capnjaj Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 Is there any truth in the rumours I have been hearing about about Motorhomes being broken into while on Aires in France and Spain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 capnjaj - 2015-08-07 10:07 AM Is there any truth in the rumours I have been hearing about about Motorhomes being broken into while on Aires in France and Spain. There have been reports of such break-ins. They normally refer to Aires on motorways ( service/ rest areas - especially those without fuel stations ) - and not to the basic camping stops in towns and villages known as " Aires de Camping Cars" :-| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halls60 Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 Not heard such news yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnjaj Posted August 7, 2015 Author Share Posted August 7, 2015 Could be scare mongering, that's more likely (!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 You really would have to pretty dim/desperate/skint (delete as necessary) to kip on an autoroute aire. Noise, comings and goings, well published factually correct reports of break ins etc. Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 LordThornber - 2015-08-07 11:10 AM ........................................, well published factually correct reports of break ins etc. Martyn As referred to in the Caravan Club handbook " Safety and Security " advice section. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zydeco Joe Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 Bet the break ins are by the same people who robbed Jenson Button down in St Tropez. Look out the Gassers are out again.LOL :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 We always use Aires or wild never had any problems or heard of any, in our travels we have come across people who have been broken into on sites. Area is more important than the actual place you camp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 lennyhb - 2015-08-07 11:54 AM We always use Aires or wild never had any problems or heard of any, ........................... . I doubt the aires you " always use" are the ones on motorways, which is where the reports of robberies come from. ... and if you've never heard of any of those reports, you really have been out in the wilds. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 malc d - 2015-08-07 12:56 PM lennyhb - 2015-08-07 11:54 AM We always use Aires or wild never had any problems or heard of any, ........................... . I doubt the aires you " always use" are the ones on motorways, which is where the reports of robberies come from. ... and if you've never heard of any of those reports, you really have been out in the wilds. ;-) An Aire to me is an Arire du service Camping Car, I wouldn't include Motorway Aire as suitable for an overnight stop they are just a motorway service area and would never stop on one, also we never use the Autoroutes in France anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallii Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 Break ins on proper aires do happen. I have had attempted bike theft (Calais) attempted door lock forcing (Spain) and have been on a couple of aires where my neighbours were broken into overnight. I now have deadlocks on all doors and lockers and set the alarm at night so I have had no more problems. Do not depend on standard vehicle door locks, they can and do open them without you even noticing. I have seen glass rubbers cut and glass removed and doors opened. Fit a safe and use it, do not leave your trousers over the front seat, with or without wallet. I have seen the Fiamma style "handle" lock simply ripped off, not whilst someone was in it but when they were parked. The damage was extensive. So fit deadlocks, a safe, and have a good alarm that you can set at night, and keep an AK47 under your pillow 8-) H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwiaustin Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 I have successfully used Aires in France for several years, both simple village Aires and more organised ones. I have never had a problem whilst my friends were robbed whilst on a proper campsite in broad daylight!!. Having said that there is no guarantee that I won't have problems in the future but then there are thefts from motorway services in the UK as well, I remember a gang targeting caravans in motorway service areas, the owners coming back to find no van and a ruined holiday. I do use common sense where deciding to stay on an Aire or not, I prefer those that are open and clearly visible. I certainly would not use a motorway Aire. I use a carbon monoxide warning device and we have a dog. I certainly would not stop in a Calais Aire, nor would have done so over the last 5 years or so... that is just asking for trouble. Lets not get this whole thing out of proportion but also lets use common sense when stopping in Aires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 kiwiaustin - 2015-08-07 4:18 PM Lets not get this whole thing out of proportion but also lets use common sense when stopping in Aires. Exactly B-) ........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 capnjaj - 2015-08-07 10:07 AM Is there any truth in the rumours I have been hearing about about Motorhomes being broken into while on Aires in France and Spain. Sadly motorhomes, like houses and other places, do get broken into. So yes, there will be some truth to the rumours. Having said that, I don't believe the risk of break-in on an aire is any greater than in, for example, a campsite. But, I'm assuming that that common sense is applied when selecting where to stay, that only "official" aires are selected, and that the difference between these and unofficial parking areas (often mistakenly referred to as aires), motorway services and rest areas (also called aires in French) is fully understood. You will come across recommendations for "aires" in all sorts of locations that are, in fact, nothing of the sort, but just places where motorhomers have gathered because there is no parking restriction. So, do your research with care, and be selective. The risk of break-in seems to have much more to do with geographical location and time of year, than with choice of site. Parking along busy holiday routes during main holiday periods is riskier than parking along minor roads in the off season. Similarly, parking at major attractions, or near popular resorts, is riskier than parking away from the crowds they attract. Thieves are, for the most part, not stupid. They congregate in places where there will be a lot of people, preferably newly arrived, or while en-route to their holiday destinations, because that is when they are likely to have the most money about them, and where the thief can easily disappear into the crowd. No-where is entirely safe, but the actual risk, with a bit of common sense applied, is low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Collings Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 I still have difficulty believing this is actually happening. Consider the sheer volumes of intoxicant that would be needed to get to all parts of a motorhome let alone an apartment. An anaesthetist asked for his opinion on the issue said that if he could reliably manage to render all the occupants of a motorhome sufficiently unconscious they would not be woken by intruders and guarantee to be able to wake them up he would be very proud of himself. In other words he would expect to kill somebody. Now murders tend to hit the headlights at least in western Europe and so far I have never heard of any due to motorhomers being gassed. Now anyone selling gas alarms might have a different view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted August 7, 2015 Share Posted August 7, 2015 Hello George. Was hoping to see you next weekend, but looking very unlikely now. Shame. Back to the thread, I don't think the OP was about "gassing" attacks, but just about theft from vans on aires. Personal view on gas attacks is that I shan't believe they do, or ever have, happened until either someone positively identifies this magical gas that is capable of simultaneously anaesthetising people of varying age, size, and health, with no serious side effects, and with no recorded deaths, in various volumes of motorhome (or St Trop villa! :-D), with various rates of ventilation; or I suffer that fate myself. Until then, I regard it is about as believable as alien kidnap! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 Some friends of mine got broken into during the night whilst on an Aire in France. They'd felt secure with their being a fair number of vans on there so parked up. His wife woke convinced she'd 'felt' or seen someone, woke her husband, and sure enough there was a youth rooting around inside their van whilst they were in bed. He chased the youth off, hit the horn and headlights and neighbouring vans came to their aid and called the Police but by then the youths had long gone. The Police told them there had been two other Motorhome break ins that same night in the area. For his wife it was the final straw and they sold their van on returning back to UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 Hi there. I have owned my Hobby motorhome since 2002 and used it extensively throughout Europe in that time. I use both campsites and village Aires as and when it suits and enjoy both in equal measure. I take security pretty seriously and am careful about where I park overnight to ensure a peaceful stay. Aboput five years ago, while travelling north through France, I stayed overnight at the well known stopover at Marboue on the N10 and enjoyed a peaceful evening and night. However, on awaking, I found that somebody had cut the (UK) offside quarterlight out of my Ducato cab and carefully (thank goodness) laid the glass intact on some nearby grass. Nothing was stolen as I have deadlocks on the front doors and leave nothing handy in this part of the vehicle which was a known weak point on a vehicle of that genre. The same thief had also attempted to cut bicycles from the rear of my neighbour. This was clearly a rare incident at this location and I was favoured with a visit from the local Mayor who was beside himself with concern. In 13 years of motorhome travelling, this is the only incident I have to report from overnighting ANYWHERE. We have continued unfazed. Life is life and we consider that Murphy's Law being what it is, if you sit in the top of a tree, then sooner or later, if lightning doesn't get you then a pigeon might. I should perhaps add that in the mid-90's, I was caravanning on a fairly secure municipal site in France when the site was visited overnight by thieves who stole a great deal of valuables from tents and caravans. Included in this haul was my expensive racing bike which had been locked to my tow bar. Please note - this was a 'secure' campsite. Bad things can and happen anywhere at any time despite your best efforts. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Incidentally, I don't use motorway 'Aires'. If I were a thief out looking for a target, that is perhaps where I would look first. Nobby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keninpalamos Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 It doesn't matter how big and strong your door locks are, you have plastic windows. Same with fitting a safe. What ever your safe is bolted too will be taken as well. My theory is keep the damage to a minimum as it's often more expensive than what is taken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Salisbury Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 hallii - 2015-08-07 2:47 PM Break ins on proper aires do happen. I have had attempted bike theft (Calais) attempted door lock forcing (Spain) and have been on a couple of aires where my neighbours were broken into overnight. I now have deadlocks on all doors and lockers and set the alarm at night so I have had no more problems. Do not depend on standard vehicle door locks, they can and do open them without you even noticing. I have seen glass rubbers cut and glass removed and doors opened. Fit a safe and use it, do not leave your trousers over the front seat, with or without wallet. I have seen the Fiamma style "handle" lock simply ripped off, not whilst someone was in it but when they were parked. The damage was extensive. So fit deadlocks, a safe, and have a good alarm that you can set at night, and keep an AK47 under your pillow 8-) HWhat is wrong with a SLR 7.62 or a SMG 9mm? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 kiwiaustin - 2015-08-07 4:18 PM I certainly would not stop in a Calais Aire, nor would have done so over the last 5 years or so... that is just asking for trouble. The aires at Cite is bounded by a large police station, so a high risk?? Have overnight there along with many others. It's about how you feel in the area and if not satisfied move on. I have yet to meet somebody that has been broken into but it will happen the same as burglary in UK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muswell Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 sshortcircuit - 2015-08-14 4:12 PM It's about how you feel in the area and if not satisfied move on. I have yet to meet somebody that has been broken into but it will happen the same as burglary in UK Someone tried to break into us in broad daylight in Verona. They bust the passenger quarterlight and reached into the glovebox, which had no valuables in. They also, as Keninpalamos said, forced the 2 side Seitz windows. All you have to do with these is pull the opening part out from one side and then the lugs on 2 of the the catches break, at which point you can slide the window sideways and the 3rd catch dissengages. I think they were disturbed then because there was no sign that they had been in the van and a slim person could have got in through the opening. Luckily the only damage was the catches which can be replaced From this experience I would say the best way in is through the plastic windows because it is quieter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 George Collings - 2015-08-07 8:59 PM I still have difficulty believing this is actually happening. Consider the sheer volumes of intoxicant that would be needed to get to all parts of a motorhome let alone an apartment. Maybe not as much as you might think ;-) ......... This experiment was based on CO but other gasses are available...... Air is a gas ..................and CO will expand to fill a given space **equally**, naturally at point of entry concentrations will be higher. OBJECTIVES: It was the goal of this study to demonstrate the behavior of CO in air and to help provide a data-based recommendation for CO alarm placement. METHODS: CO was calculated to be slightly lighter than air. An 8-foot-tall airtight Plexiglas chamber was constructed and CO monitors placed within at the top, middle, and bottom. CO test gas (15 L, 3000 parts per million) was infused at each of the three heights in different trials and CO levels measured over time. RESULTS: ***********Contrary to a significant amount of public opinion, CO did not layer on the floor, float at the middle of the chamber, or rise to the top. In each case, the levels of CO equalized throughout the test chamber.************* It took longer to equalize when CO was infused at the top of the chamber than the bottom, but levels always became identical with time. CONCLUSIONS: As would have been predicted by the Second Law of Thermodynamics, CO infused anywhere within the chamber diffused until it was of equal concentration throughout. Mixing would be even faster in the home environment, with drafts due to motion or temperature. It would be reasonable to place a residential CO alarm at any height within the room. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. BTW they only want to remove your valuables.....not your appendix :D ........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lulu Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Hello, we have recently returned from a fortnight in France, we got within five miles of Dover and hit a traffic jam, it then took us about three hours to get to the ferry checkin, we landed in Calais about 6am local time drove for about 15 to 30 minutes and stopped at picnic area along with loads of other campers, we then left about 12 noon and travelled until 7pm heading south, there was three motor homes in our party and we decided to stop on a service station, there was a lot of other motor homes parked for the night and we were all parked next to each other, l woke early the following morning to find the front curtains pulled back and the passenger door ajar, l went to check the other two and our sons drivers door was open and their baby seat ,which was on the front drivers seat was outside on the tarmac, our daughters motorhome had not been touched, they didn't get anything out of our van, but the had been through my daughter in laws handbag and stole her cards and cash, they had even been into the front of their van and pinched two jam tarts of the shelf!!!!!!!! Considering we were all in bed and all had children in our vans and no one heard anything it is quite scary, the good thing is we continued our holiday and had a brilliant time, all 16 of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Hi Lulu and welcome to the forum. Thanks for sharing your unfortunate incident with us, well done for carrying on and having a super holiday, and I truly hope that it never happens to you again. The perils of sleeping on motorway service areas or car parks or aires has been well publicised over the years but it never hurts to repeat the warnings that they can be unsafe even for groups of vehicles travelling and parking close together. - especially it seems for vehicles foreign to the land they are in. It also goes to show how soundly very tired people sleep, so much so that they do not hear the van being expertly and no doubt very quietly opened - even without the much touted alleged use of various gasses to knock out the victims. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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