Tracker Systems (1 Viewer)

Jim

Ringleader
Jul 19, 2007
36,197
128,646
Sutton on Sea, UK
Funster No
1
MH
Adria Panel Van.
Exp
Since 1988
I have a few questions about vehicle tracking systems.

  1. Do you have a tracking system fitted to your motorhome?
  2. Did you have it fitted or was it installed from new?
  3. What are the advantages? Or is it just reduced insurance premiums?
My insurance company will reduce my premiums by a few quid if i have one fitted but do I want my motorhome back if it was tracked and found in the hands of some Itinerants for a week or two? :Eeek:
 

PenelopePitstop

LIFE MEMBER
Sep 3, 2007
2,463
1,387
Royston Vasey and beyond!
Funster No
219
MH
Van Conversion
Exp
since 1999
1. Yes, we have Phantom Tracker - pro-active.
2. We had it fitted after we bought the van.
3. One of the advantages is the speedy recovery of your van after it's been stolen!:thumb::thumb:
With the pro-active version we set the motion sensor whenever we leave the van. If the van is moved we are contacted by Phantom within minutes and they check whether we are with the van. This happens occasionally when we forget to disarm the motion sensor when we get back in the van!:Eeek: They are able to accurately pinpoint the position of the van.
 

Cavendish

Free Member
Aug 10, 2008
204
0
England
Funster No
3,637
MH
C Class
Exp
Since September 2008
.....do I want my motorhome back if it was tracked and found in the hands of some Itinerants for a week or two? :Eeek:
We were talking about trackers at the weekend and this is exactly what Matt said. No way jose. We'd sooner not see it again. :Tongue1:

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zaskar

Free Member
Sep 25, 2007
1,159
371
UK
Funster No
399
MH
5th Wheel
Exp
30+
1. Yes, we have Phantom Tracker - pro-active.
2. We had it fitted after we bought the van.
3. One of the advantages is the speedy recovery of your van after it's been stolen!:thumb::thumb:
With the pro-active version we set the motion sensor whenever we leave the van. If the van is moved we are contacted by Phantom within minutes and they check whether we are with the van. This happens occasionally when we forget to disarm the motion sensor when we get back in the van!:Eeek: They are able to accurately pinpoint the position of the van.


Ditto!::bigsmile:
I would also add to Penelopes accurate info that the people at Phantom are extremely nice and helpfull people to deal with.
We had thier Pro Active system fitted on our caravan from new by the manufacturer (Abbey) and were so impressed by the level (and speed) of service that I insisted that I be able to fit thier system to my new 5ver when the insurers stipulated a tracking system of some type.
 

zaskar

Free Member
Sep 25, 2007
1,159
371
UK
Funster No
399
MH
5th Wheel
Exp
30+
We were talking about trackers at the weekend and this is exactly what Matt said. No way jose. We'd sooner not see it again. :Tongue1:

If you do a search on You tube, there is a promotional video by Phantom which seems to be being pushed as a "training" / information tool for the police force.
In this video, it clearly states that in most cases, the unit (of what ever type) is recoved "on the road" before entry is actually gained.
I can understand that people would not want a unit back after the Itinerants had had thier grubby mits on it for a while, but the recovery rate is usually so quick that IMHO, it's not really an issue.
 
Sep 23, 2007
1,702
1,966
Leicestershire
Funster No
347
MH
A Class
Exp
4 and many as a tugger
It came fitted on My Autotrail. But I doubt I would have it fitted myself. You get a small reduction in insurance premium of about 10%, which means a saving of £35 but you need to off set this against the cost of the tracker and the subscription.

Andy

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zaskar

Free Member
Sep 25, 2007
1,159
371
UK
Funster No
399
MH
5th Wheel
Exp
30+
It came fitted on My Autotrail. But I doubt I would have it fitted myself. You get a small reduction in insurance premium of about 10%, which means a saving of £35 but you need to off set this against the cost of the tracker and the subscription.

Andy

AHHH,:Doh: If I gave the impression i fitted it myself, I'm sorry.:Blush: i simply meant that I insisted that it was a Phantom system that was fitted. I'm not sure that they'll let you fit your own anyway. Quite apart from anything else, the insurers involved will insist on an installation certificate which can only be issued by a qualified/recognised/authorised installer.
The reduction in insurance premiums isn't really worth considering IMHO. You'll never get the cost back unless you keep your unit for decades!:ROFLMAO:
It's more a question of peace of mind knowing you've got a decent system fitted.
 
Sep 23, 2007
1,702
1,966
Leicestershire
Funster No
347
MH
A Class
Exp
4 and many as a tugger
It's more a question of peace of mind knowing you've got a decent system fitted.[/QUOTE]

Could'nt agree more.
I have thought about paying the extra insurance and canceling the tracker subsription. Therfore saving £100 a year.

Andy
 
Jul 29, 2007
6,527
39,296
Ipswich
Funster No
32
MH
RV and PVC
Exp
30 years
Hi Jim two of the insurance companies I phoned last week insisted on an active tracker or they wouldn't insure me, that's on a £50,000 value. One wanted an immobiliser as well.

I have a Phantom tracker but its not an pro-active one, Phantom quoted me £300 to upgrade.

Olley

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Geo

Trader - Funster
Jul 29, 2007
11,757
14,563
Mansfield,Notts
Funster No
35
MH
Autotrail Tracker FB
Exp
45 +years with breaks
There is a tracker fitted to my recovery it was on board when i bought it
They want £100 per year to operate it
£35 transfer fee to record me as the owner and wait for it




£185 to send an engineer out to check and service it because its 5 years old:RollEyes:
and for that I will save £18 per year on my trade policy

Please explain why you insure your Motorhome for theft and then pay out again to minimise the insurers risk:Doh:
it beats me
Andy stick the £100 in yer pocket:thumb:
 
Last edited:

Thepips

Trade Member
Sep 26, 2007
493
2
Basingstoke
Funster No
441
MH
RV
Exp
6
My Subaru was fitted with the Phantom but that didn't stop the car being stolen. After I rang them they gave the current location to the police who couldn't find the car even though it was hidden less than half a mile away! In the end my nephew and I went out and we did find it, hidden in the bushes.
Apparently this is the latest trick. Vehicles are stolen and hidden. If they aren't recovered within a few hours the car is retrieved.
Quite honestly I wish we hadn't. The car had been used to ram raid a shop. The interior was comprehensively trashed where they had tried to find the tracker (we think).
After this experience I really would prefer not to get it back after being stolen.

Regards
Doug
 

Oldroadies

Free Member
Jun 21, 2009
42
9
Channel Islands
Funster No
7,200
MH
Coach built Autocruise
Exp
6 + 20 caravaning
Just a few deterants we have put on our van to hopefully make a wouldbe thief think twice - don't forget that most thefts are either "to order" or because they are easy pickings.

We do not have a tracker but a heavy duty disk lock on the steering wheel.

A window sticker off Ebay saying that this van has a tracking device fitted,

Also our number on the roof in large numbers and

Lastly, we have a mobile phone hidden in a secret place (that can receive a signal, set on silent mode), which we turn on (the phone not the sound) when we go out - If they can pick up a mobile signal from deep in a jungle and pinpoint to within a few metres, it's got to be worth a try, so hopefully if we gave the police the mobile number it will ring long enough for them to get a fix.

Hope these ideas are useful to some of you:Smile:

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Stephen & Jeannie

Free Member
Aug 27, 2008
4,174
3,265
Gobowen near Oswestry !!
Funster No
3,842
MH
Sold and bought a Caravan
Exp
9 years !!!!
No use whatever !!

Just a few deterants we have put on our van to hopefully make a wouldbe thief think twice - don't forget that most thefts are either "to order" or because they are easy pickings.

We do not have a tracker but a heavy duty disk lock on the steering wheel.

A window sticker off Ebay saying that this van has a tracking device fitted,

Also our number on the roof in large numbers and

Lastly, we have a mobile phone hidden in a secret place (that can receive a signal, set on silent mode), which we turn on (the phone not the sound) when we go out - If they can pick up a mobile signal from deep in a jungle and pinpoint to within a few metres, it's got to be worth a try, so hopefully if we gave the police the mobile number it will ring long enough for them to get a fix.


Heavy duty disc lock on the steering wheel !!! forget it ...A bolt cutter through the steering wheel and then slide off the disc lock !! I lost a car this way !!!:cry::cry::cry:
 

Geo

Trader - Funster
Jul 29, 2007
11,757
14,563
Mansfield,Notts
Funster No
35
MH
Autotrail Tracker FB
Exp
45 +years with breaks
Just a few deterants we have put on our van to hopefully make a wouldbe thief think twice - don't forget that most thefts are either "to order" or because they are easy pickings.

We do not have a tracker but a heavy duty disk lock on the steering wheel.

A window sticker off Ebay saying that this van has a tracking device fitted,

Also our number on the roof in large numbers and

Lastly, we have a mobile phone hidden in a secret place (that can receive a signal, set on silent mode), which we turn on (the phone not the sound) when we go out - If they can pick up a mobile signal from deep in a jungle and pinpoint to within a few metres, it's got to be worth a try, so hopefully if we gave the police the mobile number it will ring long enough for them to get a fix.

Hope these ideas are useful to some of you:Smile:
Unless its a Murder enquiry or lost child I dont think they can or will get invovled. a court order may be reqd to trace a phone
However there is software available to let you track your kids mobile and it whereabouts maybe you could track that phone that way
worth a look
 

zaskar

Free Member
Sep 25, 2007
1,159
371
UK
Funster No
399
MH
5th Wheel
Exp
30+
Please explain why you insure your Motorhome for theft and then pay out again to minimise the insurers risk:Doh:
it beats me
:


Simple!
Some of us are worriers...............some of you are not.:winky:
Some of you are able to say to yourselves, "sod it, it's insured".
Some of us can't, it means more to us than that, so we pay through the nose and try and do the best we can for a reasonable nights sleep.:Smile:

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mikamada

Free Member
Apr 12, 2009
83
7
Funster No
6,245
Hi Jim two of the insurance companies I phoned last week insisted on an active tracker or they wouldn't insure me, that's on a £50,000 value. One wanted an immobiliser as well.

I have a Phantom tracker but its not an pro-active one, Phantom quoted me £300 to upgrade.

Olley

Found it common that the insurance wanted an immobilser as well. A tracker will assist recover but does not avoid the actually theft. An immobilser will assist that. Our insurance insted on a Cat 2 Immobilser.

A Phantom passive was fitted when we bought the van. I wanted to check its approvals and was told that it was Sold Secure Gold but could not obtain confirmation even after calling Sold Secure. I then wanted to upgrade to the active tracker but it seems it uses an external motion detector and that had to be purchased in addition (probably the reason for your £300 quote). The Phantom is also not Thatcham TQA or Cat 5 approved.

Was not happy with the answers that I got from Phantom on the issues relating to Sold Secure, Thatcham or upgrade to the Active unit so in the end have decided to dump the tracker and have a Trackstar active unit installed which is both Sold Secure Gold and Thatcham TQA standard (full cat 5 was too expensive) approved.

The Thatchcam site at Link Removed briefly itemises the facilities of trackers and you have to do your own research as to which service is supplied by which supplier and which is of importance to you. Unfortunately Thatcham do not allow the general public to see the details of their standards.

The Sold Secure site allow you to search for Sold Secure Gold certified devices. At the moment there are only 6 (Cheetah, Defender, 2 Cobra units, GPs Alert, Trackstar).

It is a pity that there is not a single standard with information available that would allow the public to make an informed choice.
 

eddie

LIFE MEMBER
Oct 4, 2007
8,131
41,040
Taunton Somerset
Funster No
540
MH
RV
Exp
since 1989
Trackstar, owned by Trafficmaster (the people that own and operate the blue cameras you see beside all the roads that sell all the information to local radios and the TMC that is sent to your navigation systems)

Trackstar is the biggest selling GPS vehicle recovery system in the UK

£299.00 installed with the first years subscription included, revcovery of the vehicle by the RAC and operates throughout Europe.

Also it has been around for a long time:winky:
 

BEV

Free Member
Apr 6, 2008
9
0
CORNWALL
Funster No
2,069
MH
AUTOCRUISE
Exp
2000
Tracker

We too had a Phantom but now that we have got a convertible car have had it transferred to that. With all the alarms on the motorhome we think someone would be pushed to get in let alone pinch it.
SAGA havent given us a discount by the way for the car insurance:shout:

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guymid

Free Member
Jun 17, 2009
13
0
North Yorkshire
Funster No
7,153
MH
C Class
Exp
10
I am installing a GPS tracker that has no annual fee because it sends SMS texts to your phone and/or updates your account on a website with the location.

If it's set to alert when moved, I'd get an SMS text saying when it was moved and I could then set it to text me every minute (or any time interval) with it's location which I can then give the location to the police for retrieval.

Or, I can send a text to it at any time and it will reply with the location.

I will install it behind panels so it's not visible, and I will not put a sticker on the van to say that I have a tracker on board, because trackers can be found and removed, so best not to let the criminals know until the police turn up.

The device I'm getting is £120, and I'll update this thread with my experience with it.

I much prefer the idea of this to a very expensive initial purchase and annual fee, not only on price but also in terms of control. It's ME who's contacted immediately if the van's moved, not someone else who then has to contact me if they're not busy. It's ME who can send a text to the tracker at any time and find out where it is.

Also, the device I've bought can be set to output data to my account on a website that records the location all the time, and the route is visible on Google maps, so I get a useful feature even if the van isn't stolen (which I rather hope it won't), as I can use the map of the route after my journey's to see where I've been and for labelling photographs etc.
 
Apr 27, 2008
11,794
13,956
Eastbourne East Sussex
Funster No
2,327
MH
Hymer low profile
Exp
Since 1972
Any but the most casual motor thief will have a tracker blocker. They are quite cheap (much cheaper than the tracker) and freely available. :whatthe:

Link Removed

And many other sources just google it.

An immobiliser is a more useful item.
 

pappajohn

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 26, 2007
43,207
48,833
Dark side of the moon
Funster No
172
Exp
Since 2005
If it's set to alert when moved, I'd get an SMS text saying when it was moved and I could then set it to text me every minute (or any time interval) with it's location which I can then give the location to the police for retrieval.

sorry guymid but you may be in for a shock if you ring the police.

unless its a GPS based tracker i believe the police aint interested.
if they cant track it in realtime using their in-car tracking equipment they wont waste time doing it.
i believe the police are contacted by the trackers control center and given details as to where it is/was then they track it.

your system is ok for your own use but if you do find it and 4 flat nosed bruisers/pi*eys climb out what you going to do then.

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guymid

Free Member
Jun 17, 2009
13
0
North Yorkshire
Funster No
7,153
MH
C Class
Exp
10
It is a GPS tracker, but I can interrogate it using SMS, and it can also constantly send data out via GPRS. I do hope that the police would take the exact GPS coordinates of my van from me just as they would from a tracking company - surely they don't have a monopoly on the the police?

I hope I shall never have to find out, but I know that tracking companies aren't a 100% guaranteed either so I don't think I'm worse off, just better off finiacially and because it has better features than a standard tracker.
 

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