Security of Caravans

Mar 14, 2005
529
0
0
Visit site
is it good economics to provide the best security when all the good insurers have minimum standards to which we must apply before insuring our caravans.

I read constantly that if a determined thief wants your van no amount of security will stop him.

I am interested in this matter having the following security fitted, and still do not feel that I have not provided enough security and when visiting the accessory shop I am always looking for improvements.

1 - Alarm System.

2 - 2 No. Wheel Clamps.

3 - Hitchlock

4 - 2 No. Corner Steady Locks.

5 - Secure Casso "gold" Storage
 
Mar 14, 2005
9,703
602
30,935
lutzschelisch.wix.com
The level of security needed in the UK never ceases to amaze me. My caravan is fitted with no alarm system, no wheel clamps, no hitchlock, no corner steady lock and gate to the storage site where it stands together with about 50 or so others is protected by no more than a simple padlock that could be broken by any respectable set of bolt cutters. But in the over 15 years that I've used this site, I've only ever heard of one incident where a caravan was stolen.
 
Mar 28, 2005
831
0
18,880
Visit site
Thats quite right Lutz and caravans will continue to go missing over here until a decent security device is developed,lets look at what we've got

Wheelclamps.

Can be removed in seconds by cutting or bending with scaff tubes or by simply letting the tyre down.

Corner steady locks.

Can be cut off or left on and the steadies wound up using mole grips

Hitch locks.

Possibly the most useless of all caravan security devices,they don't even bother to remove them in a lot of cases,all they do is leave the jockey wheel wound down and lash it to the towball with rope.

Alarms.

Who takes any notice of alarms?

Padlocks,chains,hitch posts.

All can be removed in seconds in seconds using bolt croppers.

Your best bet is a tracker but these wont stop the van being stolen in the first place and even these can be overcome if the van is hidden in the right location.

Lets face it we don't stand a chance against the determined thief all we can do is delay them.
 
Mar 21, 2005
145
0
0
Visit site
How very true Big Roy, we had all of the above apart from the tracker and the scum still got our wobbly.

Still, they were polite enough(?)to wave bye-bye to the CCTV camera that was filming them when they left the storage site.!

The only way caravan theft (and everything else that is dragging this country down) will start to diminsh is when the blinkered idiots who make the rules in this country are booted out of their jobs and people who have the bottle to stand up to those who bleat on about human rights/disadvantaged individuals blah-di-blah and give the Police more powers and resources to catch and punish theives are put in charge !!
 
Mar 14, 2005
529
0
0
Visit site
How very true Big Roy, we had all of the above apart from the tracker and the scum still got our wobbly.

Still, they were polite enough(?)to wave bye-bye to the CCTV camera that was filming them when they left the storage site.!

The only way caravan theft (and everything else that is dragging this country down) will start to diminsh is when the blinkered idiots who make the rules in this country are booted out of their jobs and people who have the bottle to stand up to those who bleat on about human rights/disadvantaged individuals blah-di-blah and give the Police more powers and resources to catch and punish theives are put in charge !!
Hi Jane I tabled this post and hoped someone would put forward a sensible approach to the endemic problem of what I call the theft business which includes every aspect of our daily lives and to change the legislators of deterrents may be one way forward.

I converse with a very large audience on this emotive subject and many of them beleive that a huge industry has been born over many years and many people would become unemployed and there jobs would not exist if the perfect system of combating this type of was invented.

I have been robbed and after the shock and anger that my worldly goods have been stolen, I then have the hassle of getting estimates for insurance claims and finally a little bit of pleasure in aquiring the replacement articles.

I would be interested to hear from members of this forum as to whether we should only supply and fit the minimum deterents that insurance dictates for your van to be covered as against buying security items far in excess of requirements
 
Oct 13, 2005
141
0
0
Visit site
To be honest I think the best bet is to use a sensible amount of security. A hitchlock and wheel clamp and maybe an internal alarm to stop people taking internal items. Always display alarm stickers and use highly visible locks etc.

I worked in the motor trade a few years ago and spent some time working with a security expert who specialised in security of classic cars. His advice was simple, make the deterent highly visible it will stop all of the chancers, as for stopping the professional, no point in trying because if they want it they will take it. Look at the reviews of wheel clamps on the PC site, most dont last five minutes sao they will only stop the chancer not the pro. Besides a lot of vans at one time were being stolen with grabber style lorries they throw a couple of straps around the van, pick it up and put it on the back of the lorry, they can remove the wheel clamps, hitch locks etc at their leisure
 
Mar 14, 2005
2
0
0
Visit site
It depends on your local circumstances.

The pro thief will have your van, not much you can do about that, its what we pay insurance for. Wrong, but a sad fact of life.

In trying to deter opportunists, I wander around the neighbourhood looking at what other vans have, and go for something slightly better in the hope that the opportunist will go for the van with the weakest security.

I hope they will go for the van they can have away the quickest, so aim to slow them down as much as possible, without spending too much money, as the security devices are only there for the insurance companies protection.
 
Dec 12, 2005
123
0
0
Visit site
Hi all

The question I always ask is, Would you you want your van back if stolen, then wait God knows how long for a dealer to repair all the damage caused before you can use it again. I think it would be best to stick to the minimum devices required by the insurance company and hope for a total write-off, having insured it on a "new for old" policy!!

Tankie
 
Feb 1, 2006
99
0
0
Visit site
It depends on your local circumstances.

The pro thief will have your van, not much you can do about that, its what we pay insurance for. Wrong, but a sad fact of life.

In trying to deter opportunists, I wander around the neighbourhood looking at what other vans have, and go for something slightly better in the hope that the opportunist will go for the van with the weakest security.

I hope they will go for the van they can have away the quickest, so aim to slow them down as much as possible, without spending too much money, as the security devices are only there for the insurance companies protection.
Tight-On Hub Lock advertise in PC Magazine and claim they cant be removed by oxyacetylene or professional tools.

Tel 01924 278887

Must be worth a look.
 
Feb 1, 2006
99
0
0
Visit site
Thats quite right Lutz and caravans will continue to go missing over here until a decent security device is developed,lets look at what we've got

Wheelclamps.

Can be removed in seconds by cutting or bending with scaff tubes or by simply letting the tyre down.

Corner steady locks.

Can be cut off or left on and the steadies wound up using mole grips

Hitch locks.

Possibly the most useless of all caravan security devices,they don't even bother to remove them in a lot of cases,all they do is leave the jockey wheel wound down and lash it to the towball with rope.

Alarms.

Who takes any notice of alarms?

Padlocks,chains,hitch posts.

All can be removed in seconds in seconds using bolt croppers.

Your best bet is a tracker but these wont stop the van being stolen in the first place and even these can be overcome if the van is hidden in the right location.

Lets face it we don't stand a chance against the determined thief all we can do is delay them.
Look at the Tight-On Hub Lock "cant be removed by oxyacetylene or professional tools" so says advertisement in Practical Caravan Magazine.
 
Mar 24, 2006
1
0
0
Visit site
It depends on your local circumstances.

The pro thief will have your van, not much you can do about that, its what we pay insurance for. Wrong, but a sad fact of life.

In trying to deter opportunists, I wander around the neighbourhood looking at what other vans have, and go for something slightly better in the hope that the opportunist will go for the van with the weakest security.

I hope they will go for the van they can have away the quickest, so aim to slow them down as much as possible, without spending too much money, as the security devices are only there for the insurance companies protection.
Help, We have just had are van stolen this week, from storage. they unscrewed the alko tow hitch and left it behind along with bulldog QD clamps and the side skirts of the van.It has left me feeling so sick and invaided we all feel like throwing the towel in!!! The van was 18mths old and loaded with are camping collection of 3yrs.we had been away the prior weekend.
 

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts