How to prevent RV theft and keep your RV secure

By Cheri Sicard
In the video below, we join Joshua from RV Gear & Far for some useful tips on how to prevent RV theft and ways to keep your RV secure whether it is on the road, at your house, while out boondocking, or in an RV storage facility.

Kudos to Joshua for putting in the disclaimer that with enough determination, any RV can be stolen. But by implementing his advice you can significantly reduce your chances of that happening. Why would a thief want to work harder when it is to his or her benefit to commit the crime as quickly as possible? The goal of this video is to make stealing your RV so frustrating for a thief that they will look elsewhere.

Joshua’s tips to prevent RV theft

#1 Keep an insurance policy: Joshua says keeping your insurance up to date, even when not using the RV, can provide peace of mind that should the worst ever happen, it won’t be a catastrophic loss for you.

#2 Assess and secure your storage area: No matter where you are leaving the RV, Joshua talks about the importance of assessing it from a security standpoint. In the video, he gives you things to look for and consider.

#3 Hitch pin locks for towable RVs: Watch the video as Joshua goes into various options and their merits. Keeping a lock around your safety chains can also prevent someone from towing your RV by the chains and dealing with coupler locks later.

#4 X Chocks: If you have a triple-axle trailer, Joshua says that X Chocks not only provide great stabilization, but they are a theft deterrent, too.

#5 Consider locking lug nuts: These make it harder to get the tires off the RV. You can also chain the wheels to the suspension or to the frame and the wheel just can’t be taken off.

#7 A wheel boot: Similar to what parking enforcement uses, these are also effective, although they can be big and bulky.

#8 Keep the jacks down: A thief would have to take the time to raise them or risk damaging the RV if driving with them down.

#9 Chain your RV to something solid: In the video, Joshua uses a large tree as an example.

#10 Pin the RV in: Use a spot surrounded by other vehicles.

#11 Remove batteries when storing: If a thief wants to steal the RV, they will have to do everything manually, like hitching up and raising stabilizers.

#12 Disconnect the tongue jack fuse when the RV is in storage: Joshua shows you where and how in the video.

#13 Remove spark plugs: If you have a drivable RV, Joshua suggests removing one or more spark plugs or having a mechanic install an automatic kill switch.

#14 Remove the handle on manual tongue jacks: This makes it nearly impossible to raise or lower the tongue jack.

#15 Locks: Of course, lock all your doors. However, many RV locks are keyed alike, so installing good-quality after-market locks is a good idea.

#16 Secure generators, propane tanks, or other external devices: The video gives details of how.

#17 Security cameras: Prices have come down on these and there are even many Wi-Fi options.

#18 Document anything unique about your RV: Should it ever be stolen, this will assist in getting it back. Adding your name and contact to an inconspicuous place such as under a cabinet is a good idea. The idea is to be able to tell a law enforcement officer what to look for and where in order to identify your RV, should it ever be stolen.

#19 Appearances: Anything on your RV that makes it unusual will make it more conspicuous and therefore less desirable to a thief.

#20 Remove license plates while in storage: This makes it more conspicuous and therefore less desirable for thieves as they will have to drive without plates.

#21 Cover the RV: As you can’t drive with the RV covered, this will take a potential thief more time.

#22 GPS trackers: Small, inexpensive GPS trackers can help locate your RV quickly, should it ever be stolen.

Do you have additional tips for how to prevent RV theft and keep your RV secure? Be sure to share them in the comments below.

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