We are going to France next August and wanting an overnight stop near Dover. How safe is it to park the camper overnight at a hotel or travelodge near the motorway, so we can get a quick start to the ferry? Campers are easy to get in to compared to a caravan. My idea would be to put one winter wheel on with a lock nut and the hitch lock and hope for CCTV cameras. Has anyone experience of this type of stopover parking up?
Fred.
Careful with the winter wheel,there was a post on here some time back where the insurance was invalidated by fitting them! How about an overnight at a campsite,use a small pop up tent perhaps?
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I am not sure if anyone would want to get into a FC when parked. In order to steal anything they would need to put it up at least in part and I am not sure that the average oportunist would be able to do that. Of course take any thing that you can in with you and if you have things like a tv in there make sure it is pack away under lots of stuff, eg in the boxes under the sofas, which will also be under the beds in the folded down FC.
I suppose you could try some sort of lock for keeping the beds folded down, making entry quite hard. I don't think it would be hard to attach a couple of brackets to the underside of a bed and the side walls so that you could use some lock, but I really don't think that anyone looking for a quick theft ould bother with a FC once they have looked under the transit cover and seen how it is packed down.
As for taking away then you do need the same sort of security as a caravan eg hitch lock etc though FCs are a little less popular than caravans of course. I think they tend more to go from homes or storage places where theives are stealing to order.
Good quality wheelclamp and hitchlock and park in a well lit area as near to reception as possible?
I believe you can get a shed alarm which you could put inside - never tried one as mine is a hardtop so has padlocks on either side of the trailer top.
I have a shed alarm. I would normally camp somewhere but we are going with other tent families who want to have a hotel stopover. I agree with parking close to reception. I wondered if anyone had prevous experience of parking campers at hotels.
Fred.
I will do most of those things. My family could block me in if the car park is suitable. I am probably being paranoid. It's an old camper and not worth much (perhaps £2000?) to professional thieves. I obviously will not leave anything expensive in it. I was more worried about opportunist vandals.
Thank you all for your replies.
If i'm travelling on my own and have to stop for a nature call, i thread a length of chain through the A frame and tow ball bracket and use a padlock. Don't forget to take off before continuing your journey, it makes a hell of a racket.
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Last year we stayed at the Ashford Travelodge which was good value and the evening meal/breakfast package was excellent. We used the website "parkatmyhouse.com" and found someone's lit and safe drive on a nice estate nearby. It cost us a fiver to leave it there. Having now seen the Ashford Travel Lodge, we will just leave the trailer there overnight in future as its pretty safe and with a hitchlock and wheel clamp, should be fine. If in doubt though, parkatmyhouse.com is a good way to go.
That sounds like the best idea. We have booked 6 rooms at Ashford Travelodge and I will take some 'Parkatmyhouse' phone numbers with me in case of parking problems. Three family cars without trailers will get there early and keep a good spot for me. I had looked at the Parkatmyhouse website but it is nice to be reasured. Did you notice any CCTV? Thanks for your help.
There wasn't CCTV but we used this particular place and it was very safe indeed. Nice people to deal with as well. I'd book it though as these places fill up at peak times especially with people who park there for the Eurostar terminal.
HI Frederico, We have done this on numerous occasions (Portsmouth not Dover) and never had a problem or felt like we were taking a risk.
We tend to arrive at travelodge early-ish before the car park gets too full and have always managed to park outside our room window under a light. It's reassuring to be able to check on the camper if you wake up in the early hours.