I'm just back from a 16 week, 12,500 mile trip in my van hauling an off-road trailer, with extended camp stays in various types of places. I have a ton of stuff that people might want to have.
Over four months of using the same gear in a bunch of different ways and in different settings, things naturally developed into a routine of sorts as far as buttoning down camp before going for a long bike ride or running into town for supplies. I didn't have a single problem with anything going missing, whether base-camping, on back roads, in truck stops, rest areas, hotel lots for the night, or parked in big cities. Oh, other than a removable tail-light on my bike, and I'm not sure if that was taken or fell off.
That I had nothing go missing in sixteen weeks doesn't mean I think I'm safe anywhere now. It means that what I've been doing to be aware of my surroundings and keeping an eye on my gear is working. I keep thinking of other ways to make everything even easier and more secure.
If I'm heading out from camp and my van is staying on-site, it usually feels like its simple presence deters potential trespassers, as anyone walking by doesn't know if I'm inside the van or not. Same with some ground tent set-ups. If I'm walking or riding away as some stranger is going by--especially when in busier areas--I sometimes yell back "Hey, going down to the store, be right back!" even though there is no one in the van or tent. Gives the illusion someone is on-site. Or "Killer, watch the site, boy!" works, too. This is especially good when in the city and parking.
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If I'm taking the van off-site I tidy up and secure things a bit more before I go, even if only intending to be away for a short while, as anyone who has seen my van in camp and now sees me drive away knows they can zip over there real quick and grab whatever before I get back. So, I don't make it easy for them to grab it.
I straighten up camp and don't leave items laying about like camp and kitchen tools or clothing. My fridge/freezer is always in the back of my van, and the van is typically locked up if I'm away for more than a few minutes, so I don't have to worry much about the fridge or van being messed with. It's a quick easy sweep of camp, too, to put things away into the back of my van or trailer and lock things up, or into the ground tent and zip it up. I tend to store things in the same place so it's usually easy and quick to tidy up before leaving and get things out again when I return.
As for the trailer, it has a Max Coupler hitch which makes it more difficult to just hook up and go, and I keep
Bolt 5/8" Receiver Locks (keyed to my ignition key) in both the trailer end and the van end of the hitch at all times, whether the trailer is hooked to the van or not. That further deters would-be trailer thieves. I hate having a mess of extra keys that I need to use daily, so absolutely love these receiver locks, keyed to accept my ignition key. The trailer, when in camping mode, usually has a big-assed awning deployed as well as a roof-top tent popped up and a galley table installed onto the side, so not exactly quick to haul off if someone is trying to be quick.
The tonneau cover on the trailer is a hard-rolling cover and made of titanium. No one is going to simply slash it with a knife to gain access to cargo. It locks nicely into place when the tailgate is up.
To secure the tailgate, I have a simple
CURT Coupler Lock securing the right latch hasp. When in place, it's pretty damned difficult to get anything in there to cut the bolt. I further secure the tailgate with the swing-arm tire carrier, which sort of hides the right latch and is secured by a bolt and cotter pin. I'm thinking about drilling the cotter pin hole larger to accept another CURT Coupler Lock, keyed the same as the other, to even make tailgate opening even more tedious to a thief.
The coupler locks are quick and easy to use. Straightening up camp is generally easy and quick, too. Anything that takes too much time to do or undo, or to stash away or get back out again, is likely not to be done as often, tempting would-be thieves even more.
I've found that not leaving stuff laying around----whether in camp or not--and having a well-kept site that says "this guy's got his shit together" is also a psychological deterrent. If in an area with a ton of strangers walking around, like private campgrounds or some state parks, keep stuff put away, don't let everyone know you have that nice ax or chainsaw, that fancy cooler, or expensive camera. That's just the temptation some people need to come back when they know you're away.
Temptation is what I want to minimize, if not eliminate.
I keep both my van and trailer pretty low-key as far as general appearance and tend not to hang what I call "overland bling" (hi-lift jacks, maxtrax, etc) all over them. That too, being less-obvious as owning a bunch of desired overland bling, makes your site less tempting.
Lastly, if I have visitors in camp or to my rig I think might be casing the place for a later visit, I'll let slip "Yeah, the last guy that messed with my stuff would've been twenty-eight next month. . ."
Ha!
No, securing your site and making sure your stuff stays yours is common sense and is, most generally, keeping your shit together.
Good luck. Dry roads and open skies to you all!
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