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bfason

New Member
Our first trip in our recently aquired 2001 Four Winds RV made my wife and I stop and think twice. We came to a rest stop and noticed another RVer seemed to have engine trouble. Parking fairly close to them, as soon as I stopped the man walked up to my window and asked if I might be able to give him a hand. I said sure and noticed his wife and two sons and one daugher all later teens or early twenties. My wife went to the restroom while I went around to the front of his coach to look at his engine. After only a short while he got in and miracuously the engine started, everyone already in the coach and they drove off saying thank you. My wife came back from the restroom and we went back to our RV only to realize it had been ransacked. Missing was her purse, cash and credit cards, camera equipment, laptop computer, our gun, and some cash we had in the cab of the RV.
We called the Sheriff's department but they were unable to locate the RV or the people. They said that while the wife was in the restroom, where his wife followed and kept her talking for a little while, and I was busy "helping" the man, his kids were cleaning out our RV.
Is this something that happens often to RVers? This was our first trip and less than a hundred miles from our home.
 

Kirk

Senior Member
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That is not unusual for a rest area. Never leave the RV unlocked, particularly in a rest area. Remember, nearly everyone passses through the roadside rest areas, so there are both good and bad folks there. There are many scams that are aimed at rest areas.
 

TheWetFish

New Member
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Sorry to hear that it happened to you. My dog lets me know when somebody is close to my RV. The gun is only for those times when somebody might get brave enough to steal the dog. :approve:
 

OldSoldiers

Junior Member
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My most sincere condolences on your bad experience, and you are to be commended for your "Good Samaratin" attitude. But the world is full of all kinds of people, those like you and the others.

Just be cautious, and I hope this incident will not deter you from further exploration of our great country.

As a rule, I find the greatest percentage of RV'ers are great people.

Good luck in the future.
 

Buggie

New Member
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I know this is on the older side but since I have two cents I wanted to add it...LOL My Pop and I have a 5er...pictures to come later...anyway, he has bad kidneys and we stop every couple hours or so when on the road without fail. Some things to keep in mind...one night we stopped at a rest stop and my dad popped in the trailer because we are always SOOOOO far from the potties in the trucks/RV areas, when I noticed a scroungy lookin guy coming towrad us...I was armed with my cell phone/OnStar and had the doors locked and I saw him go over to my dad as he was coming out! I was just about to call 911 when the guy walked off...my dad told the guy that walking up behind somone parked in the dark is a sure fire way to get shot...and the guy appologized and walked off.

Okay, so do I have a point? Yes, it's that 1) when at a Rest Area even if you have dogs (I have 4 loud Chihuahuas-but only around strangers!) ladies...keep the doors locked if you are alone or with your kids in the vehicle. 2)Look under the stalls in the restrooms and always carry some form of protection...it may seem silly but I personally use my trailer potty and my Pop always (as much as I get irritated at times because I have been locked out before while he was in said potty!) LOCKS the doors to the trailer and the truck!!! Carry a set of keys (hold between fingers to gouge eyes!), a whistle, a small air horn or some other noise maker so that you can alert your significant other that you are in danger!!! 4) DON'T TALK ON CELL PHONES!!! Make sure that your mind is on the task at hand-pottying and getting to your rig in one piece!!! Many people who are abducted/robbed/etc are distracted!!! 5) Go Potty with your kids even if they are older...I go in my stall after my nieces (13 and 15-they think I am nuts) go in their stalls and they aren't allowed to come out until AFTER I do! Paranoid? Maybe, but I would rather be a tad over protective than be sorry later!!!

I am not saying this to scare you but whether we want to think about danger or not it is there! Many people are robbed or worse at Rest Areas every day!!! I am sure that we are all being careful but hopefully this will help us be a little more careful and safer!!!

Please forgive my perhaps lecturing tone-I don't mean it to be-I was just scared out of my wits in that dark fairly deserted Rest Area and since then I have been extra careful!

Hugggsssss All,
 
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