Who bothers taking a wheel clamp when abroad ? As we will have a hitchlock, which is essential to meet insurance compliance, it would be good to save weight by leaving my wheel clamp at home.Who takes theirs ?
Security measures abroad ?
- Thread starter Rioja
- Start date
We never take out wheel clamp abroad. The caravan in never left unattended in service stations and when it is on site it has the awning attached. This - I hope, would make the van quite difficult to steal, especially as the sites are normally quite buisy.
The hitchlock is always on though.
Graeme.
The hitchlock is always on though.
Graeme.
I always take and use a wheel clamp whenever we are away from home, although it is a lightweight one and not the heavy duty one I use at home. Even though my insurance does not require it I have heard of too many vans being stolen off sites to reduce my security devices.
We always use the wheel lock as our insurers stipulate that.
We also carry the same equipment wherever the caravan is used so it makes no difference weight wise.
We've also had to leave the caravan in Spain in an emergency when a relative was taken ill so would not want to leave it uninsured.
Ria
We also carry the same equipment wherever the caravan is used so it makes no difference weight wise.
We've also had to leave the caravan in Spain in an emergency when a relative was taken ill so would not want to leave it uninsured.
Ria
We don't own a wheel clamp, so we never take one abroad. We have an Al-Ko hitchlock which satisfies the insurance company, and a safe in a bedlocker bolted through the floor for valuables. We don't lock the caravan door, as we don't have a TV or any other quickly nickable items.
Someone (Lutz I think) once said that there simply isn't a market for stolen UK caravans abroad. Firstly one would stick out like a sore thumb because of the nearside door, and secondly it wouldn't have any registration documentation and therefore could not be passed on easily.
Someone (Lutz I think) once said that there simply isn't a market for stolen UK caravans abroad. Firstly one would stick out like a sore thumb because of the nearside door, and secondly it wouldn't have any registration documentation and therefore could not be passed on easily.
Yes, that's exactly what I said. I've had my caravans stored on a site for 15 years with nothing more than a simple wire mesh fence and no lock on the caravan. There's no market for stolen caravans, least of all for UK ones. Stolen cars are taken to our eastern neighbour countries or broken up for spares. Virtually none stay in the country in one piece and nobody's interested in doing the same with caravans.
Just in case anyone thinks we're careless about security ... we emjoyed trailer tenting for 12 years, and you can't lock a zip! Our equipment/belongings etc are no more valuable now than they were then. We couldn't lock the unit then, so we don't lock it now. Saves carrying keys around too.
We often don't lock our van, and don't use the wheel clamp. We also leave loads of stuff (table, chairs, loungers, food, wine, small oven, grill, crockery, books, etc.,) out in the open awning - and usually don't have the front or side panels in. One time during a rainstorm our very kind Dutch neighbours put everything inside the van for us and closed the Heki!
The only time I've had any problems was from a site in Sauve, when I had money stolen from a Canvas Holidays tent - the site owner said that it was gypsies who were staying locally and who crossed the river to get into the site.
The only time I've had any problems was from a site in Sauve, when I had money stolen from a Canvas Holidays tent - the site owner said that it was gypsies who were staying locally and who crossed the river to get into the site.
Does it matter if there is no market for stolen UK caravans on the continent?
Complying with insurers requirements to avoid the consequences should you be unfortunate enough to find some UK criminal decide that unsecured caravans are ripe for the picking across the channel.
We have been on sites where odd items have walked, it is not common but why risk a no pay out for the caravan if disaster should strike.
James
Complying with insurers requirements to avoid the consequences should you be unfortunate enough to find some UK criminal decide that unsecured caravans are ripe for the picking across the channel.
We have been on sites where odd items have walked, it is not common but why risk a no pay out for the caravan if disaster should strike.
James
I have never used the wheel clamp abroad but as we were going to East Germany Easter time i did take it just in case (being near the borders)but it turned out the site and people around gave me no thoughts that it was needed.
Rioja
You can aways tell a UK van in France by the amount of security gadgets attached. Have a good look at the Dutch You will see cables on reels, refillable gas cylinders, plus lots more to give a CC warden at heart attack, I wonder how many never make it back home again
David
You can aways tell a UK van in France by the amount of security gadgets attached. Have a good look at the Dutch You will see cables on reels, refillable gas cylinders, plus lots more to give a CC warden at heart attack, I wonder how many never make it back home again
David
Rioja....I must admit we have never had a problem with site security, either in the UK or France/Spain. Maybe we have been lucky. We stay in Spain for around 3 months at a time each year and we feel very safe....However, I agree that our insurance policy demands a wheel clamp and hitchlock so it is second nature to fit both when leaving the van on site, whereever we are.
Regarding UK caravans being targeted in France by thieves, they would either be stupid (locals), or other Brits.. Trying to re-register a UK caravan is fraught with difficulty, the red tape is plentiful, and would ,if successful take a considerable length of time. (No-one in France would buy a caravan without registration papers unless it was to act as home during a renovation, in those cases the selling price would probably be less than 2Keu, so not worth the effort). The situation re the door being on the "wrong" side of a caravan is something of a red herring, it is ok for caravans, but not for campervans, bizarre, but true.
David56 Bretagne
David56 Bretagne
I dunno
If the worst comes to the worst and you have to make a claim your Insurers are going to ask you if you had all that they demand on your van and in use .
For those that leave doors open - how do you respond ?
For those who don't have clamps on - how do you respond ?
Check your insurance details - if you do not satisfy their requirements than you are not covered
If the worst comes to the worst and you have to make a claim your Insurers are going to ask you if you had all that they demand on your van and in use .
For those that leave doors open - how do you respond ?
For those who don't have clamps on - how do you respond ?
Check your insurance details - if you do not satisfy their requirements than you are not covered
Angela, in response to your concerns explaining to the insurance Co if the doors were locked, wheelclamp/hitchlock attatched etc, then you just reply YES
If the van has been stolen, then how will the insurance investigater know one way or the other, as there will be no evidence to query your claims,
best regards, Martin
PS. I always use my security devices at home and abroad, as they only take a few minutes to fit and it's not worth taking any risks however safe other people claim the place is, because thieves are very mobile.
If the van has been stolen, then how will the insurance investigater know one way or the other, as there will be no evidence to query your claims,
best regards, Martin
PS. I always use my security devices at home and abroad, as they only take a few minutes to fit and it's not worth taking any risks however safe other people claim the place is, because thieves are very mobile.
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