stolen power cord - Montana Owners Club

muzz · 10-26-2008, 08:27 AM

Hello everyone.I have been on this site since I bought our 2005 3475 Montana last year and never introduced myself.My name is Armand and I live in Virginia and keep our camper in a private campground close to Richmond.We really enjoy it and use it alot more this way than if I had to store it somewhere that it wasnt set up. I did have to buy a truck big enough to pull it. Hopefully next year.I had a leaking black tank that took me most of the summer to fix. We came down this weekend to use it and there was no power.Someone had stolen the power cord.The security officers said a whole bunch of cords have been stolen.My 300 dollar cord probably got them 10 dollars for scrap.I was mad but others had their cords cut and had to be rewired by an electrician.I just wanted to tell everyone to watch out because copper theft is really bad because of the bad economy.This website has been a big help to me. Everyone is so nice and knows what they are talking about. Thanks Armand

H. John Kohl · 10-26-2008, 08:49 AM

Sorry about the power cord loss. Glad you took the time to introduce yourself and please do not be a stranger.
Cheers,

stiles watson · 10-26-2008, 09:15 AM

What a rip!! A thief is a thief, economy or not. Sounds like you are very handy to make repairs. I, like you, have learned much from the forum. Welcome to active participation.

JimnJulie · 10-26-2008, 10:37 AM

Sorry to hear this, the old campgrounds aren't like they used to be. Not too long ago you could leave anything and everything out and nothing was bothered. Man I hate this!

Waynem · 10-26-2008, 02:08 PM

Armand,
Belated welcome. Sorry to hear you got ripped off.

What goes around, comes around, and one day those/that thief/thieves will get their come around.

richfaa · 10-26-2008, 02:21 PM

Sign of the times.There are folks who will always steal. Now folks will steal to feed the family.At home a law was passed that required positive ID to bring anything into a salvage yard. As the economy gets worse we will see more of this.Hope you had insurance.

ols1932 · 10-26-2008, 02:39 PM

A thief is a thief is a thief. What bothers me is that there is a smattering of security in every campground yet there never seems to be a thief that gets caught. There was a break-in in an Alfa fifth wheel just down the block from us. There was nothing taken. But no one saw a thing, and we do have some security. It was apparently some kids on bicycles who came in after dark, bypassing the entrance gate by going around the tire spikes in the exit.

An honest man will always be honest, but a thieving man will always be a thief.

Orv

CasaDelSol · 10-26-2008, 05:05 PM

It makes me sick to think people do these kinds of things. We had our old boat, a 23 foot Searay, stored at a marina on the trailer years ago. Some thief stole the outdrive right off the back!! We didn't notice until we went down one day and backed it up to the boat launch. When DH got out to put the plug in, he found no place to put it!! They eventually found the thief and he went to prison, but it cost us $1200 of our own money to repair and replace and the insurance company treated us like we were trying to pull a fast one. I felt like we were robbed twice at that point.

nghelwer · 10-27-2008, 01:28 AM

Welcome Armand to the MOC.

Sorry to hear about your loss. I ditto what others have said about thieves being thieves. With the way this econmy is we may see more of this.

I generally am a trusting person, however more and more I find myself securing item at our campsite. Most likely it won't stop a theif when he wants something of yours but it may slow him down enough toeither get caught or make him think twice about taking the time to steal something.

Never used to have to adopt this mentality in the the campgrounds that we frequent.

richfaa · 10-27-2008, 03:21 AM

The thief has the advantage of choosing the time and the circumstances to commit the crime. It would be almost impossible for the individual to prevent the crime. I will mention again.."basic needs" when the ordinary person, like us, can not provide the basic needs for themselves and their family, Food, shelter, basic well being, the rules of society go out the window and that person will do whatever needs to be done to survive You see that with the panic buying of fuel on the rumor that there may be a shortage, thereby causing a shortage. What would we do to provide our basic needs if we found ourselves without any resources to do that. Yes a thief is a thief..short and sweet..easy way to deal with the issue instead of asking "why" perhaps we do not care to know. I would hate to do harm to a person who is stealing from me to feed their family but I would not know the difference because a thief is a thief.. We do take extra precautions in these difficult times and part of those precautions is understanding and knowing what is going on around us. Lets all be careful out here..

DarMar · 10-27-2008, 04:42 AM

Sadly, but just another sign of the times. I would tend to be a little more tolerant of someone that has become so desperate that they turn to stealing as a ways and means to feed their family, but one can't tell which are the "honest" criminals. Just the little small vein of bleeding heart in me! Still as said a thief is still a thief and when you are their victim you have no sympathy for them at all!!! Let's all hope things get turned around in the near future.

bsmeaton · 10-27-2008, 04:54 AM

Welcome to the forum Muzz, sorry about your cord. That has been a periodic problem over the years (and I stress - over nearly DECADES).

Strange how rumors get started - fantasy expands on fact and now you learn it your cord most likely was taken by some out of work father trying to feed his kids because of the economy - hahahahahah - and I thought it was just a thief. Gee-zoots, maybe you should set out some canned goods and toys for the kids next time.

I was told by my Dealer to lock the cord to the ladder when we took delivery of our 2003 - and the economy was GREAT back then! (BTW, I never did because I like my ladder more than my cord).

stiles watson · 10-27-2008, 07:00 AM

I think the thief who steals as a direct result of the economy is an exception rather than the rule. Copper wire has been stolen regularly while the economy was in good shape. I most cases, it is the poverty of character rather than economic poverty that makes a thief.

HughM · 10-27-2008, 07:11 AM

A thief is a thief is a thief. For the #10 he gets for the copper in the power cord he won't buy much food for the family. However if he needs food for his family then I doubt any church would turn him down if his family needed food. I know ours wouldn't.
It's better to ask than to take.
Hugh

sreigle · 10-27-2008, 07:16 AM

Welcome aboard, Muzz. I'm sorry to hear about your loss but appreciate your giving us a headsup. It probably doesn't help much but I always tighten the locking nut just to make it require a bit more time to steal the cord. Maybe in that few extra seconds someone will see what's going on and get it stopped. Not likely, but that's about all I can do. Thanks again for the headsup.

muzz · 10-27-2008, 05:44 PM

Thanks for all the friendly welcomes!The security officers said it was a group of people that are living in the campground.I did not think you could live at a campground.I winterized it today and took my propane tanks out just in case.I guess I will have to unplug the cord when I am not there.No more leaving food in the fridge. Thanks again for all the comments. Armand

KTManiac · 10-27-2008, 06:15 PM

Time for new "security officers". If they can prove who did the thieving and do nothing about it, what good are they?! The people that did this are still staying at the campground? I find this unfathomable!

CasaDelSol · 10-27-2008, 07:05 PM

What a shame that you have to take all those precautions. You should be able to leave your Monty without worry that someone will take things. Worse yet that there are "security" guards protecting your property!! Sorry you had to go thru this.

richfaa · 10-28-2008, 02:24 AM

Reality is a B@**h isn't it.

DarMar · 10-28-2008, 03:46 AM

It appears the dynamics of campgrounds are changing. How many are accepting people that need a place to live, preferring the steady revenue over the transient RVer? In fast growing communities where housing is either unavailable or unaffordable people are moving into campgrounds. In areas where large amounts of seasonal work is available or people are losing their homes people are moving into campgrounds. In Canada of course these people don't tend to become permanent residents because of our cold winter climate but as you move south I am sure it is a different situation. Like any other permanent type of community the regular problems will present themselves on a more regular basis.

You may also like: