WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Stolen travel trailer

| Crime | West Seattle news

The report and photos are from Erin:

Our travel trailer was stolen from our driveway Sunday evening, July 12, around 8:30, near 39th Ave SW and Graham.

Despite us having a hitch lock on, a white utility van with a red stripe down the side backed into our driveway and two men got out, hooked up the trailer, and pulled off with it within minutes.

It’s a 2021 Braxton Creek Bushwhacker Plus, 16-foot teardrop tailer named Patsy Cline (name is on a decal by the door). I’ve attached photos, including what the stickers on the back look like.

The license plate is 31966AG. If you see it around town, please call the police!

CW July 13, 2026 (6:40 am)

I’m so sorry this happened to you!! And I’m adding hitch lock to my list of things to get. Dang it

22blades July 13, 2026 (6:59 am)

I am so sorry. It’s a real violation to have stuff stolen on this scale. Beside a hitch lock, I jack my trailer up just to make it a bit more difficult. We had the whole hard top of our convertible stolen so we replaced the latches with bolts & turned it into a coupe.

Safetymeaures July 13, 2026 (9:03 am)

Along with a hitch lock, we also put a chain through the tires and lock the chain with a padlock. It is unfortunate that we all must go through these measures to keep our items safe.

bolo July 13, 2026 (10:11 am)

Would it help if we hid GPS trackers on our trailers?

Alki resident July 13, 2026 (11:28 am)

We have a tracker hidden inside our trailers. I hope you get it back. I’ll keep my eyes peeled.

Gina July 13, 2026 (11:48 am)

Store the trailer at a facility in the area where you camp most often. A family member had a brand new mini Winnie stolen from behind a padlocked gate that was razor wired and locked tow hitch.Found trashed and totaled soaked with drug residue 2 days later.New trailer is stored at a Cle Elum facility, saves on gas because they like Eastern Washington and Idaho for camping.

H.P.Neighbor July 13, 2026 (2:33 pm)

A suspicious white van with red stripe on the hood and front doors just arrived at the encampment on 18th Ave SW & SW Myrtle Street. Expired WA Plate CSG3585. This is a known hangout of car theives for years. Never seen this van here before. Other markings on the sides have been spraypaited over.

H.P.Neighbor July 13, 2026 (5:42 pm)

Erin, is this it? It used to have red all around but they’re spraying it over.
- Erin July 13, 2026 (6:55 pm)
  
  Yes, that’s the one! The racks have also been removed (they were on the curb where my husband first encountered the van). And our neighbor kid had the chance to look at the pics and verify it is the same van that pulled off with our trailer.
Erin July 13, 2026 (5:55 pm)

Thanks for this tip! I don’t know if it’s the van that took off with our trailer, but it’s definitely a stolen van – the owner posted it on the PNW Stolen Car FB group. My husband went down to the encampment area to see if he could get pics to show our neighbor who witnessed the trailer theft last night. He spotted the van at 16th Ave SW and Holden, but they saw him and took off. We were at least able to share the info on where it was last seen with the owner.

Joe July 13, 2026 (4:53 pm)

Saw that white van with a red painted stripe casing our alley on 6000 block of California.

Erin July 13, 2026 (6:18 pm)

My husband got video of that van, which may or may not be the one used to steal our trailer, but definitely is stolen! Someone posted it on the PNW Stolen Cars FB group. It was last seen (5:30 pm on 7/13) at 16th Ave Sw and Holden. But they got spooked and took off—heading south.

Mike July 14, 2026 (10:08 am)

Looks like an old postal van

Erin July 13, 2026 (6:54 pm)

Neighbor kid confirmed it’s the same van that took our trailer.

Erin July 14, 2026 (12:27 am)

We’ve tracked this van throughout the SW Seattle area throughout today as the thieves continued to try to alter it by spray painting it (last seen starting to paint it black), changing out the plates, and taking off the racks and hitch. So any sketch looking 2002 Chevrolet Express 3500 van could be it. VIN: 1GCHG35G521163052.

H.P.Neighbor July 14, 2026 (5:03 am)

Check the other encampments. The individuals and vehicles are all interconnected if you watch them long enough. Dumar Way near Orchard. 18th/21st near Myrtle. 12th ave by Riverview park. SW Michigan ST just West of 2nd Ave SW. There’s a big chop shop running there under a tarp garage amongst the tractor trailer chassis. 16th & Cambridge/Barton/Henderson. SW Barton & 23rd. 15th Ave SW & SW 102nd ST by McLendons. I’m sure there’s more.

CW July 14, 2026 (2:12 pm)

Just out of curiosity, how much information does one need to have before law enforcement can/will intervene?

Erin July 14, 2026 (3:56 pm)

More updates. Thanks to all the info folks shared on the van, both here and on the PNW Stolen Cars FB group, the owner of the van (which was stolen 7/9) and I connected our two cases. We’ve been working with SPD, who got to the van last night, but unfortunately the perps (sorry, not trying to sound like I’m on Law and Order) tried to run the police over and drove off. The van has since been found (today, 7/14), empty and spray painted partially black, at the Subway behind Terminal 115. So one of the two stolen vehicles has been returned to its owner. Now we just need to find our trailer! If you want to follow updates on that, we’re keeping the post on the PNW Stolen Cars group as up-to-date as we can: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1HSBY1RVAL/ Our neighbor also shared video with us today of the van hauling our trailer off – confirming definitiviely that the van that was recovered today is the van that as used to steal our trailer.

Marc July 17, 2026 (10:59 am)

18th SW & SW Myrtle is ~a half mile from the South Precinct. A friend near 15th & Roxbury reported on a tow truck that often hauls cars there, or a block north, cuts off the catalytic converter, and drops the car right there. Police being called while it is happening never responded.

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