Bollards and posts

[smida040]

Unfortunately we have recently been the victims of theft. As part of our new insurers requirements we have to have posts/fencing at the back, down the sides and at the front of the van.

I have some rather large steel posts for concreting in at the back of the van, but I am looking for personal recommendations on removable posts for the front. I am thinking of 2 telescopic ones, one each side of the A frame which should prevent and forwards or sideways movement. I may also need some down the side.
So if you have experience of using an such, I would be grateful for recommendations.

Although the van is at the larger end of the scale, it is only single axle, so the last bit of fine positioning should be easily done by hand, so I plan to have the posts quite tight to the van.

thanks

 

[Buckman]

Unfortunately we have recently been the victims of theft. As part of our new insurers requirements we have to have posts/fencing at the back, down the sides and at the front of the van.

I have some rather large steel posts for concreting in at the back of the van, but I am looking for personal recommendations on removable posts for the front. I am thinking of 2 telescopic ones, one each side of the A frame which should prevent and forwards or sideways movement. I may also need some down the side.
So if you have experience of using an such, I would be grateful for recommendations.

Although the van is at the larger end of the scale, it is only single axle, so the last bit of fine positioning should be easily done by hand, so I plan to have the posts quite tight to the van.

thanks

Wouldn't be cheaper and more convenient to store the caravan at a gold CASSOA storage site as they are approved by all insurance companies. Alternative is look elsewhere for insurance cover for the replacement caravan.

 

[Beachball]

Wouldn't be cheaper and more convenient to store the caravan at a gold CASSOA storage site as they are approved by all insurance companies. Alternative is look elsewhere for insurance cover for the replacement caravan.

I am in agreement with you

 

[smida040]

To be honest the storage yard is a Cassoa Silver, been on there 14 years. It is very convenient for us, less than 5 minutes drive from home. Ironically we are getting a 50% discount off our insurance through Swift. So I figure that would cover the cost of one bollard.
I am going to check out other insurers, but concreting in a few bollards isn’t exactly hard(just a few handy mates and a couple of slabs of beer should do it)

 

[Jcloughie]

So smida040, are the posts etc. for home or for improving your Cassoa storage? Sorry, your posts do not make that clear.

John

 

[smida040]

they are for on the storage yard. The owner is fine for me to put them on at my cost

 

[Dustydog]

The posts will not stop the determined thief and only give your Insurer some comfort. Just make sure you get the Insurers approval to the posts you use.

 

[Jcloughie]

I appreciate that you have had a major claim and that you get a large discount, but your insurer seems to be seeking security way beyond the norm.


For example, my van is stored on a farm. I am happy with to security but my insurer only knows it as a farm. A few years ago I had a claim totalling around £15,000. But there was no come back on my premiums.

Nevertheless, you need to way everything up and do what’s best for you.


John

 

[Raywood]

With theft on the rise insurers are tightening up on storage security conditions so if you have a theft claim now they will be looking at what needs to be done to avoid a repeat. If you have say a road accident then this is different and may not affect the future conditions although large ones might be looked at.
Possibly the theft level now is higher due to the increase in value and the shortage of second hand models and might die down a bit if prices drop but we will see.
With regard to putting up fence posts close to the sides do remember you may change the caravan again at some point, and if you get a wider one the caravan might not fit.

 

[Jcloughie]

With theft on the rise insurers are tightening up on storage security conditions so if you have a theft claim now they will be looking at what needs to be done to avoid a repeat. If you have say a road accident then this is different and may not affect the future conditions although large ones might be looked at.
Possibly the theft level now is higher due to the increase in value and the shortage of second hand models and might die down a bit if prices drop but we will see.
With regard to putting up fence posts close to the sides do remember you may change the caravan again at some point, and if you get a wider one the caravan might not fit.

That makes complete sense. But what I was pointing out in my recent post is the massive difference in my insurance conditions to those of the OP. For me, a farm is accepted on face value. (CMHC). For the OP. Their insurance company are not happy with a silver CASSOA site.

Perhaps that’s the way things are heading.

John

 

[Dustydog]

But John , there is the fallacy!
I have yet to read on here what makes a CASSOA site thief proof. 🤪🤪

 

[Jcloughie]

But John , there is the fallacy!
I have yet to read on here what makes a CASSOA site thief proof. 🤪🤪

I don’t know as I have never used one. There is one I believe, 15-20 miles away. But it is far more expensive than what I pay, about £150 more. And I believe you are restricted to get the van or take it back within strict hours and they park it for you. The farm I use has reasonable security, they are friendly and I have lots of freedom and a generous parking place.

I thought some insurance companies gave discounts for CASSOA sites. Some insurance companies, I believe, refuse insurance where a farm is used. If CMHC adopt that policy I have a problem. Lots of farms have large problems with thieves due to their remotenes.


John

 

[Buckman]

But John , there is the fallacy!
I have yet to read on here what makes a CASSOA site thief proof. 🤪🤪

Very true however we are on a CASSOA Gold site and it would be extremely difficult for any thief to enter the grounds whether across fields or using the road.
There are bollards across the gates which rise up at night after 9pm, owner lives on premises plus staff also live on premises. To enter one of the compounds requires a fob to open the gate. Coming across the field they are faced with a stream and a wooded area and then a very high bank on the outside of the fencing.

 

[Dustydog]

And the annual cost is??

 

[otherclive]

And the annual cost is??

We pay £420pa for a Gold site with washing area, AWS workshop, MCEA technicians and a gin distillery👍

 

[smida040]

Lots of good debate on storage yards. My Cassoa silver is £320 per year with key fob access, we have been a bit unlucky and our van specifically targeted by ......... you know who.
Anyway what’s done is done.

As for the width of the van, it’s an 8 footer. The storage yard is 5 minutes from our house, so really convenient.

Putting some steel posts in really isn’t that much of a deal, like I have said before, just need to make my van much harder to steal than the next one.

Compared with the aggravation caused by having your van stolen, a mornings hard labour is a small price to pay(oh and a slab of beer for the lads😀)

We were insured with Ripe caravan Insurance and the claim managed by a company called Davies Group

I don’t know what the norm is, but from reporting the theft to having the cash in the bank was approx 2.1/2 weeks, and that was delayed because we changed to a slightly smaller van, without that I reckon it would have been settled within 2 weeks, maybe less.

So credit where credit is due to the wonderful ladies at Davies Group.

 

[Jcloughie]

Lots of good debate on storage yards. My Cassoa silver is £320 per year with key fob access, we have been a bit unlucky and our van specifically targeted by ......... you know who.
Anyway what’s done is done.

As for the width of the van, it’s an 8 footer. The storage yard is 5 minutes from our house, so really convenient.

Putting some steel posts in really isn’t that much of a deal, like I have said before, just need to make my van much harder to steal than the next one.

Compared with the aggravation caused by having your van stolen, a mornings hard labour is a small price to pay(oh and a slab of beer for the lads😀)

We were insured with Ripe caravan Insurance and the claim managed by a company called Davies Group

I don’t know what the norm is, but from reporting the theft to having the cash in the bank was approx 2.1/2 weeks, and that was delayed because we changed to a slightly smaller van, without that I reckon it would have been settled within 2 weeks, maybe less.

So credit where credit is due to the wonderful ladies at Davies Group.

Sounds like a good deal on your storage, my farm storage costs me £350, but by paying a year in advanced I get 14 months. We did look at CASSOA about 10 years ago and the prices were really silly in our area. I will look again as things could have changes. Mine is 15 miles away. I wish it was a lot closer.

John

Edit, just looked, we now have a gold site not for away, but they want £585, if paid in advance.

 

[chatter]

I would think carefully about putting posts in someone elses land, the owner might be happy for you to put them in with no cost to him but you might not be able to remove them should you wish later. Possesion is 9/10ths of the law and in law the person who owns the storage owns the land and therefore would own your posts. If you go down that route i hope you get a lawfull agreement drawn up by a legal body and just incase make sure it encompasses the fact that if the owner sells the storage the new owner has no claim on your posts. It seems an awful lot of money to spend when you could loose that investment

 

[otherclive]

Sounds like a good deal on your storage, my farm storage costs me £350, but by paying a year in advanced I get 14 months. We did look at CASSOA about 10 years ago and the prices were really silly in our area. I will look again as things could have changes. Mine is 15 miles away. I wish it was a lot closer.

John

Edit, just looked, we now have a gold site not for away, but they want £585, if paid in advance.

Ours is paid in advance with he annual fee payable. Although there are refunds given in the event you have to give up the pitch and give the required period of notice.

 

[smida040]

Tbh it isn’t an awful lot of money, it actually worked out cheaper doing it this way than going with the quotes other insurers have provided. I got 2 x 8” dia bollards for £50. The telescopic ones I am looking at are maybe £150 each. We have had one insurance quote at £150, another at £770. The cheaper quote requires the posts.
As for drawing up some sort of legal agreement, I have known the guy who owns the yard for 14 years, I have no reason to think there will be any issues.
Originally I was hoping somebody might be able to post (parden the pun)about some products they have used themselves but unfortunately nobody has responded.

Anyway, time to get digging and get the first posts in.

 

[otherclive]

My only experience was a motorhome where we lived previously. The thieves 4x4 just pulled a rear post straight out of the concrete drive prior to stealing it. A front mounted winch will do it no problem as I’ve seen what one can move whilst off roading. But your posts will add another layer of deterrent and hopefully persuade the thieves to move elsewhere.

 

[smida040]

I agree it’s not a 100% guaranteed method of stopping them. Some of the security posts available are really nothing more than cosmetic. Some are described as anti ram and are buried about 800 deep with 250mm remaining inserted when the post is extended.
Still deciding on the final ones.
Also needs to be a decent cross section, some are only 50mm square which in all honesty would probably take less than 3 minutes to grind through. So I reckon at the moment 100mm square is looking favorite.

I would think a 150mm dia post concreted in about 800 deep with an appropriate tang arrangement to resist pull out would be quite difficult to remove. Where as some only have 300mm of concrete which you could probably wiggle the post back and too and remove

 

[Buckman]

And the annual cost is??

We pay £480 annually, but we also have a wash area and an AWS technician on site. There is also a shop for caravan accessories and if you so wish a caravan sales area.

 

[Beachball]

Our Caravan storage is very reasonable due in March we always pay in advance

 

[otherclive]

I agree it’s not a 100% guaranteed method of stopping them. Some of the security posts available are really nothing more than cosmetic. Some are described as anti ram and are buried about 800 deep with 250mm remaining inserted when the post is extended.
Still deciding on the final ones.
Also needs to be a decent cross section, some are only 50mm square which in all honesty would probably take less than 3 minutes to grind through. So I reckon at the moment 100mm square is looking favorite.

I would think a 150mm dia post concreted in about 800 deep with an appropriate tang arrangement to resist pull out would be quite difficult to remove. Where as some only have 300mm of concrete which you could probably wiggle the post back and too and remove

Sounds as if you’ve really got this one planned to defeat them or at least make them work hard for any rewards 👍