We've had a break-in in the campervan this week. When Peter went out to the motorhome in the car park, he saw that one of the front windows was smashed. The door was half open and the alarm had been going off all night. Not a pleasant surprise!
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ShareBurglary in the motorhome, in the car park
We have the motorhome in a car park in the marina where we live, and the break-in most likely happened at night when the area is quite deserted. The small window pane on the passenger side was smashed and there was broken glass everywhere, both inside and outside the motorhome.
Inside the motorhome, we could see how they had cleared everything out. Doors and drawers were open and one of the doors at the front of the car was worn out. We could see how they had scratched around among all our stuff. Papers, maps, wires and pens lay in a mess on the floor. A glasses case had ended up in the freezer ...
Did they take anything? We don't think so. At least we can't think of anything missing. We don't use the campervan as a campervan now in the winter but only as a regular car (when there is no winter road conditions) so we don't have much in it, and hardly anything of value. They probably didn't find anything they wanted and they were probably stressed because the alarm must have been blaring while they were rummaging around.
Cleaning and charging the batteries
Naturally, we had to clean up the mess and sweep up all the broken glass. Since the alarm had been going off all night, the batteries had discharged and we could neither start the car nor alarm it. We had to switch on the generator and start charging the motorhome. Peter had to hang around the car for an hour or so while it was being charged ...
Police, insurance company and new window pane
Peter filed a police report and called the insurance company. The latter referred him to Svenska Bussglas in Kallhäll, northwest of Stockholm, for a new windscreen. "They had to order the windscreen first, but it didn't take long, so soon we had a whole windscreen again. Next week there will be a visit to Kihlströms in Bromma to repair the broken window and check whether the batteries have been damaged.
There is really no major damage done. It's material, and it can be fixed. But it takes time and energy, and it feels quite uncomfortable that someone has been in and messed with the motorhome. It's also uncomfortable not being able to be safe in the car park where we live.
Have you ever had your motorhome broken into? Do you know how much the battery is damaged by being completely discharged in this way?
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Kenneth+Risberg says:
Sad when this happens and it just creates a lot of extra work with everything that needs to be organised. Never got hit with the motorhome but have experienced a burglary in a car.
(in Stockholm) but that was a long time ago.
It is not good if the batteries are completely discharged, but if they are, you need to do a battery test to see how they are doing. Hope everything works out.
28 February 2021 - 8:16
Helena says:
Yes, it takes a lot of time and energy that you would have liked to spend on other things. Thanks for your comment! We will try to do a battery test, it would be nice to change the battery if necessary.
28 February 2021 - 8:59
Tina says:
Ugh, so sad! That people can't let other people's stuff!
28 February 2021 - 8:25
Helena says:
Isn't it? You get so tired.
28 February 2021 - 9:00
Hasse says:
Really sad that you can't have your stuff in peace. I would have definitely tested the batteries, and hoped for new ones via the insurance. Sad to read, but you seem to be taking it in stride and moving on. We don't want any little bastard who unauthorisedly tampers with our stuff to take away our joy.
28 February 2021 - 8:34
Helena says:
Thanks for the comment about the batteries! We will test and try to get a change via the insurance if there is a need for it. It's a bit of an uncomfortable feeling right now, but hopefully it will pass!
28 February 2021 - 9:01
Matts Torebring says:
You shouldn't hate another person, but I hate the evil deeds, the evil forces and all the destructive things in our society. It makes me so sad to see all this.
In all our travels in southern Europe, we have never dared to leave our motorhome unattended. If we have left it out of sight, it has been on a campsite.
We wanted to get to the tourist information centre in Maribor, but the nearest place to park was a couple of kilometres away, so the visit had to be made. Our children borrowed our first motorhome and drove "around Europe"... They experienced a couple of burglary attempts, but on a small scale compared to yours.
28 February 2021 - 8:40
Helena says:
It's sad that you have to keep such close watch! We leave our campervan out of sight quite often, but we are careful about where we park it and when we leave it (e.g. when we go into supermarkets) we take computers and cameras in our rucksacks. Both abroad and here in Sweden.
28 February 2021 - 9:05
Across the board says:
Why can't people just leave other people's things alone?!?!!! We have had our car broken into once when we were in Stockholm and actually once in our locked garage!!! But neither time did the thieves walk away with anything valuable. But all the worries / extra work around is so incredibly boring to have to deal with. Lucky that your motorhome was empty of valuables.
28 February 2021 - 9:00
Helena says:
I'm sorry that you've also experienced a burglary! Even if you don't lose anything valuable, it's hard work and takes time and energy. Well, it was lucky that it was empty of valuables. (The most valuable things, computers and cameras and such, we never leave in the motorhome when we leave it, we always take it with us in each backpack).
28 February 2021 - 9:08
JoY says:
I'm sorry to read what you've been through. It takes so much energy and the mood is not on top, lots of extra work. Yes, it is really sad how it is now with this "All Yours is Mine" and destruction, grrrr....
Hope you can enjoy the nice weather.
28 February 2021 - 12:30
Bengt says:
We put an LTC GPS printer with a connected clock sensor. Then we get an alarm if someone breaks in. Simply cheap for about 1500 SEK. Then it is good when we leave the car in messy cities, easy to find it ha ha.
28 February 2021 - 9:02
Helena says:
Very good tips!!! Interesting! We'll take a look at it.
28 February 2021 - 9:11
Monica says:
Despise those who hurt others in different ways, ugh and it is so much work to sort out. We had a burglary in the country, both houses completely upside down, if a chest of drawers could not be opened immediately, it was broken, many nice lamps broken, kerosene lamps and others, window panes were smashed, the smallest soap thrown out, musical instruments in the rain, food thrown out, fridge with open door standing, lots of cleaning, maybe you should get such things on insurance but did not manage to see the misery for another minute. They rooted in the barrels, yes everything, a lot of work and it never feels the same again. Then we got an outdoor shower and made a nice place around, the next time it was stolen, then I was insanely angry, the previous was so much worse but this was the last straw. Then some time passed and everyone got rid of their TV app and the children's toys, mini cars with electricity and the like, yes we only have crispbread left, but unpleasant when someone calls from there, then you know... And those who have expensive alarms and see burglary in the house help little, they are gone before the police come. Hard for you and you wonder what they get out of this life. Ugh, I say, and I hope it doesn't happen again. Take care of yourselves.
28 February 2021 - 18:42
Lena - good for the soul says:
No, damn, how boring! Such an annoying waste of unnecessary time! And uncomfortable as I said.
I had my car broken into once. In a beach car park in the woods. I left my handbag there because I thought it would be safer than the beach. Even though the car was locked and alarmed, they got in. So they didn't break in but forced the alarm and lock so I didn't notice anything until we were home and were about to take the handbag in. They cracked the code on two of my petrol cards and filled up for 16000!!!! It was a sweaty time and a tough argument with Volvo and Preem before they wrote off the claim. I can still feel that uneasy feeling even though it was 20-25 years ago.
Hug Lena
28 February 2021 - 9:05
Helena says:
But how unpleasant what you tell us about! Not least that they managed to crack the code on the petrol cards, and you then had to struggle with it. Fy!!! Wish you a nice Sunday!
28 February 2021 - 9:25
Margareta Lillvik says:
In Portugal, we had our motorhome broken into while visiting a large department store. Of course we have an alarm, but the thieves didn't seem to care about that. We lost our cameras and GPS, but you can buy new ones. It was worse with the film from Gibraltar, it is not possible to get it back.... unfortunately. Now we have extra locks on the living room door. We also have locks on the front doors and they can not be accessed even if they break the window. Did you get the battery working again? Our alarm turns off after a certain amount of time. Sad is all you can say, but unfortunately there can be mischief out there. You have to put a sign on the route....there's nothing to take! The car is empty. 😁
28 February 2021 - 9:26
Helena says:
Sorry about the break-in in Portugal! And as you say, photos and things that can't be replaced are actually worse than things you can replace with money. Yes, we got the battery working again. But apparently it can be affected, so we will check it out. Haha, yes a sign might be something 😉.
28 February 2021 - 13:07
Ama de casa says:
But FY how boring! It is too devilish that some people do not know the difference between "your" and "mine". Then that they make such a mess and extra work is really miserable!
Never had a motorhome, but the car was broken into a few times, one of the times they stole all the tyres and another the whole car. You get so angry! (to put it mildly) At a campsite in Munich we had a break-in in the tent (which is not so difficult). Saw that someone had been in there and rummaged around (although there was nothing of value to take). But just the feeling of discomfort that someone has been in there... Ugh!
Hope the battery has survived!
28 February 2021 - 9:41
Helena says:
yes, really sad. All the tyres, crazy! But the whole car is of course even worse!!! How awful! Unpleasant when someone has been inside the tent too, no fun feeling!!!!
28 February 2021 - 13:08
Christian says:
But how sad. That's when you see the benefits of camera surveillance in car parks. Fortunately, there was nothing of value in the car.
28 February 2021 - 9:43
Helena says:
Yes, camera surveillance would not be a bad idea in this case!
28 February 2021 - 13:13
Nils-Åke+Hansson says:
Yes, where we feel most secure, we were burgled. We were among over 40 motorhomes at Bengt's in Örkelljunga and we were the only ones affected. Birgitta woke up to a noise and saw a flashlight shining in the front window. When the front door opened, she was up and they disappeared. It cost 3000 SEK.
28 February 2021 - 9:46
Helena says:
But how nasty! It sounds like a car park where you would think you were safe!
28 February 2021 - 13:14
Ditte says:
Very sad! And with a lot of extra trouble and expense. In these moments, you wish there were cameras set up in the area so that the perpetrators could be recognised and held accountable.
Have never had a car broken into and now we have none and we have only rented a motorhome but no break-ins then.
28 February 2021 - 10:02
Helena says:
Yes, indeed! Cameras might have been a deterrent too...
28 February 2021 - 13:15
4000mil says:
But what a shame! My car has been vandalised twice, once in Stockholm and once in Umeå. Both times just outside my home. It makes me so sad and upset!
28 February 2021 - 10:25
Helena says:
It's sad that you have experienced vandalism in that way! Many write about experiences of burglary, attempted burglary or vandalism, so sad that it still seems to be so common.
28 February 2021 - 13:16
Marita says:
It's so boring and a lot of unnecessary hassle.
We have never had a burglary but once lost a car in a car park at our bus station in the middle of the day.
Seems like they don't care if you have an alarm or not.
Neither are we the usual people who think ... there's a car and an alarm and we don't do anything. Maybe we need to act if we hear an alarm and report it.
The alarm that I can imagine is best is when you have shell protection so you wake up if they try to enter when you are sleeping.
Hope you have a nice spring and summer anyway.
28 February 2021 - 10:54
Helena says:
But how awful to lose the whole car!!! No, it's strange that alarms don't seem to be enough of a deterrent. But I agree, when you hear an alarm you often think it's a false alarm. You should probably be more observant!
28 February 2021 - 13:17
Sandra Lifsresor.se says:
Ugh, so sad to read. I remember how hard it felt when we had a burglary at home a couple of years ago. But it's nice that it wasn't when you were travelling with the car and had a lot of things that were more interesting to steal.
28 February 2021 - 11:50
Helena says:
Ugh, burglary at home must be awful! And yes, it was still better that it was now when the motorhome was relatively empty.
28 February 2021 - 13:18
Eva says:
The feeling when someone has been scratching around among your private things is hard, but it passes. ❤️
We had our caravan in northern Germany broken into...while we were sleeping in it. 😱 That feeling was more unreal than scary. After that, I feel that as long as no one touches me or mine, everything else is just mundane, replaceable stuff.
28 February 2021 - 13:31
Solan says:
We passed by Pampas this morning and of course thought of you. Of course you are both sad and angry about everything a burglary brings. 😡
Hope the insurance covers both the battery and the window.
When we had our last motorhome in a garage at Odenplan, there was often trouble. One time the thief got in through the roof hatch...
28 February 2021 - 15:55
Jörgen RÅDENDAL says:
Tips
Write a sign.
We are residents here. Not tourists. There is nothing to steal in the motorhome.
We have signs in the front and side windows.
28 February 2021 - 16:27
K-A. says:
You have written the text in different languages, right?
01 May 2021 - 13:15
The Dream Team says:
Damn bad luck that you have been burgled! We experienced it in our car park at home and the only thing they took was some 10-krona coins😡We think it was a really unintelligent thief because the whiskey bottle and expensive tools were left behind. But regardless, it's so annoying when others can't get rid of other people's things 😡.
28 February 2021 - 16:23
Snows says:
I'm sorry to hear that. Even if nothing was stolen, it is an unpleasant feeling that others have rummaged around among your things. It also makes things worse. Unfortunately, the police rarely find the person who did it...
28 February 2021 - 16:28
Husis blog says:
It's amazing that you can't let go of other people's things. It involves so much work and even if you have insurance, it costs both money and, as I said, mainly time.
Just the thought that someone else, whoever it is, has been rummaging / searching among things you own is a terrible thought. Hope they did not get anything with them and hope that the batteries have survived or that you get new ones on the insurance.
All good
28 February 2021 - 16:31
Across the board says:
Check this alarm -https://www.elgiganten.se/product/smart-hem/smart-sakerhet-overvakning/smart-overvakningskamera/70499/ring-stick-up-battery-sakerhetskamera-med-lostagbart-batteri-vitt
28 February 2021 - 18:15
BP says:
How very unnecessary and sad! <of course the damage is "only" material, but what is most annoying is that someone has rummaged through your private belongings and all the energy that goes into the "bureaucracy".
Sigh, sigh, sigh! I sincerely hope that everything will work out soon.
28 February 2021 - 20:21
Daniel on FlyingDryden says:
Ähmenfyfan! 😔
28 February 2021 - 22:33
Elisabeth says:
How sad! Even though most of it was intact, the feeling of someone rummaging through your stuff is uncomfortable.
A teddy bear hug for you.
01 March 2021 - 17:44
Lena+in+Wales+and+Spain says:
How awful! Not feeling safe is a terrible thing.
02 March 2021 - 10:37
Mr Johan says:
Check that all electrical functions are OK after the batteries have been fully depleted. The power surge that can occur can possibly damage certain electronics. Probably no danger but better to get it on the insurance when the case is open.
05 March 2021 - 9:16
Mr Johan says:
Check that all electrical functions are OK after the batteries have been fully depleted. The power surge that can occur can possibly damage certain electronics. Probably no danger but better to get it on the insurance when the case is open.
05 March 2021 - 9:18