Grey nomads and other campers are being urged to be super security vigilant following the theft of a caravan from a rest area west of Mackay in Queensland.
The grey Lotus Caravan Sprint was stolen some time between November 9 and 25 from Lake Elphinstone, an area is well frequented by visitors and campers.
Police have urged vehicle owners and campers in the area to take appropriate security measures for their possessions and report any suspicious behaviours.
They say vehicle owners should always practice proper vehicle security and ensure their vehicle is locked and secured, with any valuables including cash, electronics and handbags kept out of sight.
Police are urging travellers to be more security conscious. PIC: Queensland Pollice
The stolen caravan (NSW registration TT90JK) was parked in an allocated rest area at the time of the theft. Police are urging anyone who might have information about either the current location of the stolen caravan, or the offence, to contact them as soon as possible.
Sadly, this sort of incident appears to be becoming increasingly common, and grey nomads are understandably looking at ways to protect their pride and joy.
Travellers commonly consider everything from locks and immobilisers to security cameras and alarms … and much more besides.
Buying a GPS tracker gave Eric greater peace of mind.
The market for GPS trackers – devices that allows you to track where your vehicle is around the clock – have grown rapidly in recent years, offering customers a much-improved chance of getting their stolen vehicles back … as well as much greater peace of mind.
Grey nomad, Eric Harrington, bought a Solid GPS tracker before setting off on his long-term adventure a few years ago and has been delighted with it.
“I haven’t had any bad experiences yet, but the money I’ve invested in my ‘home’ was definitely a good enough reason to make sure I don’t lose it,” he said. “I just wanted to be able to know that my van is where it should be and that, if it does get stolen, I would have an opportunity to get it back.”
Eric, who stays in both caravan parks and free camps with his wife, says the Tracker was easy to set up and to monitor via an App on his phone.
“For me, it was a question of how do I safely and effectively safeguard my caravan,” he said. “So yes, I’ve fitted it to my Zone van and it does give me peace of mind as I can look where it is at any time.”
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Stolen from a popular rest area and the date range was some time over 14 days?
Was it left there for two weeks?
Seems a bit strange to me!
Surely someone was watching over it – one hopes?
I was wondering the same thing.
Thats how you get the best spots for Christmas and new year.
What do you expect leaving your caravan unattended for two weeks!
At the very least, not to have it stolen. Your comment is victim blaming, the thief or thieves are responsible for the act of theft.
Well said…
Anyone who leaves their caravan unattended for a couple of weeks is a willing victim.
The fault is with the people who stole it, not the victims.
Yes that is true but we live in a world where people are not all good people there are unfortunately grubs amongst us and due diligence is a must
Come on. In a popular REST AREA for two weeks? That’s tantamount to abandonment in a public place.
Put wheel clamps on caravan as it will take a hell of a time to get them off..
Would you leave your handbag there for 2 weeks with the equivalent amount of money in it and expect to be not stolen same thing
Nobody should touch your property, full stop. If we would have good judges, then those caught thieving should get a real sentence, like 10 years, not probation.
Feel sorry for the police with all their fantastic work and the law/judges let them down.
And if they’d left it for a day and it had been stolen would you have sympathised?
People forget, life goes on, travelers get sick, have to go to hospital, have surgeries and heart attacks etc etc, I see it all the time!! What are they supposed to do?? Try a little kindness people
Probably locate the nearest storage facility!
Sounds more like he ghost camped to get a good Christmas spot.
Strange to leave it 2 weeks unattended, probably leaving it there so they keep a good free camp for Christmas, when these spots are very heavily frequented by families, but thieves are scum.
If someone leaves a caravan, a car, a boat or anything else disconnected and alone these days, anywhere in Australia, for a day let alone for a couple of weeks, either hasn’t got a clue about the realities of life today, or some other reason that most might work out?
Maybe council impounded it? Maximum length of stay is 14 days at Elphinstone
Exactly my thoughts
Why would u leave a caravan for that many days ??? if u travelled off somewhere else wouldn’t you find somewhere to store it safely I sure would..plus I would lock the towbar like I do with my trailer..
Ever thought there car could broken down and thought leaving it there was safe if not yours don’t touch we are very quick to blame
Whatever the case is (even maybe… deliberate fraud for insurance ect) the person/s stealing or involved had some nerve to do that
Probably got towed by the council
In the absence of details about the Lake Elphinstone theft, it is pointless to speculate on the motivations or actions of the victim. It might be more useful to find and punish the offenders.
We never leave our van unattended if we are parked in a free camp. It’s asking for trouble.
For all the people commenting on the caravan being left. When I was a kid my dad would take the caravan down to the beach in early December and leave it till after Easter. It was the done thing in those days. We would spend a few weeks there after Christmas and then just go down on weekends…. People still do it…. quite a common thing.