Cat 5 Tracker - any recommendations (1 Viewer)

[sallys]

Hi All
We are going to visit Morocco later this year and are having to change our insurance from NFU to a company who will cover us fully comp whilst there.
Unfortunately all the companies that I have spoken to require fitment of a Cat 5 tracker and the price I have had for one of these is around £1000 including first years subscription.
Does anyone have any recommendations for make of system and know how easy they are to live with? Are there any procedures that we will have to adhere to? Better still does anyone know of a fitter quoting less than the £1000!!
Thanks for any advice
Sallys

 

[Phill D]

try Eddie vanbitz he will give you good advice and probably have a suitable solution. he fitted my tracker but i am not sure what class it is,

 

[eddie]

try Eddie vanbitz he will give you good advice and probably have a suitable solution. he fitted my tracker but i am not sure what class it is,

Thanks Phil

Cat Five is a joke in my opinion. Ridiculously expensive to have installed, and then you even have to pay extra per annum than the normal yearly monitoring contract.

We have all had to be Police vettedoh:and have special little certificates to say that we know how to install a Cat Five product.

The best advice is to argue with your insurers or change for one that doesn't insist on a Cat Five (all though I am not qualified to give advice, as I am not qualified to)

The going rate is around a Thousand pounds installed by the time you add the first years subscription into the equation

The only real difference is that the Cat Five systems have an additional immobiliser that can be activated remotely by the control centre at the request of the Police (like that is going to be useful in Morocco oh

Get some quotes

Eddie

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[sallys]

Thanks for the comments Eddie but unfortunately as I am having to change insurer I think I am unlikely to be able to haggle on their conditions. NFU do not ask for a tracker but will only cover Morocco third party. I have only found 2 insurers who will cover us fully comp and both ask for Cat 5. Daft thing is that we are having to change insurer, and hence fit tracker, to go to Morocco which is probably the country where the motorhome is least likely to be stolen!
How do the trackers work as far as activating/deactivating when we are using it?

 

[MR. FUSION]

Thanks Phil

Cat Five is a joke in my opinion. Ridiculously expensive to have installed, and then you even have to pay extra per annum than the normal yearly monitoring contract.

We have all had to be Police vettedoh:and have special little certificates to say that we know how to install a Cat Five product.

The best advice is to argue with your insurers or change for one that doesn't insist on a Cat Five (all though I am not qualified to give advice, as I am not qualified to)

The going rate is around a Thousand pounds installed by the time you add the first years subscription into the equation

The only real difference is that the Cat Five systems have an additional immobiliser that can be activated remotely by the control centre at the request of the Police (like that is going to be useful in Morocco oh

Get some quotes

Eddie

Hi Eddie, what about the rest of Europe, can these tracking companies provide a service to the police or the customer when the tracked vehicle is taken out of the UK ? If I bought a pro tracked system I would want one that works in europe.

 

[Sundowners]

Wouldn't it be cheaper to get border insurance on entering Morocco?

Nigel and Pamala

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[Sundowners]

Hi Eddie, what about the rest of Europe, can these tracking companies provide a service to the police or the customer when the tracked vehicle is taken out of the UK ? If I bought a pro tracked system I would want one that works in europe.

We have a tracker from Smartrack (one which you can track yourself on-line) and we have just paid extra for European cover.

Nigel and Pamala

 

[eddie]

Most smaller tracking companies and systems use Eurowatch for Pan European tracking.

Eurowatch is owned by Trafficmaster as is Trackstar.

I am unaware of any European tracking system that offers any support in Morocco. The difference between Cat Five and Cat Six is only the remote engine immobilisation at request of the Polic.

As I said earlier I can't imagine the Moroccan Police having the systems in place to co-operate with European control centres.

Eurowatch operates in these areas

Unlike any others Trackstar coverage includes*: Andorra, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Czech, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Estonia, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Turkey, UK and Ukraine.

So your being forced to have the most expensive system, as a condition of insurance, because your going to Morocco, where the Cat Five system doesn't workoh:

Eddie

 

[sallys]

I believe border insurance is only third party and have not read of anyone who has used it. We're not prepared to risk it as I would imagine the most likely scenario is us being hit and the driver legging it!
Just had to replace a wing mirror under insurance after someone reversed into it - the cost of that was staggering so I hate to think of the cost of replacing side panels etc

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[eddie]

I believe border insurance is only third party and have not read of anyone who has used it. We're not prepared to risk it as I would imagine the most likely scenario is us being hit and the driver legging it!
Just had to replace a wing mirror under insurance after someone reversed into it - the cost of that was staggering so I hate to think of the cost of replacing side panels etc

I would suggest that you discuss the Cat Five situation with your potential insurers ( I have a guess who they are) and explain that the unit they have requested will not work in the Country you wish to travel in.

I am happy to help if it would be of assistance.

Eddie

 

[scotjimland]

I believe border insurance is only third party and have not read of anyone who has used it. We're not prepared to risk it as I would imagine the most likely scenario is us being hit and the driver legging it!
Just had to replace a wing mirror under insurance after someone reversed into it - the cost of that was staggering so I hate to think of the cost of replacing side panels etc

I used it when we went to Morocco, a spur of the moment decision, and correct, it is only third party.. You are wise to look for comprehensive, the Moroccan driving standard is quite abysmal..

Had one accident.. an oncoming truck going like a bat out of hell left me no room, I had to swerve off the tarmac to avoid him.. swiped a road sign and left two side marker lamps on the dirt.. plus a long scrape down the side.. :Angry:

 

[journeyman]

I would suggest that you discuss the Cat Five situation with your potential insurers ( I have a guess who they are) and explain that the unit they have requested will not work in the Country you wish to travel in.

Eddie

That is bizarre, who is the insurer please?

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[Detnor]

Info on Morocco on Link Removed
Jason & Julie Buckley have been touring around for a while - I'm sure they'd advise on border insurance, I think they did a book on Morocco by van.

 

[eddie]

That is bizarre, who is the insurer please?

I would guess that it is Comfort?

Eddie

 

[sallys]

Thanks for the replies.

Yes Eddie it is either Comfort or MHFacts own. Both will cover us in Morocco fully comp. Safeguard will cover (possibly without tracker) but not at the value of our van.

Looks like we will have to pay the £1000 to swap to an insurer who will cover us fully comp to travel to a country where the tracker probably won't be of any use.

I'll post if I make any progress!

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[sallys]

Thanks Detnor - I'm sure border insurance is better than no insurance but for us in Morocco fully comp is the only way we would consider travelling there.

 

[eddie]

Hi Sallys,

I have asked questions within Trackstar exactly what they can and cannot offer in Morocco

Obviously I have no idea which product you intend to have installed, but with Trackstar being the market leaders and owing Eurowatch they seemed to be a good starting point.

Ultimately if Trackstar/Eurowatch (or another) cannot offer any tangible support in Morocco then you need to go back to the broker and ask them to speak to the underwriters as it would then be daft.

All you would have would be remote immobilisation, which at best could be replicated very cheaply and at worst invalidate your chassis warranty should it be applicable!

Eddie

 

[eddie]

OK it has been checked and whilst Trackstar can "see" vehicles in Morocco where there is a GSM signal they can do "nothing about it until the tracked vehicle leaves Morocco, and drives into a Country that Trackstar does operate in"

IE Europe! Trackstar / Eurowatch does operate in South Africa but I shudder to think of the state of the motorhome by the time it drove from Morroco to South Africa

I hope that this helps a bit

Eddie

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[sallys]

Thanks for checking that Eddie. The problem I have is that Comfort, who will cover Morocco, require the tracker just to insure me for anywhere not specifically for Morocco. NFU don't require a tracker to cover me but don't extend their cover to Morocco.
So I am being "forced" to fit a tracker to get cover to visit a country where the tracker doesn't work!! I'm not sure if irony is the right work, but "pain in the wallet" certainly applies.
Thanks for all the digging - I'm sure you will get a call from me soon. You fitted various bits onto our last van and we were really pleased with it.
Thanks again
Sally