Once you’ve got the best RV for you and your family, you’ll want to make sure you’re taking good care of it so it’ll stick around for a long time. While you’ve probably already got maintenance issues and safe RV driving under your belt, there’s another concern you’ll have to think about: theft. Whether someone steals your belongings or steals the entire RV, theft can be frustrating and scary, so make sure you’re taking every precaution to protect yourself.
To give you some ideas, Athens RV has provided some basic tips for protecting your belongings from thieves. If you have a specialized security system that needs to be installed, come talk to our service and parts department at our location in Athens, Texas, near Nacogdoches and Lufkin.
Parking your RV
This is a preventative measure you can take whether you’re at home or on the road. When you’re out camping–and if you’re able–try to find a spot that is both off the beaten path but still visible to other campers. The more time a thief has to spend looking for your RV, the more likely they are to skip you altogether. At the same time, having neighbors will deter thieves, as suspicious behavior is less likely to go unnoticed. If you have a towable RV, consider getting a jockey wheel. This will allow you to guide your RV without a tow vehicle and let you point your hitch away from the road, making it impossible for thieves to hitch their own vehicles to your RV and drive off with it.
When you’re not using your RV to camp and you’re at home, there are a number of options you can consider to keep it safely parked. Ideally, you’d have a covered barn or garage that would protect your RV, or find a storage facility that can accommodate large vehicles. However, we know this isn’t always the case, so the important thing to remember is to keep your RV off the street. Use an accessible, large backyard if you have one, or bring it close to your house. The closer thieves need to get to acquire your RV, the more likely it is they’ll skip it.
Securing your RV
There are a number of simple ways you can keep your RV secured when you’re away from it and at night. Make sure all the doors and windows are shut and locked. A tire boot will keep a thief from driving off with your RV. If you have a motorhome, you can also get a wheel lock, or you can get a hitch lock for a towable RV.
Reducing Temptations
Just as you’d want to hide your valuables to avoid your car getting broken into, you’ll want to do the same for your RV. If you leave important and expensive items out and a thief sees it, they’ll be more inclined to try and break in. Draw the shades and stow your valuables out of sight. If you have important documents or other more expensive valuables, you can consider getting a safe for an extra layer of security.
Further Measures
What we’ve provided so far is relatively inexpensive and basic, but there are other ways to keep your RV safe. You can invest in an alarm or security system with more advanced technological protection. These often cost more money, but they’re also the most effective security measure you can take. Then again, some measures are more about locating your RV again if the worst does happen. Consider tagging your RV or installing some sort of tracking device. If that’s a little too much for you, you can always just personalize it. A custom paint job, interior designs, and stickers can help you identify your RV if it gets stolen.
You might find even more ways to protect your RV from theft of any kind, so try to use as many prevention methods as you can. We take your safety and the safety of your RV very seriously, so if you’d like some more tips, come talk to our experienced staff at Athens RV in Athens, Texas. We proudly serve the areas of Nacogdoches, Lufkin, Longview, Tyler, Fort Worth, Houston, and Dallas, Texas.
