A summer holiday theft in a quiet Grand Junction neighborhood has left one family without their cherished camping trailer — and police scrambling for leads.

A Vanishing Act Over the Fourth of July

Between July 4 and July 5, somewhere in that thin slice of time when fireworks were still echoing across the valley, a mint green and white 2013 Winnebago camping trailer rolled away from the 2000 block of Elm Avenue.

Not with its owners inside. Not with their permission.

It was taken straight from a private residence, according to Crime Stoppers of Mesa County, and it hasn’t been seen since.

More Than Just Wheels and Metal

The trailer’s value is pegged at over $10,000, but anyone who’s owned a camper knows the price tag is only part of the loss. These things carry memories. Road trips. Fishing weekends. That time the rain leaked in through the skylight and everyone had to pile into one bed laughing about it.

“This is a family’s getaway, their little escape from the world,” one neighbor said Thursday. “It’s not like stealing a bike or a lawn chair. It’s personal.”

For now, though, what’s personal is also criminal — and it’s got local investigators looking closely at the timing and logistics of the theft.

Crime Stoppers Steps In

Mesa County’s Crime Stoppers program is now spearheading the appeal for information. The non-profit works alongside police to gather anonymous tips in exchange for potential rewards.

They’ve put out a description — mint green and white, Winnebago brand, 2013 model — and urged anyone who spots it, or knows who took it, to speak up.

It’s not hard to imagine someone seeing it. This isn’t a subtle theft. A trailer like that stands out on the road or in someone’s driveway.

How These Cases Often Crack

Stolen vehicle cases, especially trailers, have a few common threads when they get solved:

• Someone spots it parked somewhere it shouldn’t be — behind a warehouse, at a campground under a tarp, in a field.

• An ad pops up online that matches the stolen property.

• Word of mouth leads to a tip-off, especially if the thief brags or tries to sell it locally.

Police in Mesa County have recovered stolen campers in the past using all three methods. But without the public keeping an eye out, the odds drop fast.

A Trailer Too Big to Hide?

It’s worth noting that while stealing a camper isn’t unheard of, it’s not like pocketing a wallet. You need a tow vehicle. You need a hitch. And you need somewhere to stash something the size of a small studio apartment.

That means whoever did this probably had some level of planning. Not a spur-of-the-moment act, but a deliberate grab.

Investigators will likely be checking surveillance cameras in the Elm Avenue area from those dates. Doorbell cameras, gas station footage, and traffic cams can all be critical in tracing a vehicle towing a camper.

The Broader Picture

Theft of recreational vehicles tends to spike in summer. National Insurance Crime Bureau data has shown seasonal patterns, often tied to holiday weekends when owners might leave them parked outside or visible from the street.

Grand Junction isn’t immune. In recent years, local police have warned residents to use wheel locks, hitch locks, and secure storage yards to deter thieves.

Still, trailers aren’t like cars — they don’t have ignition keys or GPS trackers built in by default. Once they’re gone, finding them can be tricky without a sharp-eyed tipster.

An Unmistakable Look

If you’re in western Colorado — or anywhere within a few hundred miles — keep this description in mind: mint green and white paint, Winnebago nameplate, 2013 build. That color scheme alone makes it stand out from the standard beige or silver models you see on highways.

The missing camper isn’t just a statistic; it’s a rolling piece of someone’s summer life. The quicker it’s found, the less chance it ends up stripped for parts or repainted to disguise it.

For now, Crime Stoppers is hoping that someone, somewhere, has already seen it and just hasn’t realized it was stolen.