Habitation door (1 Viewer)

[Vanman]

Just a quickie ... I wondered if the habitation door is susceptible to the same 'popping' as the cab doors? You can tie the cab doors together but I wondered what you would do with the Hab door if it has the same issue?

 

[sdc77]

Why tie the doors together ? ? ... I know some do but we lock the van and set the perimeter alarm.
In fairness we also have the 'original' growler as backup.

 

[Vanman]

Why tie the doors together ? ? ... I know some do but we lock the van and set the perimeter alarm.
In fairness we also have the 'original' growler as backup.

Ah, a question with a question ... I was hoping not to get straight into the 'why and wherefore' without knowing how safe the Hab door is first.

In a nutshell, it appears the cab doors can be opened pretty easily from the outside so any half qualified thief can be in and off with your valuables in a short space of time. Connecting the cab doors slows this down considerably. If the hab door has the same issue then it seems a bit of a waste of time.

The perimeter alarm is a good thing, but unattended in a secluded spot or at night, the thief still has a few minutes to search.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[sdc77]

I'm sure the hab door lock has to meet a standard that prevents it from popping open during an accident.... but I'm not sure. In fairness though I find motorhomes the most insecure vehicles I have ever owned but it's by design isn't it. Why worry about someone popping a door open when they can pull a window open much easier. I think a good deterrent such as the strikeback system is your best bet ... Dogs that don't entertain anyone strange lurking whilst you're asleep is a bonus.
We also use silver screens on the cab wherever we stop which is another layer of deterrent/annoyance to a casual theif. I can't imagine ever tying our cab doors together. is this something commonly done? Further more I would have though the x250 cab doors are no more secure than our last vans which was a crafter. or a sprinter . or a transit... or are they?

 

[gus-lopez]

I have top & bottom internal catches on the hab door which I use all the time whilst driving & at night. I only use the cab doors when travelling.

 

[Rapido925M]

Clearly you can only tie doors together if you are inside. So I assume you are looking at some way of giving yourself an extra minute or two to grab some hair-spray/kitchen knife/hammer to protect your belongings/person OR to phone for police assistance and hope they arrive in time .

The one and only time that I felt the desire to do this I used a ratchet-strap which went round the door handle/arm rest and the passenger door for protection at the front end. My hab door has a long vertical handle (aluminium?) which is used to pull the door closed. I fitted a wheel brace through the handle and it was just the right length to extend either side of the door frame. I don't know how much delay it would add to a miscreant BUT I hoped it would give me a few extra seconds AND by then my StrikeBack alarm should be making a noise and acting as a further deterrent.

A further consideration for me was "how would I get out in an emergency in the dark?". The rachet strap had the quick release buckle conveniently positioned and the wheel brace could easily be twisted through 30deg, allowing it to fit between the door frame.

TBH if you are not happy where you are, go somewhere else . I would rather spend £20 on a campsite then lie in bed fearing for my life. - Gordon

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Duck Truck]

We don't lay in bed fearing for our lives.
When we pull up wilding if we feel insecure on stopping we move on
straight away this has happened twice in 5 years.
Our old van had a couple of brackets into which a bar dropped
imagine the big wooden beams they used to have behind the gates into old castles
I am more concerned about when the van is empty
Again on our old van it had the milenco handrail that swung across the door.
I think having a good loud alarm is the best you can do. The plastic windows are by far the weak point on any van.
Enjoy the van try not to worry

 

[pyro]

People are really worrying themselves (and others) half to death unnecessarily in recent threads

There have been some very good answers given, too.

You do whatever you can to be as secure as possible. But basic security starts in your selection of a place to leave your van. Choose wisely, avoid rough looking or busy areas, park with your nose positioned to make a speedy getaway if you have to, bear in mind that external silver screens (more effective) could be a liability when trying to make a nifty escape, don't leave anything of value visible either inside or near to the van, don't confront troublemakers, leave a light on and a radio playing if you leave the van and then take care when returning - especially at night

But if you are in any way concerned, and I cannot emphasise this enough, MOVE ELSEWHERE. That's why you have wheels and an engine

You read loads of unproven rubbish about supposed "gassing" on the internet. It doesn't really happen. You see all these videos on youtube about people getting into vehicles in seconds, and driving them away, and to some extent that does happen. Usually with high end cars worth far more than vans, vehicles that can be broken down into parts, cut, chopped, welded, painted and plated and then exported. You must realise that plastic windows are a liability, but glass isn't much better, a carefully aimed centre punch will take out most windows. Heck, a chainsaw, a jemmy or even a common hammer will get anyone into your van in a matter of seconds. But it really doesn't happen often, the same tools will get a determined thief into your "secure" brick built home in as many seconds

What I am trying to say is that I agree with the sentiment quoted by kev1:-

We don't lay in bed fearing for our lives.
/snip
Enjoy the van try not to worry

The odds against anything bad happening are very very low, you face far higher risks every time you just drive down the road. Ignore the panic threads that keep cropping up like dragon's teeth, and the prevalent hysteria, and relax. If you can't enjoy it, then perhaps you have to accept this just isn't your thing

 

[Duck Truck]

I am with Pyro
We don't have a caravan because we don't want to be tied to camp sites
We enjoy freedom
We were not born yesterday ( sue says I wasnt' born a million yesterdays)
as Pyro says commonsense think before
Then relax and enjoy.
We do have a dog who when pushed would show anyone round and where we keep stuff
However he does offer a level of noise

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[icantremember]

Just a quickie ... I wondered if the habitation door is susceptible to the same 'popping' as the cab doors? You can tie the cab doors together but I wondered what you would do with the Hab door if it has the same issue?

If you are really concerned about the security of the habitation door you probably have an additional dead lock fitted.
We have an Abus dead lock fitted on ours although had it not been on there when we bought the moho I doubt if we would have specified it.

 

[Vanman]

Look, I'm really sorry if I've upset or scared anyone. It was only meant to be a simple question and it has wandered off far from what I'd intended. It had nothing to do with being in the van at the time, not sure where that came from. It also has nothing to do with being on the move. Neither does it involve dogs or the location where you're parked. It's purely a mechanical question.

The question is - "Can the Hab door be opened, without a key, as easily as the Cab doors can?"

Thanks

 

[pyro]

Hey, nobody's upset. Just that a lot of peeps have been posting worries in a few threads over the past few days, all getting concerned about security.

Half the cr@p talked about gassing and how dangerous it is parking up overnight at French services stations is probably being taken a bit too seriously - or being blown out of all proportion

On the hab door, I suspect it is a bit vulnerable. Ours (Chausson) has one lock and two catches, and seems fairly resistant to being "popped". I've been wondering about beefing it up, and the best I can come up with (least invasive) is to put something on the inside (e.g. a bar across) and then exit from the cab door. Decided it probably isn't worth the hassle for me

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[wigster]

Best thing is and its obvious if you park up for a kip an you dont think or feel safe drive on , its not hard .

 

[RogerThat]

The question is - "Can the Hab door be opened, without a key, as easily as the Cab doors can?"

Yes... Yes, it can

 

[cronkle]

Vanman, are you talking about a sliding door? Your details suggests you have a van conversion on order. If that is the case I do not know the answer. If you are talking about a coachbuilt the answer will depend on who the door was made by and how they constructed/designed it; a bolt type mechanism would probably do the trick.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[TerryL]

Recently took the hab door apart to try and fix a sticky central locking mechanism. Discovered that the entire metal plate holding the door mechanisms was simply bonded to the door itself and was delaminating - result that a good firm pull would have easily opened the door! Re-bonded it and my sticky lock problem went away - door closed better too. There's no "mechanical" (i.e. screws/bolts) fixing anywhere - rubbish Swift construction!

Although we've never worried too much about security, just being sensible that's all, we're glad we've now got our own "Growler"

 

[Polar bear]

My first line of defence is the wife

 

[Vanman]

Sorry, should have said it will be a Sliding Hab door on a Ducato based PVC. I made a bit of a mess of this question really

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[RogerThat]

Sorry, should have said it will be a Sliding Hab door on a Ducato based PVC

Oh.. in which case, I retract my 'yes it can' reply above and I'll replace it with a 'I don't know' instead

 

[Wombles]

These are the best we have found for sliding & rear van conversion doors but only for when not in it http://www.tvl-ltd.co.uk/content/armour-shell

 

[uzsnowdrop]

Not sure Great Uncle Bulgaria will frighten them off though.....prefer a German Shepherd!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[deleted-member02]

Apparently door peeling is becoming a real problem as it's so easy, no tools required.

 

[uzsnowdrop]

My lad is a builder and their builders forums regularly report on door peeling. Some builders have taken to fitting stanley blades along the top edge ,,,, eeeesh

 

[Duck Truck]

I hang a big picture of Sue just behind the hab door
had it peeled three times but you can hear the screams for miles
as they desperately try to hammer it back in place

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[jezport]

The plastic windows in a MH are the easiest point of entry.

 

[Shrimp]

We've been motorhomeing for more years than I can remember & full timing now for 6 years.
Never felt insecure, we do however have a dead-lock on the drivers door and one on the hab door-already fitted when we got the van.
It's a Hymer so only one cab door!

 

[TerryL]

The plastic windows in a MH are the easiest point of entry.

Tell me! I had to replace the biggest one on our van a couple of weeks ago - it took less than 5 minutes!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Kelso]

Hi all, I have been reading some of the comments with interest.
I would like to state a couple of facts (not rumours, but facts). We stopped overnight on a motorway services a bit south of Montpellier, we parked in a well lit area with several other motorhomes. We were robbed.
They got in through the front door while we slept. When we went to the police, they said: Don't park on the motorway services in that area of France, the thiefs are waiting for you. Always go off the motorway to a safe or quiet spot. They asked us if we felt we had been gassed. This tells me that it goes on.
The last piece of advice was to tie the 2 front doors together with a ratchet strap, so even if they pop the lock they can't get in.
I posted a similar report earlier this year and was disappointed at some of the comments (i.e. was it an insurance scam, no gassing takes place - it is a myth etc.).
We are not novices and we live full time in our motorhome travelling around Europe, but it can happen to anybody.
I am not saying it should affect your lifestyle, but at the same time I listen very carefully to what the french police adviced me and feel a lot better for it.
It is very easy to make comments after the facts, but we can always learn from other travellers. (I.e. don't keep all your cash in one place, divide up your credit cards etc.).
That is all I wanted to say and if people don't believe me, that is fine, but I don't like the sarcastic comments that are sometimes made.
Be safe and happy travelling.

 

[aztecannie]

What did the french police advise Kelso?

 

[Kool Kroozer]

Folk do all these safety measures, linking the cab doors together so they cant be opened from outside, strap hab door to something secure - an wake up in the morning and find the little bastids came in via the window

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}