Trailer Stolen,, but Recovered

jimtoo

Moderator
My daughter and son-in-law’s North Trail was stolen and they didn't know it.

About a month ago my daughter, Tracey, was in San Antonio for a quilting class, late afternoon and evening. She called her husband at home in Boerne, TX before she was leaving the class, about 9PM to see if he wanted her to stop and pickup anything on the way home. Randy, her husband was getting things together to take to their almost new Heartland North Trail at storage facility about 20 miles away so they could go for a long weekend.

While talking on the phone, Randy said there was someone at the door, and was ringing the bell, and he would call her back. Randy opened the door to see a police officer. The officer told Randy they had recovered his stolen trailer. Now,, you have to know Randy.. Mr. Perfect, Mr. Clean, he told them the trailer was in a covered, gated, locked storage facility. The officer told him again, they had recovered his trailer and it was in an impound yard in San Antonio. What had happened,the police were checking on a pickup and trailer on a Walmart parking lot in San Antonio and found the pickup reported stolen. The trailer had a paper license plate on it and it was not matching the VIN on the trailer, so they checked the VIN and found it to be Tracy and Randy’s trailer.

The thieves had broken into the locked storage facility, broken or cut the lock off the hitch, cut the power cord and also the cord for the pickup and pried open the doors. The inside was not hurt except for some broken dishes from driving very fast or making very fast turns. They had to pay $250.00 just to get it out of the San Antonio City impound yard where it had been towed.

They called the insurance company, took the trailer to a dealer (Explore USA) in Boerne, TX and got estimates and repairs done. They replace the one door, touched up a few scratches and minor things for them. Randy accepted the repairs, so they must have been good. This was about a 3-4 week process.

Needless to say they did not go camping that weekend. But are ready now. So just because you store a unit in a locked, covered, secure facility and it was there 2 days before, does not mean it will be there when you go back.
 

JohnD

Moved on to the next thing...
Nothing is safe these days, no matter how hard you try to protect it!

I keep our trailer in our side yard, and generally keep my truck parked in front of it so that nobody can hook up to it and tow it away.

And when I am driving the truck, I park my car there instead.

But if someone really wanted it bad enough, I suppose they'd find a way to get it no matter what hurdles I try to place in the way.
 

Aspenwind

Happy Camper
Thinking about it I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often. If the thieves had a piece of land and stole a high end 5er and got it there without any traffic infractions who would ever run the VIN on it? In a few years when it's destroyed from living in it, just pull it out dump it along the road and go steal a new one.
 

scottyb

Well-known member
My BIL's horse trailer with living quarters was stolen from the dealership while in for repairs. It was found months later in S. Tex, when some rustlers were caught with it. The title had somehow been changed and it took him forever to regain the title. All the saddles and tack were gone of course. If they ever break into my property and take mine, they will probably tear it to shreads trying to get it out of my maze of a driveway. I know the technique but they surely wouldn't be able to negotiate it in a hurry.
 

olcoon

Well-known member
Sad that it got stolen & had damage, but good that it was recovered & fixed! Another example of the saying "Locks are just to keep the honest people honest"! I'll bet the officer that recovered it was proud he recovered it before it was reported! Before I retired I did that 3 times & all 3 times they were occupied! Recovered the vehicle before it was reported stolen AND caught the bad guys too!
 

wdk450

Well-known member
I have read in online forums that stolen big fivers are a favorite for poison peddlers to take into the remote areas and set up as meth labs.

Hooray for the cops on this one!!! I'd invite some of them to join in a campout as a thank you.
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
Glad to hear they go the trailer back before major damage was done. Glad the LEO was pro-active in doing his job. A few years ago while working as Chief Deputy in Trinity County Tx I had a citizen report he thought there was a suspicious travel trailer on a deer lease next to his. We went and checked it out and found 3 stolen travel trailers on the deer lease. He told me the trailers had been on the lease at lease awhile. Further investigation found the trailers had been there 5 years. Keep in mind deer leases are usually in the boondocks and this one was way 'out in the woods'. You really have to be vigilant in protecting your property.
 

TravelTiger

Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
I have read in online forums that stolen big fivers are a favorite for poison peddlers to take into the remote areas and set up as meth labs..

Not just big 5vers. A neighbor in our sub-division had their small, older bumper-pull trailer stolen, from where he stored it (unsecured). It was used as meth-lab and was pretty trashed when it was recovered a few months later.
 

alethaj

Well-known member
So disgusted with my fridge inverter problem I will give them my trailer...tell 'em to come and get it!!!!!!!
 

wdk450

Well-known member
All fiver owners need this; http://www.eaglepinlock.com/ I have one, and the quality is there. I'm not saying it cannot be removed but why would they there are too many unprotected to go through the trouble to take mine.

Sounds like a good investment. I don't know if the bright orange color and streamer will repel or attract bad guys, but it is there to keep you from trying to hitch up with the lock in place - As a newbie been there, done that, cost me $1400 for a new hitch on the road.

Amazon has these for $26: http://www.amazon.com/Trailer-King-Trailers-Boats-Campers/dp/B002PNTE8Y . The "Where to buy" link on the mfr website didn't work. In my searching on this I noticed a You Tube video where they try to break one hooked to a pinbox by hitting it with a sledgehammer.
 

porthole

Retired
I have read in online forums that stolen big fivers are a favorite for poison peddlers to take into the remote areas and set up as meth labs.

Hooray for the cops on this one!!! I'd invite some of them to join in a campout as a thank you.

You been watching reruns of Breaking Bad again :rolleyes:

Wow Jim - what a story. Maybe a wheel boot would be a deterrent.
View attachment 30346

Swap it out with the spare :rolleyes:


This brings up an idea. Besides a pin lock (have one never use it though), a secondary breakaway device. Could just picture a thief getting all hooked up, dropping it in gear and getting 2-3 feet before all the trailer wheels lock up.
 

mattpopp

Trouble Maker
If somebody stole my Toy Hauler they would be doing me a favor. It is worth more in a insurance pay out then if I sold it. But then I could get a C4000

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JohnD

Moved on to the next thing...
If somebody stole my Toy Hauler they would be doing me a favor. It is worth more in a insurance pay out then if I sold it. But then I could get a C4000.

Exactly . . .

If someone wants it bad enough . . . they'll get it!

No matter what we try to do to prevent it.

That is why we carry full coverage insurance on our RV's!

I have both batteries and both LP gas tanks cable-locked to the frame of the trailer in a preventative measure to hopefully ward off any theft of these items.

But if they decide to cut those cables and go through with the theft, well . . . I have insurance!

At least I tried to stop them by giving them one more obstacle to go through to get at my stuff!

And I have photos to show the insurance company if they have any doubts.
 

Jim.Allison

Well-known member
The bright orange streamer turned white in about a month in the Texas sun. But the powdercoat orange is still there.

I don't know, thieves have to get in and get out, they generally just need a deterrent. Striking up a torch is not really a way to escape being noticed.

Its orange, so I don't miss it and never misplace it. I will generally put it on the king pin as soon as I arrive and disconnect teh truck, not so much because I think someone is going to steal my rig from an RV park, but because I don't want it sitting in my basement or on the floorboard of the truck, in my way. I always use it when I store the fiver.

I can see it either way, less obtrusive unpainted, or orange. I like the orange. In fact Im going to find some reflective tape to put on the faded out nylon tail/flag. Perhaps it would be good if it was not painted then the thieves might ruin their gear. LOL

Sounds like a good investment. I don't know if the bright orange color and streamer will repel or attract bad guys, but it is there to keep you from trying to hitch up with the lock in place - As a newbie been there, done that, cost me $1400 for a new hitch on the road.

Amazon has these for $26: http://www.amazon.com/Trailer-King-Trailers-Boats-Campers/dp/B002PNTE8Y . The "Where to buy" link on the mfr website didn't work. In my searching on this I noticed a You Tube video where they try to break one hooked to a pinbox by hitting it with a sledgehammer.
 

porthole

Retired
I always figured if my truck, RV, boat, motorcycle were stolen - oh well that is what insurance is for.

What concerns me is the amount of "stuff" in the vehicles or the amount of work I did on the bike. That would be a tough loss.
 

Seren

Well-known member
That is the only reason that we are fulltiming, to prevent our new Landmark from getting stolen! Well, maybe not the ONLY reason...


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