Security @ S & B

[Deejaybee727]

We'll be away from our home for long stretches this season - about 6 weeks at a time. I'd like to hear what solutions you have for the issue of security for your home while away. We live on a gravel road way out in the country, where you wouldn't think we'd have an issue...but unfortunately these days we have to try to think like a criminal! We don't have anyone nearby we'd be comfortable giving a housekey. Also, how do you handle your mail for the longer stretches? Thanks for your time!

[rksolid]

Just last week had a security system installed for the same reasons, but i live in town. It uses cell service instead of internet service. No camera's just motion sensor, glass break sensor and door sensor. My service cost $30.00 per month.

[BB_TX]

There are whole home monitoring systems available for intrusion, fire, CO, water/flood, etc. that will notify the local emergency services of fire or break in. And optional video inside and out that you can access on your smart phone. These use cell service rather than land line or internet for alarm notification so as not to be disabled in case of power failure. You may need to register with your county sheriff's department to respond to any intrusion alarm. If you have a trusted friend or relative within a reasonable distance, you could give them a key, or tell where one is safely hidden at your home, so that someone could go check on your house if you had any reason to believe something was wrong. Or to just periodically check the house. Google home alarm systems and check out the multiple companies offering those services. But definitely go with a known name trusted company. There are also scam artists in that field.

[Deejaybee727]

thank you all for the advice, will give us options to consider. How did we ever manage before internet & google searches?

Thanks again!

[rames14]

When we built our home in 2012 in the mountains, our builder brought in a home automation expert to help us. When seconds count where we live 911 is only an hour away. So, we had interior and exterior cameras with motion sensors installed. Now we have Alexa and our Control4 system is augmented with Blink cameras and some Smartlife plugs and switches. For about $60 I now have 4 switches and 4 outlets that I can control via WiFi, App or Alexa. I also added (4) Blink cameras on the outside. I bought my cameras as a two pack and a three pack. That gave me two sync modules - one for the house and one for the Montana. One of the Blink cameras will Mount under our porch light and allow me later to add a camera inside the Montana. And, the Smartlife devices can be programmed to come on and off in a random pattern. No monthly fees. As with trucks, hitches and floor plans - there are no right or wrong solutions - only what works best for you. Smart plugs and Blink can be up and running in literally minutes each. The switches require replacing existing switches. They work like a regular switch or by app or WiFi or Alexa. Added advantage, when I have my arms full, I just say Alexa, turn on Hallway. An added bonus is I can create groups with my Alexa that includes Smartlife and Control4 devices. If we get home after dark, I turn on main floor - outside garage, inside garage, hallway, foyer and nightstand lights all come on lighting a path through the house.

[AZ Traveler]

Deborah,

We have good neighbors and insurance. Have never needed to use the insurance. If we are gone more than a few days we often lock our doors.

For mail, we just have the post office hold it. We do all our bills online so there is rarely anything of importance that comes via the mail.

[socoinc]

Originally Posted by Deejaybee727

We'll be away from our home for long stretches this season - about 6 weeks at a time. I'd like to hear what solutions you have for the issue of security for your home while away. We live on a gravel road way out in the country, where you wouldn't think we'd have an issue...but unfortunately these days we have to try to think like a criminal! We don't have anyone nearby we'd be comfortable giving a housekey. Also, how do you handle your mail for the longer stretches? Thanks for your time!

I use Nest cameras. 5 outside & 2 inside.

[Deejaybee727]

Sounds like a great setup! Thanks so much for taking the time to reply! All of these responses have given me lots to google!

[DutchmenSport]

Like you, we live in the country, but do have neighbors nearby. We don't have any kind of security system, other than our 2 dogs that bark at everything and anything that's out of the ordinary, if they can see it or not. And with the warning of the dogs, Mr. 20 gauge is always nearby. In all the years we've lived in this house, we've never had any intruders, while at home or away.

I think the best protection you can have is good insurance. Beef up your insurance policy for "replacement", lock your locks, and go hit the road.

FYI, when we leave for a length of time, I always flip off the breaker on the water pump (our own well), and turn the 2 electric water heaters off, set the sub-pump out in the yard where we have a low spot that floods and can't get past the fencing along the field, and don't worry about anything.

About mail? We just put a "stop delivery" in at the post office. You can do that on line with USPS.

Remember, if you have fraud protection on your bank ATM card, or any of your credit cards, you need to notify the bank / institution that you are traveling away from your home area so they can lift the fraud protection in the states you'll be passing through. Otherwise, you may find yourself at a fuel pump and the card won't work.

[richfaa]

no comments.

[jimcol]

We have a monitored security system 3 doors, two interior motion sensors, and two fire/smoke sensors. Loud exterior siren that we think probably will run a burglar off. In the event of an alarm they call our home # first, then fire or police, then our back-up person. Police are too slow to respond where we live, but fire is very good. I prefer they don't steal my stuff but will take that over house and content burning up. That is why we pay to have it monitored, $69 per quarter.
We use mail stops with the USPS. I'll be honest at the risk of pissing some of my friends on this forum off, their performance has for the most part been dismal. Ranges from failing to stop delivery on the date they are instructed to failing to start delivery on the correct date. Been using this service for the past ten years and despite many meetings with our local postmaster and our carrier the results remain disappointing. Two other neighbors who RV have experienced the same results. Another draw back to this service it is only good for 4 weeks. I know others served out of a different station that have had very good success with this service.

[mlh]

I feel so lucky. We don’t even know where our house keys are. We know the shop keys in the breaker panel. You can get to them but you haft to take the front off the panel.
Lynwood

[Deejaybee727]

I so appreciate all of the responses from you guys. There is alot of good info here, and suggestions to investigate.

We have used the Hold Mail service, but as previously stated, its 30 days max. Once when I requested it, we still had mail delivery each day & thankfully we were only gone for 1 week that time. The rural mail carrier told me I should just call the local p.o. and tell them when I want it held rather than handling it online. Then they changed the phone number to a national 800#...

I signed up for USPS Informed Delivery a year or so ago, and we get email notifications with images of the front of the mailpieces to be delivered that day. Sometimes we don't get mail the day the email says its coming, but at least we can report that we didn't receive those pieces. Its a nice service to have.

I may call the post office in town near where we're going to camp long-term and ask about having mail forwarded there temporarily?

We had monitored Simplisafe alarm system before when we lived in a larger town, and it did give peace of mind...until a friend stopped by and set off the alarm when we were in Shenandoah Nat'l Park with no cell service - no one could reach us by phone, the monitoring service called local sheriff's department and they never responded😒. So now we live deep in the Boonies, and I don't have a great deal of faith in response to an alarm.

We have good replacement insurance, and we do turn off our water, and water heater when we leave town. A friend of mine's father was out of town a couple of years ago in June, and due to a water pressure issue, an upstairs water spigot blew. Water flowed from the 2nd story to the ground level, and on down to the finished basement. I will never again feel comfortable leaving water on, even when its warm!

Due to pitifully slow wifi, I don't know if cameras will work for us unless they're hardwired, but we aren't ruling them out yet.

We seriously like the quiet country living, but it comes with trade-offs!

I guess we need to relax somewhat, take all this good advice and all the precautions we can, and if it comes to it we can call Jake...at State Farm. We are excited that we just got our new roomier Montana HC 295RL, so its time to enjoy it.

[JandC]

When we had the S&B we used a security system. Depending on how extensive our travels were or how long we would either put a hold on our mail or do some mail forwarding.

Friends of our who now have a S&B in the country (Alabama) have the Ring system and really like it instead of a full security system.

[Former StClairSailor]

I installed a system, with 2 cameras, glass break sensors, entry sensors, smoke detectors, temperature monitoring, water detection and 24 hr monitoring. The 24 hr monitoring costs $25.00/month.
I also added smart internet light switches which can be programmed for various times and days. A ring doorbell was also added. We put our mail on a temporary address and have it sent to American Home Base to collect and forward our mail.
We know the monitoring system works well. 1. Our son-in-law entered the incorrect code and set off the alarm. We immediately received a call from the service asking if the sheriff was needed. 2. We once burned bacon while cooking breakfast. The smoke detector went off and five seconds later we received a call asking if we needed the fire department dispatched.

We also have fantastic neighbors who keep an eye on things as well as a relative who periodically checks inside.

[Deejaybee727]

I'm reading all of these great suggestions, and I've gotten alot out of this thread.
One thing that really strikes me is how wonderful folks take time out of their day to share here! ��

[BB_TX]

Originally Posted by Deejaybee727

........
We had monitored Simplisafe alarm system before when we lived in a larger town, and it did give peace of mind...until a friend stopped by and set off the alarm when we were in Shenandoah Nat'l Park with no cell service - no one could reach us by phone, the monitoring service called local sheriff's department and they never responded😒. So now we live deep in the Boonies, and I don't have a great deal of faith in response to an alarm.
......

Did you check with your local sheriff's department? We live outside of town also, although not in the "boonies". But I registered our system with the sheriff's department and pay a $25 per year permit fee to them. Have never had an alarm occur when we could not respond so I don't know how well they will respond. The only alarms so far have been us accidentally setting it off and once when a hail storm broke some windows, and each time we got a phone call within a few minutes and were able to cancel the alarm.

[Rondo]

We have the Arlo security cameras for our security at our S & B. We have three cameras around the outside of the house and three cameras inside and a camera doorbell. They are all placed so every one of the house entrances and sides are on camera constantly. All cameras are hooked up to the computer or internet and I can key in on my cellphone to each one for viewing and they are all set up for motion and I'm notified when there is motion on any of the cameras. I can talk over the cameras and also take still photos of the intruder or what ever triggers the camera to notify me. Easy set up and great video from cameras also. I highly recommend this system. It does not cost me a single penny either for the security unless I want the advanced system.

[Deejaybee727]

Originally Posted by BB_TX

Did you check with your local sheriff's department? We live outside of town also, although not in the "boonies". But I registered our system with the sheriff's department and pay a $25 per year permit fee to them. Have never had an alarm occur when we could not respond so I don't know how well they will respond. The only alarms so far have been us accidentally setting it off and once when a hail storm broke some windows, and each time we got a phone call within a few minutes and were able to cancel the alarm.

We do live in a different county now from when we had no response on Simplisafe. I haven't checked with local sheriff's dept in our county, but I appreciate you sharing this with me. We should surely check with them before we make the decision! I didn't know that they might require a permit. The county we lived in previously didn't require that, but it would be worth the price of the permit as long as they respond!

[BeckCass]

We live out, and were recently gone for 3months. We have a basic home security system, and we asked our township police department to do drive bys. We asked our post office to hold the mail.