Van Security?

[One Awesome Inch]

Has anyone had their van/rv broken into while you were in it?

If so, what did you do?

Just wondering how often these things happen.

 

[Almost There]

How often or how likely it is to happen will depend entirely on where you park it.

Park in East Van and it's highly likely, park in a small town somewhere and the chances are extremely remote.

I live in a village of 1,000 and can leave my keys in the van any time. My neighbours will come along and close my windows if it starts to rain. When I travel to a city of 60,000 where my mother lives, I lock the van in her parking lot. If I drive through someplace like downtown Buffalo I lock the doors while on the road driving.

I've only ever been disturbed in my van once in over 40 years of travelling all over North America and living full time on the road for 14 of those. I was in a rest area in Georgia sleeping when someone banged on the hood and told me to get the hell out of there. Another van had pulled in and was on fire. I got out of there in a real hurry and my heartbeat returned to normal about 10 minutes up the road. I slept in the next rest area for the rest of the night.

 

[amwbox]

Never had a problem. Petsonally, I feel a lot safer in population centers than out in the middle of nowhere. I used to keep my old .45 in a lockbox...but these days I just keep an air horn handy. I figure if someone breaks in I can terrify the hell out of them with it long enough to escape, and nobody has to die or go to prison. Don't park where it's dark and secluded...and especially not in the same place day after day. Just keeping your position random makes a huge difference.

Maybe consider a CÇTV setup like Dan Travels uses.

 

[minimotos95]

I've locked myself out and wasn't able to get back in the traditional way with a clothes hanger or a couple slim Jims and 2 people who did it for a living... Wound up having to go for a weak spot that only I knew about. So without doing something destructive my van is surprisingly not easy to get into.
If I hear a slim Jim sliding down my door while I am inside you can bet I will be yelling some profanity.

I've been thinking other than leaving nothing of value in plain sight, a chain or cable between my front door handles might be an okay deterrent if parked for more than a few days.

 

[LeeRevell]

Someone tries entering my van without permission?  He'll be discussing his reasons staring at my Colt .45 pistol.  I take my security seriously.  Florida's "castle doctrine" applies to our vehicles.

 

[ramblingvanman]

Someone tries entering my van without permission?  He'll be discussing his reasons staring at my Colt .45 pistol.  I take my security seriously.  Florida's "castle doctrine" applies to our vehicles.

I agree with your statement, though the intruder to my van will be much more likely to find himself staring down the bore of my 12 gauge.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Where I live if you shot someone for breaking into your van, most likely to steal, you would be charged... charged with murder if they died. You are only allowed to use as much force as necessary. Lethal force to stop theft is illegal in Canada.

 

[LeeRevell]

Where I live if you shot someone for breaking into your van, most likely to steal, you would be charged... charged with murder if they died. You are only allowed to use as much force as necessary. Lethal force to stop theft is illegal in Canada.

Being armed is a personal choice, for those of us who CAN carry.  And the laws differ in various Metro, State and Country areas.  Even counties can differ.  One must consult the laws that apply to him or her.

 

[masterplumber]

The older I get the more I think, "is my stuff really worth someones life? Even a crazed Meth head's?" I am armed most of the time, and have had a concealed carry permit since CO started issuing them, but anymore I draw the line for me anyway at - if they are harming someone else, or threatening my life, I'm prepared to do whatever is necessary to stop the attack, and face the consequences of my actions. Short of that, I will try and get them to leave, very aggressively if need be, but in the end it's just stuff. That said, if I do draw a weapon someone is probably going to be shot if they don't back down. The absolute worst and most dangerous response is to have a gun to bluff with - it will likely get you killed.

 

[amwbox]

Pretty much. I fully support responsible people being responsibly armed...and I really don't have any sympathy for anyone who gets their head blown off while invading someone else's home. If you don't want to get shot...don't do that stupid thing that got you shot. Similarly, if you don't want to get hit by a train, don't hang out on the train tracks.

That said...it's just not worth it to me anymore, personally, and so I no longer carry.

 

[East]

For where you live I would recommend a crowbar or some other blunt weapon in reach of your bed and some pepper/bear spray. I personally don't carry a gun even though I can.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Nothing I own is worth someone's life.

 

[amwbox]

Nothing I own is worth someone's life.

Its not about what you own...its about you. That they're there to steal from you is just an assumption on your part. They could be there to rape you. They could be there to remove your skin and make lampshades out of it. Could be an initiation of some sort, or just someone who's finally flown off the handle. There's no way to know. 

If they are just breaking into a van thinking they're going to steal some tools, and they find an enraged occupant instead...they are going to piss themselves and take off in the opposite direction posthaste. The ones who don't take off are the ones to worry about. 

Just because you don't think what you own is worth a life (or that your life isn't worth someone else's)...doesn't mean they agree with you. There's a time and place for principles. This ain't it. Just saying.

But, realistically, there's little to worry about if you follow some of the basic advice found around here. And, realistically, the laws in your country sound like you're pretty much compelled to just accept victimhood regardless. So don't sweat it. Nothing to be done.

 

[LeeRevell]

Its not about what you own...its about you. That they're there to steal from you is just an assumption on your part. They could be there to rape you. They could be there to remove your skin and make lampshades out of it. Could be an initiation of some sort, or just someone who's finally flown off the handle. There's no way to know. 

If they are just breaking into a van thinking they're going to steal some tools, and they find an enraged occupant instead...they are going to piss themselves and take off in the opposite direction posthaste. The ones who don't take off are the ones to worry about. 

Just because you don't think what you own is worth a life (or that your life isn't worth someone else's)...doesn't mean they agree with you. There's a time and place for principles. This ain't it. Just saying.

But, realistically, there's little to worry about if you follow some of the basic advice found around here. And, realistically, the laws in your country sound like you're pretty much compelled to just accept victimhood regardless. So don't sweat it. Nothing to be done.

Agreed.  "Being tried by twelve beats being carried by six any day."
But, we each make our choices.  Whether your particular choice is the best for the situation won't be known til it happens.

 

[akrvbob]

I think we've covered the gun aspect of van security very well, and we also have other threads about guns active now.

So, no more about guns.

Has you're van ever been broken into? Were you in it?

What other ways do you make your van secure?

Bob

 

[Almost There]

Has you're van ever been broken into? Were you in it?

What other ways do you make your van secure?

Bob

Yes and no - my Safari was broken in to parked overnight in the visitors parking area at my mothers place. I wasn't in it at the time, I was bunked on the living room floor while she was in the hospital. Only time I stayed overnight at her place...sigh! Two other vehicles were broken in to that night so it's not like my van was targeted. The building has since installed better lighting and more CCTV.

When I'm in it travelling I won't park someplace where I don't feel safe and I avoid cities like the plague.  My bear spray goes where I go and I'm going to invest in an air horn that will be part of my wilderness safety strategy.

 

[LeeRevell]

I don't know how stoutly built the newer vans are.  My 1986 and 1988 E150 vans are pretty stout.  On my old 4X4 truck I used latches and padlocks inside as the power locks had failed.  I am thinking of using sliding bolts inside my Conversion Van for when I am in it.  
The 2005 minivan is less stoutly built but still enough to give me warning before the goblin gets inside.  Then human nature takes it's course.....

 

[Milk Hauler]

Only city I have ever been in where I said to myself... If something or someone jumps infront of me at a light, I'm gonna gun it, was Detroit. What a shit hole! Most of those wild thugs have no respect for life. Its nothing to kill some poor trucker for the $17 in his pocket. If someone wants my truck and may be willing to kill me, then the can have my money, pride, and truck but not my life. Imma turn some fool into road kill.

Man going from Windsor to Detroit was like going from heaven to hell. I ran a few lights cause I was scared to stop. [emoji51]

 

[Milk Hauler]

When I was a partime locksmith in Phoenix, my Astro doors and windows were secured with these. Nothing will stop a determined thug.

 

[Free Range Chicken]

When I was a partime locksmith in Phoenix, my Astro doors and windows were secured with these. Nothing will stop a determined thug.

I see more and more vans using The hidden shackle lock combo. How good is it ? Is it hard to tamper / break? ??

I thinking of installing one of those but would it also work on the sliding doors?