To lock or not to lock - that's the question...

[Colinn]

A correspondent in this month's PC (p8), expresses concern that dealers have master keys that open all caravans, and suggests it's a good idea to invest in a better door lock...

Now I am the first to invest in security for the van itself - Alko wheel lock, hitch lock, steady locks and chains, etc, all combined with alarms.

BUT...I am not so sure about contents.

Let's face it, if a thief gets into my van, he's gonna get a second hand TV, a portable radio, a kettle, a drop of booze and a load of clothing. Not a lot else, and I could live with that loss.

Assuming said thief has got into my awning, no door lock or plastic window will stand in the way of his jemmy. Caravan door locks are an absolute joke!

So my biggest single loss is likely to be a smashed door and, worse, a horribly distorted door frame. Very, very costly

I'm coming round to thinking that at the end of the day I'd be better off leaving the door unlocked!

Not conventional wisdom agreed - but anyone else come to the same conclusion...!!!???

 

[Tram]

I agree Colinn,

that's what i think. We do have a secret hidy-hole where we can put spare keys and cash but that relies on not being found. The rest of the stuff is, as you say, not worth a lot.

I do put an old 12inch steel ruler through the inside door handle and across the door side-pillar at bedtime but it wouldn't stop a forced entry. It would however make a lot of noise if someone forced the door open or worse, tried to open it silently with a key.

 

[Essexeddie]

It may be better to have an even weaker lock so if forced little damage is done.

An alarm can be fitted to the door if occupants are asleep inside.

Edd

 

[Surfer]

I think spending

 

[Lutz]

Last year, the caravan keys somehow slipped out of my pocket without noticing as I was getting at my car keys onboard the ferry. The first thing I wanted to do on arrival in France was to get into the caravan and make myself a snack and have something to drink - but no keys. You wouldn't believe how easy it was to get in through a latched window, even without damaging anything.

ps: The keys were later found by someone from P&O and they sent them to me by post.

 

[MikeJE]

Maybe leaving a door unlocked - however flimsy the lock might be - would give an insurance company a get out for any claim. Having seen a caravan that, whilst in storage, had been stripped of cooker, fridge, water heater, Carver heater and even the bathroom wash basin causing so much damage thus leaving it beyond economical repair I prefer to lock up each time.

 

[Colinn]

My point is Mike that the thief you mention took his ill-gotten goods anyway!! The lock on the door didn't prevent anything, but no doubt it was one more thing damaged...

What I am saying is that the one person who will suffer if a thief prises open a caravan door is - the unfortunate owner. The thief won't be as gentle as Lutz!

If you are unlucky enough to be targeted, you would suffer theft losses AND face the problem of the damaged door frame.

I appreciate that insurance may or may not pay up, but the damage to a crudely prised door frame could well leave those panels never the same again... To say nothing about how long the van might be out of action for the rebuild.

And I have to conclude, ironically, that the damage would be even worse if locks were tougher, because they couldn't possibly be strong enough to foil a thief's jemmy - but the damage would be worse!!!

It just seems that leaving the door unlocked would save you or me a lot of extra trouble and strife if a thief strikes.

 

[Essexeddie]

Lets face it if a thief wanted to gain entry to strip the van all he needs is a good strong knife, which could quite easily cut a hole through the sides, then once in a good kick from the inside would open the door.

A strong lock is of little value when the walls are paper thin.

Its as good as putting a lock on a tent.

Best to just keep out the casual or chancer thief

Most important is a good alarm.

Edd

 

[MikeJE]

Yes I agree. But at least in this case the victim got a replacement caravan.

 

[Essexeddie]

Depends how much damage is caused weather you will get a replacement.

I would sooner keep the van that I have than have all the hassle of an insurance claim just for a few items.

edd

 

[Bryn1]

Leaving the door unlocked didn't stop one exceptionally dim character from jemmying open the door of our club's caravan...

... or from leaving his fingerprints all over it.

Bryn

 

[Rioja]

I agree it's pretty pointless locking the door against a determined thief but I'm sure the insurance policy would be invalidated if you didn't. Fortuneately, it seems that theft on site is pretty rare. Comments have been made about how little of value you have on board . Think again ! Two aquarolls, a wastemaster and a water pump are worth

 

[Colinn]

OK Mike, in an extreme case you may be get a replacement caravan - but in most instances you probably won't. Once a thiefing scoundrel sets his sight on your van - whether to snatch your telly or to strip the van clean - whatever else might deter him it certainly won't be the lock - so what's the point of it???

 

[Colinn]

I agree it's pretty pointless locking the door against a determined thief but I'm sure the insurance policy would be invalidated if you didn't. Fortuneately, it seems that theft on site is pretty rare. Comments have been made about how little of value you have on board . Think again ! Two aquarolls, a wastemaster and a water pump are worth

 

[Lutz]

Essexeddie, there's no need to cut a hole in any wall. After my experience I can guarantee that I can enter a locked caravan within 10 seconds without the slightest damage.

 

[Essexeddie]

Essexeddie, there's no need to cut a hole in any wall. After my experience I can guarantee that I can enter a locked caravan within 10 seconds without the slightest damage.

I was being facetious, I think.

 

[Surfer]

Reminds me of the time I had a 1989 Toyota Corolla Estate. Although it was only 3 years old the driver's lock was faulty and you could not lock the door. Anyway some bright spark toerag came along and nicked it, but to get inside they broke the rear window although the front door was unlocked. Luckily they rolled it and wrote it off.

Moral of the story is that they will break in regardless of whether it is locked or unlocked.

 

[Rioja]

I agree it's pretty pointless locking the door against a determined thief but I'm sure the insurance policy would be invalidated if you didn't. Fortuneately, it seems that theft on site is pretty rare. Comments have been made about how little of value you have on board . Think again ! Two aquarolls, a wastemaster and a water pump are worth

 

[MikeJE]

Will leaving the door unlocked invalidate the insurance policy or not - in my case it would. Now would a thief cause damage to the door frame? My 'van has been entered twice whilst in storage ( needless to say I have twice changed storage sites ). On one accasion some worthless stuff was taken, including a non working torch, on the other occasion nothing was taken though thirteen other 'vans were entered, the last one being the one stripped presumably, the police said, to equip a van to motor home conversion.

On neither occasion was there discernable damage to door frame, door or lock. The door and it's lock still work as intended. So I will carry on locking up and if anything is taken with or without damage to the 'van body I will, I would hope, be able to make a claim.

 

[MikeAce]

lets try it, you all unlock yours in a field and i will lock mine, lets see who will be targeted, the easy target or mine.

I say lock it.

 

[Colinn]

MikeE,

I respect your viewpoint, as I do all those so far - the reason I asked this question was to try to find out if there was any good advice one way or the other in the light of the fact that caravans are inherently flimsy boxes, with NO effective way of securing them.

Does conventional lock-it-up wisdom prevail, or is locking a waste of time, giving us a false sense of security, and resulting in a repair nightmare worse than the robbery itself.

Indeed, such are the quirks of this conundrum, your experience could be construed as making a case for not locking up since:

a) Your locked door did nothing to prevent your break-ins.

b) The lock was clearly useless as it could be beaten without a trace of damage!, and,

c) As there was no discernible damage (luckily, I suggest), your insurance company was in no position to ascertain whether the door was left unlocked or not.

 

[chrissie2]

Irrespective of whether the 'van was locked while on site (and I agree that most caravan locks are not much of a deterrent), I would always want to be sure that it was locked before setting off on a journey. Just as we always check that the windows are completely secure and all roof-lights closed, so we always make sure the door is locked. The damage that could be caused if a door or window flew open while on the road could potentially be huge.

 

[MikeJE]

Colinn,

In answer to your three points,

a) I suspect entry was not via door - see Lutz' posting - door was maybe opened from inside for rapid exit. Common practice in house burglaries.

b) See a)

c) My insurance company was not involved. Damage was discernable - very much so - in the stripped van and that insurance company was involved.

Overall I still think that it is worth locking up if only to please the insurance people.

 

[Pat_374304630]

Insurance companies are always looking for an excuse not to pay out.So the best advice ( for insurance purposes ),Lock all windows,door,put on wheelclamp and hitch lock.

The insurance co cannot fault you.If you don't want to do any of the above ,don't have insurance.

 

[Guest]

I invested in a Fiamma Locking Door Handle. Not only does it afford extra protection against those useless door locks, it acts as a disabled handle for my wife.

Many of you are right though, if a thief wanted in your van, all they need is a tin opener and they could get in thru the roof.