Motorhome breakins around Cologne
Just before 3am on Saturday, 5th
October 2016, we were asleep in a free Stellplatz in Paffendorf, near Cologne, Germany.
(Wohnmobilstellplatz Paffendorf, Antoniusstrasse, Paffendorf, 50126 Bergheim. N50.96406 & E6.61141).
This is a nice little car park, off of a small village, near footpaths in woodlands and a river trail, ideal for us travelling to Cologne for a football match.
We have a two-year old Burstner motorhome.
Our alarm can be set so that the six sensors on the doors, garage and gas locker are activated, but the three motion sensors inside are deactivated.
We always set it at night.
The alarm sounded and then cut off after ten seconds, by which time I was out of bed and by the habitation door.
There was no other noise and no one around the stellplatz.
The other two motorhomes parked up, were in darkness.
However, I found the habitation door was just ajar and unlocked.
In the morning, I found damage to the outside of the lock and something broken off inside it, so a key could not be inserted.
Clearly someone had successfully attempted to unlocked the habitation door and when they gently opened it, that disturbed the sensors.
They obviously decamped without gaining entry, meaning the sensors fell back together and the alarm cut off.
We had all our small valuables with us at the back of our motorhome and larger valuable either hidden or stowed under our beds.
So, if someone had got in and started a search, they would have not got their hands on anything significant.
We drove into Cologne and attended a Police Station to report the crime.
The officer spoke good English and took things very seriously.
We had to bring our motorhome in to the station for inspection and photographing.
The officer was required to seek guidance from her CID, because this was an offence involving a motorhome.
They considered fingerprint and DNA swab tests, but as no entry was gained and only outside surfaces touched, they did not go down this route.
We were informed that in the last year, this type of offence had become an almost nightly occurrence in Cologne.
Our case was unusual as it was not in the city itself.
Apparently the most common area is the road down the banks of the Rhine, where people wildcamp.
We stayed in a site, south of the city centre last year, which we were told is not affected by the problem.
We did however, see plenty of vans parked up on the roads near the site and towards the city centre last year which are providing rich pickings for the thieves.
Please be aware of our experience when considering where to stay near Cologne and if you have any doubts about setting your alarm at night, set it.
It saved us.
Comments
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It happens in most major cities in most countries but it is a very rare occurance!
Not just in major cities, unfortunately - this from our own experience:
We've always been very complacent about security on our caravanning holidays, but it made us think when our caravan was entered on the only night it was unoccupied, on a tiny municipal site in an out of the way village in the Corbieres area of southern France. I was at home in England with my son who was having problems, and David was invited out by friends living nearby, for a meal, and stayed overnight. The village was definitely not the place you might imagine opportunist thieves might choose as somewhere with potential. However, we think that the thieves were just that - in the right place at the right time - and they took a lot of our things, nothing of real value and nothing irreplaceable - and fortunately didn't do any damage whatsoever to the caravan.
Whilst we were annoyed at the time, we haven't let it affect us in any way and still use small sites and haven't added any extra security to the van - they got in through a normal lock and we think they must have had a duplicate key. I don't think it's possible to alarm a van when you're not actually in it - most alarms work on a broken contact on an opened door or window, so I feel that if thieves are determined enough to carry a set of caravan keys, they will no doubt be able to outwit most other simple security devices.
I think that with the change in social circumstances of so many people in so much of Europe we all need to be more careful and, if you have things you consider irreplaceable, then don't take them with you on holiday wherever you are staying.
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I read these two posts on another site where some people seemed to feel that this was a mainly German problem. We visited Germany earlier this year and stayed at several sites (including Camping Berger near Cologne) without experiencing any problems. I must admit that we did see some 'Stellplatz' that we agreed we would not feel comfortable using.
I agree with EJB986, this probably happens in most countries including the UK. However, I'm puzzled by ValDa's statement that you can't alarm a van when you're not in it.
Alarms are usually set by the central locking system which in turn is activated by a key fob. In addition, you can always have an alarm activated by a seperate fob, so even the van key won't deactivate it.
We're off to Germany in a couple of weeks time to see a few Christmas markets. I'm more worried about running into loads of coach tours!
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I read these two posts on another site where some people seemed to feel that this was a mainly German problem. We visited Germany earlier this year and stayed at several sites (including Camping Berger near Cologne) without experiencing any problems. I must admit that we did see some 'Stellplatz' that we agreed we would not feel comfortable using.
I agree with EJB986, this probably happens in most countries including the UK. However, I'm puzzled by ValDa's statement that you can't alarm a van when you're not in it.
Alarms are usually set by the central locking system which in turn is activated by a key fob. In addition, you can always have an alarm activated by a seperate fob, so even the van key won't deactivate it.
We're off to Germany in a couple of weeks time to see a few Christmas markets. I'm more worried about running into loads of coach tours!
You'll have read the original post because I copied it to other forums, as I thought it was a useful piece of information and I've also replied to subsequent posts on those forums.
Our 'van' is a caravan, which has a very simple door lock, and window 'locks' which are a joke, not a motorhome with a more sophisticated central locking system. Any alarm in a caravan usually works by sticking up two 'contacts', one on the fixed part of the caravan, and the other on the opening part of a door or window and therefore these have to be set whilst you are actually in the van, to alert you to someone breaking in.
I've no doubt there are more sophisticated alarms these days, but at the moment we've no intention of fitting anything. However, if we were to be broken into again then perhaps we might change our mind.
I'm not trying to scaremonger by drawing this to the attention of others but just pointing out that despite the 'pooh-poohers' these thing can and do happen wherever you are and that these days no one should be complacent because they are in a 'law-abiding' country. Unfortunately some people don't respect the law, wherever they live.
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We travel quite regularly toGermany with a Caravan and have never had any problems even in some parts of Eastern Germany that might make you wonder what you are doing there. However we would not stay around Cologne under any circumstances. Mrs.WN and my
MIL take a train based holiday every year and Cologne is often used as a stopover. They say that at least one person in their group has their pockets picked despite dire warnings from the Tour Operator. The fracas when many females were assaulted during the
Xmas festivities last year should also act as a warning to anyone wishing to visit this city.0 -
Paffendorf is about 20 miles from Cologne so hardly City Centre. As motorhomers will be aware there are many different types of stellplatz some are just car parks which seems to be the case from what the OP has posted but others are like campsites with full
facilities.David
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I can see the problem with fitting an alarm to a caravan, though perhaps a simple alarm with a motion sensor inside would provide some protection.
Although I enjoyed staying in Rodenkirchen, I wasn't too keen on Cologne.
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Although I enjoyed staying in Rodenkirchen, I wasn't too keen on Cologne.
We've stayed at Camping Berger too, probably 3 times, but only for the Xmas markets. We've gone into Cologne by bus/tram, and also cycled in along the Rhine (much more pleasant!). The site is fine, and in winter the "winter toiletblock" is open, which
is very warm inside. We enjoyed going round the Xmas markets, there are 6 or 7 in different areas of the city, but must say we've been to nicer cities. Did climb to the top of the Dom too, over 500 steps! Well worth it for the view when you get to the top.0 -
Give or take a few Germany has about 3,715 Stellplatze....or car parks for motorhomes as one poster suggests.
That suggests there are probably tens of thousands of motorhomes parked on these 'car parks for motorhomes' every night of the year.
If they were unsafe I am sure that the German MH forums, and the Dutch MH forums, and the British MH forums etc, etc would be full of disaster stories!!!!!!!!!!!
They are not!
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