Brand New Engal Stolen

Thanks for the reminder.
Down the gold coast last Xmas, and 5 cars in the car park were done over for the GPS too. Didn't think about the rings on the windscreen as a give away, most people had them tucked under a seat.

Dave, Can you fill us in a bit more about where you were parked when it was stolen.

Was it in a carpark...in the bush, caravan park ???

This may help others to be a little more vigilant and sometimes these people get caught by the owners....and they should be given summary justice, no COPS :)

Gary

Well you have got my sympathy mate. I know how it feels, lost a 12 month old 40 Ltr a couple of years ago. Engraved with my drivers licence number too, never saw it again. Nav.

Dave

I'm the butt of a lot of ribbing from friends down here who think I go overboard protecting the contents in the 4wd (including the frig). Their favourite comment is "Christ, the padlocks and keys weigh more the car mate".

Couple of coppers I know, tell me more is lost through smash and grab. They agree if something is bolted, chained or padlocked the bad guys generally won't put time, or effort into pinching valuables unless the situation is on their side.

I've never been broken into. Having said that, some buggar will probably pinch the frig while I'm sleeping tonight!

Regards

Kim

I had a solar panel and gas lantern stolen from a National Park Campground a month ago. I was asleep 2 meters away from it when taken in the early hours of the morning by some 'drive in, drive out' buggers.

Insurance claim pending, with the key point of discussion being whether or not a portable solar panel is considered 'camping gear'. ith my policy camping gear is covered under the category of sporting goods if you have personal valuables cover, but it seems this might not extend to a portable solar panel - even if a dedicated 12v off grid unit.

Anyway, I'll be bolting the next one to the roof where the bastards can't reach it. I won't let it change my attitude toward trusting fellow campers and not bolting everything down, constanty moving gear to 'lock it away' etc. I might as well stay home if I have to do that.

Had it been pinched from your garage, your household insurance would cover it.

Pity it happened elsewhwere.

a friend had his stolen a few yrs back --now he has a little alarm /dick smiths --little pin pulls out and an ear piercing alarm follows - works well for about $10

Thanks for your replies guys. I just hope that my bad luck can help someone else here avoid the same misfortune. It's true that you can't really stop thieves, you can only deter them. If someone really wants to get at your stuff they will get it weather it is alarmed, bolted down or anything else.

But if we can reduce the amount of "smash and grabs" that happen with simple things like padlocks or alarms. A dedicated thief will no doubt have some tools and can unbolt most things given enough time, but the more "simple minded" scumbags who smash and reach in will probably leave your goods if they can't get to them in the first few seconds. And more and more of these types of thieves will start targeting 4WD's if they know that they are full of expensive equimpment and the only thing between them and the stuff is a piece of thin glass.

Gps rings i clean mine off as soon as i stopped or before and take the unit and power cable with me, and put the cradle under the seat

Where I live I'd probably not even lock my car unless it's the tourist season, and the Engal lives in there all the time but it'd be a bugger to get out.

The insurance thing is interesting though. I enquired with the mob that the Vic Association pushes to club members as providing a special policy for club members with optional camping equipment cover.

While they reckoned they'd cover the Engal the list of "camping equipment" that they'd cover was useless, and the additional premium was not small.

Just some of the items they didn't consider camping equipment included:
Chainsaw
Tool kit
Vehicle spares
Recovery gear
Solar panel
Portaloo
GPS
Inverters
Generator

They had complicated explanations about some of the items being covered under "their" house insurance policy which I'd asked for quotes for also.

It was that confusing I gave up. I still haven't reinsured.

On top of all of that I was going to have to get the 4wd appraised because the accessories comprised more than 40% of the value of the vehicle - at my cost of course.

I'm still underinsured. I just don't know what to do about it. They make it far too hard.

It's the supermarket principle I reckon. You assume all your customers are crooks/thieves and treat them as such (inspect all bags on exit). If you pi$$ off a few legitimate honest customers who aren't going to claim a windscreen every year in the process then that's acceptable collateral damage.

Dave