Solar Panels & Theft

[Franswa]

now that EVERYBODY has a cell phone and people keep that number essentially for life....engraving that number, in full view, is even better I think....a thief would have to worry that anybody, including the clerk at a pawn shop, could just dial that number (and probably would)....that is some deterrence right there...especially if the number is in full view...

A while back I bought a set of three Master cable locks (keyed the same) so handy/easy to use....and I use them for everything (kayaks, kayak cart, bike etc)....."wouldn't leave home without 'em"

[War Eagle]

Law enforcement will (or should) always ask if there is any unique identification on an item being reported as stolen (like a serial number). I know some older gentlemen who, back in the day, engraved their social security number on their firearms (bad idea today!). Out West, ranchers (including my dearly departed father) engraved things of value with their family's unique registered livestock brand. Dad engraved my first deer rifle with our family's livestock brand when I was a teenager, and while I don't hunt anymore, I still smile every time I oil that old gun and rub oil down into the engraved brand.

[Glenn Baglo]

My father-in-law engraved his DL# on the bottom of a camera, which over the years had become collectable. That engraving halved the value of the camera when sold.
I'd not engrave Tiffany lamps.

[DeadEyeDan]

I use cables and locks to deter casual thiefs for our portable panels. But a bicycle was stolen off the back of my trailer at a trailer/RV park in Mesa AZ a few years. They cut the cable like butter, presumably with a bolt cutter. So yes I lock stuff, but have only so much confidence that it matters.

[steve dunham]

I've never understood the advantage of putting 17 locks on a homes front entry door when next to the door is a single pain window.
When thieves broke into my garage they just punched out a window and crawled in. The same thing with trailers you can chain the trailer to the axle , and then to a tree and so on and so on yet It would take a thief about 30 seconds to pop the trailer door or a window.
I once helped a women in a campgrounds who locked herself out of her trailer. In less then 3 minutes using a battery drill , I was able to remove a window big enough for an adult to crawl through.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by ArthurBNH

I am going to add solar 100 watts to my system this spring and had a serious questions about the location of the panel and theft. It seems that there is a great possibility of "loosing" your panels when left on a stand rather than on a roof but on the stand gives you flexibility and better options for higher output. I am particularly concerned because we plan on doing a lot of boondocking.

Does anyone have any experience from which they can speak?

FYI my rig is a Scamp 19.

I'll answer your concerns with an explanation of my experiences. First we camp over 100 days a year and I've had and use a portable solar panel for 10 years.
Most of the time I'm close by when the panel is out and I get a lot of questions, because it's not a usual commercial stand. In fact I put the whole system together from purchased parts.
If we do decide we need or want to leave it working while go someplace I have a bicycle cable lock that lock the panel to the tongue of the trailer.
I've also reduced the need for battery power to the point I can 3 to 4 days between recharging the battery.
I tow with a pickup with a canopy that locks, the panel has a place out of sight inside and it lives there.
I've never had any indications of any attempt to steal my panel.
Furthermore very rarely have I even heard of anything stolen from a camp site. I don't recall ever of knowing of any theft from camp sites of anything.

[Eggcentric]

Our previous RV was a fiberglass Sunrader, & now a Boler, in both cases I fiberglassed mounts onto the roof and put the panel up there, The Boler is really cool, the holding tank vent has a cleanout behind the fridge, so I threaded the wires down the vent and out a small hole drilled in the plug on the cleanout, bit of RTV & it is all sealed up.
Daughter thought she could glue panels to her roof, they never arrived at the campground.