# Battery Stolen From Our Rv.



## Bear25314

This is more of a question than a mod but I was wondering if anyone out there has any ideas for me.

We have a 298re stored a few miles away from the house in a covered RV storage lot. Last night we received a call from the lot informing us that our RV battery has been stolen along with other batteries from other RV's stored there. They left a message so I am hoping that that is all they took. I will be headed over there later today to check it out for myself.

My question is, does anyone have a mod or know of a more secure way of keeping the batteries protected from theft? Anyone else ever have this problem and come up with a solution on how to secure the batteries better, rather than have them sitting in the plastic box that is supplied with the rv?

Thanks for you ideas in advance....


----------



## go6car

What a horrible thing to happen and thank goodness that's all that they took!

Here's a link to another forum that has some good ideas (and additional links) to some solutions...

CLICK

Battery Lock


----------



## CdnOutback

I would not recommend using chain and a padlock because there is always the chance of shorting if the chain touches the positive post. A plastic coated cable with a padlock would be a much better way to go.


----------



## kobuyashi

I work in the oil and gas field and we recently had a rash of battery thefts from our small compression units. The core charge for batteries has gone up and they are figuring that is a factor. We had to lock all of ours up.


----------



## Bear25314

Thanks for the replys y'all!

Well, just got back from checking it out. Looks like the whole rv storage site got hit. There were open battery storage boxes and cut straps under the nose of just about every rv stored there. Cut lead wires hanging down from all of them. Bastards. I hope the dam things blow up in there faces...

Always, at least there was no damage or break in to the units. I'm glad for that.

I'm thinking of when I replace the battery and put it back in the storage box on the front of the trailer, getting a chain and padlocking it in. I don't think taking the battery out and putting it in every time we use it is for us. I'd hate to damage the post and it's not very easy to get too. We do however have a "cut off" switch for when it's stored so I'm not worried about draining it in storage. Pissed though.......


----------



## Oregon_Camper

Sorry to hear about your batteries...that sucks!

Is your storage facility under any security? Camera? Locked entry gate? Stealing every battery on the lot is not an easy task...can't just toss them over the fence. Is the storage company doing anything to help find them?


----------



## Troy n Deb

I think you should find them and hook the batteries up to their Twig and Berries with jumper cables.


----------



## Oregon_Camper

Troy n Deb said:


> I think you should find them and hook the batteries up to their Twig and Berries with jumper cables.


....and post a video of it on YouTube.


----------



## CJ999

If you don't have to have the batteries hooked up while the trailer is stored, I would take them home. It's just too easy and too tempting for losers who take them straight to the nearest "battery recycler" and get cash for them. Unless the storage lot makes major changes, they'll keep coming back and helping themselves.


----------



## thefulminator

I use a piece of vinyl coated aircraft cable that fits around the battery so tightly, that it has to go between the vent covers on top or there is not enough slack to lock the lock. I know it's not theft proof, but considering how difficult it is to cut aircraft cable with bolt cutters, I figure it's a good deterrent.


----------



## jayger

The best way is to take them home and leave them on a battery tender, but what a pain.

I hate crooks


----------



## Justman

If they removed every one of them, it certainly sounds like they had easy access and a good bit of time.

A determined thief will get in regardless of what security measures you use. I'd use the bear in the woods principal here...you don't have to be faster than the bear, you just have to be faster than your friend. Applied to this situation, if you put a decent lock on it, stealing someone else's battery would certainly look more attractive than spending another 5 minutes getting yours.

You know, I have to wonder if these "battery recyclers" ever get suspicious when someone walks in with 25 batteries...hmmm...









The good thing about most thieves is that they're pretty dumb. They'll usually brag about it to someone and get caught.

Next big flash---how to protect your trailer wiring from copper thieves? I can see it coming...


----------



## raynardo

Superglue them into the battery box.

Engrave "Stolen from (your name)" unto the battery box.

If worse comes to worse, use one of those automatic critter cams to capture the thieves in action, then post your photos all over including the cops, of course.


----------



## CamperAndy

Justman said:


> Next big flash---how to protect your trailer wiring from copper thieves? I can see it coming...


It is already an issue and surprising that the battery thieves did not know to pull out the 30 amp power cords on the trailers to steal those at the same time.

There are a couple that have been reported stolen on here with them being replaced with detachable cords.


----------



## Bob in Virginia

Two years ago we had our battery stolen from a fenced, locked facility. Druggie jumped the fence and took several batteries. The lot owner replaced my battery. I bought one of the BD RV battery locks. Great design, it goes around the frame and battery box and is easy to lock up. Heavy duty steel. Have had no problems since locking it up.









Battery Lock


----------



## aplvlykat

Had that happen to us as well. You are actually lucky. The theives didn't know where they money was at. They stole both our batteries,wiring, both tanks, reguator, hoses and mounting bracket for the tanks. I had a 500 dollar deductable and all the replacement parts came to just over 550 dollars, ended up paying ofr it out of my pocket. The two tanks are worth more then the batteries. I ended up welding on the new tank mounting bracket, welded on hasps to the bottom lip of the new tanks and to the tank bracket, installed a steel inner sleeve on the tank/tounge cover and riveted some more hasps to it and welded the other part to the frame. Then I got 6 master locks all keyed alike and locked everything. My thinking was if they are going to steal off the front of my RV then they are going to have to work for it and maybe they will just move on when they saw all the locks. Seems kind of a shame you have to go through all of that just to protect something someone is going to get 20 bucks for. Good luck


----------



## Tangooutback

aplvlykat said:


> Seems kind of a shame you have to go through all of that just to protect something someone is going to get 20 bucks for. Good luck


With our economy heading south we can count on an increase in burglary and robbery while police protection will be cut back due to drop in property tax.


----------

