'Very cool customer': Edmonton-area RV thief had security stickers, flashing light on truck

Almost $500,000 worth of RVs were stolen from a pair of Edmonton-area dealerships in recent weeks and there is suspicion that the same person took all four of them.

Security footage from Vision RV in Acheson early Sunday morning shows grinder sparks flying while someone cuts the lock off a gate.

The person leaves for a while, presumably to make sure no security or police respond, before returning to take a $120,000 fifth wheel.

"He came back, opened up the gates. He went right over the fifth wheel, backed right up to it, and took it away," Dealer Principal Larry Ricci told CTV News Edmonton.

Video shows the thief returning later that night to grab another RV worth nearly $150,000.

The white pickup used in the crimes had a flashing amber light on the roof and a black and white "security" magnet on the driver's side.

Ricci believes the person driving it was the same man who came in the day before and had a salesperson show him the trailers that were stolen.

"This uh, this wasn’t his first rodeo," Ricci said. "Very cool customer."

Word of the thief's flashing light went off like a lightbulb for Victor DaSilva. He owns Outback RV in Sherwood Park.

"On Nov. 19, 10 or 10:30 in the evening they breached our property, came in, and took a customer unit," DaSilva said.

That trailer is worth about $100,000. A brand new fifth wheel of the same value was also stolen from his lot, DaSilva said. A light-coloured pickup with flashing lights was captured on Outback's security video.

"When we seen these flashing lights and we heard about the Vision episode, we thought hey, it’s got to be linked together," DaSilva said.

RCMP are working the case and the RV Dealers Association of Alberta has issued an alert for the two Acheson RVs that were stolen.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's David Ewasuk