Theft of my 2003 Sportsmobile

[HIGHCOUNTRYMIKE]

September 4 I was on my way home from Dutch John, Utah after catching a record 30.5 inch/15-pound Brown Trout. I was smiling all the way to Mesquite, NV. That is about halfway to Burbank, CA
I pulled into the Virgin River Casino and found a parking spot at the front door.
I went into the casino to rest and decide what I would do. 1) take a nap or 2) continue my drive home.
I walked out the front door and no Sportsmobile.......I was stunned. Was I at the wrong door.........I finally realized it was gone. I called Mesquite Police, and they sent an officer to meet with me. As he took all my info he asked if there were any distinguishing marks on the van. Yes, I said the doors are marked with Sportsmobile and 4X4 decals and the rear window has my Vietnam 1st Calvery Division patch, CIB and parachutist badge decals. That seemed to get his attention even more. The officer seemed truly concerned about my plight.
We talked at length, and he made several phone calls one of which was requesting a review if the cameras around the casino and he said they often can see the vehicle being driven away and which direction they went.
Needless to say, I was shocked and devastated by the theft.
At 10:30 I secured a room for the nigh. I was unable to sleep and at 12:30 I had a call for Mesquite PD, and they had found my van. I was connected to my case officer, and he asked where my gun was. He reported it was gone. They sent a car and took me to my van. They had used a screwdriver to enter and start the van. It was a mess; radio was gone and no electrical service to the dash. He asked if I wanted to try and start it with a screwdriver, but they had taken all my tools. So, he loaned me a flathead and BINGO it started. He asked what I wanted to do, and I said I am driving home.
A big shoutout to Mesquite NV Police Department and Officer Brent Horlacher
Tomorrow the van will begin the restoration process thanks to AAA SoCal.
HIGHCOUNTRYMIKE 2003 E350 SPORTSMOBILE 4X4 7.3 328,000

 

[1der]

Mike, so sad to read this. Glad they found it quickly and the damage is repairable. I know this is your baby.

Consider adding a Ravelco anti start device AND make a habit of always removing the "key" no matter where you park. We have that in each of the rigs we have had. When I get out of our rig, sometimes i am tempted to leave the Ravelco key in place, you know - "it is safe here"/only going to be a few minutes" - so I "future project" how I would feel if I left the key in and came out and our rig was gone because I did not take 2 seconds to remove the key. Makes me remove the key.

I believe they offer a Vet discount. Not cheap but they are very highly rated.

Congrats on the Brown Trout! Would love to see a pic of that! 30.5" is huge!

 

[bigriver-SMB]

You dodged a bullet there man and sounds like it may not have been your first. Congrats on the recovery... and the Brown!

 

[marret]

Sucks to hear, but glad you got it back. Wish you the best.

 

[Twoxentrix]

I’ll second 1der’s endorsement on the Ravelco! I even remove while it sits in the driveway.
Very fortunate they were able to locate it so quick, and that you actually managed to drive it home. Hope you’re able to prosecute the repairs in a timely manner.

 

[boywonder]

Glad to hear it was recovered so quickly.......assuming they got the garmin too.....


Any other damage other than the dashboard/key/door where they broke in?


Yes.....get a Revelco installed.....and use it 100% of the time. I have one and another theft deterrent unrelated to the Revelco. I use them both..even sitting in my driveway.

 

[vandiesel]

Thieves suck! I also have a ravelco. So sorry this happened to you.

 

[Lunatickn]

That sucks, man. As someone who has spent a non-trivial amount of time around Mesquite I appreciate the heads-up as well. I hope you are somehow able to be made whole.

 

[Big_ern_101]

Glad you got your rig back with minimal damage.

Regarding the Ravelco, I am not so sure. Reading up on it, all it does is interrupt two wires and provide a dummy ground. Anyone with a hair of 12V knowledge and a few cheap tools could bypass one in a minute or less. It would probably stop a kid or a tweaker, but not someone actively attempting to take your vehicle.

Don't believe me?
https://ravelco.fun/?en

For my $500 or so, a hidden kill switch or two and taking an ECU relay or fuel pump relay with you does just as much if not more since it is custom. Ravelco has the downside of being mass-manufactured, meaning the bypasses are well known and well documented.

 

[doublevan2]

YES - so glad you got the van back and am sure you can repair whats needed -- and now get that Ravelco - like I have and many others !

 

[JWA-SMB]

Glad you got your rig back with minimal damage.

Absolutely agree, we all know what goes into owning such a vehicle and share the appalling potential loss this would be. Glad its back home although a bit worse for the experience.

Regarding the Ravelco, I am not so sure. Reading up on it, all it does is interrupt two wires and provide a dummy ground. Anyone with a hair of 12V knowledge and a few cheap tools could bypass one in a minute or less. It would probably stop a kid or a tweaker, but not someone actively attempting to take your vehicle.

Don't believe me?
https://ravelco.fun/?en

I very much disagree the Ravelco or any similar device isn't a deterent BUT we need to keep in mind there's NOTHING on this planet that cannot be stolen if its it's simply towed away. How does one prevent that?

For my $500 or so, a hidden kill switch or two and taking an ECU relay or fuel pump relay with you does just as much if not more since it is custom. Ravelco has the downside of being mass-manufactured, meaning the bypasses are well known and well documented.

Disabling one or two critical electrical components is exactly how the Ravelco works but I've always advocated it's visible parts be hidden or obscured. Ravelco has an advantage of already being "ready to install" saving someone from assembling parts of of their own. I could assemble something nearly identical with configurations that would have multi-thousands of possible combination connections making it "better" for that reason alone. Cost of parts would be way, way less than $100 total.

Unless we're dealing with very sophisticated vehicle thieves the Ravelco would go a long way towards stopping drive-away theft. It's cost is not the physical parts rather its in paying someone experienced to properly install it. No its not fool-proof but its a damned sight better than 90% or more traditional deterrent methods available today.

Again nothing is ever 100% safe sitting unattended.

 

[Big_ern_101]

Watch some youtube vids on how easy it is to bypass the Ravelco before going down that path. 2 jumper wires and a Power Probe or generic knockoff.
30 seconds and 25 bucks in tools and you are through it.

The big issue with the Ravelco is its openly advertising what it is, where it is, and who made it. That gives any bad dudes a real easy starting point since it is a known entity.

Sure, "all the wires are black" but if they are tied in under the dash to the OEM harness, well, we all know how easy it is to get under the dash of a van, the knee panel just pops off and all the wiring you need to access to is right there. Just trace the wires from the Ravelco back to the origin and jump them; there are only 4 wires/2 circuits max that need to be reconnected.

A DIY kill switch arrangement is going to be much more secure than a Ravelco because it is not out in the open being advertised, and the thief has no idea how it was integrated because it is DIY and therefore one of a kind. You have also not given the thief an easily accessed breakout panel right on the dash to start their troubleshooting, they need to look around for a kill switch, figure out what it does, figure out how it was tied in, etc etc.

 

[Scalf77]

A DIY kill switch arrangement is going to be much more secure than a Ravelco because it is not out in the open being advertised, and the thief has no idea how it was integrated because it is DIY and therefore one of a kind. You have also not given the thief an easily accessed breakout panel right on the dash to start their troubleshooting, they need to look around for a kill switch, figure out what it does, figure out how it was tied in, etc etc.

I agree that Ravelco cost to much, and yes it can be figured out with the correct tools.

Once you find the hidden kill switch, what else do you have to figure out? I don't need any tools.

In any case I think either method would have prevented this theft.

How about Ravelco integrated with a hidden kill switch.

 

[Big_ern_101]

How about Ravelco integrated with a hidden kill switch.

Just do two hidden switches at that point. Or a dummy switch. The sky is the limit with personal creativity.

The Ravelco website is straight up Boomer Fuel.

ZERO cars stolen in 48 years? If the product was that great, they would be mandated by the insurance industry to get auto coverage.

Even their "47 Years - 7 Million Installs" is a bit of a tough pill to swallow. Lets do the math.

47 Years, 7 Million Units - thats 148,936 units per year, every single year since day 1. Assuming 250 working days per year, that means 595 units produced and installed every single day since day 1.

Their website lists 23 authorized dealers/installers. If we figure 595 units installed per day, that works out to be 74.4 units per hour assuming an 8 hour shift, with 23 authorized installers that means each installer must install 3.23 Ravelcos every...single...hour.

If the maths dont math, what else are they not telling you.

 

[Motomind-SMB]

Me writing that "I'm stoked this wasn't as bad as it could have been" isn't any real relief, but I am genuinely happy you were able to get it back and make it home.

 

[HIGHCOUNTRYMIKE]

Theft Update:
The Ravelco has been installed.
My insurance company and the repair shop have agreed on $2,700.00 (excluding the radio) to restore the van to its original state.
An interesting report from the Mesquite PD: on September 4th, three vehicles were stolen, including my van. A RED pickup truck was involved in all three thefts. This vehicle was later recovered and identified as stolen from Las Vegas.
I'm baffled that they stole a $250 in-dash radio but left behind my new Garmin TREAD XL - OVERLAND EDITION GPS, valued at $1,700. They also took two toolboxes and one bottle each of high-end Scotch and Tequila.
The majority of the damage was to the in-dash electrical system.
The van is currently in the shop, and I hope to have it back within a week.
I have a fishing trip planned for October 1st to 4th on the Green River and will probably not stop in Mesquite as I usually do.
I want to express my gratitude to all the Forum members for their interest and support during my recovery.
HIGHCOUNTRYMIKE 2003 FORD E350 SPORTSMOBILE 4X4, 7.3, 328,000 miles.
P.S. Yes, my van is like family to me. It was my retirement gift to myself 20 years ago.
With no wife or children, it's just me and my Sportsmobile, and we'll be hitting the road again soon.

 

[Twoxentrix]

From the tone of your update, sounds like you're pleased with the outcome - Good for You!!!

 

[VanMiller]

Glad you got your rig back with minimal damage.

Regarding the Ravelco, I am not so sure. Reading up on it, all it does is interrupt two wires and provide a dummy ground. Anyone with a hair of 12V knowledge and a few cheap tools could bypass one in a minute or less. It would probably stop a kid or a tweaker, but not someone actively attempting to take your vehicle.

Don't believe me?
https://ravelco.fun/?en

For my $500 or so, a hidden kill switch or two and taking an ECU relay or fuel pump relay with you does just as much if not more since it is custom. Ravelco has the downside of being mass-manufactured, meaning the bypasses are well known and well documented.

You base your criticism of Revelco off some stupid website that is obviously talking about a fake product?

I have watched them install the one in my van. It was very professional done. I would do it again at twice the price!

Most thieves are not going to attempt to defeat the Revelco device, if the screwdriver doesn’t work, they are gone!

After 29 years as a state trooper, I’ve seen plenty of auto thefts. The pro’s use a tow truck, or they capture the keyless ignition code from the key fob.

Revelco is easy to use, and it works.

VM

 

[The_Vermonster]

Theft Update:
I'm baffled that they stole a $250 in-dash radio but left behind my new Garmin TREAD XL - OVERLAND EDITION GPS, valued at $1,700.

I'm not surprised at them leaving the GPS; I am surprised they took the radio though.

We had a string of thefts where they were just checking for unlocked cars in our neighborhood. It was literally the one night I didn't lock the car and I found the contents of the center console on the passenger seat. They left the gps and the dash cam. The cops said that those items just don't have good resale value anymore and they draw a lot of scrutiny from potential buyers. Thieves mostly want cash, wallets, or something they're going to keep like a watch, or in your case booze.

 

[campIV]

Very glad to hear that you got your SMB back with minimal damage. FWIW, after a rash of thefts of older camper vans was reported during the time of covid, I added a Cyclops Anti Theft Module and an Apple Air Tag to my ‘97. There are no visible clues to either device just searching inside the van. And without activating the Cyclops it will not start. A very easy install and less expensive too.