BS: Caravan crime warning UK

Subject: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 05 May 08 - 05:11 PM

If this hadn't happened to us I wouldn't have believed it! We went away for the weekend to Sewerby Hall for the Old Time weekend. Geoff got the caravan set up, turned gas on, lit the fridge made a cup of tea etc. etc. He thought the could smell gas so turned the bottle off and set about investigating where any leak might be. We noticed the smell was strongest just outside the van next to the vent for the water heater and on examining the vent found it was cracked although it had not been up to a couple of weeks back when we had run things in the caravan to check out before the new season. He took the vent off and discovered the plate covering the heater was bent and a screw missing. When he removed that (and before any corgi members scream in horror he already suspected what had happened)he found the heater jets, thermostat in fact the whole heater unit had been taken out and the gas pipe left, allowing gas to just flow straight out. The fact that someone has stolen the part is bad enough but to conceal it by replacing the cover and vent (presumably so they could commit similar crimes and the police not be notified straight away)is the act of a sick individual. It is by pure luck that we were not all blown to smitherines. If we had been at one of the busier festivals any passer by lighting up or turning on a mobile could have gone up and we'd probably have taken half the camp site with us!
I don't know how common such crimes are although the police may tell us when we speak to them tomorrow but please, please be vigilant and if anything looks out of place check it carefully. This was thankfully only an inconvenience this weekend as we were unable to use anything powered by gas but it could so easily have been a fatal tragedy!

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Emma B
Date: 05 May 08 - 05:17 PM

Oh Jane!
Thank heavens you are all safe.

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Jean(eanjay)
Date: 05 May 08 - 05:22 PM

Sorry to hear this.

I did see a programme once where a caravan was left, attached to the car in the car park of services and when the people came back out the caravan and all their belongings in it had gone but the car remained. What happened to you is unimaginable. It is so dangerous that I'm stunned.

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Scooby Doo
Date: 05 May 08 - 05:28 PM

Glad your all ok the Duck family.
Lots of love.
Scooby Doo

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 05 May 08 - 05:59 PM

I asked the bloke wot does my van repairs to strip and clean jets on the VERY old Carver Cascade water heater in it and he laughed at the idea that anyone would be able to get the screws that hold it together out. Old and manky is good sometimes...

The thing that puzzles me is that presumably the control panel for your Carver was busily telling you that it was not lighting, so you might have known something was wrong...

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 05 May 08 - 06:09 PM

It just had the standard green light that we usually see.
We had found a 5 pin DIN plug loose in the under bench compartment, which turned out to be the oter end of the carver gas switch unit.
Quack
Geoff (wrong login)

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Sorcha
Date: 05 May 08 - 06:14 PM

Oh my! SOOOO glad you are all safe!

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 06 May 08 - 02:42 AM

me too, at the very least it was very thoughtless of the thief, at the worse, the thief doesn't care about injuring or killing people.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Sooz
Date: 06 May 08 - 02:43 AM

Commiserations and shared frustration. We arrived home from a lovely weekend of music to find our house had been broken into while we were away.

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: gnu
Date: 06 May 08 - 03:16 AM

Thank goodness youse are okay! Sick puppy indeed! One thing to thieve but to create a serious hazard like that is insane.

Sooz... oh my!

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Gurney
Date: 06 May 08 - 03:31 AM

Dangerous stuff, LPG. Dangerous, selfish thief, too. That is as bad as driving drunk.
Good thing Geoff is bright.

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: fat B****rd
Date: 06 May 08 - 03:37 AM

I'm pleased that you're safe. I was burgled while away on holiday some years ago and would have willingly throttled the ******** if I'd caught them. Such callousness is appalling.
Stay well. atb from Charlie.

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Mr Happy
Date: 06 May 08 - 05:12 AM

Glad you 2 weren't injured or anyone else.

Where do you think the thief may've had the opportunity to commit the crime?

Is your van kept at home or elsewhere?

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 06 May 08 - 06:31 AM

The other thing that is quite alarming is that there was still enough gas pressure to light the gas fire and run the gas rings and fridge while the Carver gas feed was venting to atmosphere.

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: GUEST,Cats
Date: 06 May 08 - 07:43 AM

So glad you are all OK. If you belong to the Caravan Club or Caravan and Camping Club it may be worth dropping them a letter which they will publish to warn others of this type of incident. If you aren't I can send one to CCC if you pm me and I am sure there are catters who are CC members who would do the same.

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Mr Red
Date: 06 May 08 - 10:01 AM

Sounds more like someone who needed the bits themselves, or why would they stick around to cover their tracks? Trying to sell the parts is less likely but drug addicts are pretty street smart if there is profit.

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Maryrrf
Date: 06 May 08 - 11:14 AM

What a horrible thing for someone to do - they could not have been unaware of the dangerous situation that would be created. Thank heavens you are all safe!

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 06 May 08 - 11:24 AM

Sooz, tell me they left the guitars alone!
And, of course, commiserations. It's time they brought back punishments that fit the crime - like castration for burglars (and then make the b*****ds eat the buggers!).
S:0)

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 06 May 08 - 01:43 PM

Sorry to hear that Sooz. May well write a letter to CCC. The next poor soul this happens to may not be so lucky.

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 06 May 08 - 03:03 PM

Jane, Geoff - glad to hear you're all OK. The callousness is truly shocking.

Sooz - sorry you had such a rotten end to your weekend. At least when my home was burgled I'd only been at work....

Kitty

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Sooz
Date: 06 May 08 - 03:33 PM

The good news is that the thieves were not very discerning - they didn't take anything that we value. (Only a few pieces of jewellery that could be spent directly at the drug dealers. Don't worry BWM the guitars are safe!)
Jane, we were actually away at a CCC folk weekend and had a great time! It would be a good idea to pass your experience on.

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 06 May 08 - 03:40 PM

Glad to hear the Geetars are safe Sooz!

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: My guru always said
Date: 06 May 08 - 05:40 PM

So glad you're safe All Duckies!! Dangerous crazy people need a severe telling off, hope they're caught before they try a stunt like that again & before a disaster happens. Sheer madness...

Sorry too about your home being burgled Sooz!

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Victor in Mapperton
Date: 06 May 08 - 05:52 PM

Four or five years ago a local guy advertised his caravan for sale which was only two years old, his wife had become ill and wasn't using it. Next morning two gypsies arrived and offered him a silly price which he declined. Next morning he awoke to find it had vanished during the night. The investigating officers asked him had any travellers called with him. When he said yes, the police found it funny and said it will be unlikely you will ever see it again. I find the attitude of the police towards gypsies very off hand sometimes.

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 07 May 08 - 07:39 AM

The other week coming home one night up the M6 just north of the M61 junction there was an upright caravan on the other carriageway attatched to a 4x4 which was on its side, the whole lot facing the wrong way. Lots of flashing blue lights and backed up traffic.
On the radio next morning it was revealed that the police had been chasing them after they stole the caravan.

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 07 May 08 - 03:00 PM

Geoff went to get estimate for repairs today and the dealers said they have had similar thefts from vans on their lot. Of course in those circumstances they would check everything before any van was sold but still the potential for one of their staff to be injured or worse in an explosion when testing gas appliances.

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Bonecruncher
Date: 07 May 08 - 08:01 PM

Having recently bought an older caravan after twenty years of using a motorhome I was surprised to find that none of the gas appliances had it's own isolating tap.
Surely, common sense states that if one appliance needs to be serviced all of the others - cooker, oven, fridge, water heater - should still be available for use.
This omission by the manufacturers (Caravans Intwernational) has now been rectified.
Colyn.

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 08 May 08 - 12:55 PM

Common sense would also indicate that if one appliance needs servicing, then the others should be done at the same time... but I see your point. Each should have the capacity to be isolated, with servicing done to all should they need it or not.

Glad all the Duckies are safe, and hope caravan owners are taking note to check their own appliances.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 08 May 08 - 03:03 PM

You would think so wouldn't you Bonecruncher but only the fridge has to be isolated. I was also suprised as, once we found out what had happened, I assumed we could just turn off the supply to the heater but not so!

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: skipy
Date: 08 May 08 - 04:35 PM

Sorry to read that this happened, really pleased that you are safe.
Skipy

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 08 May 08 - 11:21 PM

Sooz - the thieves at your house better not have taken meg the Wonder Ppup or there'll be hell to pay and it will be coming from Los Angeles! Of course, i suspect that Meg the Wonder Pup was with you on your trip and was equally surprised by the theft. Hopefully they did not take her toys.

Have you any new pix of Meg?

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Sooz
Date: 09 May 08 - 02:34 AM

Meg the wonder pup was indeed away with us and her toys were untouched! Thanks for the reminder though, it is time we updated the website.

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 09 May 08 - 06:38 PM

Luckily our pup was not killed by this crime either!

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 10 May 08 - 04:29 PM

Yay for all the puppies who were unharmed!

The thing that gets me is why didn't they take the tank too?   With gas and oil prices being as high as they are, you'd think they would have nicked the tank of fuel. Perhaps they didn't so as to keep the theft from being obvious. What rotters!

What's approximate value of the heating unit anyway? It's not something that could be sold is it?

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 11 May 08 - 10:55 AM

The gas tank is in a different compartment. The heater unit costs around £130 to replace the part plus fixing etc. Although they may not be able to sell the part they could cetainly have used it for their own repairs or to do cheap repairs for others. They certainly made every effort to keep theft unoticed which could have led to the death of many! Rotters is too nice a term for them.

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: My guru always said
Date: 12 May 08 - 03:53 AM

We had a gas leak at Upton last weekend while we had a port & cheese party in full swing which was a bit worrying. Thankfully Richard had fitted an isolator when he installed the fridge so we were able to turn off the leaky pipes & still have the heating on for a cold night.

Actually just refreshing so's more Catters can be warned!

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 12 May 08 - 01:54 PM

Thanks, Hils. Isolators seem to be standard for fridges - no idea why not for all appliances.

Subject: RE: BS: Caravan crime warning UK
From: Pistachio
Date: 12 May 08 - 06:27 PM

Thank goodness you're here to tell the tale. I'm staggered at what some scum will do!
Hope to catch up later in the year with Ducks and ducklings.
Hazel.