# We've had a visitor



## patnles (Oct 26, 2006)

We live near the end of a small culdesac and this morning a white van with 2 men in it drove passed our house turned round and drove off. I've seen this van before, a couple of days ago.
An hour later a large flatbed truck pulled up and the driver came to the door and asked, in an Irish accent, if we wanted to sell our motorhome. 

"Well, now you mention it, no!" :evil: "And no again, not even for a good price!" 

I'm sure there was some connection with the white van and there would be no reason for the driver of the flatbed to be down this road. I'm a bit of a worrier and now I'm wondering what happens next.

Has this ever happened to anyone else?
Lesley


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Inform the police at once, and give them the registration number of the flatbed and the white van - which I hope you were able to take.

It won't stop your van being pinched if that's what they are up to, but it may help get it back a lot quicker.

Frankly I doubt if you will be troubled any further. If they were going to nick it they would not have knocked on your door first. 8O 

Dave


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## ramblingon (Jul 15, 2009)

Hmm It would make me feel unnerved as well, but perhaps it was just an innocent enquiry? You can always talk to the police, did you get any registration numbers?


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## patnles (Oct 26, 2006)

Oh heck! I didn't get the reg. numbers of either the van or the flatbed.  
We have decided to take a couple of high value things out of the mh but it has got an alarm and a tracker fitted so I hope that's enough. 
Lesley


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## 91502 (May 1, 2005)

ramblingon said:


> perhaps it was just an innocent enquiry? ?


In your dreams !!!!! 
What if there had been no reply to the knocking? 
I would recommend you do anything you can to make sure your MH cannot be removed without your permission. 
James


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

I am from N. Ireland. I was a contractor with a yard full of machinery, tractors, diggers and lorries. These guys used to call in all the time just to ask if I had anything for sale. A simple polite no and some friendly chat sent them away, I never had any problems, nothing stolen. They make their living buying and selling and knock doors where they see anything they might like to buy. They can be rather obtrusive and may well offer silly prices hoping to take advantage of people who do not know the value of things but the vast majority are not thieves. I would not worry about it, Alan.


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## JohnsCrossMotorHomes (Jul 21, 2007)

Hi,

If you can find the power supply lead to the fuel cut off solenoid, disconect it.

It will never start in a million years

Peter


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## paulmold (Apr 2, 2009)

We had similar visit last year, shortly after we bought the MH. I simply told them I'd just bought it and would like to enjoy it for a couple of years before selling it. We used to get them every so often when we had the caravan and they got a similar response. Never had any bother after any visit but I did make a note of registrations just in case.


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## EJB (Aug 25, 2007)

We get a few 'casual callers,' as often as one a week, and when appropriate a few polite comments are exchanged.
The registration numbers are always noted :wink: 
No actual problems during the past 30 years


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## patnles (Oct 26, 2006)

JohnsCrossMotorHomes said:


> Hi,
> 
> If you can find the power supply lead to the fuel cut off solenoid, disconect it.
> 
> ...


Thankyou Peter, Neither of us have any idea where this fuel cut off solenoid would be.  Pat has very basic knowledge of car engines and is going to investigate. If he can find it, would it be easy to disconnenct and re-connect? It's a Merc chassis.
Lesley


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## asprn (Feb 10, 2006)

Lesley,

Let the Police know, even although you didn't note the reg nos (always do so, and if possible, let them see you noting them, either by making a show of reading the plate, or by writing it down in their view).

You may not be the only call they'll have had, and it's quite possible they will already know who it is. At the very least, it'll be another piece of jigsaw, and you may get some passing attention from local patrols.

Dougie.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

If my covert cameras were off so not triggered, if it's like my road, I'd just have to knock on a few neighbours' doors and I'd get both reg numbers from more than one house 

I wouldn't worry; once in a while I get itinerant Irish labourers (I'm feeling PC today ...) calling. If they start with politeness and a smile, that's what they get back.

Dave


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## ramblingon (Jul 15, 2009)

I would alert your neighbours in case they winch it away on the low loader, neighbours may think it's being repossessed! :lol:


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## Tobysmumndad (Nov 12, 2007)

*Sounds like a familiar story!*

Two Sundays ago, late afternoon, the doorbell rang. There, on the doorstep, was a stocky, dark-haired chap with what I detected was a Berkshire accent. 
"Is this the motorhome that's advertised for sale?"
"No, I'm sorry but it isn't."
"Well there's one round here for sale, but I've left the paper behind. Would you consider selling me this one? I want to take my son fishing"
"Sorry, the answer's still no, but I wish you luck in finding one."
"Oh well that's a pity. Goodbye."
"Goodbye."

All perfectly polite, on both our parts, but now for the points of interest!
1. Across the road was parked a blue Transit van, with gold lettering: "Tarmac drives and garden Landscaping." A burly blond-haired bloke was at the wheel. (Uh-oh, it's 'The People From the End of Nine-Mile Ride' thinks I, desperately trying to make a mental note, as was Tobysmum, standing behind me.)
2. The subject motorhome is a Hobby 750, normally parked facing inwards, but it was parked facing outwards because we were taking it for a service and habitation check, later in the week.
3. I immediately rang the police and informed them.
4. I then took the Hobby out, and turned it back round to its normal parked position.
5. It's since had its service and habitation check, and is parked facing inwards, alarm on. The removable steering wheel is off and is secreted somewhere in the house.
6. I have just checked that all is secure, particularly with regard to all the windows being there. Two were stolen from it, just before we were due off on a Hobby rally, so facing outwards, some years ago.
7. I believe that if 'someone' really wants it, despite the difficulties of towing a 4,000 kg vehicle backwards into the road, they'll have it, or have major bits off it.

It's a worry, isn't it?


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## patnles (Oct 26, 2006)

Thanks all for the help and support. I'm feeling a little less worried now. This chap was very polite but the big flatbed looked as though it could have been a transporter so that un-nerved me a bit. I was thinking if we hadn't been in , would the mh still be there when we got back. Maybe that was a little OTT, but I did say I was a worrier  
We've tested the alarm and the Phantom is working ok, so we should be no less secure than we were yesterday and I wasn't worrying then  
Maybe I'll sleep in the mh for a week or two  
Lesley


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## CaGreg (Mar 28, 2007)

DABurleigh said:


> I
> I wouldn't worry; once in a while I get itinerant Irish labourers (I'm feeling PC today ...) calling. If they start with politeness and a smile, that's what they get back.
> 
> Dave


Dabs. Your PC is a few years out of date, 'Itenerant is so 90's, they are now members of the Travelling Community.....

Ca


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## Brock (Jun 14, 2005)

Making it necessary for thieves to reverse your motorhome if they want to nick it is a sensible precaution. There is a 6" gap either side of my drive gates to reverse through, then the van has to be reversed into the narrow road and then much arm twirling to set off in the right direction. It's easier for me as I do it all the time.

It won't stop the thieves but it will slow them down a little.


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## Techno100 (May 8, 2010)

If they're crook it's more likely they were just casing your property as they know when your MH is not there then most likely you aren't either


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## JockandRita (Jun 1, 2005)

If it was me, I'd be taking it straight back to the storage site.

If I didn't have one, I'd be arranging to park it up at either the coach boss's yard, or the haulage boss's yard for a few days, and removing a particular fuse too. :wink: :wink: :wink: 
Is there someone you know who can take something that size on their premises?

Regards,

Jock.

P.S. I sincerely do hope it is a "false alarm, good intent". :wink:


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## foll-de-roll (Oct 29, 2007)

Hi 


When they knocked on the door they were just checking to see if you were in. You can bet your boots, if there had been no reply these thieving "Bs", would have had it in on the back of the Flatbed in no time. 


I see France is getting rid of thousands of these thieves, and they are also checking up on, where they get the means, for them to be buying very expensive vehicles and vans. They are deporting them back to Romania. 


It is about time we started to deport ours back to Ireland, and to tell Ireland to stop dumping their known criminals onto us. You never see that lot driving around in anything, but top of the range kit, and all with no known evidence of income :roll: :roll: :roll: 


No doubt all the luvvies will be rushing to their defence , the poor persecuted "Ethnic Minorities" my arm. 




Andy :x :x


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Go on then! Like to see someone nick ours!










I wouldn't worry. If they were out to steal your van they would hardly turn up, show their faces and their vehicle first would they?

I live in a virtually crime free area so I could be unaware of what goes on in other areas where there is more crime but even so would thieves be that daft?

BD


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## patnles (Oct 26, 2006)

Oh Blimey! I suddenly feel more worried.
I'm sorry Dougie, I somehow missed your post but I will let the police know now. A bit late though 

Pat and I have a different experience of the travelling community. I used to visit them on LA housing estates and caravan sites and I never had any problems although I was warned by one of them "to be sure to lock my car or it would be stolen." :lol: (from the horses mouth). I did feel very intimidated at first but once they got to know me they were fine and treated me very well(I was a district nurse hca).
Pat on the other hand had to admit travelling children to his school as it was a Roman Catholic school and of course they were very good Catholics :lol: They were *all* nothing but trouble and he had no end of complaints from local shopkeepers about them stealing.

I think it would be easier to reverse our mh from the drive as there is wide drive directly opposite. Driving out is a bit trickier as the drive is not wide enough for the overhang and driving out involves a fair bit of to-ing and fro-ing to avoid taking the corner off the mh. We always reverse on.
Thankyou everyone for your helpful suggestions.
Lesley


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## marionandrob (May 14, 2005)

We have one of these

http://www.toolmix.com/browse/product.asp?pid=71232&s52cnc=FROOGLE-UK&s52r=FROOGLEUK

Can be a pain to fit until you get the knack as it is quite heavy.
Nothing will stop a determined thief but anything that will slow them down adds a deterrent value.


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## Hobbyfan (Jul 3, 2010)

This is a video taken on surveillance cameras. It shows three 'travellers' stealing a caravan. It took them just a few minutes and it had a security post in front of it!

No doubt they'd 'cased the joint' first, possibly by politely asking if it was for sale!

You can hear them knocking on the door and as soon as they know that no one's at home they steal the 'van.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*van*



Hobbyfan said:


> This is a video taken on surveillance cameras. It shows three 'travellers' stealing a caravan. It took them just a few minutes and it had a security post in front of it!
> 
> No doubt they'd 'cased the joint' first, possibly by politely asking if it was for sale!
> 
> You can hear them knocking on the door and as soon as they know that no one's at home they steal the 'van.


SCUM


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## davesport (Nov 12, 2006)

You've had the benefit of being able to answer the door when the nice travelling people turned up :evil: Some of them are thieving scumbags so I'd take a few sensible precautions seeing as they're obviously in your area. If they come knocking it's usually for some spurious reason, in my case it was to see if "You need any trees cutting down" (he's already tried to access the rear of my property but the gate was padlocked) Anyone with half a brain knows what's going on & they're looking for easy pickings. It's not normal for anyone to turn up at your door to ask if you're selling your MH. (Did he offer to pay with homemade clothes pegs ?)

Keep your compact camera to hand & take a few nice pictures of them if they're hanging around. That upsets them good & proper  Personally I'd contact the local polise force & remain vigilant for a couple of weeks, hopefully by then they'll have moved on & the mini crime spree will have gone with them.

Soory but I've got a low opinion of some travellers & the amount of slack that the law gives them.

D.


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