Today we complete our series of personal safety advice for truck campers, given by retired law enforcement officer Bryan Appleby.
The following are some great tips to keep your custom truck camper safe, especially if you are away exploring the wilderness for long periods of time.
Park your truck in a ready-to-leave position
Park your vehicle in such a fashion where you can drive away immediately if needed, without much hesitation.
Avoid drawing attention to your camper and location
Try not to make your truck camper a huge spectacle, no matter how much you love it. Refrain from drawing attention to yourself by displaying outside lighting if they are not necessary at the moment. Unless you need to be rescued, don’t fly flags, awnings, campfires, and smoke to announce your location to others.
Spread your contents out on the ground like bicycles, motorcycles, carpets, whirly gigs, grills, etc., could indicate whether you are home, or not. Also, avoid posting pictures of your camper and trailer contents on public social media, or announce your destination or dates of being there.
Secure your camping zone
Mark the road into your camp by dragging a stick across the road to leave a mark in the dirt and gravel; you can do this in different spots. This will allow you to know whether someone has come into your camp while you were absent. When you return, look for tread marks over the drag marks
Using game cameras to record whom might be entering your camp by setting them in strategic locations is a good idea. At least you will have something recorded if you ever need it, or with luck, a surprise of some interesting wildlife images.
A drive-way alarm is a popular device used by rural residents. Many of these devices are now wireless and can be used when setting up a remote campsite.
Motion detector devices or lights can do remarkable assistance in encouraging man or animal to find another victim. Just use them discretely, as they can alert others of your location or irritate those who seek total darkness.
Securing your camper
If your truck camper has a ladder, remember to fold it up and lock its folded position. Also, if you have a roof access ladder which can’t be removed, make sure to close the vents, as they can be an easy point of access. If you have solar panels on the roof, install security bolts on them to prevent theft.
If you can, installing security cameras on and around your camper is recommended. While they might not stop an intruder, they are able to provide important investigation information.
Don’t announce on your camper your status or what you carry inside with decals or signs on your windows, such as: “Full-timing since 2009!”, “Canon Cameras” or “Protected by Smith & Wesson”. They can provide a lot of information to anyone trying to break in.
And last but not least, always remember to lock your camper door and close-locked your truck’s tailgate if the model allows it!
Phoenix Pop Up: customized truck camper builders since 1988
At Phoenix Pop Up Campers customization is our daily work. We focus on building truck campers that are made specifically to meet your needs and fit your vehicle. Just choose a Base Model -which comes with standard features- and then select the many more optional features available. And if you already have something in mind that you want, let us know about all of your ideas and we will work as a team to design and build the camper of your dreams!
We work on the most popular truck makes and models, so click on your type of vehicle and start building your camper now! Or give us a call so we can get started on your Phoenix Pop Up. The world is ready to be explored. Are you?
