2112
Texas
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Joined: 07/16/2011
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DW came home to find our 1 year old TT is not in its place. I get the dreaded phone call. While I'm in route home one of our neighbors come by to ask DW if we let someone borrow it. She, as well as another witnessed the whole thing, both of them thinking it was a friend or relative borrowing it.
Even with the vague discription of the red four door truck I most likely will never see it again. It was parked next to my garage about 150' from the street and had the standard Masterlock pad lock on it. I can just assume they came with bolt cutters.
Three guys backed up to it and had it connected and rolling in less than a minute. The witnesses said that one backed up, another directed him while the third delt with the power cord and went inside real quick. It looked well planned and have done this many times before.
I most likely will be taken to the cleaners by insurance next. I'm sure there settlement will not even cover the outstanding balance. Any input on how to counter this would be helpful.
2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost SuperCab, Timbrens, PullRite SuperGlide 2700 15K
2013 KZ Durango 1500 2857
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myowneq
Louisiana
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Joined: 11/15/2009
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Dude, I'm so sorry. I know your feeling all too well when my brand new motorcycle got stolen years ago. It's a very sickening feeling. 
Unfortunately, you can put every safety measure you can on the trailer. If thieves want it bad enough, they'll get it.
2010 F150 XLT 4x4 SCab 5.4L
2007 Grand Surveyor
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JayWalker2009
I'm not really a
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So sorry to hear this! That is terrible! Sounds like a ring of experienced thieves for sure.
I hope you make out okay with insurance, or better yet hope they find it.
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Wills250psd
walnutcove NC
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Joined: 08/13/2011
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SORRY, I came home one day about 2 years ago and my new tractor was gone. I paid 18k for it and less than a year later it was gone. the ins gave me 14k. Any way you look at it I lost money because the tractor only had 150 hours on it. I just could not believe it happened. The good news is the replacement I bought has a hidden GPS on it and even if the battery is disconected it will send a signal for a week or so.You can put this on any RV as well and they are not much $ and monthly monitoring is less than 10 bucks. Good luck with the insurance. PS did you have gap coverage?
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Golden_HVAC
Fulltime, CA, USA
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Joined: 08/19/2003
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I guess the next one will have one of those little GPS locator units on it.
I think I would put one on the refrigerator, and power it with two sources. Then if they shut off one, the other will power it up, or the on board battery will power it for a while. Anyone stealing it would think it is part of the refrigerator. Anyplace the refrigerator goes, so will the GPS receiver. Find the refrigerator, you should be able to find the trailer, especially if you start looking within a few hours.
Fred.
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2112
Texas
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Joined: 07/16/2011
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Wills250psd wrote: did you have gap coverage? Nope. I didn't think I needed it. That is what will bite me
As far as the GPS, I didn't think I would need that either. Who would have thought someone would back up my driveway and steal my TT in broad daylight. Evidently not me.
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resmas
temporarily displaced Alaskan
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Travel trailers can be stolen without even being hitched - all the theives have to do is cross the safety chains, hook them real tight, and head down the road. The police in our area said they don't go far before stopping and working on the trailer to get it hitched up properly. But it buys them time, and gets them out of the "neighborhood watch" area. When I want any of my bumper pull trailers to be more secure, I take one of the really thick Masterlock cables and weave it through the rims of the tires, connecting the tires together so they cannot roll. Use a padlock made for a storage unit that has a very small, very thick exposed shank that cannot be cut with bolt cutters. Is it foolproof, no, but it sure slows them down - especially if 30' of cable is wrapped through the rims!
Fivers/goosenecks are bit harder to steal, but it can be done, also, even with a hitch lock on.
2012 Dutchmen Voltage Epic 3795
2010 Dodge 3500 DRW MC
2009 GMC 2500 DA CC
2012 Smart-for-two (sometimes hitches a ride in the Voltage!)
2005 Sundowner Sunlite 777
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2112
Texas
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Joined: 07/16/2011
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Quote: "neighborhood watch" Yep, that's what they did, stood there at the window and watched. I'm not going to beat on them though. They actually feel worse than I do once they realized what took place.
On a lighter note: I just went to NADA to find that the retail on this unit is still about $6K more than what I paid including TTL. I still feel I will get burned in the end.
I did screw up by filing a contents claim on my homeowners policy. I go through the process with the ins guy and at the end he tells me I have a $2250 deductable on this (1% of home value). When I heard this I said nevermind and he more or less said too late, your premium will go up I don't think I had $2250 worth of stuff in it.
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myowneq
Louisiana
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Joined: 11/15/2009
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I think I'd tell my insurance company where they could shove it after they paid the claim.
But I never thought of the cable tied between the rims. Interesting concept.
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JayWalker2009
I'm not really a
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2112 wrote:Quote: "neighborhood watch" Yep, that's what they did, stood there at the window and watched. I'm not going to beat on them though. They actually feel worse than I do once they realized what took place.
On a lighter note: I just went to NADA to find that the retail on this unit is still about $6K more than what I paid including TTL. I still feel I will get burned in the end.
I did screw up by filing a contents claim on my homeowners policy. I go through the process with the ins guy and at the end he tells me I have a $2250 deductable on this (1% of home value). When I heard this I said nevermind and he more or less said too late, your premium will go up I don't think I had $2250 worth of stuff in it.
So many neighborhoods today neighbors don't even know each other, and they feel more an intrusion if they were to walk over and ask what is going on or feel nosey to call the police.
This is why it is really a perk to know your neighbors well enough to be able to let them know "if it isn't my truck pulling the rig, its being stolen" but that is one of those 'coulda,shoulda, woulda' things because most of us probably wouldn't have done that either.
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