Check your windows

[eribanaut]

Whilst asleep on a very nice site just north of Riems this year, we were visited in the early ours by a person who managed to open the front window of our van lift the blinds, and without waking us, make off with jewlery cameras and cash, they did another one at the same time and had the cheek to come back 3 nights later and do 2 more. Ours were the older style catches without the push button, I have now fitted Milenco window alarms.
I only post this as a warning to others, as these sort of tricks seem to learnt by others very quickly

 

[JimD1]

Very scary experience, especially as you were in the caravan at the time. I'd have been more scared by the threat to our personal safety than the loss of posessions - no doubt you were too......
When we are in the caravan at night we have an extremely effective & efficient alarm system........5 border collies in the caravan with us.

Jim

 

[RayS]

If you have the standard type catches on your windows, an easy way to increase the security is to put the catch into the 'night vent' position and then drill a small hole through the fixed bit of the catch, the moveable bit and out the other side. Then put in a pin which is a good push fit but easy to remove from the inside.

I use the stainless screw nail with the white plastic top sold for fixing uPVC siding etc to house fascias. Can't remember the exact drill size but its 2 or 3 mm. Try out on a bit of scrap plasitc first and make sure you get a push not free fit.

You can then put the pins in with the window either fully closed or in the night vent position and it is barely noticable from inside. You don't really need to do all 4 catches.

You need a fairly steady hand to drill the holes and something like a Dremel tool is actually easier to use than someting line an 18v or mains power drill.
This type of window catch is very easy to open from the outside with a thin flexible bit of metal. Many years ago the door lock on my Swift failed as I was trying to enter and it took only a few minutes to get in using the Discovery dipstick as the weapon. Worse still, no one in the adjacent caravans raised even an eyebrow as I shimmied in throught the toilet room window.

It is quite ironic that my current Elddis van has this same type of window catches but a very secure door lock on the main door for which spare keys are a totally unacceptable price.