So you think it could never happen to you?

Rolex

Hi Everyone,

Long story short: Done the trip to Marbella. I think it was Peasant that forewarned me...too far in too short a time. It turned into an endurance test.

But that was not the worst of it!

On the way home we parked up overnight in the biggest, brightest service station of all the service stations we had overnighted at. At around 4.00am we were woken by what sounded like one of the blinds snapping up. I got up, checked everything, windows, doors etc...everything fine. Could not figure out what the noise was. So we went back to sleep. Woke next moring to find we had been cleaned out...Money, credit cards, phones, cameras, passports. Not a nice feeling waking up in Northern France with 7 euros and half a tank of diesel. Whoever robbed us had searched the van as if we were not in it. This had me baffled as we should have heard something. Reported it eventually after being sent to three police stations. The police spoke no english, their phones could only make calls within France. So we sat in the reception of a police station for 10 hours until a lady that spoke english walked in. She then proceeded to translate our statement. The chief of police said our story was quite common. So much so that reports to the police ran into 'thousands' every year. I told him I could not understand how we did not hear something as my wife is an extremely light sleeper. He said what the thief does is spray a gas into the van that induces a deeper sleep, no side effects but you sleep like a log. Far fetched I thought but probably the only way that would explain how our van was ransacked while we slept and I mean ransacked. Anyway I'll wrap this up before I bore you all to death but a word of advice. Try and park in a camp site at night, hide some emergency money or a credit card. I have thought back was there anything I could have done to avoid that happening. The only thing I can say is definitely No. I done everything right. I parked in a busy well lit place, I checked and double checked that the van was secure. We hid the valaubles and money in different places and they still found them. But be aware if this should ever happen to you and of course I hope it never does....You and your family are on your own...the police were no help, couldnt even use their phone to call home for help...the Irish Embassy was closed but they had a weekend 'emergency' number that was an answering machine that was not checked until Monday. Eventually found our passports in the van with some of my expired credit cards. They actually went thru my wallet while we slept and only took the credit cards that were in date. The noise I had heard was them 'popping' the door lock on the drivers door. Hope this helps someone. End result is my wife will no longer use the van...so its got to go....pity as I thought it was great.

stapeler

Rolex,
Sorry to hear of your bad experience, this is something we occasionally think about but never think it will happen to us. Can you convince your wife to give it a second chance, some additional security may offer piece of mind.
There are a lot of posts across a lot of forums discussing Gassing. Do you believe you were gassed or is that the answer the police gave you?
Is it the effect of long drives, a few drinks here and there and possibly less ventilation that makes a person sleep through an incident like this?

Once again sorry to hear of your bad experience.

Stapeler

Malta1

Sorry to hear about that Rolex

Strangly my parents were telling me that they had heard/seen something about similar occurances in France. However, there is some sort of a gas sensing alarm (unfortunately have no other details than that) thay can be gotten which detects this "sleep" gas

Might be well worth looking into

peasant

Rolex

Very sorry to hear that. The positive side (if there is such a thing) is at least only money was taken and you weren't hacked to pieces like that unfortunate couple in Louth the other day.

The stories about gassings are doing the rounds everywhere ...personally I don't think there is such a thing. The thieves would have to carry large cylinders of gas in order to effectively fill a camper.
Early hours of the morning (3-4 am) after a long day and most people are near to comatose in their sleep anyway.

A parking lot besides the motorway is ideal territory for thieves ...every night there is rich pickings to choose from. As you said, get off the motorway, use a campsite (or a least a quiet village somewhere).

After such a traumatic experience I can understand your wife's ill feelings towards the camper.

Maybe you will manage to bring her around after a while?

Here are some additional safety products for your camper:

http://heosolution.de/heosafe.php?lang=GB

Another thing people do is to tension one of those laoding straps (the ones with a ratchet) between the two front doors. (Personally I don't like that idea because it may prevent you from getting out in time in case of a fire)

fits

Crikey, I'm very sorry to hear that.
Having being broken into twice while I was asleep in a house, its surprising what one would sleep through. Its probably better that you didnt wake up. Nothing that was irreplaceable was taken.

peasant

Attached are two pictures of a very simple solution to the "easy open" Fiat Ducato door locks.

Malta1

definately got to be the "idea of the week"

Rolex

Hi Everyone,

Do I believe we were were gassed? If it were just me that had slept through it I would say no. But when my wife did and woke after I woke the following morning makes me think it is very much a possibility. My wife gets up a couple of times every hour to check our girls and is always awake before me..always.

Those little locks are an ingenius idea Peasant. Strange thing is I was looking at van security products in one of the service stations on our trip and I was egotistically smirking to myself as to how paranoid would you need to be to fit stuff like that. Because I would never have a need for that kind of stuff...idiot.

Anyway the good side of it is as was said my family came through it unharmed.

The 'bad' side is I might have to change my name to Casio as they took my watch as well:D

stapeler

I didn't want to ask about your watch!!!
I fitted a Fiamma Lock while in France, it took only a few minutes and it does give piece of mind.
Next will be Peasant's cab locks.

peasant

They're not "my" cab locks (I don't have conventional doors in my yoke), just a brilliant idea that I nicked from a German forum ...simple, cheap and effective.

One of the problems with safety measures is, the more you shore up your keep, the more people think is in there to nick.

That's why I like the cheapo solution ...makes life difficult enough for the casual thief while (due to its poverty spec) not creating the impression that there are massive treasures to be had inside

stapeler

A friend was in a motorhome last week and got a massive fright when he discovered a German Shepherd asleep on the seat. It was then explained to him that it was a security measure. Life size and identical to the real thing, might even provide a bit of company too.

peasant

yepp ...got three dogs (not the stuffed kind) ...no need for any alarms.

(In fact it's a bit difficult staying on tightly packed campsites as they react to anyone who comes close )

loobylou

Hi Peasant,
Is it that the thief uses something externally that raises the internal lock button? Like a false key or something? I had always imagined the doors being forced/jemmied open. If its the former that is usually the case I can certainly see your gizmo's working. Where are they available?
Ian

peasant

loobylou

As far as I understand Ducato doorlocks are "easy open" with a bit of wire or a screwdriver if you know what you shouldn't be doing.

Once the lock is forced, the knobs pop open ...and vice versa once the knobs are forced down, the lock can't be opened that easily.

The bolts in my pictures (or similar ones) can be gotten in any hardware shop.

After that it's a few screws, some strategically placed holes, a bit of rubber underneath the bolt and maybe a cup of tea while you figure it all out

3ps

I recently fitted Heosafe cab door locks and a Fiamme habitation door lock.
I do not believe in the gassing thing. Do a search on motorhomefacts.co.uk on it and you will be reading for weeks.......

KoNiT

Currently I loop the seatbelts around the door handles before clicking it into place. The door can be opened, but only fractionly. I've an alarm for the door which I'll fit, when chance prevails.

A simple alarm, even stickers will offer a good deterent.


Sorry to hear of your plight.

TigerTim

A few stickers(pictures - like you see on cars at dog shows) of a German Shephard/Alsation on the cab windows is a simple deterrant.

Aldi or Lidl do a simple alarm for a door once a year which is battery powered. Bought 2 a few years ago but never got around to fitting them.

T.