Keeping Your Belongings Safe While RVing

Here are some great tips on keeping your belongings safe while RVing

By Brian McGwinn

RVing is a thrilling experience to indulge in, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a more freedom-filled adventure than packing up your things and hitting the open road.

While it’s exhilarating to be able to let go and enjoy the wind blowing through your hair, it’s important to avoid letting your guard down completely. In today’s world, implementing an element of safety and caution can go a long way in preventing stressful situations from overtaking your getaways because, unfortunately, not everyone you meet has your best interest at heart.

That’s not to say that you should treat everyone as a potential thief, but seeing as how RVing doesn’t allow you to bring an excess of items with you, it’s important to take some measures to protect your belongings while on the road.

To help you out, here are a few ways to better secure your RV:

Seek Out RV Campgrounds With Low Crime Rates and With Surveillance On-Site

A large part of protecting your things comes down to picking the right spot to go to. Take your time when searching for RV campgrounds, and if you find one that looks like a solid option, call and ask about their surveillance.

Do they have a 24 hour maintenance staff on-site who can be on the lookout for suspicious activity? If not, do they at least have video camera surveillance in place?

Also, read reviews by previous campers to see if there are any complaints about crime, and you can also use crime maps to see how much criminal activity is typically reported in the general area of where you’ll be parking your RV.

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Rely Mostly On Your Card, Not Cash

To further protect your finances, try to limit the amount of cash you bring with you during your RV trek. If cash gets stolen, it can’t be traced, so using a debit or credit card is your best option. When you’re going out of state, call and let your bank know which states you’ll be passing through. That way, they won’t shut off your card if it’s being used outside of the normal area and they’ll also notify you if unusual activity shows up in locations that you didn’t specify you will be traveling through.

Don’t Bring Unnecessary Valuables With You

When RVing, you truly don’t have much use for fine jewelry and other valuables, and if they are just going to be sitting around collecting dust, consider leaving them at home when you’re going to be on the road. If you’re a full-timer or a long-term camper, ask a friend or relative if they can hold onto your precious items for you and try to be as practical and minimalist-minded as you can.

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Consider Installing an RV Alarm System and Additional Locks

As this article points out, most RV storage compartments come equipped with pretty basic locks that don’t vary much from RV to RV, meaning that if a thief knows how to pick a lock on one recreational vehicle, it’s safe to assume they can pick the one on yours as well.

To enhance your safety, add an additional deadbolt lock to your RV, and always keep your motorhome locked when you step away from it. You may want to think about installing a security system for your RV, and if you do invest in one, be sure to add a sticker on the window highlighting the fact you have an alarm system in place. Signs like this, or even a “beware of dog” sign, can help deter criminals from spending any more time lurking around your RV.

You should also get to know your neighbors. Most RVers are friendly folks, and employing a buddy system where you watch out for each other at the campground can go a long way in ensuring your safety.

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Keeping Your Belongings Safe While RVing **

Keep Important Items Out of Sight and Secured Away

Lastly, never leave anything enticing or obviously valuable in plain sight, as doing this can work as an open invitation to thieves. A sturdy, dependable safe can keep anything you want to protect safe from those who don’t know the combination, so clean up before you head out, and make sure blinds are shut when you leave your RV.

Additionally, you may want to move any outside items, such as awning attachments, patio furniture, etc., inside of your vehicle if you plan to be away from it for a significant amount of time. It’s not always convenient to lug things in and out every time you leave and return, but it certainly beats the option of returning to find your belongings have disappeared.

Takeaway Points

At the end of the day, there are many steps you can put into action when it comes to keeping your belongings safe inside of your RV. It takes some careful research to pick a low-crime location, a bit of thoughtfulness to remember to put items away and out of sight, and maybe even a little money to purchase the proper locks, alarms, and safes, but all of your efforts will be worth it when you remember that peace of mind is priceless. Here’s to safe and happy travels!