Has your caravan with tracker been stolen

[ScouseIan]

Given the 'hot topic' about Andy's caravan being stolen I am getting worried. I want to think about getting a tracker.

Q1. Has anybody on here had a caravan stolen with a tracker installed but NOT had it returned.

Q2. Has anybody on here had a caravan stolen with a tracker installed and had it returned? In what state?

Q3. Is a twin-axle more likely to be stolen?

Regards

Ian

 

[Robtel]

Very interesting questions you have posed Ian. Don't know the answers I'm afraid. I read in the current Caravan Club magazine that the numbers of carvans stolen in 2008 fell to 1400 from a one time high of 4000 - 5000 per annum.

The figures were not broken down any further into different categories eg. single or twin axle, Tracker fitted or not. It would be really interesting to know just what these figures were.

I wonder if Practical Caravan could do a feature on this in the magazine, perhaps they could get the info from the NCC?

Is Nigel Donnelly still around the forum, what's the chances Nigel?

Robert

 

[Tim_374395664]

You'd have to assume that twin axles are more popular for stealing ... it's what the so called 'travellers' prefer.

You'd think these days someone would be capable of making a device to stop caravans being stolen! Fortune waiting to be made ... something that could withstand an angle grinder or a drill ... what would do it?

 

[paddy1]

Hi my friend had his caravan stolen from a secure compound with a tracker fitted, it was connected to his van battery and the theifing ----- disconected it so tracker was disabled and the van is still missing

 

[Auvergne]

Our van is in storage and we once went over there and for whatever reason disconnected the battery. We were immediately contacted by Phantom to see whether we knew the battery had been disconnected. We have also forgotten to disarm the tracker and been contacted before we'd even left the compound. We think they are worthwhile.

 

[jacky3]

Hi my friend had his caravan stolen from a secure compound with a tracker fitted, it was connected to his van battery and the theifing ----- disconected it so tracker was disabled and the van is still missing

hi

THAT CANT HAPPEN WITH PHANTOM

 

[MikeMc]

I am sure a tracker makes a difference. I have a twin axle with a tracker fitted but my neighbour (well two doors away) has an older single axle van. I would say mine is easier to steal but instead they removed a section of his hedge, cut off his wheel clamp and towed it away in broad daylight. I can't help but think they would have prefered my one year old t/a but I guess the tracker warning stickers did the trick.

Mike Mc

 

[JohnnyV]

I am sure a tracker makes a difference. I have a twin axle with a tracker fitted but my neighbour (well two doors away) has an older single axle van. I would say mine is easier to steal but instead they removed a section of his hedge, cut off his wheel clamp and towed it away in broad daylight. I can't help but think they would have prefered my one year old t/a but I guess the tracker warning stickers did the trick.

Mike Mc

Mike,

That is an interesting comment - I have a T/A with a Tracker fitted, I recently asked Phantom if it should have a warning sticker on - they said that probably not was best, because their aren't many places in a van that you can hide one (unlike a car)so a determined thief would look for and disable it prior to the theft ???

Mind you if you disconnect the power it activates (until its own battery goes flat)so I guess the thief would have to know what they were doing.

Jon

 

[ScouseIan]

Hi Mike

I think the tracker companies recommend that you do NOT put stickers on a caravan saying it has a tracker.

Ian

Ps, still no stories saying stolen and did/did not get it back

 

[JohnnyV]

Should have pressed reply to Topic - just to echo Ian's comment:

Mike,

That is an interesting comment - I have a T/A with a Tracker fitted, I recently asked Phantom if it should have a warning sticker on - they said that probably not was best, because their aren't many places in a van that you can hide one (unlike a car)so a determined thief would look for and disable it prior to the theft ???

Mind you if you disconnect the power it activates (until its own battery goes flat)so I guess the thief would have to know what they were doing.

Jon

 

[MikeMc]

That does surprise me as I can think of a million places to hide the device in my van. I guess its a trade off between detering low level robbers and pros. I think a sticker would put off all but the most professional robbers. I made a decision and as mentioned earlier I am convinced it stopped my van from getting stolen when the travellers paid my neighbourhood a visit.

Mike Mc

 

[Lennie]

I have a Bailey Senator with a "Tracker UK" alarm fitted as standard.

I moved off with the alarm armed and the siren duly activated and eventually it stopped but Tracker UK did not alert me that my caravan had an alarm situation. When the time came to renew my Membership

 

[DeliDave]

i have pulled away with my tracker on and took mor than 30 secs to find the fob and stop alarm.No one has rung me,no one has tried to stop me leaving site ,did it today at Harbury fields. I am not renewing subscription when it is up,will pay the

 

[Mikey1]

The tracker boxes arent exactly small plus need power so places to hide them are limited

 

[Legsmaniac_374344731]

I have read so many reports on tracking systems when I was thinking about getting a tracker myself and most of them bad ones (as in the last few posts above) so I decided not to bother. I have since read that some insurance companies won't insure you if you have a caravan of a new age and certain type which is a shame for owners of these caravans. Whatever happened to freedom of choice?

Also, unless you have a really expensive caravan, the discounts offered by the insurance companies compared to the cost of the tracking system doesn't make it worthwhile having one.

I've also read a few reports of people receiving their caravans back in a trashed state as a result of a tracker and they wished they hadn't. They would rather it stayed lost forever and claimed a new one off their insurance. I would prefer another caravan than my beloved pride and joy trashed too.

Trackers? No. Not for me, ta.

 

[Mikey1]

Insurance companies have got wise now and are insisting on tracker only so they can recoup some loses.

People only see big outlay small discount.

Friend had his van stolen and was recovered in 35 mins result broken doorlock.

A storage facilty in my area had 7 vans broken into ,not stolen but trashed ,the last van had a tracker and alerted the owner who went down and saved his van.

Most vans are stolen to live in or sold on so if you can locate them within the hr which tracker does do then the chance of very little damage is high.

At the end of the day its down to a personal choice if you still have it,the more vans continue to get stolen then preminums go up and the next step will be insistance on secure Cossa storage at over

 

[Jackie_374224453]

We have had a number of prompt phone calls from Phantom (within seconds)when we have accidentally triggered the tracker! Most re-assuring! They even rang us when we were in Tenerife to say that they had had a low battery alert!

Jackie