we're we gassed????

[silverweed]

I find it hard to believe it could be true as you can't just carry gas in a plastic bag and the amount needed would be enormous. Last year in France while wild camping by the Midi Canal with lots of other homes we were broken into in the night through the cab door(Fiat Ducato). They came inside, opened the wardrobe right next to my head, took some cloths and sun glasses (which they dumped outside when nothing in pockets haha)). We never heard a squeak, I only woke because of the open door swinging by my face. There was a very strange smell like strong French cigarettes and maybe that us what it was but very very odd not to have woken. The problem is we have two Yorkshire terriers that were in the van with us who also never made a sound and they usually go ballistic when anyone is near. We now ratchet strap the doors at night and are less complacent but we still wild camp, you have to be realistic and just take some simple precautions, we hide the keys and put away all valuables. The worst part is remembering it was very hot and I was sleeping on top of the covers starkers haha

 

[Harbourmaster]

The gas wouldn't have been in a plastic bag, it would have been in liquid form in a pressurised bottle. They wouldn't have needed much to knock you out.

Probably best that you slept through it. I wouldn't like to confront ruthless criminals like these with anything less than a firearm, and of course they're (mainly) illegal.

The main thing is that you and the dogs are safe!

 

[David & Ann]

So far, I find this the best cab door security. It not only locks but has a key to lock it permanently. Only way in is to rip the door of the hinges or smash the window glass to climb in. By then you are waiting for the intruder to teach him/her a lessom.☺☺

 

[silverweed]

Believe me it is no wind up. Happened just outside Bezier ( spelt wrongly, but you know where I mean). I was only joking about it being in a bottle but woke up and felt fine, no head ache or feeling sick. Are looking to buy some steel cable with padlock to secure doors. Have looked at the key locks that fit under door arm rest but you have to cut away rubber deal and don't really want to do that

 

[vindiboy]

You need an alarm that sounds when any door is opened,and can be set so that you can move around the interior of the van whilst in it, or a simple way is the battery operated window magnetic alarm type things that can be fitted to doors unobtrusively. The genera lfeeling on gassing is no, more likely you were extra tired and had a few drinkies and slept the sleep of the dead.
Dead locks and chains are all very well but you need to be able to evacuate the van in case of fire and smoke so need to be careful if you go that route.

 

[fairytooth]

We keep one of these handy Electric Fly Swatter

If you've accidentally touched the wire even after it's switched off, 1500 volts gives you quite a 'surprise'. Just the thing down the side of the bed for that naughty little 'mosquito' trespassing in your van.

£1 in my local Poundland, plenty of them at the moment.

:mad1::lol-053:

 

[silverweed]

Yes they will get in if they want to, all you can do stop the chancer giving it a go otherwise they come prepared with all the tools. It will prob never happen again but once bitten twice shy

 

[Firefox]

I read that most of the "gassing" stories were in fact just urban myths.

It makes sense that would be the case, with the quantities of gas involved and getting just the right concentrations. Think of all the trouble the teams go to with anesthetists at hospitals. So the criminals risk murder or killing themselves plus the cost of the gas and masks, all for the sake of a bit of petty theft, when they may find little of value anyway. It's not going to happen!

 

[Northerner]

I read that most of the "gassing" stories were in fact just urban myths.

It makes sense that would be the case, with the quantities of gas involved and getting just the right concentrations. Think of all the trouble the teams go to with anesthetists at hospitals. So the criminals risk murder or killing themselves plus the cost of the gas and masks, all for the sake of a bit of petty theft, when they may find little of value anyway. It's not going to happen!

Quite right! It's never happened, it never will and is impossible. Anaesthetists train for years to be able to keep a patient in that state between life and death so that no pain can be felt but he is still alive.

To think that a few thieves can squirt something into a motorhome in the right concentration is plain daft! Enough to knock out an adult would kill a small child. And if these thieves are so sophisticated what are they doing robbing campers for relatively tiny amounts?

Gassing began with people who had too much to drink, were tired after a long journey and were robbed whilst they slept. Telling their insurance company that they were gassed though gives their story a bit more credence!

I'm pleased that people are finally beginning to realise that this gassing nonsense is just that, utter nonsense!

 

[fairytooth]

I was just thinking the exact thing. The chances of them administering the correct amount without killing you and conversely the chances of you coming round without any headaches or other nasty side effects would be highly unlikely. And presumably they would wear gas masks ???

Hmm whilst you could never say never, I tend to agree with the Urban Myth theory. Dare I say it, promulgated by camp site owners to put you off wilding?

:ninja::sleep-027::sleep-027::ninja:

Is this you? :ninja::scared::scared::ninja:

Or this? :scared::mad1::mad1::scared:

 

[maingate]

We have the Fiamma deadlocks fitted on the front doors. They are to protect entry when we are not using the van as much as anything.

I have dogs with phenomenal hearing and I am sure they would know when someone approached the van. They would be up at the least bit of sound. They are extremely territorial because they know it is THEIR holiday home but allow us to transport them in it.

 

[Byronic]

Maybe the silver weed was not up to usual standard??? :scooter:

Sounds about right. Silver weed = anagram "WE'RE DEVILS" and something grammatically awry with "We're we Gassed ????"
They're having a laugh.

 

[Northerner]

I was just thinking the exact thing. The chances of them administering the correct amount without killing you and conversely the chances of you coming round without any headaches or other nasty side effects would be highly unlikely. And presumably they would wear gas masks ???

Hmm whilst you could never say never, I tend to agree with the Urban Myth theory. Dare I say it, promulgated by camp site owners to put you off wilding?

That's an even bigger conspiracy theory than gassing itself! The gassing myth actually started decades ago on French trains where people were robbed as they slept in their cabins and was nothing to do with camping in those days. Can't you see that your comment just proves how easy it is for people to promulgate, and then end up believing, these kind of myths?

 

[fishy & Nina]

I read that most of the "gassing" stories were in fact just urban myths.

It makes sense that would be the case, with the quantities of gas involved and getting just the right concentrations. Think of all the trouble the teams go to with anesthetists at hospitals. So the criminals risk murder or killing themselves plus the cost of the gas and masks, all for the sake of a bit of petty theft, when they may find little of value anyway. It's not going to happen!

I seem to remember reading an article (somewhere) which was written by a medical professional and the upshot was that the would be theif would have to have something like a tanker full of gas to put someone out..................

I reckon that there's a lot of wine being consumed in some of these cases (2 happening to the same person!) - that certainly sends me into deep sleep!

We have a Cobra alarm fitted to our van which has the doors alarmed whilst the interior isn't (if you want to set it that way). The fob also acts as a panic alarm should anyone come in another way and you wake up.

Having written all that, as in other posts above - if they want to get in they will - exactly the same as with your house!

ps please leave us alone, we don't have a dog but my baseball bat bites just as hard!!:hammer:

 

[scampa]

I've heard that some thieves administer small quantities of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) to the victims. It doesn't render them unconscious, but they all greatly enjoy the experience of being robbed!! :lol-053::lol-053:

 

[fairytooth]

I've heard that some thieves administer small quantities of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) to the victims. It doesn't render them unconscious, but they all greatly enjoy the experience of being robbed!! :lol-053::lol-053:

Some wag on another site suggested that the victims might :scooter:have eaten highly seasoned french food which has resulted in self administered gases knocking them out.


Like this but without the scooter :scooter:

 

[n brown]

i've been terlling nervous creatures for years that gassing is a myth,it's supposed to be ether,which of course was used as an anaesthetic ,but one unfortunate property of this gas is high flammability,bit of a nuisance if the fridge is alight!

 

[Deleted member 5816]

Believe me it is no wind up. Happened just outside Bezier ( spelt wrongly, but you know where I mean). I was only joking about it being in a bottle but woke up and felt fine, no head ache or feeling sick. Are looking to buy some steel cable with padlock to secure doors. Have looked at the key locks that fit under door arm rest but you have to cut away rubber deal and don't really want to do that

With the HeoSafe locks it is unessersery to cut the rubber away they fit in minutes
Alf

 

[Firefox]

I have heard some say they pump the gas in through fridge vents ! Lol
Would be fun to watch it being done to a few though !

:lol-053: :lol-053: ... since the fridge cooling compartment should be sealed against the interior of the van, it would be about the most ineffective place you could pump gas in!

Just shows how much the story tellers know about motorhome construction ;-)

 

[Teutone]

:lol-053: :lol-053: ... since the fridge cooling compartment should be sealed against the interior of the van, it would be about the most ineffective place you could pump gas in!

Just shows how much the story tellers know about motorhome construction ;-)

exactly my thoughts, but let's not discuss it in too many details. We don't want to educate them.