I noticed today that my Tracker subscription had expired, my fault although I didn't notice any renewal notices. I've been on to the Tracker website and noticed that they say that the Tracker Monitor is not installed on caravans. My Tracker registration document says that I have a Tracker Monitor system! What's going on?
Tracker System
- Thread starter PaulT
- Start date
Hi Paul
Our Wyoming 8 years ago was one of the first caravans on the open market to come with Tracker.
I pay £140 a year . It is an insurance requirement. Does it work? No idea. But if Ididn't have it then no claim if the Wyoming was nicked.
Our Wyoming 8 years ago was one of the first caravans on the open market to come with Tracker.
I pay £140 a year . It is an insurance requirement. Does it work? No idea. But if Ididn't have it then no claim if the Wyoming was nicked.
Our Sterling Elite is fitted with a Hal Locate tracker it is monitored from Luton and can be linked to the Police as well.It notifies me when my battery is low.Probably a bit too clever for £120 a year.As Dusty has said we would be in trouble with insurance if not fitted .
Hi Paul, what age is your caravan? If you let me know I can give you more information regarding what's fitted and as to how to check if it's working.
BP
BP
Have used Tracker on last 3 motorhomes, and had few false alarms when it was triggered by power failures at storage facility I then used.
Last van, p/xd for caravan in March still works on motorhome now in ownership of caravan firm.
I know it works, as we were called at 4.30am 4 mornings ago. Had to phone tracker to get our names removed from the listing, and tell new owner to as well.
Now have Swift ACE with Tracker, but only on for 3 months unless I pay for additional cover on expiry of "test" period. No idea of cost yet.
Last van, p/xd for caravan in March still works on motorhome now in ownership of caravan firm.
I know it works, as we were called at 4.30am 4 mornings ago. Had to phone tracker to get our names removed from the listing, and tell new owner to as well.
Now have Swift ACE with Tracker, but only on for 3 months unless I pay for additional cover on expiry of "test" period. No idea of cost yet.
Parksy
Moderator
There was a tracker system factory fitted to our caravan but after three years the company who monitor the signal contacted me to inform me that for some reason the tracker was no longer working.
They wanted a significant sum of money to replace the unit so I contacted the caravan insurers ( C&CC Club Care) and discovered that the insurance premium discount for having a tracker was the same amount as the annual subscription for monitoring the system, so I didn't replace the tracker.
They wanted a significant sum of money to replace the unit so I contacted the caravan insurers ( C&CC Club Care) and discovered that the insurance premium discount for having a tracker was the same amount as the annual subscription for monitoring the system, so I didn't replace the tracker.
Parksy
That's very interesting.
It peeves me I pay £140 a year to Tracker just to get insurance on a TA.
Time to question the Caravan Club Insurers I think.
Also how do I know the Tracker still works and even if it does do I want a trashed caravan back?
That's very interesting.
It peeves me I pay £140 a year to Tracker just to get insurance on a TA.
Time to question the Caravan Club Insurers I think.
Also how do I know the Tracker still works and even if it does do I want a trashed caravan back?
Dustydog said:
I have a Tracker fitted to my Impreza (must have for group 20 insuarance etc etc) I ring the insurance company up and ask the to check it while I am in it and they give me my position.
When people talk of having a Tracker fitted, whether it's to a caravan, car or anything else it's very misleading to just say they have a Tracker, it's like when someone says they have a Tracker fitted and if they call the insurance company they will give them their location, this means they don't have a Tracker but rather they have a tracking system, it's a bit like having a vacuum and calling it a Hoover, tracker is a brand and not all tracking systems work in the same way and just because one system does something and is referred to as a Tracker people then think well I've got a tracker and mine doesn't do that so must be faulty, anyway regarding the original poster, do you have a black fob that you use to arm and disarm your Traacker with because if so you do have a Tracker monitor, if you want to get my email from Parksy and drop me a mail I can give you a number and if you want I can give you a full rundown on how it works and maybe save you some money at the same time.
Parksy
Moderator
I knew that our tracking system worked because if I inadvertently forgot to disarm the burglar alarm the firm who monitored the signal would phone me and send a text message.Dustydog said:
Often this would happen almost immediately, but now and again I was telephoned half way through our holiday.
Our insurance discount was £90 if I remember correctly and the premium for monitoring was £99 per year at the time.
I would probably have retained the monitoring service except for the price of a new system when there was no credible explanation as to why our previous sender had stopped working.
As an old cynic I wondered if the sender had been designed to fail?
We no longer insure the caravan on a new for old policy because the C&CC advised us that we wouldn't receive the full payout if there was a total loss claim, (because the caravan is now over 5 years old), so we went for a market value policy with the C&CC.
There are numerous reasons as to why a tracker might not have sent a signal that then resulted in no call or a late call, it would not be a good idea for me to give a full rundown on an open forum as to exactly what these reasons could be but I will say that in no way is the system designed to fail and there are thousands upon thousands of trackers that have been in vehicles for 20+ years and are still going strong, also the firm you refer to Parksy who monitors the alerts is Tracker themselves if it is actually a Tracker as opposed to being a tracking system, with a Tracker the company actually wants them to work, one of the biggest selling points is the success rate of what's fitted, in the case of a Tracker the success rate is measured by the recovery rate of vehicles fitted with trackers that are stolen, there is never going to be a 100% recovery but it usually hovers around the mid 90% mark, so if kits were designed to fail the recovery rate would be meaningless, also another thing that sets Tracker apart is the fact that in the event of a vehicle being stolen the people that do the tracking to find it is the police, not a single other tracking system is operated by the police but are monitored by sub contract companies, the systems available are monitored regularly by police forces with regualar reviews as whether or not to continue to use Tracker, to quote a line from as well known TV advert tracker does exactly what it says on the tin, nothing fancy but if your vehicle is nicked by some low life you've a better than 90% chance of getting it back, as to whether you want it that's another topic entirely.
BP
BP
Parksy
Moderator
The firm that I'm referring to wasn't 'Tracker' Beehpee, but it is a well known firm within the caravan industry.
The cost of installing a new sender or whatever the electronic gizmo that does the business is called wasn't worth it to me at the time, so I ended the arrangement there and then, because I wouldn't want my caravan back anyway if it was stolen by the usual suspects.
The 'new for old' premium for the caravan at the time actually cost more than the fully comprehensive premium for the vehicle towing the caravan, and the insurance premium 'discount' offered because of the tracking system was cancelled out by the monitoring fee.
You appear to be confusing the brand name 'Tracker' with what most of us coloquially call 'a tracker' fitted to many caravans but not necessarily administered by that particular company.
The cost of installing a new sender or whatever the electronic gizmo that does the business is called wasn't worth it to me at the time, so I ended the arrangement there and then, because I wouldn't want my caravan back anyway if it was stolen by the usual suspects.
The 'new for old' premium for the caravan at the time actually cost more than the fully comprehensive premium for the vehicle towing the caravan, and the insurance premium 'discount' offered because of the tracking system was cancelled out by the monitoring fee.
You appear to be confusing the brand name 'Tracker' with what most of us coloquially call 'a tracker' fitted to many caravans but not necessarily administered by that particular company.
Hi BP
http://www.tracker.co.uk/for-your-vehicle/caravan-motorhome-tracking/
This is the firm called Tracker whose equipment was a standard fit on our Wyoming some years ago. I misquoted the renewal price. Actually it is £119.00 a year.
I know there are various operating systems available. Some work on GPS others on radio signals. The GPS probably doesn't work once the stolen caravan is put inside a container as it needs "line of Sight" to work.
But yes I do agree with the terminology point you make.
My "plipper" is a little black fob with a red light.
http://www.tracker.co.uk/for-your-vehicle/caravan-motorhome-tracking/
This is the firm called Tracker whose equipment was a standard fit on our Wyoming some years ago. I misquoted the renewal price. Actually it is £119.00 a year.
I know there are various operating systems available. Some work on GPS others on radio signals. The GPS probably doesn't work once the stolen caravan is put inside a container as it needs "line of Sight" to work.
But yes I do agree with the terminology point you make.
My "plipper" is a little black fob with a red light.
If the battery in the fob is faulty/flat then it's just a straaightforward replacement you can do yourself if it's the small 6 volt battery in the actual tracker then this is easy to replace however the tracker then needs to be re set or it will not function correctly.
I am quite amused that the bumf says the police will be notified and your vehicle tracked with cars and helicopters.
I am pretty certain that police force resources are spread so thinly now that a caravan theft with tracker or not will not be high on there priority list?
Some of the info from my brothers wife is very alarming!!!!!
I am pretty certain that police force resources are spread so thinly now that a caravan theft with tracker or not will not be high on there priority list?
Some of the info from my brothers wife is very alarming!!!!!
Parksy
Moderator
Thanks for the information but according to the guy who came from Phantom to check the system the tracking device was u/s. It was activated via the alarm which is set via the key fob and which has never given any problems.
The cost of a replacement device coupled with the cancelling out of the insurance discount meant that we would have spent something in the order of £250 plus £99 per annum for no tangible gain via the insurance discount, a net loss of £250 to us.
The caravan which we bought new is now 7 years old, it's securely stored under cover with farm dogs on the premises so for us a tracking system is no longer a major priority.
The cost of a replacement device coupled with the cancelling out of the insurance discount meant that we would have spent something in the order of £250 plus £99 per annum for no tangible gain via the insurance discount, a net loss of £250 to us.
The caravan which we bought new is now 7 years old, it's securely stored under cover with farm dogs on the premises so for us a tracking system is no longer a major priority.
Parksy
Moderator
MichaelE said:
Not wishing to stir up a hornets nest but the police 'service' appear to have other priorities when caravans are stolen
We're getting a bit off topic here! My original question was whether anyone knew why, according to my paperwork, I had a system called "Tracker Monitor" but Tracker (the company, not a generic term) says on their website that Tracker Monitor is not suitable for caravans. I have emailed Tracker but they haven't replied yet.
Hi Paul, there is a specific caravan monitor kit that was until a around the last year or so fitted not to all Bailey caravans so not sure why they say on the website it's not suitable for caravans that's why I asked if you had a black fob to arm and disarm the tracker,if you've got a monitor on there then when you press the button you will get 2 bleeps to arm the alarm and the tracker and then 1 bleep when you disarm the system when you return.
That stories a bit hyped up , why are they still paying the loan off??? Stop paying and the van will be repossessed?? If he has a receipt it doesnt matter?Parksy said:
£30k for a Bailey Louisiana???
We had a Phantom tracker which was armed when you blipped the remote for the alarm, the alarm had a sensing wire which connected to the unit.
The tracker we have now we have to phone to activate/deactivate the motion sensor, its a stand alone unit, Hallocate you have to txt to arm.
Back to the Phantom you couldnt locate it with the metallic blinds down LOL had to move it to a different location in the van
Beehpee said:
Thanks, that's exactly what I've got. Still waiting for Tracker to respond to my email
Dustydog said:
Is paying £140 a year for a tracking device, just to get an insurance discount, really the most economical way to approach it? How much is your insurance? My caravan (albeit 10 years old) doesn't have a tracker, I have never declared that it did, and the premium for the whole year was under £80.
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