# Theft While Camping?



## TexanThompsons (Apr 21, 2009)

I have read of alot of mods being done to avoid theft in/around the OB. However, I know I have never actually met anyone in my 15 years of camping that has had anything stolen while camping. I'm assuming that some of you have had items stolen while you've been away from your camper for a while. I mean, when we go camping we leave all our chairs, mats, grills, bikes, etc outside whether we're there or not. Heck, I've even left a $2000 road bike outside one night (oops).

I hope none of you have fallen victim to theft while camping, but I wanted to see if this actually happens.

Just thought this topic might be kind of interesting to watch.

If its not, then just watch this band play and pretend they're playing a good CCR song...


----------



## 2500Ram (Oct 30, 2005)

I've never had anything stolen while camping. 
I did have an awning incident (Colorado micro burst of wind) while I was away and a few fellow campers stowed my broken awning and helped themselves to a few beers from the cooler I left out, I didn't mind that though.


----------



## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

I hope that no one ever experiences theft while camping, but, it doesn't hurt to play it safe?

If I am sightseeing or leaving the campground, I lock our trailer doors. I've never had a problem and hope not to either.....


----------



## Camping Fan (Dec 18, 2005)

I have seen a theft once while camping. Back in the tenting days (longer ago than I'd like to admit







) the friends I was camping with had some items stolen from their unlocked car overnight. I don't think it's a big problem, and when it does happen it's more likely someone coming in from outside the campground rather than a fellow camper. Regardless, ever since then I've tried to be careful to make sure that all valuables are secured overnight and the trailer is locked when I'm gone.


----------



## CalifRVers (Oct 16, 2009)

I have tent camped for over 25 years and never had a thing stolen, until this past February camping in our Outback at a KOA of all places the whole campground was hit during the night, just about each and every campsite had one thing or another stolen, the campground was packed too, various different items were stolen from campsites...we actually didn't know we were missing things until we noticed Sheriff vehicle after Sheriff vehicle pulling into the campground to take statements and reports, we decided to check out our vehicle and of course they went through our console and stole a few items, some of which were found thrown into the bushes...

So yes it does happen, when we dry camp our generator is always chained to our bumper and at the end of the day placed secured under our trailer out of sight...If we were to leave for an extended day trip we would secure our chairs, bikes, etc... Unfortunatly we live in a world where people think they can steal someone else's property, so I say lock up what you don't want stolen! I know we couldn't afford to simply replace our generator that we worked hard to purchase or our $100 chairs or several hundred dollar in bikes..

Julie


----------



## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

The biggest fear is teenagers stealing your cooler full of beer. I have been camping for years and had nothing taken and we leave everything out while we river raft or go on hikes. Part of it is due to camping out in USFS campgrounds that are a long way from anything.


----------



## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

I've never had anything stolen. We lock the trailer when we leave for the day, but honestly I'm not too worried about it. My mom tells stories of the time that they had a cooler raided before I was born, but that was a special circumstance because it was a Bear.







(No she hadn't left the cooler out, just choose to retreat when the bear walked up and headed for the cooler)


----------



## Up State NY Camper (Apr 7, 2010)

Once when I was a tent camper we got it pretty good. (20 or so years ago) We had our sleeping bags out to dry, not only did they get stolen, but our stove and coleman light and I think a few other things got stolen. But all in all, I believe camping is extremely safe as far as theft goes.


----------



## Chabbie1 (Dec 3, 2006)

Unfortunately, we have had things stolen. We also didn't even realize it until the police were making rounds taking statements. Several other campers had things like bikes and other expensive items stolen. Apparently, this was a problem with some locals (police believed it was some kids) coming into the campground during the night and taking whatever they wanted. They took our cooler of beer, a couple of chairs, and our gas can! Luckily, those things weren't real expensive, but it still makes you mad!

Needless to say, we haven't been back to that particular campground and we have never had a problem any where else.
We have always locked up the generator (and place it out of sight) and the bikes for peace of mind because you just never know.


----------



## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

We've never had anything stolen as adult campers, but there was an experience when I was a kid in the early 1970s. The people in the site next to us had someone actually enter their trailer while they were sleeping one night. The husband woke up to realize there was someone else in the trailer with them. The person fled when he figured out someone was awake.

Besides that, we get warnings from the parks staff almost every time we stay at a state park on the Washington Coast that coolers are routinely grabbed at night by local kids.


----------



## Rob_G (Feb 16, 2006)

Like some of the responses here, I've had coolers stolen when left overnight.

The last time this a happened, our refrigerator was out of service at the time and friends let us keep our food in their unit. We had some medication for our daughter that we kept nearby in the cooler though. Sure enough, the next morning the cooler was gone along with the medication! Luckily, we found the cooler in the woods later that day with the medication inside but all of the water and pop was gone. We got lucky with that one.


----------



## Greg (Nov 12, 2009)

never had anything stolen while camping but my mirror that sits on the back of the tv that spins from bedroom to living room was stolen frame glass screws and all while being serviced at the dealer. Funny that all that was taken was a mirror and not a tv dvd player or anything like that


----------



## Rip (Jul 13, 2006)

Cooler full of beer and pop stolen at Ocean Lake Myrtle Beach that's all I ever had stolen !!! Ur right KIDS!!!! Learn a lesson will never happen there again will lock in truck!!!! Lots of people camping there had it happen


----------



## Bennitt5 (Aug 22, 2008)

Years ago while tent camping some guys took my cooler of beer. Funny thing happened though the people next to me watched them and told me who took it showed me where they were. So being younger and wilder I walked over said hi to them and proceded to go in their tent and pick up my cooler said thanks for watching it and went back to my tent with my cooler and not a word was said. Ever since then I tend to lock up things of value.


----------



## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

We always take reasonable precautions AT the campsites, but I'm more concerned about someone tampering with the camper when we are ENROUTE (ie. stopped for a meal, getting gas, stopped in BIG traffic, etc.) There have just been too many stories of folks (kids or otherwise) messing with the camper. I really don't want to even have to think about it our travels. To that end, we have made several outside mods like locking the Spare Tire in place, adding locks to the Cargo Bay & Awning, & locking the Truck Tailgate. The camera on the back of the Truck AND Camper also go a lonnnnggggg way in adding security!

Of course, the camera MONITOR was stolen out of the truck cab during the day while parked in front of NorthernWind's home in Ontario, Canada!!! Probably kids and probably REALLY annoyed when what _they_ thought was a "GPS" didn't work ....


----------



## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

Yet another reason to change the locks on your storage compartments to combi-cams.


----------



## clarkely (Sep 15, 2008)

I personally, rarely lock the doors......... i figure it is so easy to get into any petty thief could break in if he wanted to......

However.....2 weekends ago we were camping an a cruiser came into the campground like three times coming and going...... rumor had it that during the previous week 16 trailers were broken into...........

Ya never know anymore....... but I will leave it unlocked....and leave a light on for you


----------



## mikenkristipa (May 11, 2008)

I was wondering why that cruiser came thru.

The only time I was worried about any theft was at Gettysburg a couple of years ago. We were in a site right next to the tent area and a bunch of kids were camping in several tents. The thought had crossed my mind about being aware of theft, (profiling, I know) but everything went well. All except in the upper tent area when some guy apparently got into a fight with his girlfriend and two guys from another site had to come to her aide. We only knew about that because we asked the office in the morning why the police cruiser came thru the campground with light's on at 11pm.

There was also a time at Oak Creek (Maple Grove Race weekend) that my camping buddy and I were burning the midnight oil (around 1:30am, with beer in hand of course) around the fire and two guys walked into my site (next door) and had to be chased away. I think they may have been more saused than us, by the way. They grabbed a bottle of Black streak remover I had sitting on my table and were walking out of the site when we got over there. We just chased them off, then reported to the CG the next morning. I got yelled at for not calling them (the CG) on the spot. Apparently they had some vandalism in one of the Bath houses over night. So from now on, I will call at any campground no matter how late. At the time, I didn't realize how much they would appreciate the report.

Camping people are usually very respectful of their own equipment, so they are more adept to being respectful to everyone else's as well.


----------



## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

It seems like there are some of those in every camp ground. The people who are there to party, not camp. Of course the best partying is when you don't have to pay for it and just steal it from the site next door.

I have one of *these* and have thought about setting it up on the trailer, pointing into the camp site.


----------



## Lmbevard (Mar 18, 2006)

I had a bunch of raccoons steal two coolers with food in them at one of the state parks we were camping in, but I also was camping several years ago at a city park near here in an old VW Campmobile. Had someone steal my CB antenna off of the van while we were swimming. When we went to bed I had thought I had locked up all the doors but we woke up the next morning to the tailgate wide open. Someone had came back for the CB and found us sleeping in there. I didn't go back there for many years because I didn't feel safe. Recently they added a gate and lock it at night to keep rift raft out. Most of the campgrounds around here are gated anymore and you are given the code to be able to get in or out if need be. I always feel safer at a gated campground where the staff lives in the park and makes rounds. I'm willing to pay more for that service.

Other than that, we usually lock up at the bigger campgrounds when we leave and at night and I usually put stuff away at night.


----------



## Tangooutback (Apr 16, 2010)

Does anyone pack heat while camping?


----------



## birddog74 (Aug 18, 2006)

Tangooutback said:


> Does anyone pack heat while camping?


----------



## golfduke (Mar 6, 2010)

Tangooutback said:


> Does anyone pack heat while camping?


I never leave home without mine unless it is unlawful in the state I am visiting.

Funny story re: theft though-

I camp at the Nascar race in New Hampshire twice a year. Last year, we went to the races on Saturday and returned to find a note on my cooler- "Really sorry, we ran out of beer and could not drive to the store for more. I hope you understand." I laughed pretty hard at it. They stole an 18 pack from me. I wasn't out, so it wasnt a terribly bad situation. The next morning I was sitting under the awning drinking my coffee and reading the newspaper when two guys walked up to me from about 10 campers down with a 30 pack of the same beer that was missing. They apologized and gave me the 30 pack.

I still laugh when I think about the whole thing... only at nascar does someone steal your beer, leave you a note, then repay it back with interest the next morning


----------



## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

We had our cooler taken from our site once. Sat there and watched a bear take it and run 3 sites away with it before the kids chased him down and walked Yogi back....

Never going back there. I hear they have an ongoing problem with a couple bears causing trouble.


----------



## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Sayonara said:


> We had our cooler taken from our site once. Sat there and watched a bear take it and run 3 sites away with it before the kids chased him down and walked Yogi back....
> 
> Never going back there. I hear they have an ongoing problem with a couple bears causing trouble.


I agree, those parks can be real problems.....


----------



## The Stephensons (Jul 10, 2007)

Like "lmbevard" the only theft we've experienced is from the RACOONS ... back when we tent camped, they managed to pull a cooler off the top of another cooler on top of the picnic table and dump out the contents of both - ransacked/stole all everything. We were more scared of them then they were of us - they didn't run off and kept going at it while we were trying to shoo them away. We learned our lesson never to leave our food outside overnight.

With the trailer, we always lock up anything of value at night and when we leave. So far, no incidents.


----------



## eoc1212 (Jan 6, 2009)

YES! We had stuff stolen at Pismo Beach, CA... big holiday weekend in 2007 or 2008. Not my trailer but by best friends. We had about 4 trailers and 3 trucks in our camping area. about 14 adults in trailers and tents. No assigned sites... All vehicles were in a big circle formation. My buddy locked up his generator to his bumper with a chain and lock. About 5 of us stayed around the campfire that night until 4.30AM, then went to bed (passed out). Sure enough come morning... the generator and three 5 gallon containers of fuel had been stolen. The generator was huge too... the kind with 2 handles and rear wheels. They snapped the chain with bolt cutter and it was laying there in the sand. There was a trail in the sand where they dragged the genie toward the beach and loaded it up on a truck. Tracks of the truck driving away...

Generator was obviously a big loss.... and this is when premium fuel was like $5.20 a gallon... so losing that hurt too! The balls these guys had to walk right into our site and do all this... while surrounded by trailers and tent campers... BASTARDS! We think they scoped out our site during the day...

Oh... last thing... we also had 4 or 5 dogs in the group... none of them made a peep! These trailers are insulated so well.. and with the heat humming at night... no one heard a thing...

I belong to a lot of forums but rarely post. Just like to read about others experiences and learn from others... but after heading this I felt compelled to post. Hope it never happens to any of you!!!


----------



## Chabbie1 (Dec 3, 2006)

eoc1212 said:


> Unfortunately, we have had things stolen. We also didn't even realize it until the police were making rounds taking statements. Several other campers had things like bikes and other expensive items stolen. Apparently, this was a problem with some locals (police believed it was some kids) coming into the campground during the night and taking whatever they wanted. They took our cooler of beer, a couple of chairs, and our gas can! Luckily, those things weren't real expensive, but it still makes you mad!
> 
> Needless to say, we haven't been back to that particular campground and we have never had a problem any where else.
> We have always locked up the generator (and place it out of sight) and the bikes for peace of mind because you just never know.


Pismo Beach is exactly where we had our stuff stolen too. We have not been back since!


----------



## forceten (Nov 14, 2008)

You guys use coolers and leave them outside? Me and my misses and 2-3 friends use our inside fridge and we have a 2nd fridge inside out roo garage. We have yet to use a cooler once we got our camper.

I have my honda 3k genny double locked to the inside of our truck bed. I would be pissed if somebody cut both locks and dragged it away. Only good thing I guess is if we drive anywhere the genny comes with us and doesn't stay at the campsite.

Anyone have trouble at state parks? We are going to one in another 2 weeks outside of dc to do some 1 day tours of our capitol. I'm a bot worried leaving our trailer alone each day even locked up. There won't be anything valuable in it, but i hate the thought of people stealing stuff.


----------



## Chabbie1 (Dec 3, 2006)

We used coolers when we had our tent trailer. We don't use coolers with our OB!


----------



## vtxbud (Apr 4, 2009)

Now sometimes kids who steal coolers just need a lesson....
Word has it you can now buy liquid Exlax.........Now if one were to add a liberal dose to say a few bottles of wine (cheap ones of course) with the screw on tops, left in a very obvious, inviting location (read baiting)
it may cause the perps to be somewhat preoccupied within the next 12-18 hours and at that time may not have any thoughts of larceny.


----------



## Fanatical1 (Jan 9, 2006)

I have not had anything stolen yet, and generally do not worry about theft. We do lock
the camper door when going to bed for safety reasons, but leave the door unlocked during the day.

I lock my truck because I often have a GPS or something of value in the cab. If I bring my Honda EU2000 generator, I keep that locked up (I'm not that trusting!







)

Bikes and a cooler are left outside for the taking. So far so good......


----------



## Just Add Dirt (May 5, 2009)

Ya'll gonna luv this one... We had a seasonal site at what is now Castaways in Ocean City MD. One September a couple years ago me and some friends went Tuna fishing and came back with a quite a few 60 - 80 pounders. We filleted them out and left the coolers full of tuna filets on ice, outside, overnight at our seasonal site. Well, the next morning about half the tuna was missing; about 100 pounds! At over $10/lb this was a big theft... 
Eric


----------



## CrazyAboutOrchids (Aug 10, 2009)

Went camping in Lake George a few years back, someone came into the site and stole a few totes worth of well seasoned firewood while we were sleaping; even got the newspapers and kindling. Creeped me out becuase our 3 kids were inside asleep while someone was at their bunkend lifting crud. We sort of had an idea who it was, but couldn't prove it. The campground gave us free firewood, but of course, it was the green stuff they normally have around. We always look at camping with the family as camping amongst decent folks, but decent folks don't steal.

I do lock up anything valuable in the truck at night, when we leave the site we 'lock' our pop up, but it's a pop up for crying out loud. Anyone with a butter knife has access to anything in there. We did have someone borrow our bikes one time, but they brought them back, just didn't return them where they were left so we knew it. I do carry stuff to lock them up now; toting off 5 bikes would be a tad obvious to someone; maybe, maybe not.


----------



## ROB & JUDY OUTBACKERS (Mar 9, 2007)

TEXAN THOMPSON, You thought we would listen to the band on your post before there were going to be any replies. I did listen to the band first, but we have been pretty lucky so far as to thefts. The only ones we have incurred were from that masked thief (the raccoon).

HAPPY CAMPING IN TEXAS


----------



## Irishcampers (Jun 27, 2008)

I grew up tent camping and have never had anything stolen. As an adult, we've not had anyone mess with our pop up, our last trailer, or our current Outback. We often camp in state parks, and have not had any issues with theft. I still lock the trailer when we leave, just like I do with the car.

From the animal front, we were infiltrated by pesky squirrels in the Thousand Islands region of New York. We accidentally left a can of nuts on the picnic table in the screen room. It basically served as an engraved invitation to the squirrels. However, we noticed that they seemed to be in screen rooms and on picnic tables throughout the campground. They would jump on the tables even if people were around -- very brazen even when you tried to shoo them away. They were clear -- this was their territory despite the fact we rented spaces.


----------



## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

Interestingly enough, this was on our local news today - click here


----------



## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

I may be paranoid but I lock up everything. What do you do when you are in the middle of nowhere and someone steals your hitch head or WD bars? I've changed the storage locks to combi-cams and I even made up a vinyl coated aircraft cable that I use to lock our bikes to the trailer bumper.

We were at a state park a few years ago when a teenager approached my wife wanting to know if she would like to buy a bike for $15. Wonder where he got that from?


----------



## TexanThompsons (Apr 21, 2009)

This has been an interesting read for sure. Honestly did not realize that petty theft happens more than I thought.

I guess a few more "new" mods are in order. Right now my propane tank door on the OB doesn't even have the universal lock the rest of my external storage doors do now.


----------



## Tangooutback (Apr 16, 2010)

Has anyone ever had their TT batteries growing feet and walked away?


----------



## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

My propane bottles, batteries and spare tire are padlocked to the frame with aircraft cable.


----------



## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

TexanThompsons said:


> This has been an interesting read for sure. Honestly did not realize that petty theft happens more than I thought.
> 
> I guess a few more "new" mods are in order. Right now my propane tank door on the OB doesn't even have the universal lock the rest of my external storage doors do now.


Technically you're not supposed to lock the propane door just in case of fire. Cable bother 30 lb tanks together and to the frame if you are worried about them walking....


----------



## TexanThompsons (Apr 21, 2009)

Nathan said:


> This has been an interesting read for sure. Honestly did not realize that petty theft happens more than I thought.
> 
> I guess a few more "new" mods are in order. Right now my propane tank door on the OB doesn't even have the universal lock the rest of my external storage doors do now.


Technically you're not supposed to lock the propane door just in case of fire. Cable bother 30 lb tanks together and to the frame if you are worried about them walking....
[/quote]

Would that be "technically" or "legally"?


----------



## CdnOutback (Apr 16, 2010)

TexanThompsons said:


> This has been an interesting read for sure. Honestly did not realize that petty theft happens more than I thought.
> 
> I guess a few more "new" mods are in order. Right now my propane tank door on the OB doesn't even have the universal lock the rest of my external storage doors do now.


Technically you're not supposed to lock the propane door just in case of fire. Cable bother 30 lb tanks together and to the frame if you are worried about them walking....
[/quote]

Would that be "technically" or "legally"?
[/quote]

or both?


----------



## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Don't know... I haven't looked for a law. However, I've had a couple people tell me that this is the reason there is no lock. Perhaps on of our resident fire fighters care's to comment???


----------



## crawgator (Sep 16, 2007)

As far as we know we were lucky until last year. We had beer stolen out of our ice chest and a brand new pair of men's leather sandals stolen. When we reported it to the 'member' campground, they replied it happens on the weekend with the teens tent camping. Hello do something then...

Another time at a state park again two different ice chest raided (they didn't take the cooler) my friend in the next site had a car broken into and a purse stolen. the car was parked underneath the front of a popup with a great dane weighing in at 190lbs. We had a camp stove stolen but only noticed when the bag for it was still empty.

We used to leave the trailer open when walking around the campground but I lock it now and double check the vehicles. I am paranoid now. I don't like the feeling of things being stolen from outside, I can't imagine if I know that they came inside my trailer.


----------



## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

rdvholtwood said:


> Interestingly enough, this was on our local news today - click here


Lo and behold this was front page news on the Lancaster Sunday News - looks they found who was breaking in trailers in Lancaster County, PA...Here is the article...


----------



## Irishcampers (Jun 27, 2008)

rdvholtwood said:


> Interestingly enough, this was on our local news today - click here


Lo and behold this was front page news on the Lancaster Sunday News - looks they found who was breaking in trailers in Lancaster County, PA...Here is the article...
[/quote]

Wow! So much for teenage vandal theories... Once again, life proves stranger than fiction.


----------



## billybigeyes (Apr 1, 2010)

We camped this Victoria Day long weekend at a Kekuli Bay provincial campground in Vernon, BC. The first night we were there several people (5) had their generators stolen as well someone lost a box of dishes. Second night some others lost items as well. The last night we lost 2 of our coolers along with serveral other campers. Shows that these days you have to lock up everything....Very Sad


----------



## fshr4life (Feb 7, 2009)

I personally haven't had any issues with theft while camping, but there's a guy that I work with who had his ENTIRE TRAILER stolen two years ago in Alabama. We're in the military and he was between houses moving his whole family from one duty station to the next. Their TT was loaded down with all of their important stuff, clothes, etc. They were apparently at a pretty nice campground (I don't know the name or exact location). They went out for dinner and when they came back, the entire trailer with all of their belongings was gone. They had no place to live when they arrived at their new post since they were planning on staying in their TT while they waited for a house, so they had to move in with another family for a while. He told me that his insurance company told him that this only happens to two or three trailers per year in the US. Unfortunately, he was one of the unlucky people it happened to. After I heard his story, I always padlock my hitch and I also put a lock on my scissor-type chock block between the tires. True, a determined thief could defeat both, but maybe it would make them decide to move on to an easier target as well...

JD


----------

