Stolen Camper Trailers

[staghornflat]

That looks like a worth while investment.

[D4D]

Cheaper at BCF http://www.bcf.com.au/online-store/products/Cuda-Portable-Trailer-Alarm.aspx?pid=223425#Description

[austastar]

Hi,
  I think any sort of single alarm that is visible is a weakness, especially if it can be coated with gap filling foam or similar to muffle it without setting the motion detector off.
House alarms can be silenced like this if they can be seen.
I don't know the answer to the problem of theft apart from deterrents, barriers and locks, and must admit that security by obscurity is probably not going to be my option for much longer.

cheers

[Bird]

That was my solution

[Markss]

Really sucks to hear another trailer stolen!  I've thought of a really cheap way to put a location device on one:

Another option is to:
1. buy one of those cheap Telstra 3G Android phones
2. put a 12v point with a 12v to USB converter somewhere on the trailer
3. hide mobile phone and connect it to trailer 12v
4. sign mobile up to google latitude and share it's location with another gmail account
5. top up pre-paid data plan as necessary
6. small solar panel on trailer to continually charge battery

Google latitude gives you a really good idea where the phone is - thus the trailer.

[Dion]

Sad to hear of the theft.

Even sadder to read about trailers being stolen from driveways with people packed and ready to go on holidays!!!

Mine is locked away in a garage so is secure, but I hadn't even contemplated someone flogging it during the night before we go away - we often have it hooked up  ready to go, or at least out in the carport beside the Pajero ready for a morning hookup, and similarly leave it out if we get home late.  Time to think about a way to secure it while its outside for the night by the looks of it (though I have a 6ft high gate across the front of my place).

[Bluetongue]

Wow some good ideas there. Not sure about Gimp though! The mobile phone/google map method is a techies delight but some of the camper community may not be up to speed so the loud noise department is good!
What happened with my trailer was that I had the padlock and chain on the kerbside! The crim thought it was a complete freebie! My mistake was I should have put the chain on the roadside wheel. A bit more visible. So he drove off and we heard it and it sounded like a drunk skidding away after doing a u turn? but when we got up and looked out we did not notice the trailer was gone.
Even better there was a drain right there. Imagine the racket if he drove off and the wheel dragged the grate out and the wheel seized too! Bang crash screech.

I wouldn't mind the CT damage if it allowed me to catch a thief in action. They might even have to run from an armed trailer owner. That would abandon, possibly, their personal vehicle, or is it stolen?

gqcamper/Steve that is very interesting about your location and the circumstances, dark 4WD and 4:00am seems to be the same Modus Operandi. Did you see the make/model? the police have told me a make/model from CCTV.

Also a CT was stolen from Winston Hills in August from outside a home on one of the main roads. It's listed on http://campertrailers.org/stolen.htm along with another recent stolen CT at Blacktown.
It's getting ridiculous!
I'm thinking besides all of our personal methods of securing the trailers perhaps all of the members should be emailed by all Camping/Caravan community websites and warned to be in a state of heightened vigilance with the location and methods of securing your Camper Trailers. (silly isn't it I don't have one anymore and can't afford to get another one for a long time.)

[Campfire]

There is also a product you can buy called "data dot dna" this stuff can applied all over your camper and works like an invisible ID finger print which can be instantly matched to police records with stolen property. It invisible and can only be seen with a special light.

Website is : www.datadotdna.com.au or simple google " datadotdna"

Cost is $199 and you can order online

Cheers

Campfire

[D4D]

DataDot DNA Caravan and Camper Trailer Protection Pack Special $168.00
http://www.quicksales.com.au/vshops/item-themed.aspx?itemid=12078039&shopid=10165

[Bird]

DataDot DNA Caravan and Camper Trailer Protection Pack Special $168.00
http://www.quicksales.com.au/vshops/item-themed.aspx?itemid=12078039&shopid=10165

Contact them, see if you can get a deal on 50 of them.

Im sure theres 50 forum members that would be interested. I did the last bulk buy

[Paul (SA)]

I know a bloke who put signs on his bus saying he was the local snake catcher and there were live venomous snakes inside. Funny his bus was never touched.

Sorry to hear there are some lowlifes out there.