Four Hours with the Police - Montana Owners Club

rames14 · 08-22-2008, 05:46 PM

Well, I guess it was only a matter of time. Went down to pick up the trailer to get ready for our out west trip and had a second flat tire in four weeks where we store our trailer. Went down to the campground office to complain and the manager asked if it was vandalism, because they also had a flat. Well, we went back out to look and found my basement doors all had been pried open. Looked and about ten more units also had open compartments. Called the police. Found a .357 speed loader on the ground outside the traier. I had a Colt Python that I had in the trailer while Terrie was in the camper alone for two weeks in southern Illinois. It was, of course, gone. Along with things like our laser inferometer for checking tires, some lawn chairs, pair of binoculars, two way radios, hammer, etc. Left the Honda generator and most of the tools. Took my fly fishing rod, reel, vest and tackle. Left the grill, fishing net, #10 tank, and torque wrench. Looks like they went up through the basement, into the hamper area and into the bedroom. They got stuff from the front closet all the way to back on the desk. It had to take hours for them to get through all of those trailers to that extent.

Locks are for honest people.

HamRad · 08-22-2008, 06:20 PM

Ron and Terrie,

How awful! Sorry to hear that. Sounds like they were getting ready to go on vacation from what you indicated they took!

Man you sure wonder about these storage places and their "security". Often have to wonder if somehow there isn't some "inside" help. Oh, well. It was just stuff! A real pain but still just stuff. Hopefully insurance will help out with most of what was lost.

Good luck and sure would be nice if they'd be able to catch some of them. With ten or more units being attacked it must have taken a huge truck to get all the loot out of the place!

Dennis

rames14 · 08-22-2008, 06:39 PM

Just realized they also got a five gallon can of gas for the generator. They also took the fire extinguisher, the rechargeable flashlight and went through all kinds of things in the trailer. The stuff they took was random, other than the handgun. How they found this stuff is amazing.

Skip · 08-22-2008, 07:13 PM

We have a 2006 3500rl and one of the things that the better half had me do was put a door stop on the toilet door, (the kind that flips up or down to keep the door from moving. When we leave the RV for any legnth of time she opens the bathroom door and puts the stop down on the laundry chute trap door. Not perfect, but makes it almost impossible to open the trap door from the basement.

PartyCrashers · 08-22-2008, 07:24 PM

Just wondering how insurance coverage is on a breakin of a RV?

I bring this question up, because a few years back we experienced a vehicle stolen (yes! A Honda...who'd would of quessed

).

The vehicle was found three weeks later. We have a great insurance company....been with them for 20 years. Full coverage.

But yet when it came to claiming the items that were in the vehicle that had been stolen, we could only claim "normal" items needed in a vehicle.

So leather jacket, sunglasses, fishing pole, etc.... were not "normal" items. We were told to go through our Home Owners Insurance.

The silly part......6 months down the road our car insurance company calls us up and wants to offer us this great deal, if we put our home insurance on the same policy...."I said keep talking" Well in the conversation they stated that the only thing is we could not have made a claim on our home insurance in the last three years....I told the later "well you blew that one, call me back in three years"

Has any body ever had to make a claim on their RV for stolen property?

bsmeaton · 08-22-2008, 07:33 PM

Sorry to hear that rames - hope all is taken care of with insurance. It's still not a vault, but we try to leave the bathroom door open over the laundry hatch while in storage. Ironically my wife does that when we camp too because I always leave the basement doors unlocked.

It is unfortunate you left a weapon in there that is now in the hands of a criminal.

rames14 · 08-23-2008, 02:41 AM

Brad -
That's the part that tears me up the most. I have always kept mine locked up, even at home. We were getting ready for our trip and had things in there that normally wouldn't have been. We have heard of leaving the door open to the bathroom, but as with many people I suppose, you never think its going to happen to you. The odd thing is, they took the time to go through from the front closet to the back of the trailer, with the slides in. They had to go into the closet on the top shelf with the bedroom slide in to get to the colt. They were able to gain access to the dresser drawers by opening the bed. Then, they took the time to put our Weber grill (granted laying on its side) back in and also the basket in the laundry chute. The hard part now is trying to figure out what all is missing. For instance, the laser inferometer - the took the device and left the plastic case. This is the second one of those I've had stolen. Someone broke into the truck a few years back at a hotel (it was winter time - Monty in storage).

richfaa · 08-23-2008, 02:45 AM

The worst part is that there is now a stolen firearm on the street that will most likely get into the very wrong hands. I am a gun person but we should never leave a firearm in a place we do not have control over. Stuff that they took is stuff that can be easily sold for durg money, Now they have a firearm.Hope it is recovered before it can do any damage. One should take pictures of items in the camper /car/truck and file them with the insurance company..They will pay IF you have documentation. Our camper stays at our home but it still has a alarm system.

exav8tr · 08-23-2008, 04:01 AM

Ron & Terrie, I am so sorry to hear about your loss. I surely hope they catch the low life thugs and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law, and then some..We will be photoing our rig this winter and working out a different premium with our insurance carrier. Most standard policies don't cover enough and, as Rich says, with photos and the increased coverage, they can't argue. Also copying serial numbers on everything.....It's a shame we have to do things like this. We flew to Alaska for a few days this summer and I left the bathroom door open over the hatch, BUT, you know, if they want in they can get in. I'm glad we don't have to store our unit anywhere. Again, Good Luck in recovering things......

Delaine and Lindy · 08-23-2008, 04:15 AM

Sad to wake up and read this. rames14 I feel for you, but just remember things like this happens. And as I have said many time, a thief is one lowest kind of person there are. Again our law aren't tuff enough. As for the weapon being taken, you can buy a handgun on most any corner in the larger city's. Make sure you get a copy of the police report and keep it in a safe place. My 5er is within 10 feet of the house. I very seldom lock it due to the cost of getting it repaired and our closest neighbor is a half mile away and its 45 minutes to Wally World. The door can be opened in less than a minute, just takes a screw driver. I never lock our storage compartments for the same reason. I had one 5er with the laundry drop to the basement, I sealed it off. It also tells you they knew something about 5th wheels or they wouldn't have known about the laundry drop. Good Luck with the insurance company. GBY....

Waynem · 08-23-2008, 04:18 AM

I think the key wording used is that the pried the compartments open. If they are really intent on getting in they will pry the entry door open, so you are no better off. Also, this happened when in storage, not at a CG.

My storage lot has 24/7 security, and when I'm not there, the owner drives in a few nights a week and parks in my slot watching the night security and other goings-on. They also have a video surveillance system, including one that takes your picture when you are punching in the buttons to get into the place. So far, so good.

What an unfortunate incident. Ron and Terri, I can feel your pain and disappointment in what has happened to you. I hope someone runs across some of your items at a garage sale or pawn shop and they catch the "culprits," and lock them up for a long, long time.

Heaven forbid should I come across a scene where someone is breaking into my property, or even someone else's. I know that I'm not as protected by amendment rights for protecting someone else's property, but you can be assured that when they were running away they would be leaving a brown streak!!

We wish you the best in recovery.

stiles watson · 08-23-2008, 05:24 AM

What a bummer!! Sorry for your loss. Seems like when they steal your stuff, they also steal your confidence and your peace of mind. Sometimes victims feel guilty because somehow they must have done something wrong. Not so, the thieves did what was wrong. Don't let them steal joy too.

Mrs. CountryGuy · 08-23-2008, 05:36 AM

Again, I have to ditto just what Stiles said, and said it so well.

Sorry for you guys, hang in there, and read Stiles' post again!

bsmeaton · 08-23-2008, 05:47 AM

In a perfect world..........

In my world, you get a ticket for warming up your car unattended in the morning because it entables thieves. Go figure.....

ols1932 · 08-23-2008, 06:31 AM

In 2000, just before we went full time, we also had our rig stored in a "secure" lot. Our rig along with several others were broken into and TVs, stereos, VCR/DVDs were taken, along with many personal items. Insurance covered the loss but the owner of the "secure" lot never even gave us a call about the break in. We discovered it when we went to pick up the rig. Some of the other rigs broken into sat all winter with broken windows and sprung doors simply because the lot owner never took the time to call them. The lot owner denied any responsibility for our loss. Never understood that, but decided it wasn't worth the money to take him to court.

Ours was broken into by springing the door handle. We had not locked the dead bolt, which I am thankful because other units had the windows broken so they (the thugs) could gain access to the rigs.

Orv

sreigle · 08-23-2008, 06:50 AM

Ron and Terri, I'm very sorry to hear about this. It's never a pleasant thing to have to deal with. Unfortunately, I don't think there's many ways to really secure those locker doors.

dsprik · 08-23-2008, 01:45 PM

One reason I am shy of storing my rig somewhere. I know it can happen in you in your own yard, but it is not nearly as tempting as finding a "secured" lot with more than one unit that no one comes around for days...

I want my rig where I can see it.

I know some don't have that option, though...

rames14 · 08-23-2008, 05:13 PM

First, thanks for all of the words of kindness. Our subdivision does not allow us to keep our trailer at or house. I have had visits from the police and the developer because I had it at the house after we moved in and before I could find a place to store it. It was stored at a Christain campground when the breakin occurred. Rich, I can't be in the house, camper and at work at the same time to "have control" over it like you obviously can. I do not even consider my 1000 pound safe as "having control". The fact that it was in the camper was an accident, in that it was with Terrie while our new grandaughter was being born and she was staying alone in the camper for several weeks. With all we have going on, Terrie just didn't bring it in and I didn't think to ask. Trust me, no one feels worse about that part than me. It happened to be in the closet, on the shelf, with the slide in front of the doors. How they even figured to look there is beyond me. I already hve the police report number and have documented everything for the insurance company. Monday we start that ordeal, with four days till we head west. Just what I needed. And, they did slash the tire - hole in the sidewall. And, since it was vandalim, Good Sam ERS wouldn't come out to change the tire.

cdaniels · 08-24-2008, 01:45 PM

Sorry to hear your news. By the time you head west you will need that vacation. I just hope you can go without the break in being in your mind. We are none perfect, things happen, and should of, could of, would of, always drives you crazy after something like this happens. We live to much in the past and future. When we are in the past... (yesterday) we are usually in the quilt mode, and in the future in the stress mode. You did the best you could at the time, so be it... and don't look back. We are human we learn from mistakes. Tomorrow is a new day, new beginning. Don't beat yourself up! Finish the paperwork and take a deep breath, get on the road, enjoy your vacation!It will all work out. It always does!

Emmel · 08-24-2008, 09:58 PM

Ron, we hope you can rest and relax while on your vacation, what an ordeal!
My brother stored his mh at a cg and it was broke into there and the guy that did it was a permanent camper there! Sometimes these thieves are very familiar with either your unit or one just like it. You may hot have to look too far for your lost items. I guess the best thing for him was that you weren't in the unit when he broke in, that means he's still alive.
Try to put it behind you and enjoy your vacation, we'll see you next month!

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