Caravan GPS locators

[Guy_374467328]

Hi, I am after a little bit of research and encouragement from enthusiastic dedicated caravan owners.

My company is just about to launch a brand new fully monitored GPS location system that is unlike any other on the market, the Police are extremely excited (if that's possible) I can't give all the benefits here, this is not an advert and a lot of it is secret at the moment.

We are aiming it at the car industry, but I see a strong use for caravans and motorhomes as it is extremely low drain, about the size of a box of swan vesta. Requires only 2 wires to fit and can be fitted anywhere, we hid one in a fridge and it was picked up OK. Accurate to 5 metres +/-3 metres

The real advantage though is that we are aiming to bring this to market at about £150 for the unit and £9.99 per month.(This will make it about £200 less than the nearest competition)

Just wondered what the feedback would be.

( we are also in negotiation with a number of insurers to reduce premiums, but this takes time and probably wont be an initial benefit.)

 

[Guest]

Why pay you

 

[Guy_374467328]

Why pay you

 

[Parksy]

Many caravans nowadays have factory fitted trackers with the first year 'free' and

 

[Guy_374467328]

Thank you for the info, I appreciate your points.

I agree I would not want my caravan back after having been occupied, that's why our system will know it's moved before you do and actively guide the Police to the unit, before it has got very far. As you know identifying stolen caravans is very difficult for the police, the ability for them to positively identify a stolen one from the patrol car should make recovery much quicker.

We are already in discussion with a number of insurers and a couple of manufacturers who are very interested as this system extremely accurate and the trials have been excellent.

There are a number of features that as I said we cant discuss until the official launch. I was hoping that it would be ideal for retro fit to older, but still very valued caravans. Perhaps we need to offer a slightly reduced service and therefore cut the subscription cost right back.

Is it the unit cost or the subs that people would like to see down?? ( I know most people will say both, but worth asking)

 

[Parksy]

Personally speaking I'd say the subscription costs would be more attractive if lower, they are on a par with Phantom at

 

[Parksy]

I forgot to add that identifying stolen caravans is in fact very easy indeed for the police due to the ChRIS registration scheme. Any tracking system will 'know a caravan has been moved before you do', that's the whole point of fitting a tracker!

The reluctance of police to prosecute and in some cases to assist in recovery encourages the unacceptable level of caravan theft in this country which is allegedly perpetrated by a relatively small but socio politically sensitive minority.

 

[Surfer]

One off subscription would suit us fine. We are seriously considering the original Tracker as it seems to offer good value for money and I believe a lot of police cars can track the caravan once they are notified about movement. I think it costs about

 

[Guy_374467328]

One off subscription would suit us fine. We are seriously considering the original Tracker as it seems to offer good value for money and I believe a lot of police cars can track the caravan once they are notified about movement. I think it costs about

 

[Guy_374467328]

Hi Ian

Tacker is a very good radio based system and as you know relies on a police car homing in on a radio signal. These systems are fine for static location, however are easily confused when moving as the locator relies on strength of signal, which would be getting weaker if the unit is moving away from you.

GPS tracks up to 20 satellites and gives reposition on a map screen every 15 seconds with location speed and direction enabling pro active action.

Tracker lifetime subscription for basic service is

 

[Guy_374467328]

Our system could at least tell them if it was speeding caravan,

that may generate their interest.!!!!

I am genuinely shocked at the comments regarding Police involvement and their lack of interest in recovery.

Perhaps I was looking through rose tinted specs and had the opinion that they were as interested in caravans as anything else.( That is the impression they have given me in our discussions)

My eyes are being opened and I am disheartened to find that this opinion stems from peoples direct experience.

You would have thought that to recover a stolen caravan worth

 

[Parksy]

The police problem doesn't rest with individual officers Guy, overall policy needs to be changed.

It's a simple enough matter to track a stolen caravan and also to identify it when it is found.

A bobby on a bike could probably do it.

The problem is that in the sort of places where stolen caravans reportedly have a high likelihood of being found the police have to go in mob handed.

It's not quite the same as nicking a couple of teenage neds in a fiesta.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Guy,

The idea of a tracker of the type you are suggesting may be of interest to some, but in reality it is a 'Me Too' product as similar devices are already in the market. For it to be able to carve out a niche position it must offer something radically new or be able to provide what everyone else is doing but significantly cheaper.

Lets face it, most trackers are crime solvers, not crime preventers and that is what's needed. The crime has been committed once a caravan has been stolen or defiled, and as others have said in many cases a recovered caravan is not a happy prospect after thieves have been through it and defiled it.

Caravan recovery is low on most police forces priorities, Too often the culprits are nomads, who even if they are caught rarely ever turn up for court appearances so they basically get way with it - Not good for solved crime figures.

The most significant improvement in caravan security will be something that makes the caravan so undesirable to the thieves just don't want to touch it.

If I knew what that was, I think I could be rich!

 

[James3]

Although I don't have any tracking device on my caravan I am still interested in whats on the market and the cost. I would like to fit one if it is a reasonable cost but more importantly it must be accepted by the police and there must be some assurances that they will take action straight away.

If your device is aimed at the car industry it may become a "standard" fit for all cars which would be great and then could be used by caravanners, motorhomes etc. If there was just one system then the police might use it. I can't see them wanting to have several devices or systems in there police cars

 

[Oldsalt49]

I have just had a quick look on Ebay and have found GPS Trackers that appear similar to, or, are the same as what Guy is trying to promote. And guess what, they come from China!, you know, that place that produces cheap tat that has no consumer control and is of low or poor quality. These devices are going for about

 

[Damian]

In response to David and his assertion that maybe the trackers that Guy is talking about(if that Guy is the same Guy I met at HAL), let me assure you that they are NOT chinese look alikes, they are made entirely in this country and are of very good quality.

I have been to the factory and seen the production line and the capabilities of these trackers and I have to say I am very impressed. The company also produce high quality electronics for such purchasers as the MOD, Civil Aviation etc etc, so are a good quality company to start with.

You dont have to be glue to your computer to see whats happening, if you have web enabled mobile phone, you can check your van location anywhere.

The unit is amazingly small, unlike the Phantom unit which is quite a size.

The cost of subscription covers the tracking agency which does actually monitor the trackers 24/7, and are linked directly to local police in whatever country you are in, so no waving hands about trying to talk a language you cannot to say your van has been stolen, it is done by local language speakers.

 

[Oldsalt49]

My suggestion is this, let the Guy who started this post publish pictures and specification of the GPS Tracker that he is proposing to sell to us, the gullible public. That way we will be able to compare the genuine UK produced product from the Chinese imports. I'm sure that Guy has a web site for his dynamic new company? Maybe we can have a link to it?

 

[Guest]

A few points here.

If I'm being told that if my caravan was stolen in the UK and I report the theft to the police and the co-ordinates of where it is and they are not going to accept them. What kind of cowboy banana state police have you got in the UK?

I'm sure insurers would be well pleased to be told that a caravan owner had informed the police of a theft and the co-ordinates of where the caravan was or the roads it was travelling on and were ignored so the Insurer is left to cop ( soory for the puns ) the bill.

As for state of the art we'll track it. A UK expensive new car was recently parked in a hotel car park near the NEC complete with state of the art tracker. The car was stolen in full view of hotel security cameras and driven through the hotel parking security barrier. The thieves taped a sensor so that the barrier stayed open and once again the tracker never worked!

Friends went caravanning in Ireland from their UK home four weeks ago. An answer phone call from the tracking company to their home in the second week away asked if their caravan had been moved! The tracking company had also mislaid their mobile numbers and email address, how do you do that on a state of the art computer system?

In their home village whilst they were away some neighbours in a nearby road challenged men in a white transit pickup. The next door neighbours caravan was being hitched up after it had been pushed out from beside the garage around a parked car and down the driveway and along the road where the tow hitch lock had been removed. State of the art manufacturers tracker fitted! Only good neighbours prevented the theft. I don't know if both caravans were being tracked by the same tracking company but it makes you wonder.

With geo fencing GPS tracker alarms I want to know where my goods are myself, I'm only intersted in my goods and chancing that a company tracking numerous signals gets it right is not a good chance.

One off payment is far better than all the "only

 

[WMRussell]

Guy

I am very intrested in your product and looked at several at the NEC last year. My intention is to look again this year with a view to buying. With this in mind I have a couple of questions.

Firstly when do you intend launch this product?

Will it be available at this years NEC show?

My main issue is that I would be looking for a unit for my car, my wifes car and the caravan.On top of this we tend to change our cars and the caravan every few years. Now if you could come up with a unit or deal that offered multi vehicle use and could be changes from one vehicle to another as it was replaced at a very small or no charge then I would be very very intrested.

It would also be nice if we had the option to be able to monitor the vehicle ourselves, either via mobile phone or computer, again this would add to the intrest in your product.

I am aware that a large number of people where I work are in similar positions, in that they change their vehicles frequently, and a growing number are also intrested in such items if they would offer the sort of ideas I have suggested. I am sure that if you could offer this at the rigth price with insurance backing you would be onto a winner.

Russ

 

[Steve_374341117]

Parksy,

Unfortunately, like a lot of people, you appear to be under the impression that the police have any say in what which offenders are prosecuted when detected.They do not - the decision is entirely down to the Crown Prosecution Service. The police would like to persue far more cases to court than they do but are thwarted by CPS.

 

[Guy_374467328]

In reply to David 20th August.

You presume a lot. These units are assembled in the UK, admittedly a lot of the components are manufactured in China, but find me something electronic that doesn't. We have strict EU Certification and exceed Thatcham and "sold secure" specification. The Spec and figures will be posted on our site, once the product is launched, Pictures of a covert unit would be a little silly as the internet is free to all, honest and not. The external casing of the unit will change every 500 units produced to further protect the unit and the ability to find it. If I know where it is in your car, I could tell you which way round your car or caravan is parked on your drive, they are that accurate.

Moving on to Russell

Good question about the portability, Our largest competitor will be "Tracker" who wont move the unit to a new vehicle, so your lifetime subs is null and void and not transferable to the new owner who has to pay again, albeit a reduced fee.

Our unit is fully portable to car, bike, boat, caravan, even jet ski. There is no charge from us, just need to get a local garage to remove and refit, about

 

[Guy_374467328]

Russell also asked "It would also be nice if we had the option to be able to monitor the vehicle ourselves, either via mobile phone or computer, again this would add to the interest in your product."

The danger we lead here is in supplying a product and service that allows you potentially take the law in to your own hands.

I know you can buy units that will allow this, but we would be providing you with all the tools to say "sod it the police haven't done anything yet, I'll pop round with a couple of mates and get my car or caravan back".

The type of people who steal things are not known for their calm collected manner when confronted, just look at any police camera action type program. We cannot and will not put ourselves in a position where based on our info, someone is injured or worse.

We have had very long discussions with the Police regarding this and will stick to our decision.

There are some elements of our system and service that make it unique and unlike any other of the location providers. These will be released on Launch.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Parksy,

Unfortunately, like a lot of people, you appear to be under the impression that the police have any say in what which offenders are prosecuted when detected.They do not - the decision is entirely down to the Crown Prosecution Service. The police would like to persue far more cases to court than they do but are thwarted by CPS.

Hi Steve,

Yes the CPS does take the decision, but how many times have we heard that the thieves are not to be prosecuted because of insufficient evidence, or they get off because of a technicality.

The police forces are not dumb, they will get a fairly clear picture of which cases are likely to be dropped, and thus the impetus to purse them is lost.

Even when a case is won, how often do the courts manage to extract the penalty from these trouble makers?.

 

[Parksy]

Further to the point raised by Steve and slightly off topic so apologies to Guy.

I know that the decision to prosecute is out of the hands of the police and that the Criminal Protection Service often fail to pursue lawbreakers who have been apprehended by the police.

My point is that the police service as they have to call themselves nowadays for one reason or another fail to treat caravan theft seriously.

Caravans often represent between

 

[Lutz]

Instead of all this sophisticated high-tech stuff, I feel that if caravans were registered as vehicles in their own right, with their own log book and own number plates, like they are in most countries on the Continent, that would already cut down on a lot, if not all, thefts. The cost of registering, issuing a log book is a lot less than the sums being talked about here. Unless a stolen caravan is quickly disposed of as a static, in which case it no longer needs a number plate, it can easily be traced or identified as stolen if carrying a false number plate.

Caravan thefts are almost unknown over here. A chap up the road has had his Fendt parked in his drive (no gates, no obvious alarms or surveillance systems present on the house) for 2 or 3 years now without as much as a hitchlock. This must have something to do with the need to register.