Home security when away in motorhome (1 Viewer)

Feb 24, 2013
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we are well away of the risks of taking the motorhome off the drive, making it obvious we are away, not a huge amount we can do other than making the house is secure as we leave

so we get home this afternoon, been gone for three nights to get new awning fitted in Poole (that will get its own thread), pulled on to drive and I looked for our house keys, normally kept in a pocket on the dash, not there

no great issue, Bev has a spare in her handbag and another is kept hidden in the greenhouse, and Bev locked the house anyway so has probably got the 'normal' set in her handbag, so off Bev goes, I get on with the toilet duties

Bev reappears saying 'found the keys', good say I, where were they? 'In the door' o_Oo_O, not even semi safely on the inside, we have gone away, not locked the front door and left the keys in the outside of the door for three days and nights :(

we do often say though, that any potential burglars would look in and say some one has been here first, no point going round again :)
 

Minxy

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Aug 22, 2007
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... please move your spare key from the greenhouse otherwise some funsters might end up squatting there!:D
 
Nov 30, 2009
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Since 2009 with motorhomes several caravans then tents before that.
We've done that before David .
Even worse we went away for the weekend when the kids were little and left the side door open , as in ajar! When we came back we drove down the drive and we thought someone was still in the house, robbing the place . But no . No burglars or stray pissy cats ( which is what I was thinking phew!)
The boiler was working overtime though ,trying to keep the radiators at full blast !! And it was freezing !
Fortunately we've never done it since . Plus we've always got at least one of the kids or their partners at home on a weekend if we're away now , making the most of the space .

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Oct 1, 2007
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Sort of did that
Came in shut the front door
put the shopping down
Spent the day upto 10 pm Indoors

Three vehicles on the drive
Keys to all three on the door key

Door knocker goes
Neighbour on the door step
I looked at her in a suprised way

And she said did you know your keys are in the door

Gulp rude words thought !!!!!!!
Obviously I said thank you
Quiet enough for her to hear.!!
But not loud enough for Mrs t to hear
:rofl::rofl:
 
Aug 19, 2013
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That always worries me, just the sort of thing I would do. Never done it yet, but something very close to it happenned chez nous. And it wasn't me.

The worst thing that happened to me (or my parents) was when I ran to the loo just before setting off on a 3-week camping tour to Italy with my parents. When we got back, the toilet was still flushing!!
 

tonka

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I once left the motorhome at the car park of Madrid train station. Had a walk around the city, came back and drivers window all the way down.. Panicked like mad but all was OK and van locked.. Can only blame the driver..

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Aug 19, 2013
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I once left the motorhome at the car park of Madrid train station. Had a walk around the city, came back and drivers window all the way down.. Panicked like mad but all was OK and van locked.. Can only blame the driver..
Wow! Luckeee!
 

Jim

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Jul 19, 2007
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For the first few years in West Wales we did not have a way of locking the front door, we would still go away for months on end. We were so remote anyway that if someone did come up the hill to rob us, a lock wouldn't have stopped them. :D

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Puddleduck

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Jan 15, 2014
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We have a security team when we are away.

Rebecca, Hayley-Anne, Abigail, and Jane each have two legs. Then there are the four legged type that take no prisoners. :) Thank goodness for good neighbours and family.
 

magicsurfbus

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Oct 11, 2010
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On the subject of security, and not wishing to appear po-faced or anything, is it wise to say on a public forum where you keep your spare house key when your town, your motorhome type, and the fact that you park it on the drive is there for all to see? That's got to narrow it down a bit.

Just a thought anyway :)
 
Jul 29, 2013
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Not wishing to preach but It would be a good idea to get a key safe and bolt it to a wall rather than hide the keys where you do, at least it would provide a little deterrent and not hand keys over on a plate

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Aug 19, 2013
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That always worries me, just the sort of thing I would do. Never done it yet, but something very close to it happenned chez nous. And it wasn't me.

The worst thing that happened to me (or my parents) was when I ran to the loo just before setting off on a 3-week camping tour to Italy with my parents. When we got back, the toilet was still flushing!!
As an addendum to this tale, when we pulled up outside the house, I realised what was happening, took the keys, ran into the house and stopped it flushing - you just had to push up the handle. They never knew.
 
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DavidG58
Feb 24, 2013
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Bolsover, Derbyshire
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not long enough
On the subject of security, and not wishing to appear po-faced or anything, is it wise to say on a public forum where you keep your spare house key when your town, your motorhome type, and the fact that you park it on the drive is there for all to see? That's got to narrow it down a bit.

Just a thought anyway :)

It's a fair point, but we all put our names on rally threads etc sometimes with addresses to send payment to

I do try to be risk aware, but also need to get on with life, it could even be we didn't get burgled this time because a potential thief presumed we were inside with the keys in the door ;)

as for the spare key, nobody ever puts it back where I do and on the few times I have needed it I couldn't even find it :)
 
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DavidG58
Feb 24, 2013
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Not wishing to preach but It would be a good idea to get a key safe and bolt it to a wall rather than hide the keys where you do, at least it would provide a little deterrent and not hand keys over on a plate

Now they really worry me, when my Mum was poorly and needed home care, the council gave us one of these but left it to us to fit, talk about make it easy for a thief, a metal box attached to wall right by front door with screws that fit through 5mm holes isn't going to stop anybody prizing it off the wall and not much longer to get it open

I am sure there may well be some proper jobs that cant be removed or opened, but most of what I see are nowhere near secure enough for me (y)

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Last edited:
Apr 25, 2014
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I once left the motorhome at the car park of Madrid train station. Had a walk around the city, came back and drivers window all the way down.. Panicked like mad but all was OK and van locked.. Can only blame the driver..
 

movan

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Dec 2, 2009
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I try and get one of the rugged footballer neighbours and a girlfriend to stay in mine when away .. they grateful for the space from family. Plus two different burglar alarmx to be set if they go out.
 
Apr 25, 2014
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We left the driver side window open all night on a very cold and wet campsite near La Rochelle in April last year. Before we found it at about 10 am we'd put on the gas heating as well as the usual electric bcuase it was so cold.
 
Jun 30, 2010
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Our neighbour in Riverhead took off left his Washing Machine on, the flush just exited thro the wall and dumped on to a flower bed, he'd been out there prior, pruning, the Machine set up a syphon action thro the way he'd left the discharge pipe, by the time they come home he'd emptied a 5000litre tank, so he had no water suppiy Anyway we hooked him into our spare 5500 litre tank and he was OK till it rained enough to refill his tank again

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rikfos

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Feb 13, 2011
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20
went away for 6 months and left thefront door open lights on, radio on in the house and keys in the front door. Thank god for superb neighbours
 
Oct 1, 2007
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since 08
Now they really worry me, when my Mum was poorly and needed home care, the council gave us one of these but left it to us to fit, talk about make it easy for a thief, a metal box attached to wall right by front door with screws that fit through 5mm holes isn't going to stop anybody prizing it off the wall and not much longer to get it open

I am sure there may well be some proper jobs that cant be removed or opened, but most of what I see are nowhere near secure enough for me (y)


On my rounds as emergency gas man
Went to a house with a vulnerable person bed ridden inside

Careers let me in
as the front door key safe
Had been levered off the wall
neighbour watched and called
The police who quietly approached
the oiks car
And arrested him as he was trying to open the key safe

Never found out what happened to him afterwards

My son has a key safe remnant of previous occupant
Keeps a key in it in case they lose theirs or we/in laws visit
 
Jul 29, 2013
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Salisbury
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since 2011
Now they really worry me, when my Mum was poorly and needed home care, the council gave us one of these but left it to us to fit, talk about make it easy for a thief, a metal box attached to wall right by front door with screws that fit through 5mm holes isn't going to stop anybody prizing it off the wall and not much longer to get it open

I am sure there may well be some proper jobs that cant be removed or opened, but most of what I see are nowhere near secure enough for me (y)
SUPRA do an excellent one with tamper proof masonry screws not cheap but IMHO the best one available

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Nov 3, 2016
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I book my dad in as a dog sitter. He's retired and happy to sit and watch TV with a couple of beers and the dog curled up at his feet.

O and hes ex Police so knows how to whack someone with an old style truncheon :eek:
 

PeteH

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Nov 22, 2007
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I`m a real "Sado":(. I can sit anywhere in the world and watch the 4 ip camera`s.!!!! Which if triggered, send me a text and upload the video clip to my "Cloud" account!.

Has the advantage of it being nice to sit in the Sun, and watch the snow fall on my driveway!. something which sadly no longer happens:cry::cry::cry:

We even "caught" the couple who check the mail one day, by accident so I texted Him and said I can see you!!, give me a wave!:D
 

Steve

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May 8, 2013
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look on the positive side you wont need to pay for the damage to the door if it was forced. Also if the keys were in the door then someone must be at home, right(y) just dont tell the insurance company:rolleyes:

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DavidG58
Feb 24, 2013
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@PeteH

you may already know this, but we got caught on data consumption abroad with our cameras which we always had on in the background on my laptop, first trip to France first 3 sim 8Gb I think it was, all gone in the morning, bought another and watched the consumption more closely, inside 1/2 hour we had used 1Gb so started checking what was open, only remembering the cameras when everything else had been closed. The program we use runs all the time in the background even when not being viewed.

Now we only open occasionally or if on wifi, we did once spot that we hadn't locked one of our cars, (mirrors not folded in) at least the keys weren't in it
 
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DavidG58
Feb 24, 2013
12,980
101,084
Bolsover, Derbyshire
Funster No
24,833
MH
Hymer S800
Exp
not long enough
look on the positive side you wont need to pay for the damage to the door if it was forced. Also if the keys were in the door then someone must be at home, right(y) just dont tell the insurance company:rolleyes:


we had a caravan door 'jemmied' many years ago, cost £1200 to mend, they stole a £100 TV :(

after that we left door unlocked and hoped they would check it before forcing it o_O
 

PeteH

Free Member
Nov 22, 2007
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@PeteH

you may already know this, but we got caught on data consumption abroad with our cameras which we always had on in the background on my laptop, first trip to France first 3 sim 8Gb I think it was, all gone in the morning, bought another and watched the consumption more closely, inside 1/2 hour we had used 1Gb so started checking what was open, only remembering the cameras when everything else had been closed. The program we use runs all the time in the background even when not being viewed.

Now we only open occasionally or if on wifi, we did once spot that we hadn't locked one of our cars, (mirrors not folded in) at least the keys weren't in it

Yes, happened to me in America. All my "data" gone in about 1/2hr!. But now it only uses data when actually logged on. The fact that it sends a Text and is automated to upload files to a cloud account. Means I only pay for actual time logged in!. No more USA unfortunately.:cry:

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