STOLEN CARAVAN

[BOING]

SORRY ABOUT YOUR STOLEN CARAVAN BUT SITE IT ON FARMS AND EXPECT IT TO GET STOLEN,CANT BELIEVE THAT INSURANCE COMPANIES EVEN TOLORATE FARMS.

ALWAYS SITE ON CASSO SITES.

 

[mikeE]

All very well Dave . . . but . . . . . first find a C.A.S.S.O.A site - one with available space or maybe get onto a waiting list - till then perhaps a farm is the only alternative to outside the front door. For some of us it is a case of needs must or hobsons choice !

Mike E

 

[DaveBev]

IN the past 6 weeks since we had our caravan stolen we have heard of 7 caravans being stolen locally, ours was behind our house. but i totally disagree that if you dont store it in a CASSO site it will be pinched.

the security that is on the market ie wheelclamps and hitchlocks, is absolutley useless, yes i know that the insurance require them to be on if left for 8 hours but they are basically a nice bright fancy thing to put over the wheel. I mean 30 seconds to burn off, might as well leave the door open for them with the keys( dont forget to leave all your stuff in too, nice bonus for them!!)

i have learnt the hard way so when i get my new van i will get a proper security device.

i will not be dominated by some scum of the earth, deciding that i am unable to park my caravan on my property, as it will not be 'safe'.

My heart goes out to anyone who has their caravan stolen, as i did not know what kind of distress it brings until it happened to me.

Bev

 

[Guest]

I also add my sympathies to those that have had their van stolen. Although I have not suffered a similar fate, I can recognise the distress, notwithstanding the financial costs, it can cause. My own van is fitted with a 'Theftbeaters' system. It has a sticker on the A frame which states 'steal this van and you will be caught'. I do not know how much reliance I can put on that assertion, but it looks good I suppose. The other question is that even if the van is recovered, what condition will it be in? I am also lucky in that I have a CASSOA site 10 miles away with nearly 300 vans inside a very secure storage area. The owner is also well 'connected in more ways than one' with the local community so I suspect that he would know the names of any likely thieves long before they got too far.

It sounds like that in certain areas buying a field and making a storage site could be a profitable business opportunity. Or at least it would be until the crime and punishment pendulum swings back to a more sensible position.

The immediate answer? I don't have one. Taking the wheels off would certainly make life harder for a would be thief and he/she might look elsewhere.

 

[hublock]

I also add my sympathies to those that have had their van stolen. Although I have not suffered a similar fate, I can recognise the distress, notwithstanding the financial costs, it can cause. My own van is fitted with a 'Theftbeaters' system. It has a sticker on the A frame which states 'steal this van and you will be caught'. I do not know how much reliance I can put on that assertion, but it looks good I suppose. The other question is that even if the van is recovered, what condition will it be in? I am also lucky in that I have a CASSOA site 10 miles away with nearly 300 vans inside a very secure storage area. The owner is also well 'connected in more ways than one' with the local community so I suspect that he would know the names of any likely thieves long before they got too far.

It sounds like that in certain areas buying a field and making a storage site could be a profitable business opportunity. Or at least it would be until the crime and punishment pendulum swings back to a more sensible position.

The immediate answer? I don't have one. Taking the wheels off would certainly make life harder for a would be thief and he/she might look elsewhere.

You have half the answer when you recommend taking the wheels off.

The rest of the answer is to stop a thief putting wheels back on, although any device must be capable of resisting oxyacetylene.

Even Cassoa sites are having caravans stolen and it is oxyacetylene cutting gear that the thieves are using.

Steel gates and posts can be cut away in a few minutes.

Look at (www.jsbhublock.co.uk) as this is similar to your suggestion.

 

[Jackie_374224453]

IN the past 6 weeks since we had our caravan stolen we have heard of 7 caravans being stolen locally, ours was behind our house. but i totally disagree that if you dont store it in a CASSO site it will be pinched.

the security that is on the market ie wheelclamps and hitchlocks, is absolutley useless, yes i know that the insurance require them to be on if left for 8 hours but they are basically a nice bright fancy thing to put over the wheel. I mean 30 seconds to burn off, might as well leave the door open for them with the keys( dont forget to leave all your stuff in too, nice bonus for them!!)

i have learnt the hard way so when i get my new van i will get a proper security device.

i will not be dominated by some scum of the earth, deciding that i am unable to park my caravan on my property, as it will not be 'safe'.

My heart goes out to anyone who has their caravan stolen, as i did not know what kind of distress it brings until it happened to me.

Bev

I wholeheartedly agree. It should be the criminals who are afraid to come onto our property , not us afraid to keep our 'vans there!!Needing to use a secure storage site just because the the offenders feel so confident that there is little prospect of them being caught, would, for us, take all the joy out of owning a caravan and using it weekly. ON a Friday, we like to come home from work, put in fresh food and hook up and go. We should not be defeated by this ciminal, but professional minority. Lobby your MP for a proper response to caravan crime and copy in Hazel Blears c/o the House of Commons. ! I know from personal experience how devastating caravan theft is and I know that until the government determine it a polciing priority (like dwelling burglary-our caravan is our weekend home) then these organised criminals will continue to beleive that they are 'untouchable'. They come confident, in broad daylight taking what is not theirs in total knowledge that there is little chnace of them being brought to justice. It is clear that they are prepard to hurt and maim when challenged, lets get active before they do worse than that!

 

[Steve L]

I wouldn't worry about stickers. The bleeders often can't read. They know about a giro though and how to work the social security to death.

I'm sorry to say, if they want your van they will get it some how.

As for the police, they will give a crime number but trying to get detective work done is like getting blood from a stone. Unless of coarse you catch the perpatrator and give him a hideing, then they'll do you for assault!!

Been there done that, guess who was in court for glassing a thug with a 6 inch knife. ME!!

Steve L.

 

[wayne_5097681]

I guess the idea is to put so much security junk on the van that people will look at it and think it will take an age to get all that off.

We keep are van at home behind locked gates, and if we go away on holiday with out it the van goes to my sister in-laws.

I feel more comfortable keeping here where i can keep an eye on it.

 

[Guest]

I think we can all accept the point that if your van is targeted by anyone apart from a casual optimist, then it is pretty certain they will get it. The same can be said of your car, and even burgling your house. The majority of us can only do what we think we can, to try and 'encourage' a would be thief to look elsewhere, and if it is any comfort, the probability of it happening is still relatively low. Of course, if you are the unlucky one, that is not any comfort at all.

It is also a fact that confidence in the Police is reaching all time lows, and a major change in direction is required to restore the balance. Unfortunately, that is not going to occur until we have a change of government, and to one that removes the Human Rights legislation, which is at the root of the current problem. Will it happen? Yes, we will have a change of government sooner or later, that is inevitable, but whether it will make much difference is very unclear.

 

[sparkes]

The one main rule of vehicle and caravan security it to make your van more trouble than the others available, Sorry but its true. Think about it for a second, a thief has the choice of 2 identical vans, one is fitted with an alarm. EASY CHOICE.

So, with this in mind consider the following.

If your van is in a storage yard get it moved so it is surrounded by flashy caravans, if yours is the flashy van, get it moved near others the same, then think what you can do to make it so that it is not as "selectable" as the others. Add more security than the others but make sure it is visible. no use having an alarm if the only way to find out is to break a door, the damage is done before the alarm works.

Next, if you store your van empty, leave the blinds open. Why? well if the thief can see it is empty they will look elsewhere for goodies, leave the lockers inside open, show them they are wasting their time.

Security!

Always fit both a hitch AND wheel lock, use these in storage and on site. Also, try to get a hitch lock that can be fitted while towing, useful if you have to leave the van for 5 Min's on route. Make sure the hitch lock is either designed for the hitch (ALKO) or covers the bolts that fix the hitch to the chassis. Always use a wheel lock that covers at least one wheel bolt and try to get one which is marked "sold secure" as these are tested. Try to find locks that do not use padlocks as these are easy to cut with a petrol grinder. Use locks that insert into openings and are anti drill where possible.

If the rear steadies on your van are lockable then lock them. either with a special lock or look for the local "BIKESAFE" event and go there and buy a magnum chain and lock for a motorbike. these are cheap and VERY strong and use the same lock as the ALKO steady lock.

Try to paint your locks bright red or yellow, make them so they can be seen so that thieves see them quickly and you see them to remind you to remove them.

Alarms

Use a dedicated caravan alarm as these have internal batteries for use when the caravan battery is flat, they recharge from the caravan battery. if you have a solar panel, set it up in the van with a roof light open to add a little charge into the van battery while in storage. Place any stickers from the alarm on the door, front side windows and the a frame if you have enough.

If you store your van at home or if the storage place will allow, fit a motorbike anchor. this is concreted into the floor and fixed to the van by a chain, use the magnum chain from above or get any welded link motorbike chain. again, make it bright so it can be seen.

Now here's an odd one. Clean your van and polish it BEFORE you go away in it and put it away dirty. the polish will make it easy to clean when you get it out again and a dirty van is less desirable than the nice bright new looking van next door.

I hope this help someone and remember this, wherever your van is, stand back and take a look. is it harder to pinch or break into than the one next door? Is it less desirable?

 

[Tony_5068498]

I wholeheartedly agree. It should be the criminals who are afraid to come onto our property , not us afraid to keep our 'vans there!!Needing to use a secure storage site just because the the offenders feel so confident that there is little prospect of them being caught, would, for us, take all the joy out of owning a caravan and using it weekly. ON a Friday, we like to come home from work, put in fresh food and hook up and go. We should not be defeated by this ciminal, but professional minority. Lobby your MP for a proper response to caravan crime and copy in Hazel Blears c/o the House of Commons. ! I know from personal experience how devastating caravan theft is and I know that until the government determine it a polciing priority (like dwelling burglary-our caravan is our weekend home) then these organised criminals will continue to beleive that they are 'untouchable'. They come confident, in broad daylight taking what is not theirs in total knowledge that there is little chnace of them being brought to justice. It is clear that they are prepard to hurt and maim when challenged, lets get active before they do worse than that!

I agree with most of the comments but it is not the being caught that will stop the criminal it is being punished , get rid of the idea of rehabilitation which has proved a total failure and let the victim decide the punishment. Those who want to just slap the thieves wrists can do so , other should be able to deal out more of a deterant

Regards

Tony

 

[DaveBev]

its ok saying to get a wheel clamp and hitchlock , making sure it has the 'sold secure' tested mark on them, but whats the point if they thieves can get them off anyway. lets face it, what thief comes to steal your caravan and not have the tools to get the security devices off.

All wheel clamps can be removed in less than 30 seconds with oxyacetylene, grinders or stihl saws, after extensive research we found the jsb hublock was the only security device on the market that has been designed and tested against oxyacetylene, angle grinders, stihl saws and can't be removed by any of them.

and as for paying

 

[Steve L]

Actually not so long ago PC even showed us all pictures of a "drop box" that the thieves use to tow your van away and until then I had no idea how they over came the hitch lock so easily. now I can see they don't have to bother to smash that off.

Unfortunately all most of us can do is to make it more time consuming and darned right awkward to nick your van, so that thiefy will buzz off to easier pickings.

One guy in our town woke to find his caravan blocking the pavement and road outside his house. The thieves had over come the wheel clamps, taken down the panel fence on the front garden as his car blocked the drive. But were thwarted by a freshly dug flower bed which caused the van to sink to the chassis and firmly wedge it'self half out in the road. Not a sound was heard but what a lucky escape for the owner!!

Steve.