Use every lock, every time!

Parked up at a beach near Royan today, popped to a restaurant for lunch, back to the camper to get changed then onto the beach. Lovely meal, but we were being watched...

Within minutes of leaving the camper, locked and secure, or so I thought, some scummy opportunist had jimmied the front quarterlight, ransacked the camper and took the shorts I'd been wearing at the restaurant.

Now I know I dropped 2 clangers...One, I forgot to take the wallet from the shorts, and two, I'd not fastened the secondary lock on the quarter light...all the rest were doubley secured...

They took 3 pairs of shorts, all similar to the ones I'd been wearing, one pait with the wallet, my lads Nintendo out of a cupboard, a pair of trainers, a handbag from out of a cupboard and a few other bits like sunglasses. They then started using the 'contactless' cards in supermarkets nearby. Within 30 mins of the break in, first direct had text notifying me so all were froze on the banking app....all in all, with cash and items, they took about £800

Police were useless, so we drove round the area. In a bin, 2 km from where we'd parked we found my shorts, wallet and drivers licence, the four beers they'd nicked out of the fridge and some other bits...cheeky sods had drank the beers whilst sorting through the stuff they nicked...they also dumped their scummy shoes, probably in favour of the wife's trainers they'd nicked.

So if you have locks...use every one, every time... Yes we'd left things of value in the camper and I'd forgotten a lock so in a way I helped the thieves. Lessons learned. Worst bit was seeing my 7 and 12 year old in tears over the fact someone had ransacked our bus...

 

That's terrible Commiserations.

 

Just locked up for the night and they ruined my drivers door lock! Maybe it wasn't the quarterlight...extra annoying as it was on the original keys for all locks!!!!!!!!

 

Sorry to hear about this there’s some right scum about

 

It’s a horrible story, bad enough for you but it is a learning curve experience for your kids ( you would have wished not to happen ) but it’s happened and it’s a lesson in life for your kids. Enjoy the rest of your holiday

 

There will always be b###*## around.
Sorry about your experience.

 

Sorry for you - it’s one of my biggest worries when travelling - I find it hard to relax when leaving van parked up - I do my best to think like the thieves and try and make where I park less easy for them but if they want it they will get it - I have a small battery radio I leave on with curtains closed in the hope they may think someone sleeping in it but if they watch the van and me coming and going that’s useless too.

 

Ah, this is where we need to disable the swear filter…. thieving little “see you next….”

I had my old beetle broken into via the quarter light in the 90’s and the nicked the pull out radio. I was gutted as l’d sunk all the money I had as a student into it. I feel for your kids as it quite unsettling to think of someone going through your stuff like that.

one piece windows solved one problem on the bug (but created many more). I hope you have some luck with the insurance.

 

Bstards.

 

I had my one piece windows smashed in on my Bug in the 90s.. the f....rs stole my stereo, and my tool kit that was behind the rear seat. I dislike thieves

 

In life these things are sent to test us, move on, put if behind you , don't let it spoil life,


One life, live it,

Can't change if move forward never back


But thanks for the heads up xx

 

I wonder how many people have alarms fitted? I've got one fitted by the PO as the van was used commercially in London.

I never use it........


Just thought about the stand alone battery types for sheds etc. £19.99, not a bad price for a Yale product

https://yalehome.co.uk/shed-alarm/

 

Sorry to hear about that.

I always draw my curtains when parked up and intend to fit a flashing LED with an alarm sticker, even if if nothing’s wired up. At least a quick deterrent

 

That sucks. Hopefully you can enjoy the rest of the holiday.

 

Been looking at them all morning, specifically the text alert types

 

We've been to that beach a dozen times over the years. The parking changed since last year so now the only spaces are in the sun - yesterday was the 1st time I'd drawn the curtains to keep the van cool!

I'm pretty sure we were being watched

It's a scooby swap and has the standard immobiliser led in the dash

 

A bad experience but be grateful they didn't take the camper as well.

 

Once they have learned how easy it is to get in a T2, they probably go straight for them.

After all for a long time, if you had a strong enough thumbnail, my drivers door would unlock for you..

I changed that door handle, and fitted a lock with a stronger scissors spring on the locking pull..

It used to lock itself going over a bump..

 

Awful experience. Sorry for that happening. I always tell people, it is still worth reporting these things to the police (it’s pretty much required if you plan on an insurance claim).

I had my car broken in to in the middle of the countryside. Police couldn’t do anything about it (I knew that but thought it would be good to report it anyway).

6 months later I had a call from the police to say they had arrested a gang and wanted a statement from me. They had correlated the gangs location and spikes in vehicle crime over time. The gang members plead guilty but were still handed a very lengthy sentence.