Here are three clever hidden and secure places to hide passports, important papers, cash, firearms and other valuables in a truck camper. Play it safe!
1. Behind The Dinette Seat Safe
Submitted by: A.K.
I wanted a secure place in my camper to store a handgun and other valuables. I strongly believe that firearms should always be stored locked. It’s also important to know the local and state laws on carrying a handgun in the United States. You cannot bring a handgun into Canada.
I bought a Velocity Vault by Cannon Safe at Costco.com. Finding this safe made the modification easy.
The safe is 3.5-inches wide including the mounting bracket. I mounted the safe behind my dinette seat on my Lance 855S.
After positioning, I drilled four holes and mounted the bracket with #10-24 x ¾-inch flat head Phillips screw and #10-24 x ¾-inch T-nuts and secured these with Loctite.
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I then attached the safe to the bracket using the supplied safe screws and Loctite. I used my Dremel to grind down and smooth out the slightly protruding screws to avoid damaging the seat cushion.
After the installation, the safe is accessible, discrete and functional.
Note: I value my privacy and am retired law enforcement. I wanted to make folks aware that they could safely and securely store their firearms and valuables. That is why I am using only my initials with this mod.
It took me 30 minutes to complete this modification and cost me $99.99 for the safe, $2.50 for the hardware, and $5 for the Loctite. In my opinion, the skill level of this modification is easy to medium.
2. Secret Safe Location In Closet
Submitted by: B.D.
Traveling six out of twelve months requires a certain amount of cash and passports. Our concern was where we stash our emergency money bag.
We could be like grandma and put it under the mattress, however that may be too obvious a location. I chose to make our wardrobe closet into our safe.
The first photo shows jackets and rain gear when you open the closet door. In the second photo, you can see that when you take out all the clothes and look inside, you don’t see anything but walls and the floor. The third photo shows the modification.
A piece of ⅛-inch plywood paneling was cut to the dimension of the closet floor. The right corner of the plywood paneling was notched 1-inch. Using industrial glue, four wooden blocks measuring 3-inches in height were attached to each corner side wall.
When the plywood paneling is in place, the notch allows the panel to be lifted using a single finger for access. One would have to put their head inside the closet and look down to see the notch.
We also keep a small number of quarters in a plastic container for the laundromats in the closet. Should someone make their way to the closet and find the quarters they may be satisfied to take them and look no further. We’re just cutting our losses.
The cost was under $6 for the sheet of plywood, and the four corner wood pieces were scraps that I had around the house. The money bag was bought on Amazon a couple of years ago for $15. As for the level of difficulty, it was a couple of steps below medium. The only consideration would be your experience in measuring and cutting of the plywood.
It took me one hour to complete this modification and cost me $6. In my opinion, the skill level of this modification is easy.
3. Fishing Pole and Safe Storage In Bunk
Submitted by: J.D.
We are empty nesters and don’t usually have guests staying with us in our camper. So, in our quest for storage that could be neat and organized, we converted the upper bunk of the camper.
When the bunk is open, we have a 16-inch by 14-inch by 6-foot storage cupboard.
We installed a gun rack that can also be used for my fishing poles, awning crank, and other long items. We also installed a small safe to store valuables.
With the bunk closed, you can’t see the safe. The safe can also be covered by towels or other items for additional security.
