A secure place to keep valuables, hmm? (1 Viewer)

Dec 24, 2014
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From time to time there are posts re. installing a safe in a moho which made me think (also from time to time) about fitting a safe, and then I thought 'What I would put in it?', 'What are my most costly valuables when travelling (90% abroad) and how big would the safe have to be?'
I don't know if I'm a bit odd but I came up with this list, most valuable first:

1. Biking gear when having my motorbike with me (helmet £400, armoured jacket & trousers £350, boots and gloves £200).
2. Clothes (Quality outdoor walking coat and boots, Wrangler jeans.........)
3. Two Gaslow refillable cylinders (in a locked locker)
4. Diesel fuel (variable value)
5. Eau Sauvage after shave (c.£65)
5. Bedding (?)
5. Mobile phone (PAYG £19.99 from Tesco with approx. 20 quid credit)
6. 6 bottles of St Emilion
7. Hmm, now we're getting down to the silly stuff...................and what if the entire moho was stolen with everything in it, innit?

My passport, wallet and phone are always with me and at night my passport and wallet are under my mattress. I don't take precious jewels (well only the family ones which would require surgical removal and I think I'd probably notice), nor a computer/iPod/Tablet, a T.V. or a camera, and I don't have a watch.
I came to the conclusion that the only priceless things I would put in my safe would be the pleasure and independence from having a motorhome............plus of course, a corkscrew.
 
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Alistair33

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By definition, a safe that would fit in a motorhome is likely to be for small valuables such as credit cards, passports, vehicle documents etc, along with maybe spare keys, cash, phones and perhaps drugs. It’s unlikely that your going to get away with locking the wife up and claiming she’s valuable, (same goes for chaining her up ..... to soon?)

Probably better to look for hiding places that would be difficult to find and take a long time to discover to be of interest to the casual thief .... unless of course yogur list of valuables fits their requirements......... careful what you post on the internet!!
 
May 7, 2016
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My insurance only allows me to leave spare keys in the motorhome if locked in a safe.

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EX51SSS

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I suppose it depends what you need to put in it and this might be big enough
champion-big-yellow-girl.png
 
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Spriddler
Dec 24, 2014
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Err, I no longer have a wife or any material 'valuables' (is there a link there?).
As I wrote, my debit cards (I don't want or need credit cards), passport, a minimum of cash (£20 - do many folk still use the quaint cash?) and cheapy phone are always with me or under the mattress at night. I don't do any drugs! Spare keys are hidden outside and who would want vehicle docs unless the whole moho was stolen, in which case they'd go with the safe and contents in the moho?

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Feb 9, 2008
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Only real valuables we take are our bikes and watches and they are all insured. Everything else is of low value.

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May 7, 2016
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How pointless is that?
You might think it is pointless but have you checked your policy is not the same? It is not unusual because they don’t like to make driving it off too easy.

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Aug 18, 2014
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In mine ( all the time) are all the vehicle documents as we have to carry them anyway.
When traveling I usually bung in the Uk /Spanish etc; bank code generators for internet banking.
The currency that I'm not using at the time & yes many of us still use cash.
House keys, as they are completely separate from van keys . Two sets of van keys I carry on me all the time.
Anything of value which I am taking to the UK normally goes in as well.

My insurance only allows me to leave spare keys in the motorhome if locked in a safe.
why would you want spare keys inside ? I carry spares in my other pocket always have done whether cars or vans. 2 sets.
 
Apr 27, 2008
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My safe tends to contain my house keys as I don't need them when away, and my 'UK' wallet which will normally have a small amount of cash in it. Not actually valuable but a bl**dy nuisance if you forgot where you put them. Oh and the dogs passports as only needed when coming back and of no value to anyone else.
 
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Err, I no longer have a wife or any material 'valuables' (is there a link there?).
As I wrote, my debit cards (I don't want or need credit cards), passport, a minimum of cash (£20 - do many folk still use the quaint cash?) and cheapy phone are always with me or under the mattress at night. I don't do any drugs! Spare keys are hidden outside and who would want vehicle docs unless the whole moho was stolen, in which case they'd go with the safe and contents in the moho?

Spare keys are hidden outside!!
Christ, they must be well hidden!!!!

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Spriddler
Dec 24, 2014
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Spare keys are hidden outside!!
Christ, they must be well hidden!!!!
Only one cab door key and one ignition key is hidden outside. All the other spare moho keys are inside in a kitchen drawer. If the moho was stolen then losing those hidden keys and the keys for the loo cassette locker, or the diesel or water filler caps would be of no consequence. If I lost the cab and ignition keys when out and about and which are the only two keys I carry with me I could use the 'hidden outside' keys to enter, start th'engine and then use the (two) spare sets of loo locker, water, diesel keys which are kept in a kitchen drawer.
House keys are left at home, hidden outside, plus a neighbour has a spare set. I don't need to take my house keys on a tour of Europe!
 
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May 7, 2016
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I have now had a proper look at my insurance policy which reads as follows:

Your Safeguard Motorhome Insurance Policy does not cover loss of your motorhome, accessories or spare parts if your ignition key or card is in your motorhome when it is unoccupied unless kept in a fixed, locked safe.

I was wrong to refer to “spare keys” and should have been more specific. I guess they are trying to cover hidden keys from being used to further the theft. My wife and I usually carry a spare set each when we go out. The bit I do leave in the safe is the chipped plug used for overiding the alarm.

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Spriddler
Dec 24, 2014
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Your Safeguard Motorhome Insurance Policy does not cover loss of your motorhome, accessories or spare parts if your ignition key or card is in your motorhome when it is unoccupied unless kept in a fixed, locked safe.

In = hidden outside?
Discuss.
 
May 7, 2016
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Not a comment on your security arrangements @Spriddler simply trying to correct a point I made earlier where I wrongly said “spare keys” instead of “ignition key”.
P.s are we allowed to doctor quotes to change the original emphasis? I am not overly troubled by the shouty in just wondering what the etiquette is.

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Minxy

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Not a comment on your security arrangements @Spriddler simply trying to correct a point I made earlier where I wrongly said “spare keys” instead of “ignition key”.
P.s are we allowed to doctor quotes to change the original emphasis? I am not overly troubled by the shouty in just wondering what the etiquette is.
You have to take it in context, the enlarging and bolding of 'in' is to emphasis the important word, so in this case I think it's quite appropriate to do it and don't see it as shouting which is usually when you use CAPITAL LETTERS for long bits of text and that IS SHOUTING! :D
 
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Spriddler
Dec 24, 2014
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P.s are we allowed to doctor quotes to change the original emphasis? I am not overly troubled by the shouty in just wondering what the etiquette is.

As @Minxy Girl mentioned I wanted to emphasise the keys' location of 'In' as opposed to outside. I don't do shouting; life's too good and too short for that ;)

I guess that at least by placing all of one's valuables together in a safe then at least the burglar won't need to hunt and disturb or damage the whole moho interior and you can relax in the knowledge that everything's gone if the safe has been opened or stolen. :whistle: If burglars can open a bank safe or steal a cash machine............? Maybe the safe should be well hidden....................
(I hide all sorts of stuff when I go away from home, (laptop, 'slush fund', Bitcoin, spare dentures), trouble is that I sometimes forget where I've hidden it all o_O).

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Minxy

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I guess that at least by placing all of one's valuables together in a safe then at least the burglar won't need to hunt and disturb or damage the whole moho interior and you can relax in the knowledge that everything's gone if the safe has been opened or stolen. :whistle: If burglars can open a bank safe or steal a cash machine............? Maybe the safe should be well hidden....................
I would never have a safe as it has been known for the burglars to try to remove the whole thing and make a hell of a mess in the process, I prefer to find good hiding places for stuff - there are plenty in MHs ... just have a really, really good look round at the less 'obvious' places that you wouldn't generally think of.
I hide all sorts of stuff when I go away from home, (laptop, 'slush fund', Bitcoin, spare dentures), trouble is that I sometimes forget where I've hidden the stuff o_O).
Spare glasses, phone etc yes but never heard of anyone taking spare dentures with them ... good idea though just in case you spit yours out down the toilet emptying point as you wouldn't want to go fishing around for them or having to eat baby food for the rest of your trip!:D2
 
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@Minxy Girl No, no; those are the things I hide at home, I don't take them away in the moho!
The dentures are only two teeth (knocked out in a motorbike crash). Sigh, if I lost them when away I'd just have restrict my diet to St Emilion, moules and oysters, although I sometimes find the oysters' reputation to be disappointingly overstated...........
 

Minxy

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@Minxy Girl No, no; those are the things I hide at home, I don't take them away in the moho!
The dentures are only two teeth (knocked out in a motorbike crash). Sigh, if I lost them when away I'd just have restrict my diet to St Emilion, moules and oysters, although I sometimes find the oysters' reputation to be disappointingly overstated...........
Ah I see but for those who do wear full upper and/or lower dentures taking a spare set away could be a good idea!

dentures.jpg

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Puddleduck

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Only real valuables we take are our bikes and watches and they are all insured. Everything else is of low value.

We don't even have watches - and if we did they would be cheap ones.

We each have a set of keys and the house keys are in a safe place within the van. Neighbours also have a set.

I do take a laptop but it is an old one and of little value and there is nothing confidential on it - it is put out of sight when we leave the van.

The bikes and kayaks are probably the most valuable things we have when we are away and are covered by insurance.

I have copies of important documents in a folder kept in a place easy to get to if needed.

There are lots of hidey holes in vans if you have a good look. Just remember what you put where!

I'd be more worried that my name and address are on documents so people know we are away from home.
 
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@Minxy Girl No, no; those are the things I hide at home, I don't take them away in the moho!
The dentures are only two teeth (knocked out in a motorbike crash). Sigh, if I lost them when away I'd just have restrict my diet to St Emilion, moules and oysters, although I sometimes find the oysters' reputation to be disappointingly overstated...........

Oysters have only ever worked once a night for me,,,Given them up now,,BUSBY:LOL::LOL:
 
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We (well it wasn't me) put £50 in a purse a year ago and hid it in the motorhome...............:sleep::sleep:.....still looking for it

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