Someone tried to steal our Montana - Montana Owners Club

Potvin · 06-17-2006, 06:09 PM

Someone tried to steal our Montana at 3;30 in the afternoon while we were at work from our driveway.
We have a special lock on the pin that we had purchased at our dealer. We were lucky my neighbour looked out her window and she saw two men with a torch. She decided to go ask them who they were because we never told her someone would be coming to do work on it. She walked over by the side of the fifth wheel and took them by surprise. One guy was in the drivers seat and other picked up his tools and jumped in the truck as they did this she wiped the mud off their licence plate as they drove away. I told her she was very brave. She could of gotten hurt. She got the plate number and description.They also slashed my tires on my car. The police figure they did that so that if someone was home we couldn't chase them . The police told me that there has been alot of fifth wheels being stolen and sold on the black market. I can't believe it. Thank god we had the lock on the pin otherwise they would of just driven up and hooked up and be gone in 5 minutes. Does anyone have any ideas to share with me on how they lock there Montana's up? Right now my neighbor has lent us a car to put in front of it. I have also opened the slides. You just can't trust anyone anymore.

Glenn and Lorraine · 06-17-2006, 06:21 PM

WOW! You are one lucky individual and you have a very brave neighbor.
Were the police able to run the tag?

Fordzilla · 06-17-2006, 06:40 PM

We generally run the slides out when we arrive at home and leave them out until next trip out. Glad to see the lock deterred the would be thieves long enough for the neighbors to scare them away. I am one of those paranoid people, I lock everything up even if we are home.

Montana_1240 · 06-17-2006, 06:42 PM

Sheesh! Some people.

Glad you have a neighbor like that. I hope you buy her flowers, or take her for a good dinner!

Trouble is, (as has often been said here,) locks only keep honest people honest. I truly doubt there's a sure-fire way to defeat theft.

If you can deter it a lot, you may just be left with destruction, rather than theft.

I hope they track those losers down. Bet they have a mile long rap sheet, too. Such people are often left on the streets by the all-too-lenient system.

Steve

H. John Kohl · 06-17-2006, 06:48 PM

What scares me is they had a torch for the pin lock. The only other convenient place I can think of is running a chain through the openings in the tire rims and chaining them together.
I sure hope you can catch them and I guess the neighbor and neighbor watch group really works in your area.
Cheers,

JH Sechelt · 06-17-2006, 08:52 PM

Good neighbors are hard to come by these days, glad you have one.
that has to make one think a little. Nothing is sacred any more.

J&D

steves · 06-17-2006, 11:45 PM

Wow....That's scary! I am too trusting and never do anything to lock my Montana. After reading your post I will get a king pin lock. Glad they didn't do any other major damage to your Montana. Too bad about your tires but in the scheme of what could have happened they can easily be replaced. You have a GOOD NEIGHBOR....a lot of people would not have done what she did. Let us know if the police catch them.

uhftx · 06-18-2006, 01:00 AM

I'm sorry that happened to you. Thank god for your neighbor. Neighbors are wonderful. Especially the retired ones that are home all day, and take great care of their property.

I hope the police catch these thief's.

I guess you really don't know what is happening all day when you are away at work. A friend of mine installed a bunch of X10 wireless camera's around his home and has it hooked to his computer. He can log on and check his property anywhere he has an internet connection. I think one of them is a motion detector type. He said he has seen so many people using his driveway to make U turns that he never imagined.

This obviously wasn't some teenagers just causing destruction and mayhem. I hope they find them and charge them with attempted grand theft or the Canadian equivalent.
I'm glad you, your neighbor, and the Monty is safe. Too bad the cops weren't called first.

Montana_1240 · 06-18-2006, 01:39 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by uhftx
I hope they find them and charge them with attempted grand theft or the Canadian equivalent.

I think that'd be Attempted Grand Theft EH?

Steve

P.S.

I do love the idea about the web cams. Such witnesses are hard to come by in court.

S.

Bill and Ann · 06-18-2006, 01:45 AM

Stewart and Lois: We keep our slides out (think the unit is tighter that way to keep the mice out.) We also have the king-pin lock. I usually put the unit a bit lower after unhooking the truck and use a battery disconnect switch (which isn't in plain view) so the unit can't be raised to hook-up.
How's the house coming?

ols1932 · 06-18-2006, 01:59 AM

We are full time, however if we are parked somewhere and are going to be gone (even if in an RV park), I lock the king pin. That way it sure to be somewhat of a deterrent. I like the idea of chaining the wheels, but a torch would cut them too.

I'm happy for you that you had a good neighbor.

Orv

richfaa · 06-18-2006, 03:04 AM

Our truck is parked in front of the camper and since it is a TV only it is always there/Also have a motion detector alarm in the camper.This is the first time I heard of a camper being taken...what a good neighbor,,did they track down the bad guys???

dsprik · 06-18-2006, 03:30 AM

Sounds like an organized group. I would think it would be hard to hide too many of those tvs required to pull bigger units. Also, I would think that an organized crime ring like what you describe going on around there, would become a priority for the local police and even the MPs...

TheCoachPotatoes · 06-18-2006, 03:52 AM

Stewart and Lois, So glad they were unsuccessful! Good neighbor! I would imagine a lot of these fifth wheels end up in parks, as I can't see how you could license one! Who knows as there are ways around everything. Friends of ours had a beautiful Hitchhiker fifth-wheel stolen 10 years ago, and it was never recovered. Thankfully, they had good insurance. In this case the slideouts were in and we mentioned to them that if they had them opened, it may not have been so easy to steal.

Just148 · 06-18-2006, 03:54 AM

There was something mention before when leaving your unit, move the door to the water closet over the shut in the floor. Every unit has the same CH751 key, which open your storge area and allow a supected thief to gain assess to the in side of the unit.

tbhd · 06-18-2006, 05:05 AM

Sure sounds like professionals with all the equipment they had and at 3:30 in the afternoon they were really bold. We live in the country and houses are pretty far apart. Woods all along the one side of the Montana and no close neighbor on that side. I know we will be buying a lock. We need to make a trip to Camping World soon.

cmp-shooter · 06-18-2006, 05:27 AM

THOSE SCUMBAGS,HOPE THAT DON'T HAPPEN TO ME ..I AM ALWAYS AFRAID...
THAT IS OF OVER REACTION.

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PS MAKE SURE TO THANK YOUR NEIGHBOR.
MAYBE REMOVE 2 TIRES AND BLOCKUP THE NO SEE SIDE.
[MINE IS ALWAYS PIN LOCKED..ALWAYS]

Glenn and Lorraine · 06-18-2006, 08:08 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Bill and Ann

Stewart and Lois: We keep our slides out (think the unit is tighter that way to keep the mice out.) We also have the king-pin lock. I usually put the unit a bit lower after unhooking the truck and use a battery disconnect switch (which isn't in plain view) so the unit can't be raised to hook-up.
How's the house coming?

I hate to say this Bill but that is a great idea or was it Ann's? Especially good if the trailer is not going to be used for a period of time.

As far as a king pin lock I use a length of chain with 1/4 inch welded links. I wrap it around the king pin tight enough it cannot be pulled off and padlock it with a good hefty Master lock. The chain is a total of 5 feet long and I use the remainder of the chain to pad lock the bicycles.

Montana_1240 · 06-18-2006, 08:26 AM

I recall that I was told about the infrequent theft of fivers by a fellow CW shopper when considering a tripod stabilizer. He told me to use the lock. (Well, A lock, since the one that comes with them can be popped with a TOOTHPICK!) I just couldn't believe someone would be so low. And seeing the associated King Pin Locks at CW kind of made me think all the more.

But, since there is not yet a lock or chain that can’t be removed/broken, I just cope with that anxiety by knowing that while we’d lose a load of personal items, the Monty’s insured. (The same trouble always came with the stick & brick home while we were away.)

The idea of having the TV in front of the rig is a great one. Especially if it’s up on blocks! (We cannot do that, I'm afraid.) It's slightly reassuring knowing that criminals are so stupid that I’m guessing that if they come across a vehicle that’s already the way they usually leave one, (wheel-less,) they wouldn’t be able to think about how to defeat that situation.

And let’s all be aware, (very aware,) that if some previously unknown poster comes on the forum and writes a premier post something like the following...

Can anyone tell me how those hanging-out things on a Montana can be made to go back into the trailer?

…We all have our “antennas” tweaked.

Steve

rames14 · 06-18-2006, 04:18 PM

Lois and Stewart -

So glad they didn't get your Montana. They probably were really after your recipe for omelets in a bag. As others have said, a good and brave neighbor is hard to beat. Although I also have friends like Smith and Wesson, I would have a hard time justifying using those friends unless mine or a loved one's life were in danger. Insurance will cover the other losses. Actually, with replacement cost insurance, it might be a good way to upgrade (just kidding). Hope they catch the scum and throw them in jail.

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