CCTV film of caravan being stolen

[Jackie_374224453]

Jackie,

I have just watched your Youtube video with my wife.

We where both absolutely horrified at how easily they where able to make off with your van. We have the same security measures as yourself (except ground post) and to think that they could be away with our pride and joy in the space of a few minutes sends a shiver down our spine.

It's a great idea doing what you did with Youtube and I hope it brings you some success.

Shaun & Ashleigh.

Many thanks. The chap on the caravanning channel on SKY TV is looking to broadcast the CCTV in some form. Fingers crossed!

🙂

 

[Steve L]

Hi Jackie.

With reference to your comments above.

I think it would be an excellent idea for the vidieo to be televised. It would certainly educate us caravanners on just how much we do need to do to slow down the thieves. Also the insurers would benifit from the film too. They all too often try to wriggle out of claims proclaiming insufficiant measures were taken.

But when you are faced with a very organised professional team, as you obviously were, there is nothing you can do legally to stop them.

All the best.

Steve l.

 

[Jackie_374224453]

Thanks Steve. The Caravan Channel chap, Chris Gosling has been brilliant. The NCC are looking how best to publicise the CCTV with him and the police seem to have now become interested! At the time of the theft there seemed little will to help from various sources, police, NCC, Insurers, Loss adjusters - I made lots of noise. But whilst they were all very sympathetic, there didn't seem to be any real prospect of getting them serious about this until Chris Gosling got involved. My caravan manufacturer thought that the alarm system was OK! - and had performed to a satisfactory standard! - I ask you!!!

 

[mealsonwheels]

Jackie,

Just watched the CCTV film of your caravan being stolen and it made me feel sick inside. It's something we all dread.

When we're not using our caravan, it's stored on a secure site with swipe card entry and cameras cover the whole site. The owners house overlooks the storage site too. We put the hitchlock and wheel clamp on and the caravan alarm on.

Before a trip, the caravan is on our drive and the wheel clamp and hitch lock are put on immediately and stays on right up until we leave. When we're in and out loading it, we lock the door whenever we leave it and never leave the keys in the unlocked caravan while we go indoors. We've told all our close neighbours that nobody has permission to move our caravan off the drive (but tell them if someone DOES!) and to call the police immediately if they see anyone trying to take it away, even if challenged and they say something like they have permission to take it away for servicing. We also park an alarmed car (with detachable towball) across the front of the caravan, but as they say, a determined thief will take it and all you can do is make it as difficult and time consuming as you can for them. Scumbags!!

 

[Chris_374413356]

Jackie,

Just watched the CCTV film of your caravan being stolen and it made me feel sick inside. It's something we all dread.

When we're not using our caravan, it's stored on a secure site with swipe card entry and cameras cover the whole site. The owners house overlooks the storage site too. We put the hitchlock and wheel clamp on and the caravan alarm on.

Before a trip, the caravan is on our drive and the wheel clamp and hitch lock are put on immediately and stays on right up until we leave. When we're in and out loading it, we lock the door whenever we leave it and never leave the keys in the unlocked caravan while we go indoors. We've told all our close neighbours that nobody has permission to move our caravan off the drive (but tell them if someone DOES!) and to call the police immediately if they see anyone trying to take it away, even if challenged and they say something like they have permission to take it away for servicing. We also park an alarmed car (with detachable towball) across the front of the caravan, but as they say, a determined thief will take it and all you can do is make it as difficult and time consuming as you can for them. Scumbags!!

Just watched the video and I know 20 20 hindsight is a wonderful thing but may I make a suggestion that may frighten off the scumbags next time.

I also keep my van on my drive complete with wheel clamp, caravan alarm etc, and we all saw that this made little difference, however I connected my caravan to my house alarm.

Quite simply its a matter of wiring a 2 core cable via a switch (a light switch would do)to the panic button or panic button circuit of the alarm box, the reason for this is it is always armed even when the alarm is switched off.

The cable in my case went to a 2 pin water proof plug and the plug socket was attached under the caravan but obviously accessable. The socket pins were connected together.

So to take the van the thieves had to unplug the cable or cut the electric cable thus setting off the house alarm.

The circuit is low voltage so is perfectly safe.

The added light switch is to short out the cable when taking the van on holiday.

The cost was minimal yet gave extra security, of course if you have an alarm system that when triggered would phone you all the better.

Hope this all makes sense.

 

[Jackie_374224453]

Hiya,

The CCTV should be on the Caravan Channel programme on Sky 166 tonight at 7pm.

Just occurred to me after many viewings that the third person invovled in the theft (sitting in the middle seat of the white van) may have been a female?!

I have may have made the mistake of thinking- and the police seemed to assume that three men were invovled!

 

[butler1]

Like everyone else I feel sickened having watched the video. Let's be glad that we are a whole lot better than these scumbags. I'd have given an awful lot of money to have seen someone sneak into their van and drive it away leaving them stranded!!

 

[ollycaravanmad]

hi jackie i am so sorry flaming gypseys. I have one other bit of advice, yes alarm wheel clamp and hitch lock are great but try these few ideas take the jockey wheel of and take the tigtening handle with you its one thing that stops them manouvering by hand. The other thing i do is when the caravans steadies are down put the wheel clamp on one wheel then take the nuts out the other with a axle stand on the axle that way if anyone attempts to move it bang one side is on the floor and they dont know what to do come on caravanners lets make it hell for them.

 

[Jackie_374224453]

Thanks so much again everyone. The interest that people have shown means that thousands more people are now aware of how caravans are taken despite secutiry, and who some of the people are who are taking our precious caravans. I am still living in hope that they will be caught and stopped.

Yes, lets make it hell for them!

Jackie

 

[perry2]

hi jackie, just joined this site,great response to yr youtube film, any updates on the thieving scum, hope alls well with you, perry

 

[Jackie_374224453]

Hi..here is an interesting development. The caravan was stolen from Wakeifeld in July 2006.Not much happening since. Chris Gosling puts the CCTV on the caravan channel in May of this year. (Thanks Chris!). This week I get a phone call from police..the caravan has been found in Brecon, Powys....here's the story so far......Caravan site owner in Brecon, Powys buys the caravan around 2 and a half years ago...doing someone a favour who had fallen on hard times....gives the 'sellers'

 

[Steve L]

Wow what a developement Jackie.

I know Brecon fairly well as it's only 40 mins from me at Leominster.

It sounds very much like the site owner knows more than he's letting on! By virtue of the fact that he didn't want the van roaming around when it was tucked away "safely" on his site.

Maybe, the police or some concientious person should name and shame the site?

The people obviously liked the caravan. Or was it that they forked out 3K to protect their original investment. After all, they might of inocently bought the van and should that be the case, they would of lost their money and the asset.

I know that would be cold comfort to you Jackie and it would not excuse the misery endowed on your family when the van was stolen.

I do hope the police try to jog the site owners memory with the cctv footage, as that was certainly the most brazen example of daylight robbery I've ever seen and as I've said before, I'd shudder to think what could of happened should there of been someone at home at the time.

Regards.

Steve L.

 

[Jackie_374224453]

Wow what a developement Jackie.

I know Brecon fairly well as it's only 40 mins from me at Leominster.

It sounds very much like the site owner knows more than he's letting on! By virtue of the fact that he didn't want the van roaming around when it was tucked away "safely" on his site.

Maybe, the police or some concientious person should name and shame the site?

The people obviously liked the caravan. Or was it that they forked out 3K to protect their original investment. After all, they might of inocently bought the van and should that be the case, they would of lost their money and the asset.

I know that would be cold comfort to you Jackie and it would not excuse the misery endowed on your family when the van was stolen.

I do hope the police try to jog the site owners memory with the cctv footage, as that was certainly the most brazen example of daylight robbery I've ever seen and as I've said before, I'd shudder to think what could of happened should there of been someone at home at the time.

Regards.

Steve L.

Thanks Steve. If I get to know who it was I will certainly name and shame and sod the consequences! It would be hard for a novice caravan buyer not to know that they have serial numbers and can be checked against stolen - never mind a site owner!!!

I would have hoped that the insurance company might have given us first chance if it was going cheap..we have lost

 

[dexterlevi]

Thanks Steve. If I get to know who it was I will certainly name and shame and sod the consequences! It would be hard for a novice caravan buyer not to know that they have serial numbers and can be checked against stolen - never mind a site owner!!!

I would have hoped that the insurance company might have given us first chance if it was going cheap..we have lost