A single piece of paper is all it takes to trap you— and they could strike while you sleep
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Some caravan owners have woken up to find their belongings gone—only to realise they couldn’t even open the door.
One repair expert said it’s a ‘well-known’ trick used by thieves to trap people inside their vans.
Even something as harmless as a piece of paper can render your caravan lock useless.
Luke Weber, owner of Affordable Caravans Service & Repairs, said he first heard of the tactic more than six years ago.
A customer had shared a shocking story about how their camping gear was stolen in plain sight while they were stuck inside their caravan.
The thieves had used a simple piece of paper to jam the latch mechanism on the door—leaving the occupants unable to intervene.
According to Weber, many caravan doors manufactured after 2000 use a latch-style lock.
To open these doors, the latch needs to spring outward—otherwise, it remains locked.
Unfortunately, there is a metal ring on many door handles meant to hook the door open, and this ring can be used against the owner.
Thieves can wedge something small—like paper or even sticky tape—into the space where the latch should extend.
That tiny obstruction can stop the door from unlocking, effectively trapping anyone inside.
Weber demonstrated the trick in a recent video and explained how easy it was to do.
‘It’s very, very simple and it’ll lock people in,’ he told Yahoo News.
He added: ‘I’ve been fixing caravans for a long time, and it has been well known for a long time that a thief can just use a sheet of paper, or even sticky tape, to stop those doors from opening.’
Weber recalled the ‘crazy story’ shared by one traveller who said their gear was stolen ‘in the middle of the night...and they couldn’t get out of the caravan’.
‘People even get their barbecues taken and their fridges taken...They just have to sit in the caravan until it’s over, then climb out a window or something.’
Thankfully, Weber said there was a straightforward solution that could prevent the problem entirely.
‘It’s an easy fix, you just take the little metal ring off where people put the paper,’ he said.
‘It just clicks right off, and you can put it inside your caravan, and the problem is solved.’
Removing the ring doesn’t affect the locking mechanism, so travellers can still secure themselves overnight.
This isn’t the first time travellers have been caught off guard by unexpected danger on the road.
Whether it’s theft or a simple oversight, one wrong move can quickly put you—or your loved ones—at serious risk.
For one couple, a routine trip turned frightening when their caravan started swaying out of control.
Read more: Is your caravan safe? 'We thought there was going to be an accident'
Ever wondered what you’d do if you couldn’t even open your door while someone robbed you blind?
One repair expert said it’s a ‘well-known’ trick used by thieves to trap people inside their vans.
Even something as harmless as a piece of paper can render your caravan lock useless.
Luke Weber, owner of Affordable Caravans Service & Repairs, said he first heard of the tactic more than six years ago.
A customer had shared a shocking story about how their camping gear was stolen in plain sight while they were stuck inside their caravan.
The thieves had used a simple piece of paper to jam the latch mechanism on the door—leaving the occupants unable to intervene.
Caravan thieves trap victims using paper trick. Image source: TikTok/affordablecaravanrepairs
According to Weber, many caravan doors manufactured after 2000 use a latch-style lock.
To open these doors, the latch needs to spring outward—otherwise, it remains locked.
Unfortunately, there is a metal ring on many door handles meant to hook the door open, and this ring can be used against the owner.
Thieves can wedge something small—like paper or even sticky tape—into the space where the latch should extend.
That tiny obstruction can stop the door from unlocking, effectively trapping anyone inside.
Weber demonstrated the trick in a recent video and explained how easy it was to do.
‘It’s very, very simple and it’ll lock people in,’ he told Yahoo News.
He added: ‘I’ve been fixing caravans for a long time, and it has been well known for a long time that a thief can just use a sheet of paper, or even sticky tape, to stop those doors from opening.’
Weber recalled the ‘crazy story’ shared by one traveller who said their gear was stolen ‘in the middle of the night...and they couldn’t get out of the caravan’.
‘People even get their barbecues taken and their fridges taken...They just have to sit in the caravan until it’s over, then climb out a window or something.’
Thankfully, Weber said there was a straightforward solution that could prevent the problem entirely.
‘It’s an easy fix, you just take the little metal ring off where people put the paper,’ he said.
‘It just clicks right off, and you can put it inside your caravan, and the problem is solved.’
Removing the ring doesn’t affect the locking mechanism, so travellers can still secure themselves overnight.
This isn’t the first time travellers have been caught off guard by unexpected danger on the road.
Whether it’s theft or a simple oversight, one wrong move can quickly put you—or your loved ones—at serious risk.
For one couple, a routine trip turned frightening when their caravan started swaying out of control.
Read more: Is your caravan safe? 'We thought there was going to be an accident'
Ever wondered what you’d do if you couldn’t even open your door while someone robbed you blind?
