Tracker, is there any point?

Elwyn and Janet said:
Hi, sourds perfect, can you message me more details. Thanks
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Hi, I,ve been having a read about this and am having trouble understanding how they work, I realize that if it moves out of the zone you set how does it help you get it back, does it show you where its gone? and does the company return it for you ? I am also assuming that you reset the position every time you park up ?
Jack
 
Final post. TruTrack Pro battery tracker delivered yesterday. First job charge up to full. Easy to set up following instructions and download app. Secreted away in the van as requires no wired connection, geo fenced to alert for any movement. £20 for the unit off Amazon, £5 per month connection subscription.
 
Apacheman said:
We have the Sargent tracker standard fit at manufacture by Autotrail. It’s £135 a year supposedly monitored 24/7. We have had alerts such as when setting off on a ferry or if I’ve been doing work in the van and disconnected a battery. Just this week I’ve had an email from Sargent to say there is no signal. Apparently the tracker battery has gone dead and needs replacing. It’s £55 for a new battery. They also said the current tracker is only 2g and really should be upgraded with a later 4g model at £170? We are insured with Caravanguard. They don’t insist on a tracker but having one makes the premium about 7% cheaper. I’m thinking of ditching the Sargent one and buying one online at around £25 with a £4.99 monthly fee. Even with an additional premium it’ll work out cheaper than replacing with a Sargent battery or upgraded box and their annual fee.
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Understand what you’re saying, just one thing to check is what sort of tracker your insurance needs as I can’t imagine a£25 one will have any Thatchem cat 5 or 7 approval so could well not save you the 7% but hope it all works out and that’s not a great recommendation for Sargeant!
 
Steve I said:
Understand what you’re saying, just one thing to check is what sort of tracker your insurance needs as I can’t imagine a£25 one will have any Thatchem cat 5 or 7 approval so could well not save you the 7% but hope it all works out and that’s not a great recommendation for Sargeant!
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Thanks for your comments. A later post relates to contacting my insurance company and the outcome. My last post relates to fitting another tracker yesterday. 👍
 
Steve I said:
Understand what you’re saying, just one thing to check is what sort of tracker your insurance needs as I can’t imagine a£25 one will have any Thatchem cat 5 or 7 approval so could well not save you the 7% but hope it all works out and that’s not a great recommendation for Sargeant!
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Or worse, if you get the discount because you claim to have a tracker but the insurance won't pay out when you need them to because it wasn't up to spec.
 
WESTY66 said:
I believe you can turn the Metatrak non starter into a monitored tracker therefore insurance friendly, AshWattGuardz can you confirm this? Also ash do you know the costs, and lastly do you lose the self shutdown of the ignition system function?
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Sorry for the delayed reply.
The answer is yes but also no. It depends on the equipment that has been installed. The latest systems can be changed over to an S7 (or S5 if ID tags are added in) but the older systems can't unfortunately. Metatrak can confirm what system is installed and advise accordingly.
If it can be changed then all the original features remain intact. You just get the accreditation require for the tracking purposes.

Ash
 
I just keep a Smart Tag hidden behind a cupboard on mine, seems to work pretty well, and spare keys at home so I can steal it back maybe. Credit card size Pebble Bee Card works pretty well, as do the Clips
 
Reading this with interest as I have MetaTrak from VanBitz on my MAN TGE based Knaus, current insurer (NFU) doesn’t ask for a tracker and MetaTrak have just offered me another 3 years subscription at £500.00.

I’ll probably pay it (or get earache at home) but I’m the kind of person who would rather not have the van back if it gets pinched.

As with all things VanBitz the alarm is top dollar and the tracker works well - alerts are a bit slow coming through but they always come.

One thing I would advise anybody buying a tracker subscription though is to think about how long they are going to be around for, MetaTrak is one of the better operators but they ran into trouble and their owners had to seek protection from bankruptcy in 2024. They have subsequently been bought by an investment group and look pretty solid now but I can’t help but think that it’s worth doing a bit of research if you are buying into a subscription based service.

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Jacasino said:
Reading this with interest as I have MetaTrak from VanBitz on my MAN TGE based Knaus, current insurer (NFU) doesn’t ask for a tracker and MetaTrak have just offered me another 3 years subscription at £500.00.

I’ll probably pay it (or get earache at home) but I’m the kind of person who would rather not have the van back if it gets pinched.

As with all things VanBitz the alarm is top dollar and the tracker works well - alerts are a bit slow coming through but they always come.

One thing I would advise anybody buying a tracker subscription though is to think about how long they are going to be around for, MetaTrak is one of the better operators but they ran into trouble and their owners had to seek protection from bankruptcy in 2024. They have subsequently been bought by an investment group and look pretty solid now but I can’t help but think that it’s worth doing a bit of research if you are buying into a subscription based service.
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So if you’d rather not have the van back if it’s gets pinched why waste £500?
I’m the same if they want it that badly they can have it.
 
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stevewagner said:
The problem is that they are nearly all fitted in the same place on a Fiat Ducato. I won’t say where though, but I expect most do know!
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I’m sure that’s the case. I wonder if dummy units are ever used to slow the thieving scum down?
 
I have the Metatrak and Growler alarm but I don't think the tracker is approved by my insurers that require a tracker. So I have a Thatcham approved Phantom tracker too.
 
CazPaul said:
So if you’d rather not have the van back if it’s gets pinched why waste £500?
I’m the same if they want it that badly they can have it.
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Completely agree, especially if you have a new for old policy in the first 24 months. Guess that’s why they make trackers a mandatory requirement for some.
 
I have five GPS trackers in my Hymer, in addition to the so-called monitored one
,
One each reporting the following
Sensor 21: (Q GV500)Van Engine Battery Voltage 13.487
Sensor 22: (Q GB100)Van Leisure Battery Voltage 13.611
Sensor 23: (Q GL300)Van EHU On/Off Monitor ON
Sensor 24: (Q GL300)Van Batteries Temperature 7.2 °C
Sensor 25: (Q GL300)Van Fridge Temperature 3.3 °C
I can send any or all of them a text message asking for the GPS position.

Oh. and a new one, to be monitoring the temperature of the Schaudt WA121545 B2B
factory fitted in a not-too-well-ventilated double floor
 
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I've known two people who have packed their van for a trip and then had it stolen. Both of them if given the choice would have their van back within 48 hours than deal with insurers who never, ever, recompense you fully for everything you lose.

One of them did have a tracker, they were in Spain within a week.
 
jim said:
I've known two people who have packed their van for a trip and then had it stolen. Both of them if given the choice would have their van back within 48 hours than deal with insurers who never, ever, recompense you fully for everything you lose.

One of them did, they were in Spain within a week.
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I was thinking more the new for old in my policy. Although, when you take a step back and think about the actual content, then the wait for another van. If it can be tracked and brought back without too much damage it’s the best option I agree. Although a new van after 23.5 months of use would be nice 🤣
 
There are 3 choices. Either you have to have one (insurance), you choose to have one, or you don’t bother.
If you have to have one generally it’ll be expensive.
If you choose to have one you can get them for around £20 with £5 per month 4G self monitoring via an app on your phone, or you can spend £100s.
If you don’t have one then it costs nothing.
No right, no wrong just down to circumstances, fitters preferences or personal choice.

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Jacasino said:
Reading this with interest as I have MetaTrak from VanBitz on my MAN TGE based Knaus, current insurer (NFU) doesn’t ask for a tracker and MetaTrak have just offered me another 3 years subscription at £500.00.

I’ll probably pay it (or get earache at home) but I’m the kind of person who would rather not have the van back if it gets pinched.

As with all things VanBitz the alarm is top dollar and the tracker works well - alerts are a bit slow coming through but they always come.

One thing I would advise anybody buying a tracker subscription though is to think about how long they are going to be around for, MetaTrak is one of the better operators but they ran into trouble and their owners had to seek protection from bankruptcy in 2024. They have subsequently been bought by an investment group and look pretty solid now but I can’t help but think that it’s worth doing a bit of research if you are buying into a subscription based service.
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On top of that, if a company ends up changing hands, will they still want to know customers from the previous incarnation?

I had a scorpion alarm on mine with an external sensor fault. Contacted scorpion and they didn't want to know.

Just told me to do a Google search for a local specialist, and that they would have no parts available.

Appalling way to treat a customer.

Went to Wattguardz.
 
Something else to be aware of. Many older systems and I say old but this applied to my 2020 plate Autotrail fitted with the Sargent tracker, are only 2g. As that gets switched off in more and more places, they won’t work. I only found that out when my tracker battery went caput and Sargent suggested I replace the whole unit with a 4g one.
 
Mleabon said:
I have the Metatrak and Growler alarm but I don't think the tracker is approved by my insurers that require a tracker. So I have a Thatcham approved Phantom tracker too.
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Comfort is my insurer
Metatrac is my tracker
It's approved.
 
One reason to have a tracker:

There was a rather sad story on this forum a few months ago with a family from (Denmark?) frantically trying to find their mother (in her 60's) who travelled in her motorhome down to Spain every winter.

She suddenly stopped communicating.
Appeals out to the Motorhomers in Spain to find her.
They eventually found her passed away in her motorhome.

A tracker would have saved so much time and grief.
 
Coastal Cruiser. said:
After having 4 excavators weighing up to 22t stolen over the years and not finding any of them I think they are a complete waste of time. I only have them on my vehicles if insurance insists, the car I recently bought had a Vodafone tracker fitted and I have found dealing with them a nightmare!!
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I totally agree . The thieves know where they are usually fitted and rip them out .
 
Just us on Tour said:
I totally agree . The thieves know where they are usually fitted and rip them out .
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Which is why I'd never use a factory fitted tracker.

For heavy plant, which is typically stolen to order by professional thieves there are trackers available that do a single pulse every 3-4 hours. Which means if they use some sort of tracker finding device, they will not find it.

Especially if they find the factory fitted one first.
 
I have a tracker, glad I do, but doubt Ill ever need it as it's got the top whack security fitted by wattguardz so the only way that vans moving is on a flatbed, which is when the tracker will alert me and the company. Plus the steering lock, patriot lock, pedal lock etc.
 
WESTY66 said:
It is now wattguardz contact AshWattGuardz he can advise you on either👍
There is no one better at installing alarms and trackers, based in Somerset with a free nights camping with every installation👍
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Same place, different name?

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Brains said:
Comfort is my insurer
Metatrac is my tracker
It's approved.
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I'm with Comfort too so I'll check when I renew my insurance. If it's approved I can stop paying Phantom. I've had mine quite a while so possibly older models aren't or just weren't approved by the insurer at the time. Watch this space. The metatrak is a must better installation than the Phantom. Just had a thought....do you pay Metatrak for monitoring? I don't. There are several different models and monitoring packages.
 
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LiFePO4Convert said:
I have five GPS trackers in my Hymer, in addition to the so-called monitored one
,
One each reporting the following
Sensor 21: (Q GV500)Van Engine Battery Voltage 13.487
Sensor 22: (Q GB100)Van Leisure Battery Voltage 13.611
Sensor 23: (Q GL300)Van EHU On/Off Monitor ON
Sensor 24: (Q GL300)Van Batteries Temperature 7.2 °C
Sensor 25: (Q GL300)Van Fridge Temperature 3.3 °C
I can send any or all of them a text message asking for the GPS position.

Oh. and a new one, to be monitoring the temperature of the Schaudt WA121545 B2B
factory fitted in a not-too-well-ventilated double floor
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What make are those?
 
Mleabon said:
I'm with Comfort too so I'll check when I renew my insurance. If it's approved I can stop paying Phantom. I've had mine quite a while so possibly older models aren't or just weren't approved by the insurer at the time. Watch this space. The metatrak is a must better installation than the Phantom. Just had a thought....do you pay Metatrak for monitoring? I don't. There are several different models and monitoring packages.
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I dont think the older Metatrack immobilizers are approved - I had to upgrade my 2019 one, with a new Deadlock version

Edit - there was nothing "upgrade" about it - I had to buy a new one.
 

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