Murders in an RV

[chasfm11]

When I first joined this forum, I mentioned that my main reason for getting a CHL was to be able to use it in our RV. Several posters questioned me as to why. Here is a good example:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38609783/ns ... and_courts

Do I think that the potential for becoming a crime victim in an RV is worth than in the rest of our daily lives? No. But it is, IMHO, as dangerous. Certainly, some places that we came are more dangerous than others. I suspect that this case is another where the escapees found the older RV couple the path of least resistance.

While there is no guarantee that my wife and I couldn't have been similar victims under these circumstances, I'd like to think that the CHL and good situational awareness improves our odds. We like to hike and know to watch out for snakes while we do it. Not all snakes slither on the ground.

[seamusTX]

I encourage everyone who qualifies to get a CHL and to carry every minute that they are dressed, but ya don't need a CHL to have a weapon in an RV. Ya never did. And you have plenty of room for a shotgun.

Those are some scary-looking perps. They could be in a remake of Deliverance.

- Jim

[WildBill]

I encourage everyone who qualifies to get a CHL and to carry every minute that they are dressed, but ya don't need a CHL to have a weapon in an RV. Ya never did. And you have plenty of room for a shotgun. - Jim

I can't answer your original question whether RVs are "safer" than other locations, but that is irrelavent. You should take steps to ensure your safety where ever you are.

[seamusTX]

I don't know whether RVs are relatively safer than any other place. However, if you look at the facts of this situation, it was a carjacking. The thugs wanted a vehicle. It could just as well happened to the driver of a car in a parking lot.

- Jim

[WildBill]

I think the OP's concern was mostly with RVs that are driven and/or parked in remote areas. That said, the more remote you are, the less chance of meeting up with people. But if some thugs were looking for a vehicle in a remote place, yours might be the only choice. You just never know when or where you might run into a BG.

[Oldgringo]

I think the OP's concern was mostly with RVs that are driven and/or parked in remote areas. That said, the more remote you are, the less chance of meeting up with people. But if some thugs were looking for a vehicle in a remote place, yours might be the only choice. You just never know when or where you might run into a BG.

, you just never know....

I certainly question overnighting at Rest/Parking Areas along the highways. For that matter, we've never availed ourselves of a Wal-Mart or Truck Stop parking lot. (Wal-Marts are too expensive and Truck Stops are too noisy)

[seamusTX]

We have an inborn anxiety about being attacked when alone and/or in a remote area. Probably this goes back to our ancestors being stalked by animal predators or bandits. However, the vast majority of violent crimes occur in the most crowded urban areas (a.k.a. slums).

I think the sheer size of RVs and trucks intimidates criminals. I can't prove that, but you don't often hear of either type of vehicle being the target of a crime other than hijacking of specific truck cargoes.

- Jim

[WildBill]

I think the OP's concern was mostly with RVs that are driven and/or parked in remote areas. That said, the more remote you are, the less chance of meeting up with people. But if some thugs were looking for a vehicle in a remote place, yours might be the only choice. You just never know when or where you might run into a BG.

, you just never know....

I certainly question overnighting at Rest/Parking Areas along the highways. For that matter, we've never availed ourselves of a Wal-Mart or Truck Stop parking lot. (Wal-Marts are too expensive and Truck Stops are too noisy)

I always thought that parking in Wal-Marts was free.

[Oldgringo]

WildBill wrote:
I always thought that parking in Wal-Marts was free.

It's not the parking, it's the time spent killing time in the store that will exceed nearly any CG fee.

[08thunders]

I think the sheer size of RVs and trucks intimidates criminals. I can't prove that, but you don't often hear of either type of vehicle being the target of a crime other than hijacking of specific truck cargoes.

It sounds like the prison breakers wanted the car. They burned the camper with the couple inside.

I agree 110% with your earlier comment about home defense shotguns in motor homes.

[WildBill]

WildBill wrote:
I always thought that parking in Wal-Marts was free.

It's not the parking, it's the time spent killing time in the store that will exceed nearly any CG fee.

That's an entirely different story. It sounds like good marketing to me.

[chasfm11]

Actually, there was an incident where a BG broke into a motor home in a Wal-Mart parking lot in the middle of the night. A long story short, the motor home owner shot the BG but is now sueing Wal-Mart. It won't take more than a couple of those before Wal-Mart bans overnight RV parking. Many cities have already done that.

I agree with Old-Gringo. There is something magical that happens when we park the RV in a Wal-Mart parking lot, day or night. We walk out with a bill that has several places to the left of the decimal point.

I wasn't asking if the RV was any safer. I think that some times it is. The point was that several here seemed to believe that was always the case and I wanted to share a current event where it obviously wasn't.

We've had a shotgun with us for the last 5 years (except when we were on COE property, of course. ) We'll continue to carry it where we can. I am just trying to make sure that i have other options in case I need them in close quarters. I suspect that a shotgun wouldn't have done the couple in the link much good.

[ELB]

Actually, there was an incident where a BG broke into a motor home in a Wal-Mart parking lot in the middle of the night. A long story short, the motor home owner shot the BG but is now sueing Wal-Mart. It won't take more than a couple of those before Wal-Mart bans overnight RV parking. ...

I just read about that yesterday...

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50025 ... t.html.csp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The easy answer and likely result of this for Walmart is, of course, instead of inviting RV'ers to park for free, to ban overnight parking and call the cops and arrest RV'ersfor trespassing when they park past closing time or without shopping in the store...

I do note that the RV'er had a shotgun -- and there was a struggle over it. Shotguns are devastating, but longarms are awkward in close spaces, which is why I still prefer my pistol for primary self-defense in the home (and in my RV if I had one). Now if there are two defenders, one pistol and one longarm make a nice team.

Oh, and Seamus/Jim, did you note that in the article linked in the OP you got a twofer? These guys jacked a camper AND a big rig.

Hopefully whoever the decide to attack next is armed with pistols, shotguns, and lots of friends with pistols and shotguns, and the opportunity to use them.

[seamusTX]

Oh, and Seamus/Jim, did you note that in the article linked in the OP you got a twofer? These guys jacked a camper AND a big rig.

If I had not understood that earlier, would I admit it now?

What a waste. Capital murder. These guys seem to want to go down in flames.

Unfortunately, it's easy to pick victims. Only the stupidest crooks can't.

As for WalMart, they get sued all the time by victims of crimes committed in their parking lots. The plaintiffs almost never win. Legal defense is a cost of doing business for WalMart.

- Jim

[chasfm11]

[
I do note that the RV'er had a shotgun -- and there was a struggle over it. Shotguns are devastating, but longarms are awkward in close spaces, which is why I still prefer my pistol for primary self-defense in the home (and in my RV if I had one). Now if there are two defenders, one pistol and one longarm make a nice team.

It is a trade off. The long gun is better in crowded campsites because it doesn't reach the other units so easily. I can promise that it is hard to handle inside our RV. My Sig would be much easier there but I could end up with collateral damage. I'm working on a bad spot and the roof right now and there is nothing in it but a little Styrofoam and a very thin sheet of luan plywood.

Sorry, but there is currently only one defender at my place with both. I guess I get to pick one and go with it.