During home time, how safe is your truck?

Streakn1 · Mar 7, 2009

This question is for those of us that cannot park our rigs in our yard while on home time or vacation. Where do you end up parking? In a nearby truckstop lot, a storage lot, a shopping center parking lot, an RV park, or other? Do you feel that as you drive away your truck will be safe until you return?

In our case we store our trailer in a safe location not far from home. Our tractor is taken to our favorite RV park so that shore power can be provided. We like keeping our sleeper powered up and our built in battery charging system enabled to maintain all six batteries that we have on-board without having to rely on our Onan Genset. It helps reduce the run hours.

There is also an excellent neighborhood watch group in the RV park ( fulltime residents) that see to it that no unauthorized person(s) mess with our tractor when we are away our anybody elses rig thats in the park while the owner's away. Plus since I have several friends at the park its fun to stay in the truck part of the time for evening campfire chats or attend park functions. The pool is also great to in the summer since we don't have one at home!!!

Of course our preference would be to park our rig in our yard and plug it in, but city ordinances such as ours don't always allow that.

Yesteryear · Mar 7, 2009

We live a little under 2 miles from the FJ in Reseca GA (I-75 exit 320) so we park the truck there when we go home for a few days. I think it is a safe location however either my husband or myself checks on the truck everyday.

Streakn1 · Mar 7, 2009

We were doing the truckstop thing for a while after our city code enforcement division stopped allowing us to park our truck at home about two years ago. Sadly, that wasn't a safe option so I stayed with the truck while my wife went to our house.

As resently as this week, a driver from California had his trailer stolen out of the Petro T/P's lot in Reddick,FL sometime between Sunday and Wednesday while his tractor was in the shop for repairs according to the Ocala Star Banner newspaper. I was parked in that same lot from the Thursday before thru Wednesday until a spot came availible in the RV park (competing with the snowbirds for space! LOL). We did'nt feel that we could leave our rig unattended fulltime for what became obvious reasons.

Paid truck storage lots are not always a safe alternative either.

Sadly we learned today that RV parks are'nt always a safe place either. While at the house stringing fence our neighbor came over to tell us that a small plane had just crashed into a local RV park. The crash killed one and distroyed two rigs in the inferno that insued. Immediately our thoughts were which park? Well we learned that our truck was safe since the plane went down in a different park in the area. The crash did occurr just hundreds of feet from the business that our oldest Son works at. He called from work to let us know he was ok.

DougTravels · Mar 7, 2009

The way biz has been lately, I've been thinking of parking mine between a chop shop and a crack house in Detroit.

pjjjjj · Mar 7, 2009

Just a suggestion to look into 'gap' insurance before we go parking in risky places

Glad to hear your truck and your son were untouched Streakn.

Slo-Ride · Mar 7, 2009

Im lucky I can park at the house,

As someone who has wrenched on trucks for a living (my tool box is worth as much as my truck) I just want to point out that keeping the truck safe isnt just about being stolen or damaged.With all the electronics in the vechiles today plus what we add, Fire can be a major issue.The safest thing a owner can do is install battery switches to disconnect batt from the vechile. I seen a number of trucks burned while they where put away for a long weekend due to wiring shorts.
If ya got jump start it when ya get back,,thats just the way it is,,better then losing what ya got.

layoutshooter · Mar 7, 2009

Hey Slo-ride, I just noticed the DU advert on your post. Mrs. Layoutshooter and I are both comittee members at the Monroe County Chapter. What chapter are you with? You might be able to tell about my duck hunting habbits by my screen name. I see you are a fellow Michigander as well. Soon half of Michigan will be in here the way it is going. Layoutshooter

FIS53 · Mar 7, 2009

I don't know if it's my imagination or not but over the last few months I've noticed more trucks with graffitti all over them. Most of it is bad but the odd one is done by someone with some talent. I know some of these trucks are parked in industrial areas but no fence or gates to keep out honest people.
My flatdeck is parked at the company office and seems to be a target of driveby hits on the mirrors. The van I take home. So far no damage other than mirror covers except someone damaged the extension cord to plug in the truck. The place has a lot of trucks parked overnite so I think mine would be low on the hit list as it sits more in the open.
Rob

Moot · Mar 7, 2009

This schmuck parks his van in his garage. Not fair.

BAN THE VAN!

ATeam · Mar 7, 2009

With a garage like that, you would give Mr. Monk a run for his money. Fine looking canoe, by the way, gets one to dreaming.

layoutshooter · Mar 7, 2009

Wish there was a way to carry my canoe in my truck, there is no room for it though, the hot tub takes up too much space. Layoutshooter

Moot · Mar 7, 2009

ATeam said:
Fine looking canoe, by the way, gets one to dreaming.

Thanks Phil. After hanging around all winter doing nothing she needs a good paddling, eh!

Slo-Ride · Mar 7, 2009

Hi Layout,,,Sorry to say,,I actually let everything expire with D.U. a few years back as I started to scramble for fuel money, Some things just had to go and it was that or my beer money. Guess which one I kept..I know I need to get back in there,,,maybe this summer???
You being active in commitees you may know some of my neibors,,as they tend to a boat load of woodys and band every spring....

BEARTRUCKER · Mar 7, 2009

For the past 3 years we've parked the truck in our drive. That is untill last month when my lovely neighbor got a bug up her broom stick and complained to the city. Her and I have gone rounds for the past year - seems she didn't like the tree I planeted in MY front yard...Anyway, we now plan on parking at the pilot about 8 miles from the house. That will entail drving up to our house, unloading what we need (hoping we don't make enough noise to wake the dear soul...

), follow the big truck to the Pilot and bring the pick-up truck back. Same thing for loading the truck back up when we go into service. The plan is eventuall move from the place (and pray who ever buys has a REALLY BIG DOG and LOTS OF NOISY KIDS!

ATeam · Mar 7, 2009

Moot said:
Thanks Phil. After hanging around all winter doing nothing she needs a good paddling, eh!

You betchya!

ATeam · Mar 7, 2009

BEARTRUCKER said:
For the past 3 years we've parked the truck in our drive. That is untill last month when my lovely neighbor got a bug up her broom stick and complained to the city.

Diane and I once threw a BIG party in our large back yard, complete with a celebrity appearance and a rock band. It was great. We had a circus tent, a row of rented outhouses and everything! (You know you are moving up in the world when you have a multiple-outhouse back yard.)

What of the neighbors? Not one complained because we invited them all. We did not know all of them and only a few attended, but inviting them made our party their party too.

It might be past this for you, BEARTRUCKER, and your neighbor, but others may want to consider it. Invite the neighbors over for a barbecue or something, telling them you want to get to know them better.

While they are there, give truck tours. Have photos available that explain your life and work on the road. Let the kids honk the horn. Take pictures of them in the driver's seat and send the photos to them later.

Make it known that if your neighbors ever need to move a refrigerator or want to save delivery charges on a big item bought at a store, you will be happy to help if you are available at the time (and for the cost of fuel if you want to add that and keep the requests to a minimum). If you have them, make sure your neighbors see the generator, hand cart, dollies, etc. The generator may be useful in the event of an extended neighborhood power failure.

Such a neighborhood event converts your truck into their resource and something they may be glad to see in the neighborhood every now and then. It carries the additonal benefit of getting to know your neighbors better.

BEARTRUCKER · Mar 8, 2009

ATeam said:
Diane and I once threw a BIG party in our large back yard, complete with a celebrity appearance and a rock band. It was great. We had a circus tent, a row of rented outhouses and everything! (You know you are moving up in the world when you have a multiple-outhouse back yard.)

What of the neighbors? Not one complained because we invited them all. We did not know all of them and only a few attended, but inviting them made our party their party too.

It might be past this for you, BEARTRUCKER, and your neighbor, but others may want to consider it. Invite the neighbors over for a barbecue or something, telling them you want to get to know them better.

While they are there, give truck tours. Have photos available that explain your life and work on the road. Let the kids honk the horn. Take pictures of them in the driver's seat and send the photos to them later.

Make it known that if your neighbors ever need to move a refrigerator or want to save delivery charges on a big item bought at a store, you will be happy to help if you are available at the time (and for the cost of fuel if you want to add that and keep the requests to a minimum). If you have them, make sure your neighbors see the generator, hand cart, dollies, etc. The generator may be useful in the event of an extended neighborhood power failure.

Such a neighborhood event converts your truck into their resource and something they may be glad to see in the neighborhood every now and then. It carries the additonal benefit of getting to know your neighbors better.

HER battle with me started when I bought the house 10 years ago. Seems her and her husband wanted the house for the lot - to tear down and use as thier parking lot for their ump-teen family members. She has done nothing but be bi-polar to me. Her one daughter let me know the situation early in the game. "Have you met my mother?" I said nothing, thinking it ws a trap.... Her reply was "Oh, I see you have...don't worry she's not happy with anything or anyone"..I get along with two of their daughters, the 3 is like the mother. The husband is fine, he avoids her like the plague - golf alot and does veterans stuff. I have been nice to here, shared my pear tree harvest with her, taken their stray garbage cans back to them, mowed their ftont lawn when the mood struck me. But she has taken a turn for the worst. She insists that I remove a small tree in my front yard as it "spoils my view""the roots will clog my pipes". Her dauf=ghter found this out and quite loudly said to her "by the time those roots reach his property line you'll be long dead!" Was rolling on the floor when I heard that!.
Sa, as far as inviting them over.... It'll be a cold day...

BEARTRUCKER · Mar 8, 2009

As far as offering the truck for hire - we don't own it.
I get along with all the rest of the neighbors just fine, and they get along with me. I don't have a problem with HER, SHE has the problem with ME. I just ignore her. She tries and starts conversations but I just give her one or two word polite answers, since by her history she turns them around to some type of confrontation. She knows I talk freely with her husband, AND THAT DRIVES HER NUTS!. I just avoid dealing with her. I believe she is in the eearly stages of dementia.

TeamCaffee · Mar 8, 2009

We spent 7 months trying to find a house in the country where we could park the truck and not have problems.

We finally found a house and a shop for Bob in December and where able to move in January. Something I would not recommend to anyone as it will snow that weekend you plan to move! We are thrilled with our new house, the privacy, and the ability to have some space when we go home. As soon as we get to the house Bob parks the truck and stays in his "man cave" as one of our friends calls it.

Our daughter is planning a Barnapalooza in April when our other daughter gets home from Baghdad and the first people on the invite list are our neighbors. Going to be a fun evening!