I put this one in the category of “some people just refuse to listen.” I suppose I could go further with “too stupid to live,” but given what happened, I’ll cut them slack.
It’s no secret that Ford Super Duty trucks (particularly diesel 4x4’s) are being deliberately targeted and stolen in Penasco at an alarming rate. I’ve already posted two threads on this subject; this is the third. If you own one of these trucks and you haven’t taken steps to totally ignition disable it, count on kissing it good-bye the next time you drive it to Rocky Point.
This weekend, we stayed at a casita at Whale Hill campground. We’ve stayed there many times before; it’s a quiet, comfortable place and we know Rueben Mendez, the owner, very well. When we got back in from fishing Saturday evening, I noticed some folks in the RV site next to us had come down. Dark blue diesel F-250, very nice truck, lifted, custom wheels, 4x4, with a white cargo trailer they used to bring down a golf cart.
I made a point to talk with them and warned them to watch the truck very closely, told them an attempt had been made to steal mine and that a close friend had his stolen the following week. Even told them the steps I had taken on my truck (Jimmi Jammers and Ravelco) to prevent it from being stolen. Showed them the Ravelco cap and explained how it worked. The young guy thanked me for letting him know.
Audi and I showered and went out for dinner, came back in about 11:00 and passed out from a long day of being on the water. I got up about 6:00 Sunday morning and went out front of the casita to see how the day looked. Said “good morning” to the folks next door. They looked at me and said – “They stole the truck!!” Sure enough, it was gone. Looked like they dragged it with the trailer a bit, then disconnected the trailer and left it there.
They were pretty distraught. Wife’s purse, credit cards, passport, etc. were locked in the truck. They had no idea of what to do or how to go about anything. I mentioned that I had warned one of their group yesterday to watch the truck and they said yes, he told us that.
Then came the defining line of stupidity – “We didn’t think it would happen to us.” Gee, that’s funny – I didn’t think it would happen to me and Mark didn’t think it would happen to him either. BUT GUESS WHAT?? IT DID! They even had the courtesy of my detailed warning the night before it happened. Oh well, I feel sorry for them. The truck wasn’t even theirs; a friend had loaned it to them to bring down the golf cart. Oopsy! I bet they’ve lost that friend!
By the way, my truck? Sitting within 20 feet of theirs, no trailer, an easier target to steal (one would think). I noticed a new scratch on my driver’s door. As if someone with a screwdriver was pissed off and just swiped it against the door paint. Both doors now have window stickers indicating that Jimmi Jammers and Ravelco Anti-Theft Device are installed. Did those stickers make a difference? Who knows, but other than a new scratch, my truck was still sitting there with no punched locks; they didn’t even bother to try and steal it. That made the installation of both those systems worth every penny to me.
So read this and prepare/beware or read this and ignore it. They are scoping out these trucks in advance and know how to quickly steal them in the middle of the night, no matter how “safe” you think the area is where you park it. Do not count on hotel security, there isn’t any. Security is not going put their ass (or their family’s respective asses) on the line with the narcos over your truck. It's just that simple.
It’s no secret that Ford Super Duty trucks (particularly diesel 4x4’s) are being deliberately targeted and stolen in Penasco at an alarming rate. I’ve already posted two threads on this subject; this is the third. If you own one of these trucks and you haven’t taken steps to totally ignition disable it, count on kissing it good-bye the next time you drive it to Rocky Point.
This weekend, we stayed at a casita at Whale Hill campground. We’ve stayed there many times before; it’s a quiet, comfortable place and we know Rueben Mendez, the owner, very well. When we got back in from fishing Saturday evening, I noticed some folks in the RV site next to us had come down. Dark blue diesel F-250, very nice truck, lifted, custom wheels, 4x4, with a white cargo trailer they used to bring down a golf cart.
I made a point to talk with them and warned them to watch the truck very closely, told them an attempt had been made to steal mine and that a close friend had his stolen the following week. Even told them the steps I had taken on my truck (Jimmi Jammers and Ravelco) to prevent it from being stolen. Showed them the Ravelco cap and explained how it worked. The young guy thanked me for letting him know.
Audi and I showered and went out for dinner, came back in about 11:00 and passed out from a long day of being on the water. I got up about 6:00 Sunday morning and went out front of the casita to see how the day looked. Said “good morning” to the folks next door. They looked at me and said – “They stole the truck!!” Sure enough, it was gone. Looked like they dragged it with the trailer a bit, then disconnected the trailer and left it there.
They were pretty distraught. Wife’s purse, credit cards, passport, etc. were locked in the truck. They had no idea of what to do or how to go about anything. I mentioned that I had warned one of their group yesterday to watch the truck and they said yes, he told us that.
Then came the defining line of stupidity – “We didn’t think it would happen to us.” Gee, that’s funny – I didn’t think it would happen to me and Mark didn’t think it would happen to him either. BUT GUESS WHAT?? IT DID! They even had the courtesy of my detailed warning the night before it happened. Oh well, I feel sorry for them. The truck wasn’t even theirs; a friend had loaned it to them to bring down the golf cart. Oopsy! I bet they’ve lost that friend!
By the way, my truck? Sitting within 20 feet of theirs, no trailer, an easier target to steal (one would think). I noticed a new scratch on my driver’s door. As if someone with a screwdriver was pissed off and just swiped it against the door paint. Both doors now have window stickers indicating that Jimmi Jammers and Ravelco Anti-Theft Device are installed. Did those stickers make a difference? Who knows, but other than a new scratch, my truck was still sitting there with no punched locks; they didn’t even bother to try and steal it. That made the installation of both those systems worth every penny to me.
So read this and prepare/beware or read this and ignore it. They are scoping out these trucks in advance and know how to quickly steal them in the middle of the night, no matter how “safe” you think the area is where you park it. Do not count on hotel security, there isn’t any. Security is not going put their ass (or their family’s respective asses) on the line with the narcos over your truck. It's just that simple.
