Just 2 weeks into our Grey Nomad lifestyle and we have had our motorhome broken into. Thursday May 4 we were in Launceston, Tasmania and it was a lovely clear day. We drove up to Cataract Gorge and parked in the Basin Street Car Park. There is a special area of the car park for over sized vehicles and at 7.92 metres long we are in that category. When we parked, ours was the only vehicle in the area, when we returned just over 2 hours later there was a motorhome parked either side of us.
As we approached we were immediately apprehensive as my wife's iPad was visible on the passenger seat. She was just in the process of saying I am sure I had that put away when we noticed the motorhome door was stood open. Closer inspection showed the lock destroyed and the door jemmied open in the two locations where the latches are.
We had been walking in the National Park and so naturally had not taken handbags/shoulder bags with us - so some light-fingered low life had been in the van, ransacked all the cupboards and stolen credit cards and cash we hadn't taken with us. We spent another 3 hours in Launceston police station and later discovered there had been 7 fraudulent transactions on our bank accounts
Have to give a huge thanks to King Caravans in Moonah (Hobart) who fixed the lock so I can at least lock the door - additional parts are required to actually fix the door which may have to wait until we return to the mainland on May 17...
I guess at the end of the day this could happen just about any tourist attraction Nationwide where our vehicles are left unattended. My first lesson is to mount a small safe for our important documents/valuables...
How do you protect what's yours in similar situations??
Santa said
02:49 PM May 7, 2017
Most unfortunate Brian have to admit I'm always apprehensive about leaving the MH unattended in cities, rural and outback area's, not so much.
the rocket said
03:34 PM May 7, 2017
Hello brianf, i am very sorry this happened to you n your wife. Low life scum. We travel fulltime n have no jewellery on board. Money, ipad, camera phones we always take with us. Anything else in van is not worth much. Breaking your door, well that is a real nuisance as is them using your credit cards.
Roving-Dutchy said
05:35 PM May 7, 2017
If you do buy a safe, don't buy a cheap one, as if you strike them with a hammer in the right spot the locks just pops. I'm sure the lowlifes know this as the information is available on Google as to were to use the hammer.
Cheers
David
RosieW said
05:51 PM May 7, 2017
In the safe. And even before that there are the dogs to contend with.........
Aus-Kiwi said
08:13 PM May 7, 2017
Security cameras .,
HunnyBunny said
09:30 PM May 7, 2017
It's a sad situation we find ourselves in these days. You can't trust anyone & have to put everything under lock & key. Low life mongrel's!!!
Warren-Pat_01 said
10:26 PM May 7, 2017
It's bad now as we have to close & lock everything even if we used to enjoy some fresh air at night.
My van has a safe - it's a mongrel to get at & it's quite small so it won't hold much. It took me a while to find what the strange key on our key rings fitted.
Unfortunately these days "workmen's tools" are readily available from all of the hardware & specialised tool shops & to make it easy these days al lot of them are battery powered! Seems an electric fence or some cruder system may need to be installed - perhaps an old EHT transformer from a TV set! I think that might not be legal but then theft isn't either!
madaboutled said
12:25 AM May 8, 2017
I feel for you....
We have a safe only problem is you can't fit everything that could be taken in it. But is why we have contents insurance with our motor home insurance + portable valuables cover on our house insurance for stuff like mobile phones, cameras, laptops etc...
touch wood we haven't needed to use it..... so far!.
Jayco Gypsy said
12:35 AM May 8, 2017
Its a horrible feeling when you come back from a pleasant walk to that. Years ago coming out from a hospital late at night and the car was wasn't where I left it. Luckily it had a cut out switch fitted and I had remembered to set it. Found it at the bottom of the car park broken window, flat battery, but still had my car.
What about an alarm on the door. Sometimes the noise can be a deterrent. I have a small ebay special 100 decibels, infrared with remote. Mainly for when I'm inside sleeping. If possible fit a security door inside the main door if you don't have one or maybe one of these.
Sorry to hear of your experience Brian. There's little to stop a really determined low-life breaking in but maybe a good alarm is a reasonable deterrent. Sorry to say, but leaving CC's and other valuables lying in wait for thieves is inviting more aggro for yourself. Stick 'em in a small lightweight backpack and carry with you. The scumbags may cause damage to the RV, but at least you won't lose the valuables.
Bryan said
01:43 PM May 8, 2017
Aus-Kiwi wrote:
Security cameras .,
And a noisy alarm
Matt said
08:20 PM May 8, 2017
BrianF wrote:
Just 2 weeks into our Grey Nomad lifestyle and we have had our motorhome broken into. Thursday May 4 we were in Launceston, Tasmania and it was a lovely clear day. We drove up to Cataract Gorge and parked in the Basin Street Car Park. There is a special area of the car park for over sized vehicles and at 7.92 metres long we are in that category. When we parked, ours was the only vehicle in the area, when we returned just over 2 hours later there was a motorhome parked either side of us.
As we approached we were immediately apprehensive as my wife's iPad was visible on the passenger seat. She was just in the process of saying I am sure I had that put away when we noticed the motorhome door was stood open. Closer inspection showed the lock destroyed and the door jemmied open in the two locations where the latches are.
We had been walking in the National Park and so naturally had not taken handbags/shoulder bags with us - so some light-fingered low life had been in the van, ransacked all the cupboards and stolen credit cards and cash we hadn't taken with us. We spent another 3 hours in Launceston police station and later discovered there had been 7 fraudulent transactions on our bank accounts
Have to give a huge thanks to King Caravans in Moonah (Hobart) who fixed the lock so I can at least lock the door - additional parts are required to actually fix the door which may have to wait until we return to the mainland on May 17...
I guess at the end of the day this could happen just about any tourist attraction Nationwide where our vehicles are left unattended. My first lesson is to mount a small safe for our important documents/valuables...
How do you protect what's yours in similar situations??
Sorry to hear you were robbed. We recently parked just near there while we checked out the gorge and ate in the restaurant. We don't have a m/home so our situation is a little different. I keep any iPads/laptop cameras etc, hidden inside our vehicle, in a hey hole under the rear seat. It's a new car and has a terrific alarm and the doors are able to be deadlocked. The windows are tinted very dark, nothing is left visible inside so there are no temptations to a potential thief. I figure they'll move on to another vehicle where they can see a hand bag or camera etc sitting on a seat.
I realise nothing is thief proof, but I'd rather leave things in the vehicle than in our caravan, which is easy to break into.
-- Edited by Matt on Monday 8th of May 2017 08:22:15 PM
Tony Bev said
08:54 PM May 8, 2017
Sorry to hear that you were robbed Brian
As others have said, the determined thief, will break in, regardless of the security locks
Others have mentions that an audible alarm, may deter some thieves
Up till now, I have never been robbed, so my security is none existing
Perhaps I should invest in some sort of alarm
macka17 said
08:59 PM May 8, 2017
Sorry to hear that.
Have you a mate or you. With a welder.
Go to a scrap steel yard. and get some offcut 316 or 18-8
Stainless plate\Angle.
You only pay by the kilo.
Measure a place under the step or wherever suitable. Outside or in.
Buy enough plate to cover a box of size to fit that area.
Which also will fit a proper safe door. (You can buy them separately.)
Weld it to van chassis.
Rim of thicker angle round the front
will both brace box. and give secure mounting for door.
You'll never have a problem selling with that there.
One mate. had a square base welded up for gas bottles to sit on.
On drawbar.
One half was a safe. (I welded for him. With double bottom full of
water. so anybody that tried to drill, grind, whatever. it out.
got tool covered in water.
Hopefully shorting it. And frying him at same time if on mains.
In front of it was a mesh rack and sides for storing timber.
(Lots have that.)
So it didn't look out of place.
The rack had a coupla pins to hold in place.
Lift up, it uncovered safe door.
Do your thing. and replace rack.
Just keep a coupla bits of old timber in there to look legal as.
Another one I did.
Drop down step for van. Mounted on van floor (underneath)
I boxed in the area under step.
It gave the step dimensions. plus around 5in deep.
two locking pins held it up at front and took weight of step.
Dropping it down.till front rested on folded step.
Exposed safe door.
with angle strap inside to stop things falling out when opening.
Hinged to chassis rail at back.
Just right for papers. Licences cash etc.
You ever tried to cut through Stainless with battery grinder or drill.
TIME.. Is your enemy. and noise.
You'll need and get. plenty of both to do that job.
Deterrants..
Too hard. Go elsewhere..
That's what it's ALL about.
A serious thief WILL get anything from anywhere.
Just have gud insurance.
And don't build things in normal places.
Aus-Kiwi said
08:38 PM May 10, 2017
Bryan wrote:
Aus-Kiwi wrote:
Security cameras .,
And a noisy alarm
and a snake ...
BrianF said
10:07 PM May 10, 2017
Thanks All for your comments and suggestions.
I have to say the Tasmanian Police have been excellent - I have had multiple calls advising of any developments - they have taken it very seriously.
Some may have the impression that we had left our valuables out in the open for all to see. However, let me tell you that it was only because the perpetrators had time to ransack the interior of the van that they found anything at all as nothing was in an obvious place. However the van will be in for repair when we get over to Melbourne and one thing the repairer will fit for me is a safe - as suggested by many on this forum and by the Tasmanian Police....
Just 2 weeks into our Grey Nomad lifestyle and we have had our motorhome broken into. Thursday May 4 we were in Launceston, Tasmania and it was a lovely clear day. We drove up to Cataract Gorge and parked in the Basin Street Car Park. There is a special area of the car park for over sized vehicles and at 7.92 metres long we are in that category. When we parked, ours was the only vehicle in the area, when we returned just over 2 hours later there was a motorhome parked either side of us.
As we approached we were immediately apprehensive as my wife's iPad was visible on the passenger seat. She was just in the process of saying I am sure I had that put away when we noticed the motorhome door was stood open. Closer inspection showed the lock destroyed and the door jemmied open in the two locations where the latches are.
We had been walking in the National Park and so naturally had not taken handbags/shoulder bags with us - so some light-fingered low life had been in the van, ransacked all the cupboards and stolen credit cards and cash we hadn't taken with us. We spent another 3 hours in Launceston police station and later discovered there had been 7 fraudulent transactions on our bank accounts
Have to give a huge thanks to King Caravans in Moonah (Hobart) who fixed the lock so I can at least lock the door - additional parts are required to actually fix the door which may have to wait until we return to the mainland on May 17...
I guess at the end of the day this could happen just about any tourist attraction Nationwide where our vehicles are left unattended. My first lesson is to mount a small safe for our important documents/valuables...
How do you protect what's yours in similar situations??
Most unfortunate Brian
have to admit I'm always apprehensive about leaving the MH unattended in cities, rural and outback area's, not so much.
Hello brianf, i am very sorry this happened to you n your wife. Low life scum. We travel fulltime n have no jewellery on board. Money, ipad, camera phones we always take with us. Anything else in van is not worth much. Breaking your door, well that is a real nuisance as is them using your credit cards.
Cheers
David
My van has a safe - it's a mongrel to get at & it's quite small so it won't hold much. It took me a while to find what the strange key on our key rings fitted.
Unfortunately these days "workmen's tools" are readily available from all of the hardware & specialised tool shops & to make it easy these days al lot of them are battery powered! Seems an electric fence or some cruder system may need to be installed - perhaps an old EHT transformer from a TV set! I think that might not be legal but then theft isn't either!
I feel for you....
We have a safe only problem is you can't fit everything that could be taken in it. But is why we have contents insurance with our motor home insurance + portable valuables cover on our house insurance for stuff like mobile phones, cameras, laptops etc...
touch wood we haven't needed to use it..... so far!.
Its a horrible feeling when you come back from a pleasant walk to that. Years ago coming out from a hospital late at night and the car was wasn't where I left it. Luckily it had a cut out switch fitted and I had remembered to set it. Found it at the bottom of the car park broken window, flat battery, but still had my car.
What about an alarm on the door. Sometimes the noise can be a deterrent. I have a small ebay special 100 decibels, infrared with remote. Mainly for when I'm inside sleeping. If possible fit a security door inside the main door if you don't have one or maybe one of these.
https://www.caravansplus.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=3222
And a noisy alarm
Sorry to hear you were robbed. We recently parked just near there while we checked out the gorge and ate in the restaurant. We don't have a m/home so our situation is a little different. I keep any iPads/laptop cameras etc, hidden inside our vehicle, in a hey hole under the rear seat. It's a new car and has a terrific alarm and the doors are able to be deadlocked. The windows are tinted very dark, nothing is left visible inside so there are no temptations to a potential thief. I figure they'll move on to another vehicle where they can see a hand bag or camera etc sitting on a seat.
I realise nothing is thief proof, but I'd rather leave things in the vehicle than in our caravan, which is easy to break into.
-- Edited by Matt on Monday 8th of May 2017 08:22:15 PM
As others have said, the determined thief, will break in, regardless of the security locks
Others have mentions that an audible alarm, may deter some thieves
Up till now, I have never been robbed, so my security is none existing
Perhaps I should invest in some sort of alarm
Have you a mate or you. With a welder.
Go to a scrap steel yard. and get some offcut 316 or 18-8
Stainless plate\Angle.
You only pay by the kilo.
Measure a place under the step or wherever suitable. Outside or in.
Buy enough plate to cover a box of size to fit that area.
Which also will fit a proper safe door. (You can buy them separately.)
Weld it to van chassis.
Rim of thicker angle round the front
will both brace box. and give secure mounting for door.
You'll never have a problem selling with that there.
One mate. had a square base welded up for gas bottles to sit on.
On drawbar.
One half was a safe. (I welded for him. With double bottom full of
water. so anybody that tried to drill, grind, whatever. it out.
got tool covered in water.
Hopefully shorting it. And frying him at same time if on mains.
In front of it was a mesh rack and sides for storing timber.
(Lots have that.)
So it didn't look out of place.
The rack had a coupla pins to hold in place.
Lift up, it uncovered safe door.
Do your thing. and replace rack.
Just keep a coupla bits of old timber in there to look legal as.
Another one I did.
Drop down step for van. Mounted on van floor (underneath)
I boxed in the area under step.
It gave the step dimensions. plus around 5in deep.
two locking pins held it up at front and took weight of step.
Dropping it down.till front rested on folded step.
Exposed safe door.
with angle strap inside to stop things falling out when opening.
Hinged to chassis rail at back.
Just right for papers. Licences cash etc.
You ever tried to cut through Stainless with battery grinder or drill.
TIME.. Is your enemy. and noise.
You'll need and get. plenty of both to do that job.
Deterrants..
Too hard. Go elsewhere..
That's what it's ALL about.
A serious thief WILL get anything from anywhere.
Just have gud insurance.
And don't build things in normal places.
and a snake ...
I have to say the Tasmanian Police have been excellent - I have had multiple calls advising of any developments - they have taken it very seriously.
Some may have the impression that we had left our valuables out in the open for all to see. However, let me tell you that it was only because the perpetrators had time to ransack the interior of the van that they found anything at all as nothing was in an obvious place. However the van will be in for repair when we get over to Melbourne and one thing the repairer will fit for me is a safe - as suggested by many on this forum and by the Tasmanian Police....