Stolen caravans: the stories behind the headlines
Caravan break-ins are on the rise as the pastime becomes more popular
Thursday, 22, Apr 2010 05:03
Caravan break-ins and thefts are such unpleasant issues to write about. It is clearly such an emotive subject. I can imagine that many of you reading will either have had a bad experience or know someone who has. What is certain is that the experience is as upsetting as someone ransacking your entire house.
Thankfully there is much we can do these days to protect our transportable homes. There are some excellent safes on the caravan market as well as wheel locks, alarm systems and even tracking devices. As vehicles we may be vulnerable compared to a house, but taking wise precautions is advisable without the need for neuroses.
A stroke of good fortune
A few years ago some friends of mine had their caravan stolen in France. Their despondent ferry ride home soon became the setting of a remarkable coincidence which statistically must be very rare. As they borded the ferry they were shocked to see their newly stolen caravan on board one of the decks of the ferry. With much haste and even more speed they contacted security on board, who promptly called the British authorities. Imagine the thief's surprise when the police were waiting on the other side. You couldn't make it up.
Unfortunately we know that most of the time when your caravan is stolen the chances are you will never see it, or its contents again. Being insured is no compensation if your caravan is stolen when you are on holiday. The personal items can never be replaced.
When opportunists strike
A couple I know decided some years ago to take the whole summer to tour England before moving house. Sharing their time between one site and the next, the two were forced to pull into a lay-by after getting a flat tyre on the caravan. Having passed a garage several miles back, they decided to head back and ask for some assistance. A kind mechanic agreed to help them out and they headed back for the caravan. About an hour had passed and they returned...to find no caravan. It had vanished. They never saw it again.
A passing motorist stopped and pointed to his house nearby saying he saw a caravan being loaded onto a recovery truck and pulling away. He naturally didn't think it was suspicious supposing that the people who owned the caravan had arranged it. But alas they had not.
Organised caravan theft
There is no doubt that organised caravan theft is big business, as witnessed on these pages recently. We have heard over the years of British caravans stolen and re-registered and sent to the continent in their hundreds. The ones that are eventually tracked down are often bought by some poor unwitting caravanner abroad and seized when brought back to Britain. And so a double crime is committed: the first owner has lost their pride and joy, while there is no recompense of course for the second 'owner' who is left with no caravan and vastly out of pocket to criminals.
The things we lose
Exercising caution is something we all do but sometimes when we are in that holiday mood we fall under the illusion that everyone is good, that nothing bad will happen because it's holiday time. Most of the time nothing will happen but to be caught out and lose everything is a very disheartening experience.
My friends lost a great deal of their personal belongings as they had packed for the whole summer. Cameras and memory cards, lots of clothes, shoes, boots, books, laptops, paperwork, phones. Of course the one thing that upset my friend the most was the little stuffed dog her grandfather had given her when she was seven. It is the personal objects that remind us of the violation.
Why community matters
After all these tales of woe it is important to remember that bad things don't always happen. All we can do is take precautions and exercise vigilance; it is worth remembering that we are on holiday and should relax too!
Above all I have found that caravanners look out for one another. Once on site you are amongst friends and there is that marvellous feeling of fellowship and camaraderie. An unspoken union between people who have never met before. That is a very rare thing in this world and it is a community open to all, welcoming everyone in the spirit of old fashioned kindness. I am glad to be part of it.
Yvonne Turley