# Safety in numbers?



## billym (Dec 17, 2005)

Whilst overnighting " on the road " why do people think that if they park up near some other motorhomes or lorries that they are safer than if they were parked up alone ?

Personally I think you are much safer being parked up as far away from others as possible. 

A thief looking for an opportunity will target an area known for motorhome parking and is unlikely to cruise out of the way spots on the off chance of finding a sole motorhomer.

There is NO such thing as safety in numbers


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Safety in numbers*

Hi

When I started motorhoming, all of two years ago, my first motorhome trip overseas took me to Lake Garda.

Te first night was spent parked with lorries at a service area in France - a place with a cafe etc, not a road side aire.

Another night was spent on the return journey with the lorries - this time at Pratteln in switzerland.

A third night was spent - again with the lorries at Maidstone services on the M20 .

I parked with the lorries on the theory that, if I do not hear a prowler, the lorry drivers might.

However, whilst parking at motorway locations does give a quick get away in the morning, I now always use a campsite, a hotel/restaurant car park or somewhere like Calais docks.

Russell


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## babyrhino (Oct 19, 2006)

I'm with BillyM

I don't think I have felt either more or less safe when being with other vehicles but have always felt that staying in an obvious stopover is rather inviting at least a visit.

If you are stopping at random you would have to be very unlucky to have that potential thief driving past your van that night.

Also, I think that we invite local peaceful antagonism if we all flock to the same places. Maybe the problem is that we want to stop for the night somewhere spectacular and there are not that many of these around. Possible answer is to stop here during the day but somewhere quieter for the night?

We have stayed at some fantastic spots on the west coast of Portugal, for example. Accepted now but what happens when the floodgates open and we are victims of our own enthusiasm?

Brian


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Excellent question, but theres no definitive answer imo.

I would agree that there is no absolute safety in numbers, how many times have you heard an alarm go off next door and ignore it, but similarly if I heard clear signs of trouble in a motorhome close to me I would like to think that I would go and investigate and raise the alarm accordingly but you never know how you might react until the situation arises.

For me, if I visit a potential overnight place I will pick somewhere well lit and visible from a distance. This is more important than being in a group. I think a thief is less likely to wander up to a lone van and try to break in when he can sneak between a bunch of vans unnoticed to do the deed.

The main thing is the 'feel' you get for the place, if something doesn't seem quite right then go somewhere else because it probably isn't. Always postion your van so you can easily make a quick getaway, don't drive into a slot, always reverse in and if its cold use internal screens rather than externals, they don't stop the condensation like externals but you can remove them easily and make a quick get away without going outside if there is trouble.

Personal security is paramount imo and a good quality set of deadlocks that you can open from both inside and outside will deter all but the professional boys and gives you the best peace of mind when wildcamping, knowing that even if you do get disturbed, they will have a hell of a job getting in and because of your enhanced security efforts they will probably abandon you and look for an easier target. Having said that, it's essential that you ensure that even with all your security measures its still easy to get out of the van in an emergency.

Lastly, its important not to get too paranoid about security, as long as you take sensible precautions and practice a bit of common sense about your surroundings you should never have any troubles.

Remember, the caual theif is inherently lazy and will always look for the easy target. Make it visibly difficult for them and in 99.9% of times you won't have any problems - whereever you park..


pete


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## jamiealana (Nov 18, 2006)

*Try these for peace of mind*

Hi folks If you like to wild camp like we do. try these , go on ebay, item no 220187595984. best things we have ever bought, i put them on each wing mirror at night when we park up facing down each side of the van if anyone comes near your van at night they go off, you dont even need to go outside to reset them u can use the remote. They make me feel a lot safer by the way they work just as good through the glass windows from the inside, we have one half way down the van in the kitchen facing the front no one can enter ur van without it going off Alan


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## mandyandandy (Oct 1, 2006)

Hi,
We have one of those alarms that we hang inside our garage door in the van on a night or if we are leaving it during the day. Which ever door was to be opened it would set the alarm off. There is also 3 locks on each door fitted by manufacturer, but we all know locks doesn't deter the most determined villain. 

Mandy


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Of course there is sometimes that nagging doubt when you've found a nice spot and you're all alone.....

"If its so good, how come no other vans are parked here" :roll: 

pete


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

If I was a thief targetting a motorhome I don't think I'd go for a group of vans parked together, I'd go for a lone one. 

My thinking : if a group and I disturb one owner or set off an alarm he will make enough noise to disturb all the others, they will all come out and I might not get away.

If a lone van then there is no-one to hear if I disturb the owner or set off an alarm, no-one to help and less chance of me getting caught. I could always knock the owner over the head and no-one would twitch the curtains and see me or my car reg.

That, if we wild-camped, would be my rationale for going for a group.

That said, there is nothing more irritating than the half-empty aire and another van turns up and parks on your door mat.

G


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## silverlocks (Jun 28, 2007)

Good idea from Jamie
>>CLICK<<


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## 101405 (Oct 15, 2006)

*alarm*

Thx for ebay Item Alan. just checking it out. Terry


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## RAH (Apr 22, 2007)

Of course there is no "absolute" safety in numbers, but being from the States I guess my opinion carries forth the practice of wagon trains and that their is a better safety margin in numbers.

A lone motorhome may be happened on less frequently, but it sure stands out as a target of opportunity (IMHO).


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## Boff (May 10, 2005)

Grizzly said:


> If I was a thief targetting a motorhome I don't think I'd go for a group of vans parked together, I'd go for a lone one.


Which clearly shows that you are not a thief. :wink: 

A German motorhome magazine did a survey on motorhome burglaries some years ago, and the results were quite illuminating:

More than 90% of all burglaries (into inhabited vans) happened on permanently-manned, well-illuminated motorway service stations. And in almost all cases other vans were present as well. Usually it turned out next morning that several vans had been raided during the night. So from this survey, safety by numbers is nothing more than a myth.

Fact is: The more motorhomes there are on one spot, and the more regular this spot is used, the more likely it is that there are vans without any deadlocks/alarm system among them. Of course these are primary targets. And at the slightest sign of trouble the crooks usually simply take flight.

Peejay has some very valid points. I just want to add one thing: On a busy, noisy place, nobody would take notice of a car passing by. On a large car park, like a motorhome service, not even if the car stops. On a desolate spot somewhere in the middle of nowhere, maybe only reachable via a dirt track, you are all ears if a car approaches.

Best Regards,
Gerhard


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Boff said:


> [More than 90% of all burglaries (into inhabited vans) happened on permanently-manned, well-illuminated motorway service stations.
> . On a desolate spot somewhere in the middle of nowhere, maybe only reachable via a dirt track, you are all ears if a car approaches.


That's an interesting statistic Boff. I have to say that if I heard a car approaching along a dirt track and we were on our own, at night, not just would I be all ears but it would shorten my life by several years. I'd certainly not sleep so it would not be a relaxing holiday stop. We had an unpleasant experience with a drugged Irishman on a campsite in Slovenia ( see blog) and that was quite enough to be going on with.

We'll stick to the well-worn aires and campsites and make sure we have alarms and set them.

G


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## RAH (Apr 22, 2007)

Standing back a bit, and carrying the wagon train analogy a bit further, maybe a circling of motorhomes does promote a tempting opportunity. But then again, I sure would feel better fending off theives alongside my fellow motorhomers than waiting for someone to come across my carcus at some remote location later on


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## wobby (May 1, 2005)

billym said:


> .
> 
> There is NO such thing as safety in numbers


I totally disagree with you, I feel if your parked near other MHs then if something happens the at least there is help near by. Of course if you park in the middle of a desert the probably you would be safer.

But then that's just my opinion

Wobby


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## wobby (May 1, 2005)

Forgot to mention always carry a double barrel shot gun. :roll: :wink: 

Wobby


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

A policeman once told some campers "always park where there are people". We have just gone onto a campsite in Portugal after wild camping for a while, so that my poor husband could sleep at night!! Sometimes it feels right and sometimes it doesn't.

We also always put a sign (in the appropriate language) in the window saying "beware of the dog!" Again a policeman once said that most burglars are more frightened of dogs than anything else.

Sleep tight!

Pat


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## LPDrifter (Aug 17, 2005)

Interesting discussion. We have wild camped alone seveal times in Ireland
and a few times in France. Other than that we stay on a campsite.

On balance I think I prefer being in the company of a few other MH's

My reason for that is that I have the vehicle alarmed including locker
doors. If any of the doors are opened it will set off the alarm.
I'm betting that if the alarm goes off in middle of the night
the would be burgler wil not hang around too long if there are
numbers there.

Now if you are alone and well off the beaten path....well a brazen burgler
might just take his chances if he knows he has only one/ two people to
contend with.

One exception to staying with numbers is that I would steer clear of
the Motorway aires, based on what I have read here and elsewhere


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## homenaway (Jul 27, 2005)

Generally we feel more at ease if there are other vans nearby but have solo camped a few times at aires when we have been on our own or very occasionally at wildcamping spots in the country but not in the UK. 

It certainly isn't relaxing when a car pulls up and stops (courting couple?)or we've heard voices of youngsters just wandering around from the nearby village.

Also a couple of times we've heard a vehicle park near us late at night and discovered it's a German motorhome just pulled in for the night has left early the next morning :? 

As for parking between French camping-cars - not possible as they seem to park so close together even on half empty aires :lol: 

We've also had stones thrown at our van while on a large campsite at Azay-le-Rideau last year so will park nearer the middle rather than on the edge in future  

Steve


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