# How safe are your bits on campsite in europe!!



## alli (Feb 22, 2008)

hi guy
It will be our first time in europe this summer. Just wondering how safe are things to be left outside at night. We are looking to stay on some campsites for maybe a week or so and once set up the van wont be moving. Do you pack you bbq, table and chairs etc up each day or are they ok to leave outside all night. We have an awning but it is just an open one. We were going to get some windbreakers to sort of enclose our space alittle. What do you think. Any comments, good or bad so i can gauge my own opinion as to what to do.


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

Personally I've never had anything nicked. Have always left chairs/table etc outside but tend to fold them flat and stick underneath the mh. If you're worried about theft you could always run a thin cable through them and attach to the mh wheel. Some mh alarm system (eg Strikeback) have an accessory link into the alarm. 
Generally I wouldn't bother too much - most campers are honest enough.


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

Hi alli

difficult one; I don't like leaving out our Lafumas overnight ANYWHERE. As for other stuff? cheap barbie, if anybody wants to nick that, good luck to them! similar for others. I suppose it's whether you like the look of who's around; and whether any undesirables can wander in & out without being checked. whether it be over here or over there, I'd pack away the decent stuff. :wink:


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## whistlinggypsy (May 1, 2005)

It's no more unsafe in euroland that it is here in the UK, if your happy to leave your gear out here do so over there, locking your bikes or putting away expensive BBQ equipment is just common sense, as Tony said put your chairs and tables under the van or in the awning just to keep them dry.

Have a great holiday and don't worry, just relax and enjoy.

Bob


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## Suenliam (Mar 22, 2006)

Hi alli again!

We have been going to France for the last 18ish years and have always left our stuff outside even when away for the day in the MH. We have never had a problem with theft. At night we fold up the chairs and lean them against the table under the awning just to keep them dry from dew or rain. We leave out an electric cool box as well as the fan's too noisy inside. Again never any problem.

One day we left the MH all day for a visit to the town and on our return our "neighbour" told us he had wound in our awning as the wind (Mistral in Provence) had got quite strong and had collapsed one of the awning legs! Can't remember now whether he was Dutch or German, but it is not important. Seems neighbourliness is international  

Sue


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## Lambo (Oct 9, 2006)

Keep your kit on and you should be ok, :wink: :lol: :lol: , sorry, just couldn't resist, cheers, Lambo.


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## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

*Leaving stuff Outdoors*

We have stayed on campsites in Italy, Switzerland and France where TV's, fridges, bikes etc are left all week long protected by an awning Zip.
We tend to keep the more obvious items in the awning or locked.

In forty years of Camping (all facets ) the only place we have been robbed was in Scotland.

Steve


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## Wizzo (Dec 3, 2007)

Spent a large proportion of our lives motorcycle camping with smallish tents so stuff had to be left outside. Never lost anything yet. We also leave chairs and table under the motorhome.

I tend to think that other campers are an honest bunch but logically there's no real reason why that should be. In truth if they are desperate enough to pinch what we leave outside then they are welcome to it.

JohnW


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## misty1 (May 1, 2005)

*How safe are your bits in europe*

Hi,

Its gonna be our first time as well in europe this june and I am the eternal trust everyone type person as far as sites go. Suppose its just the case of being sensible and if its of value to you then lock it away. The danger is like anywhere in the world its the walk on type of individuals that put your loved assets at risk.


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

We tend to leave our stuff lying around under the awning and never lost anything yet whilst on the continent. However - some miserable ********* nicked our £10 folding table during the night on the MHF global rally last year - just as well it was only a cheapie. The moral - only leave out what you can easily afford to loose, keep the good stuff under lock and key - especially in the UK. :evil:


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## clianthus (Jul 8, 2006)

Hi

Like others have said we tend to put stuff under the van rather than away. We do put up a windbreak sometimes so they aren't that obvious.

We have only ever had anything taken once, and that was a cheap £15 table, at MHF's Global rally last year!! 

Before anyone gets upset or offended I'm not suggesting it was an MHF member as we were on a busy rally field and campsite, the funniest thing was they left 2 new Lafuma chairs!! Obviously someone had come without their table :lol: :lol:


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Stoaring things at night*

Hi

I used to put things away every night, now I do not bother. If it is likely to be a cold night however, I will put deck chairs in the boot to avoid them getting damp etc. Never had anything stolen.

Russell


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## alli (Feb 22, 2008)

thanks for all of this, feel abit happier to leave things out now. ta.


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## 97201 (Jan 7, 2006)

Notes from a singleton as a first timer in Spain:

My impression is this; It does really depend on the campsite and the local area. Those of us wintering at Camping Marjal never even bothered to lock our vans when going out during the day or night until St Valentine's night when 3 thieves wearing black ski-masks broke through the 9ft high security fence and hedging and stole everything of value from a caravan causing a great deal of damage. It was one of the few locked ones. The thieves had targetted the campsite on that particular night reckonning it would be deserted. Although they were chased by one of my neighbours, they made good their escape before the Guardia arrived. We all started locking our vans after that. 

I left a duff starter battery on the edge of my pitch for five days and nights before I caught the nightly rubbish collection team. 

As others said, relax and enjoy!


Ian


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

I am a bit disappointed but my "bits" have never ever been tampered with on any campsite at night, nor even during the day!


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## DubPaul (May 10, 2005)

I had my levelling ramps taken from Camping Route Blanch in Granville in France. I had driven off for the day and left them at the edge of the pitch.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*nicked*

Hello,

Depends on the campsite I guess.

If we were on a beach site where everyone walks through, Praries de la mer as an example, I wouldnt leave nything out. www.lesnaiades.co.uk which is on the hillside with no right of way for the public, no problem.

Trev.


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## 107088 (Sep 18, 2007)

Prairies del la Mer, would that be near Port Grimaud, St Tropez perchance? If so, ouor family holidays were taken either there or in Camping de la Mer, for doonkeys years in the 80's and 90's. Prairies was a bit more spacious I seem to remember, as the "madame" who owned the site would try and get as many units as possible onto the beach with about 2 foot between each. Good times tho'


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Yes*



bandaid said:


> Prairies del la Mer, would that be near Port Grimaud, St Tropez perchance? If so, ouor family holidays were taken either there or in Camping de la Mer, for doonkeys years in the 80's and 90's. Prairies was a bit more spacious I seem to remember, as the "madame" who owned the site would try and get as many units as possible onto the beach with about 2 foot between each. Good times tho'


Hello,

Yes that is the same one. Think the family sold out to a big group now. All the old German Registed RV's parked like sardines rusting into the ground have gone now. Lots of new Bungalows (static caravans) in their place. We walk through it to get to beach.

Trev.


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## 107088 (Sep 18, 2007)

Thats a shame, I always preferred the Prairies site, mainly 'cos the Camping de la Mer site had improvements on a regular basis. .....like 4 new taps and a drain in 15 years.


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

gaspode said:


> nicked our £10 folding table during the night on the MHF global rally last year





clianthus said:


> and that was a cheap £15 table, at MHF's Global rally last year!!


You two need to get your stories straight - you never know, the insurance company might be reading this :wink:

_Edit: back on topic - much as everyone else. I don't think we've ever lost anything, although our van stays on site during the day, and at night, we fold chairs up and put them under the awning. Small stuff generally gets put away_

Gerald


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## jhelm (Feb 9, 2008)

Un until now we have only tent camped in Italy, North and South on the Adriatic, most of the camp grounds are pretty tight on security and we pretty much just leave our stuff laying around, though I do put a chain and lock around the bikes at night. But we also just leave them sitting their parked most of the rest of the time. Never had a problem. Campers in Italy are about 75% German, so if you trust them you are set in both countries I guess.


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## 38Rover (Nov 9, 2006)

Stopped the night outside the doggy place at the channel tunnel in the morning our step had gone only a cheap plastic one I guess someone needed it more than me.
Colin


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## 107088 (Sep 18, 2007)

We've never had anything stolen off site, well apart from a really dodgy Camenbert cheese, I think, generally thats because everyone else has better stuff than us.


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