Security and Your Airstream at Home, and Away.

[Lily&Me]

I carry a small hatchet....would work for self defense, as well as chopping things.

I'm not too concerned about it, really. Locked up, it would be very difficult to get into the Interstate.....and, the truth is, break-ins happen on occasion, but they simply are pretty rare, especially in a campground/when occupied.

Doug always said "bad guys want a sure thing", and I believe that was and remains valid.....if they can't see thru your tinted windows, they don't know that you aren't holding a shotgun or something equally lethal.

Unlikely they are going to try to break their way in when they don't know who or what is on the other side.

Reasonable precautions, wherever you are, and store in a safe area.


Maggie

[polarlyse]

I keep a canister of pepper spray near the door. Any suspicious strangers come-a-knocking it's right there just in case. If traveling in Canada you can get it labeled as Bear Spray and I gather that they will permit it. But as pepper spray it is prohibited.

[Len n Jeanne]

Maybe a good rule re: your property and personal safety while RVing is to simply take whatever precautions you would normally take at home-- allowing an extra margin for the possibility of getting into less safe situations. We insure the house and lock the doors at home, ditto for the Bambi. If we're in bear country in our backyard in BC or away, we take bear spray.

I forget what thread it was on (maybe one about overnighting at Walmart) where some of the same discussion came up, and a retired law enforcement officer noted that statistically, the likelihood of campers being attacked is really low. Maybe he didn't use the comparable of it's about as likely as being struck by lightning, but that was my take-away message.

We've been camping and back-country hiking for over 50 years, and I can think of only three episodes where I was worried about anybody, yet in retrospect, I think these individuals were harmless. Rough looking, perhaps; drunk out of his mind once, but harmless.

What has worried me more (as a woman) were two episodes at the restroom at the Furnace Creek campground in Death Valley NP, where two different men were standing right by the entrance to the ladies' room with large dogs. One on a long leash and the other unleashed. I had to walk right by them simply to wash up. I like dogs but I don't approach a strange large dog at close range. I had to ask these guys to restrain their dogs, simply so I could brush my teeth. And I had no idea who these guys were! They could have been sexual predators for all I knew.

It turns out they were standing guard to "protect" their wives who were using the facilities. "From what?" I asked them. "Old ladies wielding toothbrushes?" They didn't answer me. Maybe they were from the big cities of SoCal where park restrooms are vulnerable to human predators, but honestly. If people go camping where they feel unsafe, perhaps they should reconsider their recreational options.

Staying in a CG with campground hosts, in a gated RV park with a security system, and calling 911 are all options. Nothing in life is completely safe, and at some level, we trust the universe to get us through our next camping trip or RV storage arrangement. So far, so good.

Jeanne

[Rhino33]

Originally Posted by BoldAdventure

We lock the Airstream, carry good insurance, including floaters, and use a hitch lock, plus I wrap the chains and double lock those. We've been on the road almost a year now, exclusively boondock and it hasn't been an issue. You generally find like minded people in the wilderness. I'm more worried about cities and parks than I am of boondocking these days.

I've thought about a wheel lock, but I'm less paranoid now.

Thanks to everyone who suggested locking the tow chains. We have the hitch lock, but the chains would definitely add a layer of difficulty to the equation. Now I'll just have to remember where the keys are to all of the locks!!

[Len n Jeanne]

Yes, including the spare keys. If you're like me, you're liable to misplace the first set.

Just on the personal security front, a true story suitable for the Christmas season.

We were camped in a remote northern forest campground. There were many other campers around us, but who knows what kind of people they were? It was a dark and stormy night. Len was already in his PJs, reading in bed. There was a knock at the door. We had no firearms, no pepper spray.... just an old dog who doesn't bark or bite. Fearing the worst, I cautiously opened it.

There was a fellow camper, dripping wet, hoping to be let in. I did, and it turned out he was the other Airstreamer on our loop, a retired MD, just wanting to meet & greet. He was active in the Airstream club, and when he learned that we were not members, he ran back in the rain to his AS to get the membership forms for us to fill out. We chatted for a bit about his club chapter, and then back he went back into the rain and darkness, leaving a gift of good will.

So Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

[ColoradoLady]

My security measures: good insurance, wheel lock, hitch lock, secure chains with double and looped chain locks, assure all doors and windows are locked, use gate/ coded locked storage facility.
When in or near Bambi: marine air horn, strong tactical flashlights, bear spray, taser, 38 S&W with laser pointer......also, a little yapping dog! Keep vehicle key fob in reach, as alarm on SUV is also a good deterrent if someone is fooling around your rig.
All that said, use good common sense and instincts when stopping for a night, or camping. If it does not feel safe and secure...or if camp neighbors appear unruly, drunk, or drugged....I simply move on.

[switz]

A company named "BOLT" makes padlocks, trailer hitch locking pins and cable sets that can be keyed to YOUR truck ignition switch. Thus reducing the number of needed keys for all the locks to one you will have with you all the time.

http://www.boltlock.com

[labtopia]

I've been full timing in a relatively sketchy area of ATL next to my office for about 7mos, my best defense has so far been the high round the clock activity of the GREYHOUND DEPOT here and the across the street neighbor is a steel facility that wakes at 4am. Both have lots of traffic (but i'm off street) and MAIN STEEL has great outdoor lighting round the clock. Its always the shadows that causes problems that attract. My trailer is very visible and hard to miss if something weird is happening to it. I opted for a master hitch pin lock in tandem with a STEAL SHIELD welded to the frame that the chains can also fit in. I've had some odd moments i have not felt comfortable but recently picked up a permit and a firearm and i feel not trigger happy but much more at ease having only a machete and a bunch of sushi knives previously... on the outside i only have a simple hasp lock with a higher grade master lock. on the inside i have a really big slide bar lock, so they gotta come through the windows if I'm in there. Hope to never have a story of a problem (or one about me) but feeling better now. I think for me the other benefit is it's a 22ft 1958, so maybe it doesn't look like there's a bunch of great stuff in there...

and my mom gave me this for xmas that's going on the door...
ATTACK XMAS! - 180 sq/ft-My Journey to a Simpler & Sustainable Life

oh also i got a PIPER NV appliance that is wired to my DC and gets out through my full time wifi so i can see and talk to the cats-and hopefully not robbers...

[Tarcoola]

Hey "Switz", great feedback regarding the Bolt locks - having a variety of locks using the same key sure does simplify things a lot. Was on their website and they have a good selction.

[xrvr]

Originally Posted by Len n Jeanne

Yes, including the spare keys. If you're like me, you're liable to misplace the first set.

Just on the personal security front, a true story suitable for the Christmas season.

We were camped in a remote northern forest campground. There were many other campers around us, but who knows what kind of people they were? It was a dark and stormy night. Len was already in his PJs, reading in bed. There was a knock at the door. We had no firearms, no pepper spray.... just an old dog who doesn't bark or bite. Fearing the worst, I cautiously opened it.

There was a fellow camper, dripping wet, hoping to be let in. I did, and it turned out he was the other Airstreamer on our loop, a retired MD, just wanting to meet & greet. He was active in the Airstream club, and when he learned that we were not members, he ran back in the rain to his AS to get the membership forms for us to fill out. We chatted for a bit about his club chapter, and then back he went back into the rain and darkness, leaving a gift of good will.

So Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

We never open the door for anyone either at home or camping unless we know them. We yell through the door and look out the window to see. After checking them out, then we make a decision.

[tjdonahoe]

We have been all across the USA and Canada and never had any problems, just lock our door, if someone wanted to steal the as, so be it , we have plenty of insurance and I am not going to worry about it.. My 2 cents..

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by tjdonahoe

We have been all across the USA and Canada and never had any problems, just lock our door, if someone wanted to steal the as, so be it , we have plenty of insurance and I am not going to worry about it.. My 2 cents..

That's how we roll as well.

[Zybane]

Originally Posted by switz

A company named "BOLT" makes padlocks, trailer hitch locking pins and cable sets that can be keyed to YOUR truck ignition switch. Thus reducing the number of needed keys for all the locks to one you will have with you all the time.

http://www.boltlock.com

Who uses ignition keys anymore?

[Zybane]

Originally Posted by tjdonahoe

We have been all across the USA and Canada and never had any problems, just lock our door, if someone wanted to steal the as, so be it , we have plenty of insurance and I am not going to worry about it.. My 2 cents..

Not sure why so many people just say "we have insurance so we don't worry about anything". Insurance isn't a magic wand that makes everything turn into a rainbow.

1. They will only pay your depreciated price of the trailer, which may very well be less than what the value is to you.
2. You can be stuck in the middle of nowhere.
3. Personal effects and valuables are sometimes very hard to replace if impossible.
4. File a police report, wait for insurance check, wait for a new Airstream to be built or find a used replacement.
5. All the time and effort making the Airstream yours, preventative maintenance, etc all down the drain.

A little bit of security can go a long way, as insurance isn't a cure all. It's simply the last resort.

[tjdonahoe]

Have good insurance....