A bit OTT or just being cautious?!

[Wendy-Norfolk]

We're on a very quiet, no facility CC site in Cornwall, which isn't no where near full,so nothing at all untoward.
A couple of days ago, a caravan took up an adjacent pitch, the occupants appear to be a youngish couple with two little dogs, nothing strange about that! When we were returning from today's outing I couldn't help but notice the guy in the caravan had secured both his water containers, watering can and black plastic bucket with a chain and padlock which are threaded through the handles. Now, I understand that there have been incidents of bikes and other equipment being pinched from one of the larger and more popular CC sites, but surely this is a little OTT on a site like this, and a bit of an insult to think that fellow caravanners, on a member only site would be that interested in nicking a £1.99 bucket and £2.50 watering can???
The ironic thing is that, there is a free standing TV ariel, and various other items of equipment which are left unsecured around the pitch. I know it's a case of ETTO, but I must say, I find it rather odd!!
Do other forum members do this sort of thing?

 

[John_374564913]

Personally I do not but I was talking with one caravanner and he said he had a top from his waste water stolen
so some people must be so hard up they cannot afford £3 pounds so need to resort to theft
sad really when the majority of people on site are the salt of the earth

John

 

[mikecandsarahb]

i will chain up water and waste, sat dish, genny if i ever use one, bikes spare gas, ive spoke to people who have had thing knicked and for a £2 bike lock i can save £40 for a new aqua roll, oh and to the bucket i used to carry one on the back of my truck this was stollen off the back when i parked up for the loo,in the services.
mike

 

[trickydicky]

Hello Wendy,
I chain the caravan to the car when we're parked up at the services on the motorway,to deter any oppurtunist thief.Otherwise I dont bother chaining anything up.It's a sad reflection on society that these things happen,but its not surprising .I think a lot of theft is by those coming onto sites,low life druggies and the like who would steal anything for a quick fix.
Cheers Richard

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Wendy,

I agree is does seem sad, but there are a few very thoughtless and selfish people out there who think nothing of stealing and the difficulties and distress it can cause.

You were lucky, it seems the caravan that joined you may have been a victim at some time in the past and has taken steps to prevent a recurrence. but consider how would you have reacted if found something of yours had been stolen and you had suspicions it was the people in the caravan next to you?

It seems that society now dictates that if we want to keep what is ours we have to take steps to prevent it being stolen, and all too often the culprits may be known, but for one reason or another the law can't touch them.

It seems we are to blame for being victims, but the culprits have a valid excuse for being anti social!

 

[Surfer]

I don't think it was OTT and I think the couple were being very wise. There is nothing worse that spending your hard earned money on a caravan and the bits and bobs and some thieving scumbag comes along and nicks it.
It happens on the best of sites and nto just CC and C & CC sites. We have been victims which then resulted in us buying a cable alarmd which was then fixed to the satellite dish, water barrels and anything else that was stealable. Sad world we live in!

 

[mcghee]

maybe he's had his water containers pinched before, once bitten twice shy. or maybe he lives in an area where you could get the sugar pinched out of your tea, and thinks everyone else is the same.

 

[Robtel]

and a bit of an insult to think that fellow caravanners, on a member only site would be that interested in nicking a £1.99 bucket and £2.50 watering can???

Don't take it personally Wendy I'm sure he doesn't think you will steal anything but may well have reason to believe others might "visit" the site for the sole reason of seeing what easy pickings are to be had.
I have one of those battery powered alarm cables that you can buy from the likes of Towsure, you can threda them through your water and waste containers then through the van chassis or similar before locking it back on itself. Any attemp to cut the cable results in loud alarm. Had it for years but never used it, although I have at times seriously considered starting to put it to use when I read various reports of items going missing. Been caravanning for 26 years and never had anything stolen from the awning or the caravan but that does not mean that it can't happen.

 

[Timbo1]

When I went to pick the van up from storage to go on holiday last Friday somebody had nicked both dust caps off the tyres and one coachman badge that goes in the middle of the wheel. Paltry.

 

[Wendy-Norfolk]

Thanks for all your comments.

I have to say, I've never come across this sort of thing before - well maybe never noticed it! It's certainly a sad state of affairs when people feel that they have to resort to these sort of measures in order to secure their property, something we've never had the need to do in our 30 years of caravaning.

 

[andy72]

I wouldnt chain up anything like aqua roll, waste carrier etc. In fact i even left my 5yr olds bike in the awning while we stayed at Barnard castle C&CC site. Maybe becasue it was quite remote, and the other campers were either nice young freindly families doing the same as us or older folks with motorhomes. I like to think that something positive still remains in people that use caravan sites, especially club ones. I would probably take a different view on the big commerical sites as they can attract a range of people, including undesirables.

However, my faith in human nature was dashed last week when i found someone had nicked the nut that secures my stabilser bar on my tow hitch. It probably took them 2 minutes to unscrew it!. Now on the look out for a new one