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The Unhandy Man - Dix Brow

Thwarting the Thieves

When it comes to protecting your valuables, out of sight is out of mind.

“Safety is no accident.” That’s a great saying, and it applies to all kinds of things—safe driving, safe eating, safe s—, oops, better not go there. Family magazine, you know. Anyway, the safety most of us RVers are most concerned about most of the time is how to protect ourselves from theft.

As we travel around we are more vulnerable to somebody snatching our valuables (bikes, cameras, etc.) than is someone who stays at home and keeps all his goodies behind locked doors. So what can we do about the risk? Two words: Be careful! End of column. Thank you very much. Goodbye.

Oh yes, I suddenly remembered a few things I forgot to mention. How can you tell if you have pulled in for the night at a sub-par RV park? Simple. Look around. If all the bicycles you see are chained and padlocked to trees and telephone posts, assume there is a reason for that. Hang on to your valuables at such a park. It take less than five seconds to toss a loose bike into the back of a pickup truck, and running after a truck carrying your bike away is a race you will never win. And stealing a camera from a picnic table can be done as fast as a shutter click.

How many other highly portable items do you carry on your trips? Fishing rods? Golf clubs? Laptop computers? Cell phones? Credit cards? There’s an enormous crop of easilygrabbed items lying around in cars and RVs just waiting to be swiped.

Your best defense against pilferage is to not leave tempting valuables on the seat of a car where they are visible to anyone passing by. “Out of sight, out of mind” is a tried-and-true anti-theft rule. Make certain the stowage compartments in your motorhome are shut and locked at all times. Don’t even think about taking your Rolex watch or your five-carat diamond ring on a camping trip. Whom are you going to impress? The squirrels?

Be selective about where you roost for the night. I know that many RVers opt for various “rent free” overnight spaces, legal or not. Highway rest stops, mall parking lots, churches and fraternal organizations are popular retreats. Pulling off to the side of a seldomused road can look attractive to a tired driver; I’ve stayed in similar places myself over the years. But my sense of adventure is not what it used to be. These days I’m happy to trade dollars for a safe night’s rest in a secure place on my way to the next preserve.

Can you spot a thief by his or her looks? Not really. You’re more likely than not to jump to wrong conclusions. Judge instead by what people are doing. Cars cruising aimlessly around a golf course parking lot or a beach area—anywhere that vehicles are left unattended for an hour or more—could very well be occupied by thieves out hunting for loot. There is one physical feature, however, that is worth noting. Often, thieves are young enough to be agile and quick. In my volunteer police work, I have never met any thieves plagued with arthritis.

In the event you do suffer a loss, it’s important to have marked your property so that you can identify it when it is recovered. There are various methods of identification that are commonly used. Etching in your driver’s license number is one way. Check with your local police to see what is being done in your area. Some police departments will even lend you etching tools.

Does all the above mean you should change your vacation plans, your RVing lifestyle? No way! The overwhelming majority of the people we meet in our travels are as honest as you and I are. Go enjoy the aroma of campfires and pines. RVing is a wonderful, peaceful way of life, especially at Thousand Trails properties. It’s even better if you don’t get ripped off. Be careful.

Dix Brow is a contributing editor to TrailBlazer.