Stolen Power Cords

[BMelhuish]

I recently had my 5th wheel into the dealer for some work. I then went on a trip and when I hooked up at the campground, I opend the electrical door to discover that I no longer had a power cord. Copper thieves had apparently cut it off. Fortunately, they left about 5 ft of cord. A local hardward store had a 30 amp pigtail that I scabbed to the remainder of the cord so that I could use an extension cord to shore power. It wasn't ideal, but it worked for the trip. I replaced the cord when I returned home at a cost of only $45.



What a pain and very inconvenient at the time! I was shocked that thieves would steal what has to amount to less than $5 in copper. Theft of 2 of these cords-let alone 50 amp cords-would put it in the grand theft range. I was dumbfounded. Googling this issue I discovered that this is not a rare event. It happens all the time.



I don't know what you can do to prevent this, but I'll now be checking to make sure I still have a cord before leaving on a trip. I also added wire connectors, wire strippers and crimpers, electrical tape, and the pigtails (male and female) to my fix it kit. Pity we can never catch these fools in the act.

 

[MLee]

Cords are not the only thing they take. Propane bottles, batteries, generators, you name it. Bottles you can chain, batteries you need a metal box like Fort Knox. Generators, better have a at least a 1/2 inch cable attached. Cords, there just going to be vulnerable no matter what. Now a Pit Bull-- might help.

 

[DonFitzwater]

Hell, in the middle of nowhere Alaska thieves are cutting out DPF's and cats from trucks for selling at the recycler. Battery operated sawzall.

 

[BMelhuish]

Good lord! Guess I'm lucky that they stopped at the power cord. I will not be returning to that dealership for repairs. This is just one more issue in a long list.

 

[SSteilow]

Copper Thieves just reciently got into the maintenace tunnel for the H3 Freeway here in Hawaii, connecting from Pearl Harbor to Kaneohe Marine Base. They ripped out all the copper for lights at the front of the tunnel, and all Video cables for the traffic cams. They say its a inside job.

Scott

 

[HGreen]

Had the same problem of missing power cord on my trailer, solved the problem by putting a twist lock connector on the short stub and its mate on the new cord, I secure the new cord inside the trailer when we are not hooked up.

 

[AMink]

I work in parks. These pos's steal power from baseball field lights and anywhere else they can get they're hands on copper. They steal backflows from irrigation systems, plaques from monuments and memorials, and whatever else that they can get a few bucks for. I CAN a few years ago they were hauling off guardrails hundreds of feet at a time. Some of the recyclers are getting wise and id and photo but there are still the ones who will take a plaque that says "in memory of" from a crackhead.

 

[jgillott]

Just think what this country would be like if those individuals would place that much effort in to a job.....

 

[RVTRKN]

Why, they are given everything they need, and now free health care. Our Company won a contract to replace 21 5 ton Condensing units on top of a public school, that thieves took in broad daylight to recycle the copper coils and refrigerant lines that were above the roof line.

 

[AnOldBiker]

Everywhere in my area, you need a drivers license, picture taken and thumb print for the record, and then they have to describe the copper products your turning in. I thought that was a law passed across the country, but maybe only here.

My friend installed a permanent receptacle water proof box, where his cord has males on both ends and stores the loose cords and such when not used.

My old man taught me if you turn in your vehicle for repairs with nothing left to steal, you loose little that way. A pain in the ***** unloading / loading each time you turn it in, but haven't lost anything yet, except the money for their services.

 

[jgillott]

Why, they are given everything they need, and now free health care. Our Company won a contract to replace 21 5 ton Condensing units on top of a public school, that thieves took in broad daylight to recycle the copper coils and refrigerant lines that were above the roof line.

We purchased another farm back in 2005 that that house was totally destroyed by these type of people. Every wall, floor, etc was destroyed when the stole the wiring and pipes. It's really sad, it was a nice house at one time. It didn't matter to us since we were just buying the place for the ground, but it just burns you that people would do this to someone's property.

 

[Wingate]

This is why my B&W Companion hitch has a piece of chain running thru the left side of the "head assembly" and is chained and locked to the safety chain loop thats in the floor of the bed of my truck. I typically just leave this hitch installed due to going camping about once a month, but dont want to leave Wally World and find someone has relieved me of my hitch!.

 

[mfurrh55]

We had a couple of degenerates to try and steal some hi-line wire, They had one of thems funeral a couple of days later

 

[JR]

We had a couple of degenerates to try and steal some hi-line wire, They had one of thems funeral a couple of days later

Yep, same here. There was not a whole lot of sympathy for him either being he totally knocked the substation off line and left literally thousands without electricity in the dead of winter for over 24 hours.

 

[BMelhuish]

Many years ago in Dayton, Ohio a guy was of the mind to steal a roll of wire from a flat bed semi trailer. You know the great big spools that weigh so much that the semis can only haul 2 at a time. Well, the genius backed his 1/2 ton pick up up to the back of the trailer, cut the tie downs, rolled the spool off the end of the trailer, and it dropped into the bed of the waiting truck. It buried the axle into the asphalt.

In another stroke of genius the guy reports that someone stole his truck.

 

[Boomer II]

Many years ago in Dayton, Ohio a guy was of the mind to steal a roll of wire from a flat bed semi trailer. You know the great big spools that weigh so much that the semis can only haul 2 at a time. Well, the genius backed his 1/2 ton pick up up to the back of the trailer, cut the tie downs, rolled the spool off the end of the trailer, and it dropped into the bed of the waiting truck. It buried the axle into the asphalt.

In another stroke of genius the guy reports that someone stole his truck.

Too bad he didn't stand in the bed of the truck to guide the spool in place.