Tracking Systems, should I go for the Sargent ?

[AndrewAventura]

I'd like to give a shout out for the tracker system I chose - Salind 4G GPS tracker, sold on Amazon (it's a German company). There are a couple of options, £50 or £100 depending on how big an internal battery it's got (70 days or 180 days, either of which is pretty good for a mobile-type device). I bought the cheaper one, which is about the size of a deck of cards. Then you have a monthly subscription on top, basically for the SIM card, which costs between £4 and £6 per month, depending on how long you commit to.
I was motivated since our caravan was stolen from the storage compound last year - and that I didn't even realise until I went to pick it up and had the shock of seeing that it wasn't there, and could have been taken any time in the preceding 5 weeks...
Those costs above are not at all painful, and it works really well. Better than a 'monitored' service I think - automatically sending emails to my phone if the tracker senses vibration or shocks, or if it senses being lifted or dislodged from where its fitted, or if the caravan is moved outside of its base location and when the caravan is moving it notifies that and records the location and speed.
Then if you login to the portal you can check all sorts of details and of course any journeys you've made. Mapping where you've been on a trip, like the attached, makes for an interesting record - total distance covered and so on.

I did drive myself a bit demented figuring where to hide it in the caravan, thinking of what seemed like a good place, then rejecting it. But in the end being quite pleased with where I've got it, and also setup with a feed of power so the battery is always going to be charged.

 

[Buckman]

I'd like to give a shout out for the tracker system I chose - Salind 4G GPS tracker, sold on Amazon (it's a German company). There are a couple of options, £50 or £100 depending on how big an internal battery it's got (70 days or 180 days, either of which is pretty good for a mobile-type device). I bought the cheaper one, which is about the size of a deck of cards. Then you have a monthly subscription on top, basically for the SIM card, which costs between £4 and £6 per month, depending on how long you commit to.
I was motivated since our caravan was stolen from the storage compound last year - and that I didn't even realise until I went to pick it up and had the shock of seeing that it wasn't there, and could have been taken any time in the preceding 5 weeks...
Those costs above are not at all painful, and it works really well. Better than a 'monitored' service I think - automatically sending emails to my phone if the tracker senses vibration or shocks, or if it senses being lifted or dislodged from where its fitted, or if the caravan is moved outside of its base location and when the caravan is moving it notifies that and records the location and speed.
Then if you login to the portal you can check all sorts of details and of course any journeys you've made. Mapping where you've been on a trip, like the attached, makes for an interesting record - total distance covered and so on.View attachment 6881

I did drive myself a bit demented figuring where to hide it in the caravan, thinking of what seemed like a good place, then rejecting it. But in the end being quite pleased with where I've got it, and also setup with a feed of power so the battery is always going to be charged.

What is the point of a Tracker where there is no call centre who can liaison with the police to recover the caravan? It would be a very foolish individual that would try and tackle the thieves themselves.

 

[JRT]

I'd like to give a shout out for the tracker system I chose - Salind 4G GPS tracker, sold on Amazon (it's a German company). There are a couple of options, £50 or £100 depending on how big an internal battery it's got (70 days or 180 days, either of which is pretty good for a mobile-type device). I bought the cheaper one, which is about the size of a deck of cards. Then you have a monthly subscription on top, basically for the SIM card, which costs between £4 and £6 per month, depending on how long you commit to.
I was motivated since our caravan was stolen from the storage compound last year - and that I didn't even realise until I went to pick it up and had the shock of seeing that it wasn't there, and could have been taken any time in the preceding 5 weeks...
Those costs above are not at all painful, and it works really well. Better than a 'monitored' service I think - automatically sending emails to my phone if the tracker senses vibration or shocks, or if it senses being lifted or dislodged from where its fitted, or if the caravan is moved outside of its base location and when the caravan is moving it notifies that and records the location and speed.
Then if you login to the portal you can check all sorts of details and of course any journeys you've made. Mapping where you've been on a trip, like the attached, makes for an interesting record - total distance covered and so on.View attachment 6881

I did drive myself a bit demented figuring where to hide it in the caravan, thinking of what seemed like a good place, then rejecting it. But in the end being quite pleased with where I've got it, and also setup with a feed of power so the battery is always going to be charged.

I guess if you are going to go the tracker route that is a good option given the low cost and at least it alerts you if anything moves.

Out of interest how many (if any) false alarms have you had?

 

[Dustydog]

Looking at the Salind it is not a tracker as usually required by caravan insurers. Itbis just a basic location device. The ones stipulated by Insurers are are of the type mentioned by Buckman. They have a central station who are on the case within seconds, informing the Police and keeping track(sic) of the caravan location second by second

 

[JRT]

Looking at the Salind it is not a tracker as usually required by caravan insurers. Itbis just a basic location device. The ones stipulated by Insurers are are of the type mentioned by Buckman. They have a central station who are on the case within seconds, informing the Police and keeping track(sic) of the caravan location second by second

Indeed, to be accepted by an insurer I believe most would require a tracker to be be 'Thatcham approved' or at least have some other sort of approval which a self fitted one like that won't have.

 

[Mr Plodd]

If it makes people feel happier then a tracking device can do no harm whatsoever. I am fortunate insomuch as my caravan lives along side my house, not in storage many miles away. If it was then I might feel differently.

 

[Jcloughie]

I'd like to give a shout out for the tracker system I chose - Salind 4G GPS tracker, sold on Amazon (it's a German company). There are a couple of options, £50 or £100 depending on how big an internal battery it's got (70 days or 180 days, either of which is pretty good for a mobile-type device). I bought the cheaper one, which is about the size of a deck of cards. Then you have a monthly subscription on top, basically for the SIM card, which costs between £4 and £6 per month, depending on how long you commit to.
I was motivated since our caravan was stolen from the storage compound last year - and that I didn't even realise until I went to pick it up and had the shock of seeing that it wasn't there, and could have been taken any time in the preceding 5 weeks...
Those costs above are not at all painful, and it works really well. Better than a 'monitored' service I think - automatically sending emails to my phone if the tracker senses vibration or shocks, or if it senses being lifted or dislodged from where its fitted, or if the caravan is moved outside of its base location and when the caravan is moving it notifies that and records the location and speed.
Then if you login to the portal you can check all sorts of details and of course any journeys you've made. Mapping where you've been on a trip, like the attached, makes for an interesting record - total distance covered and so on.View attachment 6881

I did drive myself a bit demented figuring where to hide it in the caravan, thinking of what seemed like a good place, then rejecting it. But in the end being quite pleased with where I've got it, and also setup with a feed of power so the battery is always going to be charged.

It is like the commercial units I mentioned in #5 above but they have now greatly reduced in price from when I researched them. £50 today with subscriptions starting from £3.75.

It is not a Thatcham so will not save a little on insurance. You will need to contact the police yourself! I would not think this would be too onerous.

The savings are substantial. Also the recording of your route, something I think is a big advantage over the monitored tracker systems I have looked at.

If I still had a van I would get one, thanks for the heads up.

If anyone is interested, don’t get the cheaper 2G version. It has limited life.

The contract, I think, is for a multi network 4g sim, so for less chance of dead areas.

John

 

[JRT]

If it makes people feel happier then a tracking device can do no harm whatsoever. I am fortunate insomuch as my caravan lives along side my house, not in storage many miles away. If it was then I might feel differently.

Had we had one of these back in the mid nineties when we did have a caravan stolen from a farm it would have alerted us and we could have rung the farmer.

Though possibly not as when our "van was stolen his words were:-

'If I'd caught the ******* They would have been looking down the bore of a 12 bore, and I'd then get the JCB out to bury them in one of the fields".


I think he was joking.....

 

[AndrewAventura]

What is the point of a heap & nasty Tracker where there is no call centre who can liaison with the police to recover the caravan? It would be a very foolish individual that would try and tackle the thieves themselves.

That's a bit harsh!!

I don't think I was ever the sort who'd think it a good idea to pick up a baseball bat. I suppose if I was pitched on site and I got notifications about device removal or movement or whatever, then I would at least go and see what was happening. If I was reporting a theft to the police, I should be able to give them some reasonable info and maybe they'd be able to take some action on it.

OK, perhaps shouldn't have called it a 'tracker', not insurer approved and so on. But I don't believe that monitoring stations can be relied on 'to be on the case in seconds'. Generally their first move is to contact the owner and ask whether there might be a problem, because they've had an alert.

I think the technology and sensors this device carries are quite good, and I'm very pleased with it for £50 per year for the extra bit of peace of mind, and the route tracking/mapping capability - data points every 10 seconds and location to within about 5 metres. But my main motive was to be able to answer police and insurer questions with some supporting evidence if there was to be a next time reporting a crime. "When did the theft take place?" My answer last year was a bit weak - "July. Or possibly August."

I've had no false alarms yet - there's been a reason for every email notification I've received. Like slamming the door a bit hard - I'd get a notification for that. Or if I touch or move the tracker itself - I got an email each time I did that. Then when the caravan is moving (faster than 10 km/hr, or whatever speed you set) then you get an email every 10 mins that's happening. So that can create a string of notifications to delete.

 

[Jcloughie]

That's a bit harsh!!

I don't think I was ever the sort who'd think it a good idea to pick up a baseball bat. I suppose if I was pitched on site and I got notifications about device removal or movement or whatever, then I would at least go and see what was happening. If I was reporting a theft to the police, I should be able to give them some reasonable info and maybe they'd be able to take some action on it.

OK, perhaps shouldn't have called it a 'tracker', not insurer approved and so on. But I don't believe that monitoring stations can be relied on 'to be on the case in seconds'. Generally their first move is to contact the owner and ask whether there might be a problem, because they've had an alert.

I think the technology and sensors this device carries are quite good, and I'm very pleased with it for £50 per year for the extra bit of peace of mind, and the route tracking/mapping capability - data points every 10 seconds and location to within about 5 metres. But my main motive was to be able to answer police and insurer questions with some supporting evidence if there was to be a next time reporting a crime. "When did the theft take place?" My answer last year was a bit weak - "July. Or possibly August."

I've had no false alarms yet - there's been a reason for every email notification I've received. Like slamming the door a bit hard - I'd get a notification for that. Or if I touch or move the tracker itself - I got an email each time I did that. Then when the caravan is moving (faster than 10 km/hr, or whatever speed you set) then you get an email every 10 mins that's happening. So that can create a string of notifications to delete.

You were not wrong to call it a tracker. It is just not an approved one.

You say email. But I think you mean text, am I right?

John

 

[Buckman]

That's a bit harsh!!

I don't think I was ever the sort who'd think it a good idea to pick up a baseball bat. I suppose if I was pitched on site and I got notifications about device removal or movement or whatever, then I would at least go and see what was happening. If I was reporting a theft to the police, I should be able to give them some reasonable info and maybe they'd be able to take some action on it.

OK, perhaps shouldn't have called it a 'tracker', not insurer approved and so on. But I don't believe that monitoring stations can be relied on 'to be on the case in seconds'. Generally their first move is to contact the owner and ask whether there might be a problem, because they've had an alert.

I think the technology and sensors this device carries are quite good, and I'm very pleased with it for £50 per year for the extra bit of peace of mind, and the route tracking/mapping capability - data points every 10 seconds and location to within about 5 metres. But my main motive was to be able to answer police and insurer questions with some supporting evidence if there was to be a next time reporting a crime. "When did the theft take place?" My answer last year was a bit weak - "July. Or possibly August."

I've had no false alarms yet - there's been a reason for every email notification I've received. Like slamming the door a bit hard - I'd get a notification for that. Or if I touch or move the tracker itself - I got an email each time I did that. Then when the caravan is moving (faster than 10 km/hr, or whatever speed you set) then you get an email every 10 mins that's happening. So that can create a string of notifications to delete.

If someone interferes with our caravan we are notified within seconds and not minutes. If no then police are notified. As said the police are hardly likely to take instructions from a stranger regarding tracking the caravan as a report probably needs to be filed first. However type of Tracker is obviously personal preference.

 

[Jcloughie]

If someone interferes with our caravan we are notified within seconds and not minutes. If no then police are notified. As said the police are hardly likely to take instructions from a stranger regarding tracking the caravan as a report probably needs to be filed first. However type of Tracker is obviously personal preference.

I would be extremely disappointed in the police if the did not treat me exactly the same as a com-any if I was reporting a theft. The tracker that Andrew was referring to uses the same technology as those tracking companies use. Why then would notifications take longer. Remember that the company will always check with the customer that they are not responding to a false alarm. So both systems rely on telephone contact.

I see the advantages of using a company are, they are manned 24 hours (but not much use if they cannot wake the customer). And that, wrongly in my opinion, they may get police priority.

Also, a company tracker may, but not necessarily, be linked to the alarm. Andrew’s had its own built in sensors and geo fencing.

The route recording and £££ saving are the pluses for me.

I will say that when I did have a company contract. They did as they promised.

John

 

[Buckman]

I would be extremely disappointed in the police if the did not treat me exactly the same as a com-any if I was reporting a theft. The tracker that Andrew was referring to uses the same technology as those tracking companies use. Why then would notifications take longer. Remember that the company will always check with the customer that they are not responding to a false alarm. So both systems rely on telephone contact.

I see the advantages of using a company are, they are manned 24 hours (but not much use if they cannot wake the customer). And that, wrongly in my opinion, they may get police priority.

Also, a company tracker may, but not necessarily, be linked to the alarm. Andrew’s had its own built in sensors and geo fencing.

The route recording and £££ saving are the pluses for me.

I will say that when I did have a company contract. They did as they promised.

John

I thought the reason was fairly obvious. I never said that notifications would take longer, but would you challenge the thieves even if you caught them in the act? I certainly would not.

If an unknown person phones the police to say that their unit is missing, how will the police know if the call is genuine or not? That person could be conning the police into wasting valuable police time so it is understandable if the police do not react.

However it is a choice whether to get a decent Tracker or to buy a tracker that only tells you the location of your unit with no backup. Our Phantom tracker records our location, mileage and status of battery. It can also show exactly where you have been and the routes you have used.

Again it is down to personal choice and if you are happy to spend thousands on a unit and skimp on a tracking system, that is your prerogative.

 

[otherclive]

I thought the reason was fairly obvious. I never said that notifications would take longer, but would you challenge the thieves even if you caught them in the act? I certainly would not.

If an unknown person phones the police to say that their unit is missing, how will the police know if the call is genuine or not? That person could be conning the police into wasting valuable police time so it is understandable if the police do not react.

However it is a choice whether to get a decent Tracker or to buy a cheap and nasty that only tells you the location of your unit with no backup. Our Phantom tracker records our location, mileage and status of battery. It can also show exactly where you have been and the routes you have used.

Again it is down to personal choice and if you are happy to spend thousands on a unit and skimp on a tracking system, that is your prerogative.

When our house was burgled the monitoring company contacted the police who came around two days later but did very little apart from a walkthrough and issuing a crime number. No tracking required in our case.

 

[Jcloughie]

I thought the reason was fairly obvious. I never said that notifications would take longer, but would you challenge the thieves even if you caught them in the act? I certainly would not.

If an unknown person phones the police to say that their unit is missing, how will the police know if the call is genuine or not? That person could be conning the police into wasting valuable police time so it is understandable if the police do not react.

However it is a choice whether to get a decent Tracker or to buy a cheap and nasty that only tells you the location of your unit with no backup. Our Phantom tracker records our location, mileage and status of battery. It can also show exactly where you have been and the routes you have used.

Again it is down to personal choice and if you are happy to spend thousands on a unit and skimp on a tracking system, that is your prerogative.

Actually you said seconds not minutes.

I agree regarding tackling thieves. But why would I need to any more than if I had a Phantom for example. I don’t understand that logic.

I disagree regarding our police. Perhaps I have more faith in them than you. But I can see that a company may give them greater confidence. But if the police do not have the time or resources, I cannot see it being any difference.

I really do not understand why you think ‘other’ trackers may be cheap and nasty, on what is this based. The Phantom ones I had really looked poor, but worked fine.

Does your tracker really show your route history? They certainly never used to. And it is not on their web site that the do that service. The web site only shows the last location.

The route option will record location every 10 secs or so and overly this on a map. It would look a little like when you have an Amazon or DPD delivery. I cannot see this on their advertising.

It is a personal choice. But on balance, considering it would be fully insured, I would save myself a lot of money. My choice.

An AirTag is very basic. Some Chinese items appear iffy but cheap. Andrew’s comes from a respectable company with continual support. Thatcham products have been tested and approved. But the cost is significantly greater.


John

 

[Buckman]

When our house was burgled the monitoring company contacted the police who came around two days later but did very little apart from a walkthrough and issuing a crime number. No tracking required in our case.

I would be very worried if they had to track our home to see where it has gone.

 

[Buckman]

Actually you said seconds not minutes.

I agree regarding tackling thieves. But why would I need to any more than if I had a Phantom for example. I don’t understand that logic.

I disagree regarding our police. Perhaps I have more faith in them than you. But I can see that a company may give them greater confidence. But if the police do not have the time or resources, I cannot see it being any difference.

I really do not understand why you think ‘other’ trackers may be cheap and nasty, on what is this based. The Phantom ones I had really looked poor, but worked fine.

Does your tracker really show your route history? They certainly never used to. And it is not on their web site that the do that service. The web site only shows the last location.

The route option will record location every 10 secs or so and overly this on a map. It would look a little like when you have an Amazon or DPD delivery. I cannot see this on their advertising.

It is a personal choice. But on balance, considering it would be fully insured, I would save myself a lot of money. My choice.

An AirTag is very basic. Some Chinese items appear iffy but cheap. Andrew’s comes from a respectable company with continual support. Thatcham products have been tested and approved. But the cost is significantly greater.


John

If you require route history you need to specifically ask for it. Not sure how long they keep that sort of data. I know we made the correct choice for peace of mind.

 

[Jcloughie]

If you require route history you need to specifically ask for it. Not sure how long they keep that sort of data. As said why buy cheap and nasty as it seems pointless however that is the choice of the individual. I know we made the correct choice for peace of mind.

I did ask them, they do not provide route history, unless they have updated their terms. A big missed opportunity in my opinion. I think they have the ability as they also service fleets who need it to keep an eye on their drivers wanderings and use in cases of dispute.

I would love you to provide support to the cheap and nasty statement. Just what could possibly be the evidence?

I have never suggested that companies such as Phantom do not provide a good reliable service. Just well overpriced in my opinion, particularly as the cost of the tech has plunged greatly over recent years. And Phantom have put their prices up.

I never would, and have not, criticised your choice, simple explaining why that would not be my choice.

John

 

[Sam Vimes]

Is there something in the May air thats causing some members to frequently belittle others choice? Everyone has the right to make there own decisions. It may not be yours so explain why without ridiculing.

If this trend continues there are sanctions available although I for one would be very reluctant to use them.

Let's keep it friendly like we usually do.

 

[Buckman]

I have amended my posts and apologise. I have had two vehicles stolen in the past so maybe I am a bit more paranoid about my goods being stolen and I would not like the same to happen to others.