Stealing Caravans........one to look out for

[whitetop]

A mate of mine in another force (keen caravanner) phoned me today to tell me about a couple of crooks caught out his way while stealing caravans.

They turn up at a house in a van.....in this case a Ford Transit...(with false reg plates) and with something like "Joe Bloggs Caravan Servicing and Repairs" on the side.....and reverse up to caravan. One guy gets out and crawls under the caravan. Engine on Transit left running......

When challenged by a neighbour, they say that the "crawler" is checking the van prior to towing...(H&S). They even show keys supposed to be for the lock(s)....wheel and hitch.

Using a portable Oxy/Acetelyne pack...the locks get cut off and the Transit engine covers the noise......

Caravan gets hitched up and away they go.....

In this case, the neighbour called the Police who stopped the van about 10 miles away.......undamaged.....apart from the locks........2 crooks arrested

A bit of enquiry later and nearly £100,000 of Caravans and bits recovered.........(it is easier to sell the bits off a stripped caravan......difficult to identify)

Why did the neighbour phone the Police......after all they seemed genuine........????????

They forgot to put the Transit number plate on the caravan....and she passed both the Transit and caravan number plate to the Police

Well done her, I say.........the couple who own the caravan have given the neighbour and her husband 2 weeks at a site by the sea.....site fees paid.......nice one.....

So if you see a caravan being towed and the numbers don't match...or the caravan displays a temp number on cardboard for eg.......phone the Police.......you might just solve a crime......and save a holiday......

Cheers.......

 

[Rodger Dodger]

On two occasions now I have phoned the Police when travelling on motorways( Hands Free of course!)when I have seen vans being towed with the mains hook up cable attached to the inlet box, but the remaining cable being put through the nearest window.

Why would you need to tow a van like that?

Anyone else seen this type of thing?

Dodger

 

[jo_374385568]

quote: So if you see a caravan being towed and the numbers don't match...or the caravan displays a temp number on cardboard for eg.......phone the Police.......you might just solve a crime......and save a holiday......

We had a caravan years ago [coachman mirage] that had a number plate on that we just hadn't got around to changing the police came to the door as it had no security on it and there had been several thefts and someone had reported some dodgy characters hanging around with a transit but they didn't know who it belonged to and the vehicle that we'd had when we got the caravan had been scrapped so asked around we were then informed that if I had been stopped whilst towing and hadn't had the caravan documents we'd not even registered with CRIS so didn't have any the caravan would of been taken to a compound until we could prove ownership the few good things to come of it was I immediatly went out and got a heavy duty wheelclamp and new numberplate a few months after this incident I went down to the caravan to prepare it for holidays and found a bit of paper stuck to it with request to buy it a bit dodgy I thought.

 

[JON2515]

It was frightening to watch the Caravan Channel last night which showed some morons with a white transit stealing someones van, this despite the owner having a hitch post, wheel clamp, alarm etc - 10 minutes is all it took - and how organised they were with all the necessary cutting gear - Im sure they had done it before as well and probably again since - I pity the poor owner having his pride and joy taken by these low lifes

 

[jo_374385568]

was it on cctv or set up to prove how easy it is to have your caravan stolen.I did mean to watch but was sleeping by that time.

 

[Heethers]

Do you think that our police are really bothered about a caravan?

Week before Easter two of our shops were robbed on the same night, loads of damage lots of cash taken.

Police not interested until we took it up with our MP, then came a response of some kind, week later another break in at or other premises, plus four houses on the same road, still no action.

We know who it is and so do Mr Plod but don't seem to be able to catch them, even though one as an ASBO.

l think l have cracked it they must be Members of Parliament.

NigelH

 

[Icemaker]

the caravan theft was shown on the caravan chanel was real and was actually a van owned by a contributer to this forum.

you can see the cctv footage on youtube, just search for "caravan stolen in broad day light" it frightening how easily the van was taken.

 

[mealsonwheels]

A timely reminder to tell your neighbours that NO ONE has your permission to tow your caravan away and to call the police if they see this happening, but DO tell them if you HAVE given someone permission and exactly who will be collecting it.

 

[jo_374385568]

I saw the programme last week quite frightening that they got it away with all those security measures, but what struck me was that the house looked very isolated and an easy target.