Wheelclamp in France

[BurtonRob]

Off to France again next month. Just wondering do folk normally take their wheel clamps with them. I have taken mine for years as well as a good hitchlock. After a very friendly chat with one of the local gendarmes in Metz I noticed that the French don't seem too bother.

Historically I've never wanted to give insurers a 'get out ' if the worst happened. What do others do?
My Gendarme friend seemed to imply that only the police use clamps in France.

Rob

 

[ValA.]

We don't bother with ours! Our insurer no longer insists on a wheel clamp being used, as our caravan is stored in France anyway, so where we used to carry it with us, we now leave the weight at home! We have seen a lot of British vans with them on, though. Check your insurers take on it, just in case! If they say 'must be fitted at all times' then you ought to use it.

 

[DeliDave_]

we took ours and took dated pics to prove they were on but really don't think theres any chance of the van vanishing,much safer sadly than over here

 

[Francis_374353316]

Hi
Whenever we have taken the caravan to France I have always put my wheel clamp and hitchlock on. I know the French don't seem to bother but I do it just to be on the safe side it only takes a couple of minutes to put them on better safe than sorry.

 

[BurtonRob]

Time isn't the thing. Like you I have always thought it better to be safe than sorry. It's weight I'm trying to cut down on. I imagine the cautious Brit in me will make me take it.
I'll keep thinking about it.

Hope you all get some sun this year

Rob

 

[Lutz]

A wheelclamp is a sure giveaway that the owner is a Brit. Living here on the Continent I've never even owned a wheelclamp or any other anti-theft device, for that matter. Because they are all registered in the same way as cars and have their own log book and number plate, there just isn't a market for stolen caravans on the Continent. About the only place that you could take a stolen caravan to without raising suspicion is back to the UK.

 

[BurtonRob]

Thanks Lutz. This explains why the policeman I spoke to was surprised at my level of security. I explained it was for insurance purposes and he shook his head. He showed me his collection of clamps but said none were as heavy as my Millenco. At least it was nice to have a friendly encounter with French Police. I'll double check my insurance.
Rob

 

[SimonV]

Hi Rob
Would love to leave the clamp/hitchlock at home, but as was mentioned in an earlier reply its all down to the insurance company. Without ours fitted our insurance would be void if stolen, they are always looking for a get out and for a couple of minutes work its worth doing. Wouldn't leave your car unlocked and venerable would you?
Simon V

 

[BurtonRob]

Very fair comment. Its just that the Wheel clamp is so heavy. I can put hte thing on in 30 seconds so thats not the issue. As I said before , I imagine the cautious bit of me will prevail.

Thanks folks

Rob

 

[emmitdb]

Greetings,
I recall a stop in northern France where the site consisted of 99% seasonals and maybe 3 pitches for touring units.
Talk about coming out of the woodwork when we used the mover to get onto the pitch BUT, and it's big for a reason.
The whole mood of the locals changed when I put the wheelclamp on.
I got the definate impression that they took it "En masse" as an insult and slur on them all.

 

[Lutz]

No insult or slur, but we here on the Continent do find it a trifle amusing when we see that the first thing the visitor from the UK does after setting up pitch is to put the wheelclamp on.

 

[JonnyG]

never used a wheel clamp anywhere, as for insurances insisting on them! Was insured with the caravan club for 5 years, all my policy stated was i had to use either a wheel clamp or a hitchlock.I used a hitchlock and i know that was fine for the insurance campany as my van and hitchlock was stolen last summer from its storage yard........

 

[Martin24]

As a lot of stolen vans from the UK get taken straight to Ireland I would say that they could easily be stolen from anywhere and end up there for distribution. You could of course go and get a lighter one if weight is an issue and I would certainly speak to your insurance company before leaving it off. Okay so may be many of us are over cautious but I'm afraid I would have no sympathy with anyone who had a van stolen for the sake of putting as many obstacles in the way of the theif, whatever country you are in and whatever the natives think!!

 

[KeithJ]

We use a Bulldog wheel hub lock. It is lighter and less bulky than a wheel lock and is very quick to fit. I use it in car parks and on site. I know the continentals don't bother but British insurance companies usually insist.

I also notice that continentals don't bother with locking wheel nuts either. I had an incident a few years ago when I had a new car and the dealer had not supplied a locking wheelnut key (my fault for not checking). I damaged a tyre and took the car to a tyre dealer in Gibraltar who couldn't get the wheel off after two hours. He then advised me to take it to the Kia main dealer, who just managed to do the job after another two hours, but refused to take the locking nuts off the other three wheels and replace them (in case I had a puncture on the way home).
Both dealers couldn't understand why I had locking wheel nuts.

 

[DianneT]

Don't kow about France as we do not stay there with the Caravan butin Germany and Austria like Lutz sayseveryonethinks we are mad. For the passed 3 years we have not taken a wheel lock with us but always have the hitchlock. We always stay on secure camp sites where it would be impossible for anyone to tow the van off but us. Germany and Austria are much safer countries than many others in Europe including the UK.

 

[Lutz]

I also notice that continentals don't bother with locking wheel nuts either. I had an incident a few years ago when I had a new car and the dealer had not supplied a locking wheelnut key (my fault for not checking). I damaged a tyre and took the car to a tyre dealer in Gibraltar who couldn't get the wheel off after two hours. He then advised me to take it to the Kia main dealer, who just managed to do the job after another two hours, but refused to take the locking nuts off the other three wheels and replace them (in case I had a puncture on the way home).
Both dealers couldn't understand why I had locking wheel nuts.

I live on the Continent and have never heard of locking wheel nuts on caravans.

 

[KeithJ]

Lutz

The incident I refer to was on my car, when I had a Kia Sorrento. It seems the continentals don't bother with locking wheel nuts on cars or caravans - but then I think it is only the British who are obsessed with alloy wheels anyway.