As I sit here waiting for my new Sterling Moonstone to be delivered, I was thinking that now may be the time to invest in a tracker system. Any suggestions sa to which system and why?
Steve W
Steve W
Trackers, Which ones best
- Thread starter SteveW77
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Steve have a word with your dealer Sterling /Swift do fit trackers to their vans, we bought new this year Sterling Elite Searcher alredy fitted with a Trcker.
Now so that I dont get into trouble with Parksy I wont mention the name of the Tracker all I can say is Ive slipped up twice with ours and the end result both times was excellent.
So maybe a word and a deal could be done if no traker already fitted.
Sir Roger
Now so that I dont get into trouble with Parksy I wont mention the name of the Tracker all I can say is Ive slipped up twice with ours and the end result both times was excellent.
So maybe a word and a deal could be done if no traker already fitted.
Sir Roger
Steve
Our Bailey came with a "Tracker" tracker system.
Some caravan systems use GPS others VHF radio signals There was an arguement at one time that as GPS is line of site it wont work once the stolen caravan is put in a container.
Does mine work? I really don't know because I haven't been unfortunate enough to have it stolen.
As I found out from LB last week the real catch with all these systems is the annual fee or fee for life you have to pay on top.
Ironically a tracker was a mandatory requirement for Insurance which amazingly was £200 cheaper than our old SA.
A word of warning, if your caravan is stolen do you really want it back??
Our Bailey came with a "Tracker" tracker system.
Some caravan systems use GPS others VHF radio signals There was an arguement at one time that as GPS is line of site it wont work once the stolen caravan is put in a container.
Does mine work? I really don't know because I haven't been unfortunate enough to have it stolen.
As I found out from LB last week the real catch with all these systems is the annual fee or fee for life you have to pay on top.
Ironically a tracker was a mandatory requirement for Insurance which amazingly was £200 cheaper than our old SA.
A word of warning, if your caravan is stolen do you really want it back??
Steve
I have a 2010 Sterling Elite Searcher, which had a "Hal-locate" tracker fittted with 1st year subscription, in the price, Apparantly they do not now fit as standard on 2011 models,
I must say though the hal-locate works just fine, you simply send a text to "arm" or "disarm"
I set off the other month and forgot, I only got to the end of the street (100 yds) and got a text message to let me know.
Like all systems there are pro's & Cons,I would check them all out as they all have websites.
I have just renewed my subscription, £200 for 3 years, not the cheapest, but I will save that on insurance pemiums alone, ;plus it give me the piece of mind,and it works!
Paul
I have a 2010 Sterling Elite Searcher, which had a "Hal-locate" tracker fittted with 1st year subscription, in the price, Apparantly they do not now fit as standard on 2011 models,
I must say though the hal-locate works just fine, you simply send a text to "arm" or "disarm"
I set off the other month and forgot, I only got to the end of the street (100 yds) and got a text message to let me know.
Like all systems there are pro's & Cons,I would check them all out as they all have websites.
I have just renewed my subscription, £200 for 3 years, not the cheapest, but I will save that on insurance pemiums alone, ;plus it give me the piece of mind,and it works!
Paul
H i,i agree with dusty dog we bought a new twin axle in 2009,we didnt have a tracker on it if it stolen we wouldnt want it back.
All The Best Alan P/T
Abbey 620 Gts 2009
Kia sorrento 2008
All The Best Alan P/T
Abbey 620 Gts 2009
Kia sorrento 2008
I have read the comments on here and agree with most but maybe having a good tracker on board if stolen maybe van could be recovered before anybody actually got inside.
If certain people had gained access to to the van then I dont think I would want it back.( Also using Hal Locate as supplied by Swift this year)
For and against
Sir Roger
If certain people had gained access to to the van then I dont think I would want it back.( Also using Hal Locate as supplied by Swift this year)
For and against
Sir Roger
I have a Phantom tracker which costs £99 per year to run. It does work as I have proved many times when I forget to turn it off when travelling abroad.
It also reduces my insurance.
Is it the best?
Well it's the only one I have ever used and it does work but it's probably not the cheapest.
It also reduces my insurance.
Is it the best?
Well it's the only one I have ever used and it does work but it's probably not the cheapest.
A tracker is also a form of early warning that the alarm has been activated not just to have the van recovered,this case is highlighted when 7 vans were broken into the last one being fitted with a proactive tracker, they contacted him in who in turn contacted the storage owner who check the vans and alerted the Police when he saw the damage.
Friends van had damaged door the other 6 were trashed inside.
Friends van had damaged door the other 6 were trashed inside.
Our Bailey came with a Tracker that is linked to the caravan alarm. I don't know if it works because it it supposed to activate about 5 minutes after van is being moved, however if I forget to take off the alarm/tracker the alarm goes of as soon as I move the van. One thing to watch for. We cannot claim the discount on our insurance with the CC for having an alarm and tracker fitted, as we occasionally leave our dogs in the van for a short while, and they would activate the the alarm and I cannot therefore set the alarm and tracker. The CC talked to the underwriters and they confirmed that our insurance would not be valid unless we set the alarm and tracker every time we leave the van. Hence we have not claimed this discount.
Just one other thing with the Hal Locate system when your battey drops below a certain level the gsm will text you and let you know ,I cant speak for other makes as this is the only one weve used.
Sir Roger
Sir Roger
We have used Hal Locate for the past 18 months and just subsrcibed for another 2 years. A word of warning though Swift have stopped supplying these with the new vans, we have just taken delivery of a new conquerer 645 under the impression it would have one. The dealer told us people were taking advantage of the free year then not subscribing after that so it wasn't worth it for hal as a unit costs £600. After speaking to hal locate they have informed me that Swift are cutting costs and its nothing to do with people re subscribing as they said it was over 70% uptake the following year. I have managed to get a deal through hal as we have nearly 2 years left, for a new unit and arial but its still costing £300 but at least its mine to transfer from van to van or even car and fitting is an even easier procedure, but if you get stuck they will talk you through it over the phone.
Cheers
Cheers
Hi,HenryB said:
We have what sounds like the same set up (Bailey van?), and also insured with the C.C. but don't have dogs so that problem does not arise. I had thought of it though and pointed it out to a dog owning caravanner who was buying a Senator with Tracker. I was sure though that the C.C. insurance only stipulated the Tracker must be armed and not necessarily the internal pir alarm. I know both are activated by the same key fob and cannot be set independently but could you not temporarily disable the pir sensor by either removing its battery or by piece of sticky insulating tape over it when you go out and leave the dogs in the van?
While posting about Tracker/Alarms the following might be of some use to someone.
Back in the summer the alarm went off around 8am, just as I'd got up and luckily I was in the kitchen to turn it off. This happened for a couple of days until I left the alarm off. I did post a question on here and apart from someone saying it's the battery that was it.
I did re-arm it a few days later and all was well except the day we went to Morrisons and the neighbour saying it had gone off.
I mentioned this to our mobile caravan mechanic and he cracked it.
Because our van slopes downwards on our drive, and with the sun rising at that particular time of day it was shining straight on to the PIR which is light sensitive. After that I've left the Hekilight blind across and all's been well, no more disturbing the neighbours.
Back in the summer the alarm went off around 8am, just as I'd got up and luckily I was in the kitchen to turn it off. This happened for a couple of days until I left the alarm off. I did post a question on here and apart from someone saying it's the battery that was it.
I did re-arm it a few days later and all was well except the day we went to Morrisons and the neighbour saying it had gone off.
I mentioned this to our mobile caravan mechanic and he cracked it.
Because our van slopes downwards on our drive, and with the sun rising at that particular time of day it was shining straight on to the PIR which is light sensitive. After that I've left the Hekilight blind across and all's been well, no more disturbing the neighbours.
There appears to be some confusion between alarms and Trackers !!
on the Swift/ Sterling models the 2 are not linked.
The alarm is arrmed/disarmed by the remote key fob, and sets the internal PIR and the corner steadies,
The tracker (Hal-locate) is only armed via the text message form a designated phone, or when the van has benn motionless for 2 hours, and is only disarrmed, via text message.
The 2 are definitely not linked!
Paul
on the Swift/ Sterling models the 2 are not linked.
The alarm is arrmed/disarmed by the remote key fob, and sets the internal PIR and the corner steadies,
The tracker (Hal-locate) is only armed via the text message form a designated phone, or when the van has benn motionless for 2 hours, and is only disarrmed, via text message.
The 2 are definitely not linked!
Paul
There appears to be some confusion between alarms and Trackers !!
on the Swift/ Sterling models the 2 are not linked.
The alarm is arrmed/disarmed by the remote key fob, and sets the internal PIR and the corner steadies,
The tracker (Hal-locate) is only armed via the text message form a designated phone, or when the van has benn motionless for 2 hours, and is only disarrmed, via text message.
The 2 are definitely not linked!
Paul
on the Swift/ Sterling models the 2 are not linked.
The alarm is arrmed/disarmed by the remote key fob, and sets the internal PIR and the corner steadies,
The tracker (Hal-locate) is only armed via the text message form a designated phone, or when the van has benn motionless for 2 hours, and is only disarrmed, via text message.
The 2 are definitely not linked!
Paul
If it is only the PIR thats the problem? you can quite easily short out the NC contact, a switch across it would do the job.
My old IDM3 allows me to omit the pir, tilt or function.
Sorry reference to a post HenryB above, forgot the quote.
My old IDM3 allows me to omit the pir, tilt or function.
Sorry reference to a post HenryB above, forgot the quote.
On the Bailey models although they are two separate systems, internal pir alarm and Tracker, they are operated by the same button on key fob and cannot be operated independently. If the Tracker is on, the pir is on and vice versa.Paulfbu said:
With the Tracker UK 'Monitor' system for caravans which I purchased last year, I opted for the £99 lifetime subscription, so no yearly fee as long as I own the van. Otherwise it's £40/yr. I chose not to have it linked to the caravan alarm, or have it's own siren connected as I don't want to alert the thieves of its presence. I have a discreetly placed dim LED to see if it's armed or not.
I'm just about to purchase a second tracker from On-Trak which operates in a similar fashion to the Hal-Locate or the Metis systems using mobile phone texts. It's available for £175 from Towequipe.co.uk, and doesn't require a subscription as it is PAYG on the network of your choice, and costs 1p per update. You set how often. You can geo-fence the van to a certain location, or if it moves above the speed you set, you can change it into tracker mode and (as their website uses Google maps and Google street view) it can send your mobile phone a real time street view of the road the thief is driving it down!
Edit: It only costs 1p every time you check the van's coordinates to your phone as a text, otherwise it costs nothing unless the unit detects that it has moved locations, the battery is disconnected, or the van is no longer static, or van alarm is activated.
I'm just about to purchase a second tracker from On-Trak which operates in a similar fashion to the Hal-Locate or the Metis systems using mobile phone texts. It's available for £175 from Towequipe.co.uk, and doesn't require a subscription as it is PAYG on the network of your choice, and costs 1p per update. You set how often. You can geo-fence the van to a certain location, or if it moves above the speed you set, you can change it into tracker mode and (as their website uses Google maps and Google street view) it can send your mobile phone a real time street view of the road the thief is driving it down!
Edit: It only costs 1p every time you check the van's coordinates to your phone as a text, otherwise it costs nothing unless the unit detects that it has moved locations, the battery is disconnected, or the van is no longer static, or van alarm is activated.
See my comments under 'Insurance'. I have had no end of grief with Tracker Monitor. A couple of weeks ago they 'demanded' a renewal fee of £89 for next year. When I phoned them today they backed down and accepted £39.95. I don't think this company knows its a**e from its elbow!
Take a look at this tracker: http://www.caravantalk.org.uk/topic/42883-gps-tracker/
Subscription free tracking via Google maps for £80 (£50 buys a limited functionality clone) I'm getting one as a backup device and will report back.
Subscription free tracking via Google maps for £80 (£50 buys a limited functionality clone) I'm getting one as a backup device and will report back.
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