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Old 05-20-2013, 05:36 PM   #1
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Am I just being Paranoid?

Here is a question for you.........I grew up in Scotland and if it is not tied down or locked someone will most likely help themselves to it. So I got thinking the power cord is about $100 for a good one, you set up the trailer then go sightseeing for the day what is to stop someone helping themselves to it.

Is this something that I should be concerned about or am I just being paranoid like my wife says? Old habits die hard.
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Old 05-20-2013, 05:43 PM   #2
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I like to think most campers around here are pretty honest. Not saying it can't happen, but I would not worry too much about it. Switched out the pull out cord to a marine style so mine very well could walk away but I hope that will never happen.
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Old 05-20-2013, 06:02 PM   #3
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It's paranoid until something disappears.

I have a small sailboat which I race. Whenever I disconnect the trailer I always pop off the draw bar and stow it in my van. I have a locking pin if I choose to use it, but then the hitch is a shin destroyer. Lots of people just leave theirs on without locks and never lose them. My problem is that if someone pinches my draw bar it would be very difficult to replace on the Sunday evenings when we typically depart. I don't need that headache.

To your cord question...
If it is plugged in and in use it is highly unlikely that anyone would pinch it. If it were left lying on the A frame and not being used then the possibilty that it might grow legs increases. I wouldn't worry too much as long as it is being used and plugged into the power pedestal.

That said, my opinion and a dollar won't even get you a cup of coffee in the big city. vic
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Old 05-20-2013, 06:09 PM   #4
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I'll bet we've camped in over two hundred campgrounds in dozens of states over the past 40 years. We have had one lawn chair stolen in that time. I know that other stuff could walk off, too, but just decided not to worry about it. We do keep the trailer and truck locked up when we aren't around, but the outside stuff is just outside taking its chances.

The worst thing is the raccoon who stole a 6 pack of beer from a latched cooler in the back of my truck, opened it and drank it through the small holes his (or her) teeth could punch. Or maybe it was a gang of marauding raccoons. Or one very drunk one.
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Old 05-20-2013, 06:11 PM   #5
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I camp at the same cg every year for the last 10 or 11 years. Never had anything come up missing until about 3 years ago. We all know our fridges aren't very big, so I always have a cooler for my beverages. One day, I went to get my first cold one of the day, and guess what? They were missing! As was a few bottles of wine! Reported it to the cg, and they said they had had a rash recently of such thefts. The rest of my stay, nothing was left outside. Next trip, stored in the cooler again. Only one issue in 10 years.
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Old 05-20-2013, 08:07 PM   #6
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Sounds like you have good reason to be paranoid Huntsvillian. I've never had anything stolen from our campsite but I still lock things up anyway. I throw a big pad lock on the cables where there plugged in to each other. Also lock our bikes to a tree. Just a silly habit I guess.
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Old 05-20-2013, 08:42 PM   #7
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We've never had anything stolen in 14 years of RV'ing.

We've camped coast to coast, border to border in over 300 campgrounds.

IMHO, you are overly paranoid.
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Old 05-20-2013, 09:03 PM   #8
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There's nothing wrong with being careful.

I bring my bikes and firewood when camping and cover all of it with a 20x20 tarp. I figure it keeps the wood and bikes dry AND offers a little protection against theft. If you don't see the bikes, you don't know they're there. When traveling, I do secure the bikes on my bike carrier with a cable lock. I know it's not 100% protection, but it will keep the vast majority of people away. If I don't plan on using the bikes soon then I'll use the cable lock around the bikes and around the chain link fence where we camp.

Finally, I have one of those lightweight, aluminum folding camp kitchens that I put my Weber on with my 20# tank next to it. I run a long cable and lock through the BBQ, table and LP tank. This setup isn't secured to anything so someone could still take everything but then they'd have to take the BBQ, table AND LP tank all at the same time which might look funny as they're strolling through the CG.

It's just piece of mind for me. Last summer I was tent camping and had the cooler about 10' from my head outside. On the second to last night of my stay someone stole all my beer, about 16 that were left. I know it was just a few beers and was probably a bunch of kids, but it's still a little unnerving when they do it 10' from your sleeping head. I had the cooler next to the table I talked about above and also had the cable through one of the handles. I don't know if the thieves wanted to take the entire cooler or just the beery but perhaps my lock around it saved my new cooler from being taken.

Next time I plan to also use a lock to keep the cooler closed at night too. Probably just a chain or something wrapped around it so they can't open it.
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Old 05-20-2013, 11:43 PM   #9
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Even a cheap lock will help keep honest people honest. There seem to be a lot of midnight shoppers in Arizona in the winter. Things that seem to "go away" are gas cans, food and beer left in outside refrigerators, generators, nice chairs, atv's, bicycles, and spare tires.
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Old 05-21-2013, 04:40 AM   #10
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I know of far more people who were stolen from because they left something of value in plain sight then those who have been victim of forcible entry.

I don't leave temptations in plain sight, I leave my campsite lighted, I lock things that have locks.

I'm not paranoid - just a realist
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Old 05-21-2013, 04:44 AM   #11
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I guess we have just been fortunate... or all the people around us just have nicer stuff... either way we have not had any problems leaving our stuff outside when at the CG.
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Old 05-21-2013, 05:00 AM   #12
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We have found that most campers look out for each other without even asking. I know I do when i see neighbor campers head out sightseeing...

We also try to keep our valuables with us in the truck whenever we leave the camp sight. My neighbor camper and I left ELKMONT camp in the Smoky Mtns about the same time to get some things in town. This was in the the noonish time frame. I got back around 2PM in the afternoon and found I could'n t get down my camp site road for a tree being down. I thought it was strange for a dwoned tree as no storms in the area. I went around the other direction in the one way traffic road and got to my site from the other side. The neighbors trees was layig over the access road. He had his 3KW Honda generator chained to this tree. Someone had cut the tree down to steal his generator in broad daylight in the afternoon. TRUE STORY... My neighbor camper and I were the only two camping in this area of the camp ground...

My neighbor got back just alittle later than I did and there we both are standing there in disbelief... Not much you can say... I always carry my 2KW Honda Generator secured in the tailgate corner of my truck bed which also has a locked folding bed cover. It would be easily stolen but the main thing is it is out of sight unless I am using it sitting on the tailgate...


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Old 05-21-2013, 06:00 AM   #13
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We have never had anything stolen from a camp ground. I am not paranoid, but I do take precautions. Only thing I lock is my Surge Protector.

If you can't enjoy yourself for thinking about theft, maybe you are camping in the wrong place.
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Old 05-21-2013, 06:08 AM   #14
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in the last 35 years of camping we have never had anything stolen from a CG, as others have said most campers generally look out for each other.
When we camp in some of the more remote parks that do not have as many campers the risk is higher so we tend to put up stuff and lock up better when we go out for the day.
Only time I have had something stolen was at a Cracker Barrel, we parked out back in the RV Pull Thru area with our TT at the time for lunch, someone broke into our Trucks Tool Box and stole a Dewalt Drill and a Flashlight.
I worry more about someone breaking into my truck or sealing something out of the bed of the truck at Wal-Mart than getting something stolen at a CG.
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Old 05-21-2013, 06:30 AM   #15
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I agree with RoyBraddy about campers looking out for other campers.

Campers are some of the nicest people I've met!
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Old 05-21-2013, 07:16 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Threebutchers View Post
I know of far more people who were stolen from because they left something of value in plain sight then those who have been victim of forcible entry.

I don't leave temptations in plain sight, I leave my campsite lighted, I lock things that have locks.

I'm not paranoid - just a realist
Out of sight is more important than many people realize.

I managed a commercial building which used a public ramp for parking with a wandering security guard and no cameras. Anyone with a half a brain knew that if the guard was on level 2 then there was no guard on level 1 and 3. Almost each and every theft incident our security people needed to investigate was where someone left things out in plain sight and their vehicles were broken into. Some even left toll money out in plain sight.

We've been tent camping for decades and I do admit that we are pretty casual around the campgrounds. That said, as was mentioned we cover our bikes with a tarp and don't leave really valuable stuff hanging out.

If someone is determined to take something then they will likely be successful no matter what precautions are taken. Fortunately it does seem that most campers are decent folks. vic
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Old 05-21-2013, 07:59 PM   #17
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I've never, ever, had anything stolen while camping. I move everything under my awning every night but nothing has ever even been misplaced.
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Old 05-22-2013, 04:34 PM   #18
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In the 25 years the wife and I have been camping together we have been hit once. This was in a high end resort (to us) and it is fully fenced with lights and cameras. In the morning our neighbors told us they were missing some wine out of their cooler. As the morning went on we heard more campers were reporting missing coolers, wine, and beer. The owners looked at the video and saw some teenagers going over the fence with their loot. Cops thought they might know who they were. We lost a Tupperware full of potato salad out of our cooler. we keep the beer and such inside as we had small kids that help themselves to any drinks they find. DW was pissed as it was one of her favorite Tupperware pieces from when she sold the stuff. Of course we did not miss it til lunch time when we went looking for it.
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Old 05-22-2013, 04:46 PM   #19
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I think the emptier the campground is, the more careful you have to be, actually. Only time we had a problem was last year on the very first weekend in an almost empty state park. A couple kids from our group woke up to find their very nice bikes missing, and some really junky bikes left in their place. Some kids rode through during the night and evidently decided to upgrade.
When the parks get fuller I think it's harder to know if the owners are around or if anybody else near them is looking out for them so people might think twice.
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Old 05-22-2013, 05:53 PM   #20
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I think the emptier the campground is, the more careful you have to be, actually. Only time we had a problem was last year on the very first weekend in an almost empty state park. A couple kids from our group woke up to find their very nice bikes missing, and some really junky bikes left in their place. Some kids rode through during the night and evidently decided to upgrade.
When the parks get fuller I think it's harder to know if the owners are around or if anybody else near them is looking out for them so people might think twice.
good point!
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