Fiamma Safe Door (security lock)

[KeithM]

I am considering fitting either a Fiamma Safe Door or Safe Door Frame lock to my '06 Bailey Senator Oklahoma, prior to an extended European tour. Has anyone fitted one of these? If so, what are your thoughts on their effectiveness in terms of additional security?

Also am looking into an onboard safe. I see that the Towsure catalogue offers a 'Caravan electronic security safe' (looks identical to what one finds in a hotel room wardrobe) @ £30. Again, comments welcome.

 

[Damian]

Keith, firstly, going on a European tour is probably much safer than a UK tour ,as there does not seem to be the same levels of theft from vans in Europe, despite some of the scare stories you hear.

As for the Fiamma door safe, we have one after being broken into in the UK.

They do provide additional delay time for a prospective thief, so thats a good thing, but you must fit it on the top half of the door, if you have a stable door to prevent the door lock being sprung, and in any case, just above the door lock is the best place.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Have a look here:

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=8&TopicID=97114&PagePosition=1&ThreadPage=1&ReturnPage=Search&search=&searchIn=

 

[KeithM]

John - thanks for the link, lots of useful comments there. The combination of your post about which Fiamma version you have and the information in your profile tells me which version I need........yep, I too have a Senator Oklahoma (and as it happens, also have an X-Trail).

 

[mcghee]

Bearing in mind how easy it is to gain access to a caravan in a number of ways, is an extra door lock really going to make the difference?

 

[WatsonJohnG]

If there are 2 identical in every way caravans side by side and one had the extra lock which one would you try to break into?

We have found it useful to lock ourselves in when overnighting on the quayside waiting for a ferry.

It would create more commotion entering through a window etc

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Keith you are obviously a man of impeccable taste and I can only applaud you excellent choice of both car and caravan !!!

 

[Saladdodger]

Hello John G.

You say that you lock yourselves in when on the Quayside. Do you not lock your door at other times?

I assumed that everyone did as I do which is to lock the caravan door every night.

What do others do?

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Hi SD we of course lock ourselves in at night but this thread is about the Fiamma and the "it" in this sentence refers to the Fiamma:

" We have found it useful to lock ourselves in when overnighting on the quayside waiting for a ferry.

It would create more commotion entering through a window etc"

We know people (more than one)who have been broken into on Aires by having the lock picked .

Hope that is clearer

Regards

 

[Saladdodger]

Thanks for clearing up the confussion John, but I didn't realise that it was possible to lock on the Fiamma from inside the caravan.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Hi SD

On the Ace Jubilee Statesman we could lock the Fiamma via the front nearside window but on the Oklahoma the door window slides down.

We make sure that the key is on a string fastened inside the caravan !!

 

[colin(bridgend)]

Gentlemen I presume that the unit under discussion here is the external security lock that can also double up as an aid to acess/leaving the van. If this is the case are they easy to fit (DIY job)? I have noticed that these come in two different sizes - which would be best for a stable door on an Ace Jubilee Envoy? Any advice would be very mauch appreciated as I have only seen them in catalogues. I am reasonably competant with DIY work but would not like to tackle a job on a

 

[Saladdodger]

Hi SD

On the Ace Jubilee Statesman we could lock the Fiamma via the front nearside window but on the Oklahoma the door window slides down.

We make sure that the key is on a string fastened inside the caravan !!

Have you thought about the extra evacuation time in the event of fire?

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Look on this link

www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=8&TopicID=97114&PagePosition=1&ThreadPage=1&ReturnPage=Search&search=&searchIn=

 

[Gary_5103709]

We have one on our van, it came with it fitted -as our van is second hand- but it really is a deterrant. Just gives you extra peace of mind especially when you don't have an alarm.

 

[Chris_374229304]

We have the door frame model fitted, fiamme suggested fitting so as lock covers both sections of the door, ie cover the joint of the doors, very easy to fit, bit late but hope it helps.

 

[KeithM]

Well, we went ahead and now have the Fiamma Safe Door fitted on our Series 5 Oklahoma and very neat it looks, too It is easy to operate and is a fairly discrete but visible deterrent. After touring France for years and never giving too much thought to extra security, for some reason our forthcoming long tour of Germany (including the eastern part, as far as the Polish border) triggered the idea.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Glad that you got it sorted

We did Berlin,Dresden,Prague, Lintz in 1991

I taught in Berlin 1965-69 and it was a trip down memory lane plus a few that were out of bounds previously.

Salad Dogder just seen your concern over evacuation in event of fire(been away in the van without Fiamma lock on when inside!).

The window level with the bed or either front side window would provide an escape route but the perceived danger on the rare occasion that the Fiamma lock is used when inside is from intruders when overnighting but it has been weighed against the fire risk to be sure.