Theft & entry mat

[theBSLodge2]

What do you do to secure your important items while on the road? Do you keep things in your Airstream, or your TV? We were parked in San Antonio and professional burglars broke into our TV, stole a bunch of electronic equipment and left. They were probably only there a few seconds. Any recommendations for security of both AS and TV?

Second, I wondered what you are using as an entry mat? The factory included AS mat is way too smal IMHO. What’s best for keeping the floor clean?

[Acheron2010]

I'd like to hear more about the professional break in. Did they damage your two door locks? About all I have for anti-theft is good insurance.
For the floor, I purchased some carpet runners from Amazon, and do a daily vacuum with a Dyson Animal and a weekly mop with a Swiffer. I take shoes off at the door.

[Overstreet]

Originally Posted by TheBSLodge2

Second, I wondered what you are using as an entry mat? The factory included AS mat is way too smal IMHO. What’s best for keeping the floor clean?

The entry mat that came with the AS. And a broom. And a outdoor mat, 3x2 open cut welcome mat below the bottom step.....and a broom. And a 10'x20' mat for under the canopy....and a broom. It's "camping" after all.

ps....I blame it on the dog.

[DKGA]

We use a mud room mat

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by theBSLodge2

We were parked in San Antonio and professional burglars broke into our TV, stole a bunch of electronic equipment and left. Any recommendations for security of both AS and TV?

I avoid parking in San Antonio.

Seriously, it can happen. You can make it so difficult, you can't get in. Then it's no longer fun.
I avoid bad areas, have insurance, and knock on wood I haven't been a victim.
I also take the GPS off the dash, my windows are dark tinted, and I don't leave stuff in plain sight.
I have a hard tonneau cover and it stays locked.

Realistically, campgrounds are probably one of the safest places.

As far as the floor, I have a Shark Ionflex vacuum, but with the dog it's a struggle. I pretty much keep throw rugs on all the traffic areas, and a mat outside the step.
The Shark works great with a simple wand attached so I don't drag out the whole thing, and I swear by battery vacuums. Most of the "dirt" is leaves and pine needles.

[SSquared]

For the indoor mat, we like our LLBean Waterhog mat. We use a small AstroTurf mat outside

[hhendrix]

I think most here would like to know how they got in your trailer and what kind of damage was done.

[Kevinshortnh]

Any good flying carpet will do as an entry mat. This one really ties the entry together.

[daleyocum]

The mats by Chiliwich are several cuts above your average mat. Their woven plastic mats are gorgeous and indestructible. They are also priced acccordingly. We expect ours to outlast the trailer.

[VT Wanderer]

Our most valuable items are our computer and phones. Phones we keep on us. Trucks are easy to break into - smash the drivers side window and open any door. It can happen extremely fast. Keep a minimum of valuables in the AS and lock all windows and both locks on the door. If they want to get in, they'll do it, but it will take work and time - something most crooks do want.

[theBSLodge2]

Originally Posted by Acheron2010

I'd like to hear more about the professional break in. Did they damage your two door locks? About all I have for anti-theft is good insurance.

We have a Ford-F250 King Ranch. They broke the lock, clipped the wire to the car alarm and took everything that was inside the console. It was a professsional with a tool just for that purpose. Probably took less than 15 seconds. We got a temporary fix at the SanAntonio Ford dealer, but a new handle needs to be installed and painted once we get home. Ford dealer suggested a Jimmy Jammer, so we are looking into that.

It would have been easy not to notice the break-in. It wasn’t obvious, but my husband couldn’t unlock the door with the remote, then we noticed the door was unlocked. They use a specific type of screwdriver to jam into the keyhole and pop the lock. We also have insurance, but will have to pay the deductible. Our stolen items wewl be $1000 or more to replace.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by TheBSLodge2

clipped the wire to the alarm

Jeez, I wouldn't know how to do that.
I wonder why you were targeted, or did they hit a number of cars?
Maybe they specialize in F-250's?

I never thought of San Antonio as particularly dangerous. It's not exactly Laredo-Nuevo Laredo.
But then, the Alamo was attacked there....

[jcanavera]

Have only had one instance of theft in my 45+ years of camping. That was in Myrtle Beach South Carolina. At the time I had a 21' Hi-Lo. My wife and I went to the post office to drop off some mail. As we were leaving we noticed that the folks two sites down from us were packing up to leave. They had a wreck of a trailer and I was surprised at its condition.

We were gone about 20 minutes and we came back and found the end caps on my rear bumper were gone, and I had two sets of aluminum aircraft wheel chocks that were now missing. I distinctly remember when the folks with the wreck of a trailer pulled in, they were missing bumper caps and were looking around at the debris in the fire pit to see if they could chock their wheels. I am pretty sure they took them because they were gone when we came back. Bumper caps are cheap, but those airplane wheel chocks being red painted aluminum and were really nice. I got them from my brother as a gift. He is a private pilot.

Jack

[A W Warn]

A couple of my prior trailers had a small lock box installed at the factory. Those I have had were the same type that banks use as a safety deposit box drawers. It took two keys to unlock them. The attachment bolts were inside the metal box, fastened to the trailer frame below. The drawer had to be removed to access the bolt heads, so the box would be difficult to remove.

I read somewhere recently that the Airstream Classic comes with a safe of some type, option or standard I do not know.

For door mats I use two. The Airstream mat is inside and a heavy plastic mat is at the bottom of the steps outside.

[featherbedder]

9x18 rv patio mat outside plus 6x8 astro turf aft end if needed,have 2x3 ft. platform wood platform in front of step covered w/in/out door carpet, inside berber carpet w/piece of same inside door, plastic runners full length over berber. Only take shoe off if muddy. Don't worry about theft inside as nothing that valuable,

[cazual6]

First thing is first, bad people will get to what they want if they want it bad enough. No amount of security can prevent that.

That being said, here are some steps IMHO:

1. Don't leave anything in public view.
2. Don't have announcement or hints that something valuable is present.
3. Park somewhere with heavy traffic of people going in and going out.
100. It never ends.

I'm sorry this happened to you.

[Hittenstiehl]

Lodge2, so sorry you were a victim of Burglary from Vehicle.

Molly, any major city will be very high on Property Crimes and it had nothing to do with how dangerous an area it is.

In actuality Tourist areas, large parking lots are a prime area for break in's. You don't look out of place in a parking lot walking or driving slowly. That is often why we see the little golf carts with the security man driving round and round in the parking lot. They're merely a deterrent and set of eyes so that the bad guy will go somewhere else.

Cover everything in a car with a dark blanket. Make it seem like your car has nothing for them if they shine their little flashlight in to take a peek. If the items are in the console there's not much you can do if it's not lockable and even then they can pry it open. Sometimes it's just a chance they're willing to take that something of value might be in there.

Certain cars have certain flaws or weak points in their genetics that make them more prone to a particular type of burglar figuring it out. Once it becomes a big trend that manufacturer will likely build in a fail safe or change of production method so that further people aren't victimized.

One can only do so much and still function and live. Usually once were victimized we'll tighten up our defenses just a little bit and make it harder for the bad guy to get us next time.

[brick1]

When did the theft happen? Overnight?

[WhereStream]

So sorry!

A friend had a couple of pros break into his F-250. Stole some goodies, and the truck's owner's manual.

The burglary was caught on a store's video, which showed the entire crime took 20 seconds.

He was told by the Ford dealer that bad guys are targeting Ford trucks, taking advantage of a design weakness in the door locks (which I believe has been fixed in the latest models).

He bought something that blocked this particular type of auto invasion and had it installed.

[brad1]

We bought a small “pistol safe” from a locksmith and had them weld it to a spot in our AS where you can get to the metal sub flooring. It’s hiddden, not easy to access even for us, and pretty secure. We keep stuff like our passports, back up credit cards, and of course, her diamond tiara in it.

I think the AS is a much better place to keep valuables in than the TV. Thieves know how to get into autos and pickups, especially the vehicles they “specialize” in. Getting into a locked AS is harder, more time consuming, and more obvious. Meth heads and the like will cruise RV parks and campgrounds looking for stuff that isn’t tied down, and wil even use bolt cutters on the chain between trailers and generators, but getting into an RV just isn’t easy enough or fast enough for their liking.

Here’s a trick I learned while growing up in Hawaii, where thiever is rampant. If you have to leave your wallet in the car while you go swimming or whatever, hide it somewhere in the car—like tucked in the springs of a seat—before you get to where you’re going . Same thing for stuff like your laptop. Lock it in the trunk before you get to where you’re going, then don’t open the trunk when you get there. Asssume that when you get to Makapu’u or Waimea Bay Beach Park, someone is going to watch you while youre getting ready to lock your car. Then, and here is the best part, leave a dummy wallet with your old ID, some old canceled credit cards and a few bucks, in the glove compartment. If you want to get elaborate, leave the old laptop that doeesn’t work on the floor of the car with a towel over it. If they break, in they take that stuff , plus the six pack of beer you left in the cooler on the floor in the back, and the they’re gone.