all of those around us are OK... No way would they take advantage of any of us... Reality is no matter where we are, common sense precautions should be taken. Do I like this? No! My neighborhood was one where front doors remained unlocked 7/24 growing up. Which I now realize was just the luck of the draw of where my parents landed to raise us...

 

So based upon where I lived an grew up in the 60'/70's, etc. - sure, maybe I've altered my lifestyles. But maybe a part of that is me not being only responsible for myself. (Eighteen, nineteen, twenty - etc! - and invincible. Is different then when you have a wife and kids you're responsible for too. I've walked away from a few situations in my mid twenties, with my wife and child with me, that I would have not done so when I was single... ).

 

Have you not altered your lifestyle too over the years?

 

Don't get me wrong... The cup is half full, until proven to be half empty - I just now really try to be sure I have enough reserve stashes of water (life) - to replenish the cup to half full again...

 

And no apologies from me form doing so...

Best,

Smitty

Well said

[Smitty77_7]

There is absolutely no way to predict if you are going to suffer a break-in or theft. Even in an Escapees Park it can happen. It just takes one to snag a bicycle or take your TV. Locks on our rigs for a reason, they are cheap to use and keep people honest. We want to trust people but it just is not that way, sadly. I am honored to camp Host in an Arizona State Park. I see some folks leave their rigs wide open while hiking the trails and I see others with a Ft Knox approach. I also see campers I would trust on sight and others that I feel like I have to inventory the gold in my teeth after talking with them. I had someone try to steal my bicycle but my dogs alerted on it, saving the day. This is in a Park where theft is extremely rare but that said it only takes one.

 

 

Phil/Carol - We spent one night at Picacho State Park. We came in from Yuma, and arrived just afternoon. Really enjoyed the park, and now know to schedule more time the next time we come to the area. I saw and remember your rig, nice setup:)!

 

I want to thank you, and your fellow hosts, as we found the park to maintained very well. The sites prepped and ready, for sure ours was:)! We then spent two weeks at Catalina and Lost Dutchman State Parks too.... We go out of our way to thank the volunteers/hosts - sure, you (they) get a cool place to park, and usually with full hook up's too... But you can tell by the sites, and restrooms - the pride that a specific group of hosts and volunteers have in their work.

 

So, since I'm not sure if we may have thanked you two specially with our one night stay - for sure - THANK YOU! Appreciate what you, and your fellow hosts/volunteers, do for all of us.

 

Travel safe,

Smitty

[carl2591]

I think closing and locking door if you are going to be away for a large amount of time is a good idea. locking is easy as well.. as for grills tables etc you can get a long cable type thing with loops and loop around the good stuff and through a wheel rim to anchor.. I know there is a young couple we follow,, drivin and vibin, https://drivinvibin.com/ They have a honda gennie that get locked up every time it comes out.. (they have a bad habit of walking off and getting lost )

 

most of the thefts in story could have been avoided with a locked drawer or safe for teams to put valuables in.

[motojavaphil]

 

 

Phil/Carol - We spent one night at Picacho State Park. We came in from Yuma, and arrived just afternoon. Really enjoyed the park, and now know to schedule more time the next time we come to the area. I saw and remember your rig, nice setup:)!

 

I want to thank you, and your fellow hosts, as we found the park to maintained very well. The sites prepped and ready, for sure ours was:)! We then spent two weeks at Catalina and Lost Dutchman State Parks too.... We go out of our way to thank the volunteers/hosts - sure, you (they) get a cool place to park, and usually with full hook up's too... But you can tell by the sites, and restrooms - the pride that a specific group of hosts and volunteers have in their work.

 

So, since I'm not sure if we may have thanked you two specially with our one night stay - for sure - THANK YOU! Appreciate what you, and your fellow hosts/volunteers, do for all of us.

 

Travel safe,

Smitty

I just wanted to say thank you for the very nice post. I passed your comments on to our manager and shared it with our co-hosts. It has been a pleasure working with fellow volunteers and campers. We have a lot of returnees and it is a favorite for folks out of Tucson and Phoenix.

[Ray,IN]

A lock is to keep honest folks out. A determined thief WILL get in; the only thing we can do it make our property so time-consuming to enter, a thief will move on to an easier target.

We ALWAYS lock the doors now, even when we are home. A neighbor and his wife were beaten and tied up while they were robbed; the robbers just walked through the unlocked front door. (we live in the country)

[sandsys]

We ALWAYS lock the doors now, even when we are home.

 

When I was solo snowbirding I kept my door locked even when home. When sitting at my desk/table, my back was to that door so I felt safer with it locked even when inside. I did keep my keys on the counter right inside the door though so I could easily grab them in case of an emergency exit.

 

Linda Sand