Break-in while in storage

[Pahaska]

I stopped to check the trailer this noon and foundthe front window smashed and the interior totally trashed. Every drawer and cabinet was emptied on the floor.

Very little was taken, although I need to go back tomorrow to more thoroughly inventory. I know that my netbook computer is missing along with some small stuff. The TV was wrenched crooked, but they couldn't get off the wall without allen wrenches. There is a white scar in the viewing area that is distracting.

This is in a fenced storage yard with lights and video cameras. Threee men in hoodies were seen running from the yard.

My toolbox was in the trailer and untouched, about the only thing not dumped on the floor. They took the $300 netbook, but they opened the case on my $800 projector and then left it there. They opened the case on my torque wrench and didn't take it. Two binoculars were in one ofthe chairs with the cases open.

They also destroyed the door lock trying to get out. They apparently didn't realize that the lock was thrown and forced the handle up so that it finally opened, but the lock no longer works. I have just the deadbolt on it at the moment.

[Lily&Me]

Ohhhh, bummer!! What a violation!

Was it in a storage unit?



Maggie

[LiLNomad]

Im soo sorry. I often wondered who is responsible if something happens to your trailer while in storage. Im sure the storage lot will say they arent responsible. Does that mean insurance will cover personal contents as well as the repairs of the break in? I think I need to review my policy and make sure im properly covered.
LilNomad

[whitsend]

Call if you need moral support, or just someone to cuss at.

[GCinSC2]

Ouch, good luck.

[Melody Ranch]

Any leads?....at all?

[DFlores]

Hangin's to good for um.

[DKB_SATX]

re: what the took and didn't, and what they were too dumb to figure out:

I've been telling myself since a break-in in New Orleans when I was in grad school that if they weren't stupid, they'd find a better way to spend their time. They took a crappy VCR, took a portable CD player but left the pricey Bose Acoustic Wave it was plugged into (that belonged to a friend of mine)... stole a few CDs, but didn't just pick up the rolltop storage boxes the CDs were in, they took handfuls.

They're just scum or they wouldn't be doing that.

[HiHoAgRV]

Geez I'm sorry to see that.

[Goal15]

Sorry to hear that as well.

Did they just hit your trailer or were others in the yard broken into?

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by DFlores

Hangin's to good for um.

I agree... entirely too quick. Towing sounds good... down a gravel road perhaps.

[reinergirl]

Ouch, I'm sorry, that's awful But why didn't the storage yard notify you? You had to stop by and discover it yourself???

I really hope they figure out who did it.

[jgerardi]

Since it was in Texas, we can hope they treat those guys like Horse Thieves!

[TouringDan]

So sorry that you have to go through this. You figure that it is in a locked, fenced storage area with video surveillance, so you will be ok. Wrong. I agree with the others. These people are just scum.

I hope that they get caught and that you have insurance. I don't have insurance to cover this loss, so I would be doubly devastated.

Dan

[Skater]

Ouch...I'm sorry.

[Pahaska]

I have the trailer weatherproofed with insulating foam under the front gravel guard. I had some 1/2" x 2' x 4' foam pieces and they fit the window space exactly. They are duct taped and covered by the gravel guard and not obvious from outside.

The storage yard did call after I had left home this morning. I just happened to eat lunch about 1/4 mile away from the storage yard and decided to check the trailer while I was there.

I can't fault the yard. They will now have 24-hour attendant and more lighting. They also are sending me a check for 2 months of space rent as an apology. They have been in business 15 years with no major problems up until now.

The thieves cut two chain-link fences with bolt cutters to get to the trailers. The video surveillance shows 3 late teens or young men wearing hoodies. No fingerprints, so they were apparently wearing gloves.

I found some more missing things. The best pair of binoculars is gone, but the cheaper set is still there. The DVR player is gone along with my netbook.

USAA is sending an appraiser to meet me at the trailer Monday morning. Then I can get parts on order. Gotta have it ready for Alumafiesta early next month.

[Frank&Mike]

John - We are sorry to hear about this incident. If we can help in any way please let us know.

[Protagonist]

Your pain is my pain. My Interstate was burglarized less than 16 hours after I bought it, just over a year ago. Thieves pried the Kenwood head unit out of the dashboard with a tire iron— or a big screwdriver, or a crowbar— doing $3500 in damage to get something they might be able to pawn for $100. Didn't touch the flat-screen televisions or any of the other stuff. Didn't even search any of the cabinets or drawers. Probably because they could see the Kenwood unit through the window they broke to get it, but the rest of the vehicle was too dark to see anything.

See it, want it, take it, that's all a smash-and-grab thief understands.

[Friday]

Stereo theft is so 80s... there is hardly a car that can accept a DIN sized unit anymore.

Sadly, people recognize Airstreams and know they are expensive. They make assumptions on what they might find inside. We clear ours out for the winter, even though nothing is of spectacular value.

As others have noted, it is easy to do 1000's in damage getting things of trivial value. You can easily total an Airstream with 5 or 6 good hits with a hammer...

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Friday

Sadly, people recognize Airstreams and know they are expensive.

I think they recognized a big expensive Mercedes, not an Airstream, in my case.

Stereo theft is so 80s... there is hardly a car that can accept a DIN sized unit anymore.

Well, the one they stole from my Interstate was a Kenwood DNX-7160, with touch-screen display, integrated Sirius XM radio, Pandora, Bluetooth speakerphone, Garmin GPS, iPod dock, the works. The theft technique was 80's, but what they stole certainly wasn't…