# France Touring "Be Aware"



## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

Having just returned from a glorious six weeks tour of France.
Just a few words of caution.

Whilst at the Brass Band Festival in Amboise three vans were broken into whist on the municipal site plus an attempted / interupted break in on a member of our party who had his Ducato quarter light almost removed by the rubber strip being cut.

Also whilst on the municipal site at Chartres the people next to us were robbed of holiday money whilst they slept. They claimed approx £1600 but I am sceptical about this figure.

Please be aware thieves are about and the main suspects are the illegal itinerants wandering the country. Certainly in Chartres suspicious characters were wandering about the site (small tents, inappropriate clothing and kit etc ).

Steve


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## xgx (Oct 14, 2005)

Timely warning ... lest we become complacent...

It's not the first warning about Chartres... (and the couple at Amboise were distraught to say the least!)

be lax and lose your bits.... usually the important ones that can ruin the rest of your trip...

think on .... 

Thanks Steve!


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## kc10 (Jan 28, 2010)

Not good news even if the figures are questionable. Like BarrD said, are sites any more secure?


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## jhelm (Feb 9, 2008)

How does one get robbed of 1600 while sleeping. Did they leave the money on the table and the windows open? I mean the simplest precaution would be to put your money somewhere where a robber would have to wake you up to get it. Sounds like another gas attack fantasy.


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## JockandRita (Jun 1, 2005)

jhelm said:


> clipped.........I mean the simplest precaution would be to put your money somewhere where a robber would have to wake you up to get it.


Aye, like down your jimjams or your shreddies. :lol:

Jock.


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

jhelm said:


> How does one get robbed of 1600 while sleeping. Did they leave the money on the table and the windows open? I mean the simplest precaution would be to put your money somewhere where a robber would have to wake you up to get it. Sounds like another gas attack fantasy.


Ooo officer, I've just had £1600 cash stolen from my van - I left it securely hidden on the driver's seat - yeh


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## iandsm (May 18, 2007)

*Robbed*

We were at the Chartres municipal a few weeks ago, very nice site. Yes, there were one or two obviously migrant workers on the site in small tents. Each morning they were off and up before we were and they kept themselves to themselves.

£1600 ? How did someone get into a presumably locked van without waking the occupants, why was the cash so easily found as obviously a search would also have woken the occupants. Why did they have that much cash with them anyway.

If the tale is true, I have no sympathy for the idiot victims who will have made motorhomes more attractive to thieves.

On the other hand, no need to worry, chances are the tales is absolute rubbish.


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## canard (Jul 20, 2010)

Sounds like a typical day in good old Blighty to me !


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## Dill (Jun 3, 2010)

My thoughts entirely, got chatting to a couple last week. They where telling me, just come back from France and had his Omnistore 3mtr awning stolen during the night. 

Regards

Dill


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## bozzer (Jul 22, 2009)

3 years ago we were on the Camping Municipal at Chalons sur Champagne - 22 euros a night!!

One morning a Brit came over and asked if we'd anything missing? He'd been having his breakfast and noticed a piece of glass on the hedge. On looking he realised it was his quarterllight which had been removed and the contents of his glovebox taken - sunglasses, reading glasses. They were in the overcab and hadn't heard a thing. No gas mentioned just the thief was quiet removing the rubber surround. That night there had been 3 bags taken from tents whilst occupants slept and an awning slashed and bits and bobs taken. 

Some campsites are no safer than aires as far as we are concerned. Lock things away and on a campsite we use the external screen to make it difficult to get at the rubber seal. The chap who had the rubberseal slashed was quoted €175 to replace and he had to wait to get one.

Jan


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## scept1c (May 10, 2005)

Similar story from me.

Two years ago we were on an ACSI site in Verdun. During the night 7 vans had break ins, most were by cutting round the pre X250 model Ducato quarter light rubber seal and removing the glass.

A Dutch couple beside us had both quarter lights removed. The wife had left her handbag on passenger seat and lost €300. They had a dog but it failed to warn them. (Rover didn't bark) 8O 

This was a lesson for us, we had not taken any special security measures because we felt we were on a safe campsite. We were not broken into but since then, I always ensure that all reasonable security measures are in place.


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## Nelson750FML (Jan 17, 2008)

We were there a week ago and 4 weeks ago, all seemed ok but did see a few un-savoury characters walking up and down the path on the other side of the fence in the park by the river, I don't think the fence would keep people out, shin over with not much effort if they wanted !! 

Pete


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## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

An omission of clarity on my part.

The Belgium couple in Chartres were in fact in a tent the money in a money belt under her pillow, and both are total abstainers. 
The tent had been slashed in four places two of which were above the sleeping couples heads.

Denny and Anne have their van up for sale because Anne is afraid to sleep in the van again. They returned home after having the rubber seal replaced. Spoke to Denny yesterday and they have made their minds up they do not want to risk the experience again.

You must draw your own conclusions.

Steve


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## Codfinger (Jan 11, 2008)

Some of these theives have attained some skill in removing your valubles my advice would be to fit a decent security box somewhere not too obvious and lock up your cash, cards and passports and anything else you dont want to lose, alternativly for peace of mind how about one of these 



 I did see a company selling a system at the Newbury show a few years ago but cant remember the name or if your really worried http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M18_Claymore_anti-personnel_mine


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## jhelm (Feb 9, 2008)

OK so no money under the pillow. Perhaps in the storage under the rear lift up bed. They would actually to lift me and the wife up to get to it. That might wake me up.

Just getting broken into would surely be traumatic enough. But at least from this we can understand that valuables should at the least be in a difficult place to get to at night.


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Quite a few years ago we were caravaning in North wales.
We arrived on site and were guided to our pitch.
Lovelly landscaped bays with spaces for up to 6 units 

The one we were in had only one other occupant..

late in the afternoon a chap drove up and asked If I would help him hitch his caravan up.
He told me his son had fallen and broken his arm and that they were going home , just a couple of days early.

I duly obliged. After a few minute all was done and off he went to collect wife and son from hospital.
A couple of hours later a couple arrived in our bay, looked around and left.
Within a few minutes they returned and the woman asked how long we had been on site, and if there was caravan on the next pitch to us when we arrived..

Yes I had innocently helped a thief.

If they have the cheek they will take anything.

Dave p


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

The only person I have met who had been robbed in France was an American tenter who had his tent slit in the night on the municipal campsite at Bayeux. This was about 10 years ago so obviously not a new activity.


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## Dill (Jun 3, 2010)

I have been travelling to France and through France for 11 years, and nothing has happend to us. And we have witnessed nothing in all that time. But common sence plays it's part whether your on the continent or here in the uk.

So for the benefit of first timers to France, don't beleive all you here, and don't let these posts put you off going.

Regards

Dill


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

My son did have an England shirt stolen from his tent at the side of our caravan on a French site, otherwise nothing in UK or abroad.
We think the German lads on the next pich took it as they were not on site when we returned from a day out.
Dave p


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## JohnGun (May 15, 2009)

my my Dave, what a lovely figure you have there!
are you taking hormone tablets? :lol: 
you have some tan :lol: :lol: 
your hair could do with a brush tho'


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## eddievanbitz (May 1, 2005)

jhelm said:


> How does one get robbed of 1600 while sleeping. Did they leave the money on the table and the windows open? I mean the simplest precaution would be to put your money somewhere where a robber would have to wake you up to get it. Sounds like another gas attack fantasy.


 :lol: It reminds me of a complaint we had about three years ago. Our customer claimed that they had had €2000 stolen from a "brown paper bag" on the cab seats.

They claimed that Strikeback has failed as it had not triggered and therefore their loss was our fault.

We made the point that irrespective of the alarm detecting the break in or not, it was irresponsible to leave €2000 in a brown paper bag in the cab.

We got a "Well if that's your attitude" and the phone was slammed down, before we had any chance to say any more.

A couple of days later we got a badly written "solicitors" letter printed off with what appeared to be a John Bull printing set.

Now the claim was £2000 so had jumped up quite a lot bearing in mind that the exchange rate was much better then.

Unfortunately for the people, not only did we not believe them about the loss, they had no validation as they had not contacted the Police (strange if you had just lost £2000 or €2000)

We suggested that they had driving a long way down through France and they were simply too tired to hear anything at all, we knew that they had driven some 250 miles to Dover and the Aire they claimed the attack took place was some 300 miles from Calais so they must have been knackered.

The big problem for them was that they had had a pager /tracker installed and we knew without a doubt that Strikeback had been triggered twice, each time sending a txt message to both the husband and wifes mobile phones.

So no arguement about the alarm system triggering, now just a debate about how tired they must have been, having driven 550 miles in less than 20 hours and made a ferry crossing.

Tired enough it seems that they could sleep through two alarm cycles and four GSM txtx messages, and finally whether leaving your holiday spending cash in a brown bag on display in the cab could be considered as enticing an attack in the first place!

We never did get to the bottom of whether is was €2000 or £2000

I promise you, if you leave a pile of money, credit cards, passports and a decent phone on display some scroat will smash the window and grab your goodies as sure as eggs are eggs!

Strange old world!

Eddie


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Only one thing to say (and yes I have said it many times before on this subject )

FIT A SAFE OR STRONG BOX
You dont have to spend a fortune, get one from B&Q or similar for about 30 quid and make sure its bolted to something substantial (metal)

Get one with a key pad (no key to lose, or Oik to find !!!) They all have a key over-ride you just need to hide that key in a location that you can only get to by dismantling something !

It wont stop anyone breaking in but it WILL keep cash and valuables safe (sic) for the cost of 20 litres of diesel :roll:


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## eddievanbitz (May 1, 2005)

Mrplodd said:


> Only one thing to say (and yes I have said it many times before on this subject )
> 
> FIT A SAFE OR STRONG BOX
> You dont have to spend a fortune, get one from B&Q or similar for about 30 quid and make sure its bolted to something substantial (metal)
> ...


I absolutely agree with this excellent advice! But PLEASE think about where you mount it! We have seen them mounted in the most inaccesible places, which then is buried under bedding, spare coats the spare kitchen sink.

All that happens is that human nature kicks in and stuff gets left out to "put away later"

Personally mine is set into the dinette so that I have nothing to remove to use it, so we have no excuses not to keep everything in it all the time. As I have a Growler I have no fears that anyone is going to spend too long inside my motorhome as it is simply painfully loud to be inside the van, so the safe stops "smash and grab" attacks

Eddie


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

We had a lovely couple stay here in Normandy off and on for 5 months in a 32ft. American rig. 

They had a dog and regularly used to take it for a walk along the beach mid afternoon. 
I guess as they were so regular thieves broke in while they were away by removing the very large rear window and ransacked the inside.
Not only valuables in cupboards but they located the bolted in safe under the bed and jemmied it out doing considerable damage in the process. 

We reported it to the French police. I expressed surprise as we live in a very safe and low crime area. Plod said not in August when the immigrants and tourists come.

Ray.


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## eddievanbitz (May 1, 2005)

raynipper said:


> We had a lovely couple stay here in Normandy off and on for 5 months in a 32ft. American rig.
> 
> They had a dog and regularly used to take it for a walk along the beach mid afternoon.
> I guess as they were so regular thieves broke in while they were away by removing the very large rear window and ransacked the inside.
> ...


Good point Ray, ensure that where possible the fixings go through the chassis or have a decent plate underneath.

Also bed the safe down on a decent bed of adhesive to make it very hard to try to slide anything underneath for leverage

But most of all have a good time! I shall be travelling down through France in a few weeks time. I shall stay on Aires on the motorway, on the way down and on the way back.

We have done this since I was 28 years old and I turned 50 at the end of October. Enjoy yourself, but use you common sense and don't look like a victim!

Eddie


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## tubbytuba (Mar 21, 2007)

pneumatician said:


> Denny and Anne have their van up for sale because Anne is afraid to sleep in the van again. They returned home after having the rubber seal replaced. Spoke to Denny yesterday and they have made their minds up they do not want to risk the experience again.
> 
> You must draw your own conclusions.
> 
> Steve


Hi Steve, glad you enjoyed the rest of your trip and that you and Val survived unscathed!
Sorry to hear the incident has upset them so much as to give up their motorhome. I did receive an email from Denny saying it was up for sale but the penny did'nt drop that it was due to the 'incident'.

I think these things are always a possibility and all we can do is take all precautions to try and prevent it - and hope it never happens to us. Personally it would take more than that to give up our pride and joy/ mh lifestyle. 
Being a tight Yorkshire man the bulk of our cash/valuables is always locked securely away in safe.

Give our best wishes to the lovely Val.
Steve and Mary.


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## jhelm (Feb 9, 2008)

Don't answer this question. What valuables do you carry around in your camper? I'm just saying I wonder what it is that people carry around with them that they could have just as well left at home or in a safe deposit box. It would seem that the best protection is to not have anything with you that would be a great loss if stolen. Carry your wallet or purse and your camera with you when out. I could not carry my computer, that would be a problem if stolen, the other stuff tv, misc. electronic gadgets I wouldn't miss that much.


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## tubbytuba (Mar 21, 2007)

The 'valuables' I refer to are the real valuables - ie things that could/would cause a great deal of hassle if lost/stolen. Passports, insurance details etc.
The safe's not big enough for my tuba 8O 

Sorry for inadvertently answering the question you told me not to :roll:


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