Should we be studying our neighbour more..... (1 Viewer)

[bobandjanie]

Having read on the forum's here in Spain, about thieves in motorhomes should we be studying our neighbour's when we park up, usually we think our motorhome will be OK, there are other's here they will keep an eye on it. Or are they keeping an eye on you !

There was a motorhome parked and he was surfing, he could see his motorhome while out there, and he had a converted van park next to him, it had solar and roof lights but no many windows, when he returned his motorhome had been broken into.
Now, while waiting at the beach parking near Alicante in our car, waiting for Janie to land, a white van came in, Polish reg solar and rooflights stopping and starting, was he looking for the perfect level spot, or was he looking for something else.

Am I becoming paranoid. .

A week or so, they caught 3 motorhomes that were stolen from Belgium and had Dutch number plates. My god I'm always seeing Dutch campers all together, I just don't feel safe anymore.
Then today I read about another motorhome caught, stolen from france, 2 men and a women, loads of stolen phones and other stuff €7000 in cash on false plates.
I wonder how many are not caught, and park amongst us.

So should we be looking at our neighbour's more closely. Bob.

 

[Ivory55]

It’s often said that the best place to hide is in full view.

 

[ambulancekidd]

Just ask the police about hidden in plain sight, that's the hardest criminal to catch.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Just smiffy]

On campsites it’s most likely the other campers that has stolen your chairs/bbq or bikes so it’s no different anywhere else...

Suspect everyone.....

 

[bobandjanie]

On campsites it’s most likely the other campers that has stolen your chairs/bbq or bikes so it’s no different anywhere else...

Suspect everyone.....

Did you notice anything missing on our last visit Garry. Bob.

 

[pappajohn]

We don't worry about security, our paranoid neighbour does it all for us.
CCTV cameras and floodlighting everywhere.

The last time he rang us was to tell us there was a suspicious figure lurking in the lane.....
He was on a Caribbean cruise at the time and checking his cameras Oh Please!.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[fullfat]

Used to get this with HGV, slashing curtains, always thought it was someone turning up in the middle of the night, until I caught the driver parked next to me, he got a good shoeing

 

[bobandjanie]

Tell me about it, we had our own trucks, even leaving the doors open never stopped them slashing the curtains. Bob.

 

[B-well]

i study my neighbour,,,,,,,,,, elf and safety reasons.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[B-well]

i study my neighbour,,,,,,,,,, elf and safety reasons.

OOOOOPS wrong picture sent.

 

[Minxy]

The problem is that when away it is too easy to let your guard down and be too lax about security etc, the number of times I see people wander off from their MH to go talk to someone else over the other side of the car park/aire etc, leaving their own MH wide open for anyone to enter. If we want to sit outside our MH for a while we can lock all the doors and then exit via the sliding door so we know all is secure, especially important if the dogs are outside with us. Some may think this is OTT but its actually the opposite as we can relax and enjoy sitting out without worry.

 

[Sundowners]

Years ago we were told that the occupants of two motorhomes made friends and travelled together for a few months. They were camped at a campsite and had arranged to all go out for a meal one evening. One of the wives said she was not feeling too well, the husband said he would stay back with her and told the other couple to go out without them, which they did. On returning back to their motorhome they found the other couple had gone and their motorhome had been ransacked. By spending so much time with each other, gaining their trust, they obviously disclosed where they kept their valuables.

Our motto now is - never trust anyone. Shame that is how it has become.

Could be a made up story, who knows, but makes you aware of what could happen.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[nicholsong]

i study my neighbour,,,,,,,,,, elf and safety reasons.

Is that Norman Evans?

 

[nicholsong]

Years ago we were told that the occupants of two motorhomes made friends and travelled together for a few months. They were camped at a campsite and had arranged to all go out for a meal one evening. One of the wives said she was not feeling too well, the husband said he would stay back with her and told the other couple to go out without them, which they did. On returning back to their motorhome they found the other couple had gone and their motorhome had been ransacked. By spending so much time with each other, gaining their trust, they obviously disclosed where they kept their valuables.

Our motto now is - never trust anyone. Shame that is how it has become.

Could be a made up story, who knows, but makes you aware of what could happen.

I don't trust this advice

 

[JJ]

I trust loads and loads and loads of people...

I definitely trust the Sundowners.

Top Funsters.

JJ

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Larrynwin]

Having read on the forum's here in Spain, about thieves in motorhomes should we be studying our neighbour's when we park up, usually we think our motorhome will be OK, there are other's here they will keep an eye on it. Or are they keeping an eye on you !

There was a motorhome parked and he was surfing, he could see his motorhome while out there, and he had a converted van park next to him, it had solar and roof lights but no many windows, when he returned his motorhome had been broken into.
Now, while waiting at the beach parking near Alicante in our car, waiting for Janie to land, a white van came in, Polish reg solar and rooflights stopping and starting, was he looking for the perfect level spot, or was he looking for something else.

Am I becoming paranoid. .

A week or so, they caught 3 motorhomes that were stolen from Belgium and had Dutch number plates. My god I'm always seeing Dutch campers all together, I just don't feel safe anymore.
Then today I read about another motorhome caught, stolen from france, 2 men and a women, loads of stolen phones and other stuff €7000 in cash on false plates.
I wonder how many are not caught, and park amongst us.

So should we be looking at our neighbour's more closely. Bob.

Did you see if any were carrying chloroform or other medicinal type gas cylinders

 

[bobandjanie]

The problem is that when away it is too easy to let your guard down and be too lax about security etc, the number of times I see people wander off from their MH to go talk to someone else over the other side of the car park/aire etc, leaving their own MH wide open for anyone to enter. If we want to sit outside our MH for a while we can lock all the doors and then exit via the sliding door so we know all is secure, especially important if the dogs are outside with us. Some may think this is OTT but its actually the opposite as we can relax and enjoy sitting out without worry.

I'm the same Mel, I am one who thinks if your not prepared to loose it..........lock it.
We had so many doors on our bungalow, Janie use them all, I walked around behind her locking them.

I don't trust this advice

I'm glad you put a

I trust loads and loads and loads of people...

I definitely trust the Sundowners.

Top Funsters.

JJ

Quite agree @JJ , you could not meet a more helpful and generous couple and probably the most travelled people we know. Bob.

 

[bobandjanie]

This might make you smile, and it made everyone smile in the end.
So today there is a 29km charity walk, so we go on the prom to cheer our friend on, we find a purse and car key and hang around in case they come back, so asked a spanish couple with a child if they had seen who was sitting there, they hadn't.
So we said we are going this way, and will come back, if no one comes we will take them to the police station ................ but we bumped into our friends wife.

So this spanish family had a lady looking for her keys, then they had to find us, I don't know if they were happy to be involved or relieved to have found us, but everyone was happy in the end. Bob.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Just smiffy]

@JJ is very trusting, while I was staying at his place he went out and left me there on my own ..

I could have nicked the pool, lawnmower or even the cork trees ...!

I must admit though I am a bit too trusting sometimes.... I guess it’s all about having respect for others ...

 

[poacher]

............. I guess it’s all about having respect for others ...

sadly, ‘respect’ and courtesy appear to be declining traits in modern society, camping and motorhoming included - more evident this winter in Europe than previously

 

[busby]

Tell me about it, we had our own trucks, even leaving the doors open never stopped them slashing the curtains. Bob.

Slashing,,Had new curtains fitted in a 7.5 tonne one Friday,, Monday morning one curtain had been cut out of the body leaving just the securing straps..Blue curtain,,bet it finished up as a pond liner. BUSBY

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Mr Colpot]

The problem is that when away it is too easy to let your guard down and be too lax about security etc, the number of times I see people wander off from their MH to go talk to someone else over the other side of the car park/aire etc, leaving their own MH wide open for anyone to enter. If we want to sit outside our MH for a while we can lock all the doors and then exit via the sliding door so we know all is secure, especially important if the dogs are outside with us. Some may think this is OTT but its actually the opposite as we can relax and enjoy sitting out without worry.

I'm with you on this one - if we are both sitting outside all the doors/lockers are locked apart from the hab door and if Mrs Colpot falls asleep when we are both outside I have been known to lock the hab door in case I fall asleep as well. Mind you thinking about it if I fall asleep first then who knows.......

 

[Minxy]

I'm with you on this one - if we are both sitting outside all the doors/lockers are locked apart from the hab door and if Mrs Colpot falls asleep when we are both outside I have been known to lock the hab door in case I fall asleep as well. Mind you thinking about it if I fall asleep first then who knows.......

... where do you hid the keys when you've locked up so you would be awoken if someone has a feel around for them ... or shouldn't I ask?

 

[Lenny HB]

Don't over worry on Aires when the population is older and more decraped than us, but sites with mixed population & kids always lock the van even if leaving for a few mins. Probably because we have met people who have been robbed on sites but never on an Aire.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Mr Colpot]

... where do you hid the keys when you've locked up so you would be awoken if someone has a feel around for them ... or shouldn't I ask?

That would be like advertising where the safe is on the van wouldn't it?

edit: first answer removed as likely to result in physical harm from Mrs Colpot

 

[Larrynwin]

We only use sites and explore area in car so I always lock and alarm mhome even if just local on site.
It’s terrible when you cannot trust fellow human beings but if you have it there’s always one who will take it

 

[Gerby]

It is not unknown for me to leave the van, car and sometimes house unlocked when I leave, not because I am trusting just extremely forgetful, to be honest the only things I take away with me that are of true value are my dogs (and possibly the missus I suppose) and I take them with me when I leave the van anyway.

There is of course also the essential supplies of spiced rum but that probably explains my forgetfulness.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[nicholsong]

It is not unknown for me to leave the van, car and sometimes house unlocked when I leave, not because I am trusting just extremely forgetful, to be honest the only things I take away with me that are of true value are my dogs (and possibly the missus I suppose) and I take them with me when I leave the van anyway.

There is of course also the essential supplies of spiced rum but that probably explains my forgetfulness.

What about the MH itself?

 

[Just smiffy]

There will always be a bad apple but I have to say I’ve only met the nice ones of fellow campers and Motorhomers and I think we mainly hear the bad stories....

I was on an Aire in st jean de monts and there was this French van having trouble plugging in EHU and he didn’t have a Euro adapter so I lent him my lead as I’ve solar, going to bed that night I thought “that’s the last I see of that” and sure enough he left very early in the morning....

After getting up having a cuppa and then going outside I spotted a bag underneath the van and there was the lead in it..
A few others times things have happened where it keeps my faith in people....

 

[Northernraider]

I'm afraid I don't trust anyone when I'm parked up anywhere.
I'm actually more comfortable leaving my van in the middle of nowhere than left parked up beside a load of other vans.
I've heard allsorts from fridge vents to wheeltrims to bike covers being nicked off vans never mind the fact that if there's a van parked alongside you it acts as a perfect sheild to be hidden from view while they break in.

Calm me a sceptic but having attended vw camper shows for years where you thought you were among hundreds if not thousands of like minded people yet hearing of numerous van breakins etc.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}