RV security

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When do you lock your RV?

  • Always. Everytime I walk away from it.

    Votes: 15 19.7%
  • When I am far enough away not to be able to SEE the RV.

    Votes: 36 47.4%
  • When ever I'm going to be away for an extended period of time.

    Votes: 15 19.7%
  • Only if I leave the campground.

    Votes: 6 7.9%
  • I never lock the RV while camping.

    Votes: 4 5.3%
  • I have a Pop-up/Hybrid, I feel locking it unnecessary.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    76

jaunvie

Member
Joined
May 31, 2020
Posts
23
My DH and I have been having a lively discussion about RV security. He insists on locking it if we move off the campsite at all, even just to cross the street. I feel we only really need to lock it if we leave the campground. This has resulted several times where I walked to the pool, or store, or something and came back to find the camper locked because he just ran up to the bathroom. I don't carry keys with me so now I have to wait for him to get back to get in. It's not a huge deal, but really annoying.

So, this started our discussion on RV safety. (BTW we plan on getting one of the keyless entry locks to try and make us both happy.) While I want our Rv, and the suff in it, to be safe, I kind of feel like it's overkill to lock it every time we get 50 feet away. And besides that, we have a hybrid. If a thief really wanted to get in, it shouldn't be that hard. But it got me wondering, what does everyone else do? I'm sure there are lots of diffrent opinions, so I thought I'd take a poll and see where the majority lie.

Bonus questions:
What other things do you do to keep the RV safe?
Do you lock it at night?
Do you use a coupler lock?
Anyone have the keyless entry? Do you like it?
 
When traveling I lock it anytime I am going to be out of site of the entry door for more than a few seconds, the exception possibly being if I am at a campground dump station.  For example when stopping for fuel when traveling solo I lock the door while fueling as my fuel fill is on the driver side of the coach.   

By contrast I never lock the door while the coach is in storage, of course I store it in a shed on the family cattle ranch, the shed is located in a field about a thousand feet behind a locked gate, along with between 3 to 5 bulls that weigh 2,000+ pounds, depending on time of year who keep the grass around the shed  mowed.

The bulls are relatively tame though one should not turn their backs on them, I suspect would be intruders do not know this.
 
We have keyless entry, but anytime we go to where we don't have the coach in sight we lock it, whether it's parked at home beside our house, at a camp site, or anywhere else.  Essentially it's the same as we do with our house or car. That was also true when we had a trailer without keyless entry. Is it that much trouble to carry a key?
 
I've heard of people too tired to carry a key.

Whether you have anything  worth stealing or not...?.lock it up.

It will spare you a headache later if a scrounge is lurking around, and waiting on you to be careless.

I know it's a shame to have to live like that, but, ???.
 
Lock everything up  nowadays. But I saw a video just lately with a representative of a repair company saying that there are so many TT s with the same key. I don't know if that's true. I lock my cargo doors too.  Of course if you have two entrance doors and mainly use one at a campsite, the dead bolt keeps the door locked and you cannot get into the door with a key. But at the end of the day a lock only slows the determined down.
 
In general, its always good to keep the coach locked. There are things that may reduce that need (location, neighbors, contents, etc) but its alwajys good to keep things locked. Until a keyless entry pad is installed, use a hideaway key and make sure you bring a key with you.

Another thing to research is security cameras, recorders and accessing the system from your phone while away if needed. The security systems can be the typical 110 volt home system for when you have 110 volts and you can use an inverter when needed. Security systems are also good to see whats going on around the coach while your inside or who is at the door. Very handy and most have audio too.

You can never be to safe. Always keep valuables out of sight and in places that are hard to find.
 
There is a sign on the door "Don't let the cat out no matter what she says"

Well the female cat, who liked to go out and explore (But always returned)
Traveled the rainbow bridge so she's no longer with me.

But the hope is heaven fobid a fire. someone might notice and get her boyfriend out in time.

 
I'll put it to you this way.  On one trip, at a KOA, I noticed that the door jamb looked like it had been jimmied.  I hadn't seen this before, so I asked my wife about it, and she said that someone tried to get into the coach - in the middle of the day, with her in it, although she did not realize that the person had used a tool to try and gain entry.

Another time, I was working on the same unit, and left to get something at the hardware store.  When I returned, several tools were missing.  This was also in the middle of the day, but at the large parking lot where I work.
 
Boat Addict said:
But I saw a video just lately with a representative of a repair company saying that there are so many TT s with the same key.
There is a lot of confusion about key "blanks". The blanks may all show the same number but that does not means they are all cut the same and open everyone's locks
 
I lock the door if I'll be out of sight of the RV. However, there are times when I need to leave the dog in the trailer with the a/c on. I don't lock it in case something happens and one of my neighbors needs to get the dog out in an emergency. Most of time I am camped in an RV resort with long term neighbors.
 
  But I saw a video just lately with a representative of a repair company saying that there are so many TT s with the same key.

My last PU was from a divorce. They had lost their key so the dealer gave them a "master" key. (One of 5-6 for their brand the dealer said)

I didn't really think much of it until I was at a campground one day and saw my neighbor pull up unhitch their PU and a few minutes later drive away without his wife and kids. They didn't set up camp and the woman was just sitting at the picnic table. I went over and asked if everything was ok. She said they forgot the keys at home. An hour drive away. So her husband was driving back to get them.

They had a colman like mine so we decided to try my key just in case and it worked just fine. Including the compartment doors and everything. We were both a bit surprised, but we had the entire campsite set up and she had started cooking by the time her husband came back. So he was probably the most surprised.  ::)
 
TheBar said:
There is a lot of confusion about key "blanks". The blanks may all show the same number but that does not means they are all cut the same and open everyone's locks
Ahh, but it's not just key blanks. It's actual keys on many trailers, and some coaches.
 
I guess I'm naive, or maybe a risk taker, but we rarely locked the RV in a campground as long as we were remaining in the immediate area.  Perhaps that was feasible because we avoided places where theft or mischief was more likely, though obviously that's a judgement call.  If we weren't familiar or comfortable with the place, we locked up.
 
I think the decision to lock stuff up comes from habit these days. Times have changed. We never locked our house or vehicle up when we use to go to the hardware store or the grocery store, or even at night years ago.  In the summer time we used to never close our doors since we never had ac as a kid. Things have changed over the years and evolution has taken place.  We have a former police chief that lives in the small community . The house the chief lives in was broken into at 1pm. in the afternoon after the chief had left home from lunch, a daily habit that took place for years.  Of course we concluded what they were after too.  An old slogan comes to mind. We always say that people close the gate after the horse gets out of the corral area.
 
1 - Generally don't lock.  Depends on the location. Front of the RV park along the boardwalk with public foot traffic - probably more locking. Back of the park, nicer park - no locking. I will always select spots deeper in the park when given a choice. I trust fellow campers way more than anyone in the public. State parks no locking.  Leaving the park for the day (or going fishing for 4-6 hours) - probably lock it.

2 - Security systems - I have 2 German security systems - Walther & Mossberg. I have a portable door alarm similar to the below link but rarely use it.

3 - I keep blinds and curtains generally closed.

4 - I do lock my bike trailer and when the bike is loaded I lock the bike to the trailer. Same with the boat and boat trailer. I have a paranoia that a decoupled trailer at a camp site is super easy to hook up and steal.

https://www.amazon.com/Lewis-Clark-Portable-Apartment-Flashlight/dp/B000SKZM0A/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=hotel+room+door+alarm&qid=1596113288&s=electronics&sr=1-4
 
Those portable door alarms are a good idea. But I saw a great suggestion on a travel video that fits here. Keep your vehicle key close to the bed so that if someone attempts entry in the evening just hit the vehicle alarm while you are inside. . That should change the mind of most intruders.
 
Really it depends on the campground and days of the week. On weekdays our local COE campground is like time travel back to the 50's. 3 year old kids riding tricycles in the road unattended and nobody considers it the least bit unusual. Of course all the campers are over 60.

I lived in a big city until I was 48 but would never go back. In a small town the crime rate may be the same but if that means only 1 house is broken into per year, and everybody in town knows who did it before the police starts their investigation, looking at the crime rate is a joke.
 
We're in L.A..  The moto should be lock it or lose it.  I was working on my motorhome a while back and left the garage door open.  My motorhome is next to my driveway so I have a clear view of the driveway and garage.  I don't know how but someone walked into my garage and helped themselves to one of my bikes which was suspended from the garages rafters.  The bike is a full suspension mountain bike and rather heavy so it's unlikely a young kids could have done it. 
 
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