The travel dreams of yet another older Australian have been shattered by the heartless actions of caravan thieves.
Police are appealing for public help to retrieve the van that was stolen from an acreage property at Southside near Gympie in Queensland.
The 2013 Jayco Expanda Outback caravan bearing Queensland registration 054 UVU had a tyre clamp attached.
Police say this would have been difficult to remove.
They say this may have required someone with a tow truck or large trailer attending the location, as the caravan may have been winched and would have taken some time.
The van was stolen from a property near Gympie. PIC: QPS
Thieves also made off with some property stored in shipping containers during the raid, which took place some time last month.
“The owner of the stolen caravan and property is a senior member of our lovely community and would like his property back,” Gympie Police said.
They are asking anyone who may know of the van’s whereabouts, or remember seeing someone working on or something unusual involving a caravan on Groundwater Road in the last month, to contact Policelink on 131 444.
As the demand for caravans and motorhomes has gone through the roof, so too has the need for grey nomads and others to be more aware than ever about rig security.
Unlike under-awning fishing rod thieves or beer snatchers, those who target RVs aren’t just opportunistic … they can be organised, determined and highly professional.
For that reason, most grey nomads now take significant precautions to deter thieves, including deploying tow ball locks, alarms, wheel clamps, chains, cameras, GPS trackers, and more.
Are you a Grey Nomad member yet? Click here to find out about the discounts, competitions and other benefits on offer.
Two padlocks on the hitch plus a wheel clamp.
10 minutes with a battery angle grinder
Bet they used a angle grinder to steal this caravan?Would be well thought out operation.
WHAT A WORLD
Doesn’t help if thieves have a tilt-deck etc, GPS tracker means that at least it can be tracked.
Unfortunately these items are only a deterant if low life want something they’ll take it no matter what
The wheel clamps, padlocks, chains and tow ball locks are no deterrent to thieves since battery handheld grinders have come onto the market.
A Hitch lock along with a good heavy chain through the wheels on the trailer with 2 padlocks of good quality. But someone with a battery grinder could still borrow the trailer if they are determined. So I am starting to think along the lines of taking my Cattle dog on my trips for security. Thieves these days have more rights then the victims at times it seems.
I have a sticker that says “GPS tracker installed”
I have a wheel clamp, with the draw bar facing the house, with the gate closed locked.