Break-ins

[R1guy]

I'm thinking of making my ducato more secure and was just wondering if we all get over paranoid when it comes to security like we do with axle weights and mopeds
How many of us have experienced motorhome break-ins while away?
I personally have not, including trips to Italy (including Milan and the Pisa) france, germany, Austria, Spain, Holland .

 

[Podney]

We haven’t,but only been at it a couple of years.
It would be interesting to know the statistics for moho break-ins,compared to houses.
Insurance companies would know,but no reason why they should tell us.

 

[irnbru]

I think we can only do our best to deter the thief. If it looks iffy we move, don't leave items of value on display etc. If a thief wants in they will get in and might damage your van even more with added security. Its a lottery.

 

[Odd-no-more]

Never has a break in in many years and only our last 2 Van's had alarms. We are always careful and don't take valuables with us, but they wouldn't know that until they break in. We do always use sites, and lock doors. We tend to stay away from big cities so it may be worse there.

 

[Lenny HB]

Been Motorhoming for 11 years never had any problems and we hardly ever use sites.

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[WillH]

Only problem we ever had was an attempted theft of our bikes frm the carrier in the middle of the night. This was on a C&MC site. The theft was prevented by the chains we had round the bikes. I started to chase the guy but lost him in the fog. Police were involved, he was a known local thief.

 

[Caggsie1]

Which CAMC site WillH.

 

[Riverbankannie]

We’ve been broken into whilst asleep. We were on the sea front in Spain. A long thin implement pushed up under the door lock. My handbag taken. The door was opened and amazingly shut again. Something disturbed my husband and he got up to find the fiat display lit up on the dashboard. At the time, we couldn’t figure out what had gone on. We found the doors unlocked but closed and I just accused him of not setting the Fiat locks from the dashboard switch, so we pressed the switch and they locked and we went back to sleep!
Next day, when I needed my purse, I discovered my bag was missing and then it all fell into place and I discovered the imperceptible ding under the door lock.
I now know how to set the alarm whilst immobilising the interior motion detectors.
We have fitted proplates around the door handles.
We had been MHing for 10 years in all sorts of places without problem so very complacent !
We had not had any alcohol and we were not gassed. (We haven’t had one of those threads for a while!) but it just shows how you cannot imagine how someone could do that whilst we were asleep. Just a PVC Ducato so not a huge space.

 

[R1guy]

We’ve been broken into whilst asleep. We were on the sea front in Spain. A long thin implement pushed up under the door lock. My handbag taken. The door was opened and amazingly shut again. Something disturbed my husband and he got up to find the fiat display lit up on the dashboard. At the time, we couldn’t figure out what had gone on. We found the doors unlocked but closed and I just accused him of not setting the Fiat locks from the dashboard switch, so we pressed the switch and they locked and we went back to sleep!
Next day, when I needed my purse, I discovered my bag was missing and then it all fell into place and I discovered the imperceptible ding under the door lock.
I now know how to set the alarm whilst immobilising the interior motion detectors.
We have fitted proplates around the door handles.
We had been MHing for 10 years in all sorts of places without problem so very complacent !
We had not had any alcohol and we were not gassed. (We haven’t had one of those threads for a while!) but it just shows how you cannot imagine how someone could do that whilst we were asleep. Just a PVC Ducato so not a huge space.

What a horrible experience, it is the door handle plates along with heosoulution locks which possibly could have stopped your attack.
However they may just have smashed the window or forced a plastic one if they really wanted.
You can't stop them, just slow them down. Or move them onto some other target ?

 

[Riverbankannie]

The door handle plates or the heosafe locks (as long as locked from inside) would have prevented it. I am not a fan of barricading myself inside and I blame myself for not learning how the alarm worked.
The next night we did go to a site, Villanova Park near Barcelona but we hated it so the following night back on an aire again outside Barcelona. The experience didn’t put us off at all.
We were not frightened at the time because we didn’t know it was going on !
I agree, when leaving the MH parked up to go out for the day, then all the locks and alarms will not stop them especially with those plastic windows. I’m still casual about leaving it, otherwise no point going away on holiday if all you are going to do is worry.

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[webby1]

What a horrible experience, it is the door handle plates along with heosoulution locks which possibly could have stopped your attack.
However they may just have smashed the window or forced a plastic one if they really wanted.
You can't stop them, just slow them down. Or move them onto some other target ?

Of course,you can't stop them BUT you miss that the most frightening thing was that they were quietly broken into whilst they were asleep.......ahh

 

[ivorantony]

Although we have been burgled twice at home while we were asleep upstairs we have been fortunate
With the motorhome,
I have fitted deadlocks to the two doors and the alarm system is on with additional blue LEDs in the windows,
These are visible even with the blinds down.
Being a A class I retract the step and the plastic side windows are a good five feet off the ground so would be very difficult to climb through without waking us,
Also have a metal safe bolted to the chassis, ( I won’t say where ) that the valuables are locked in,

We laugh about the last burglary we had, after the insurance claim for all the stolen items was being processed and three weeks after the Burglary, My sister in law who was staying with us asked me were the Hoover was? The buggers had taken our new Dyson and my good wife hadn’t noticed, I still ribbed her about it,
Had to get on to the insurance to get it included in the claim,

 

[WillH]

Caggsie1 it was Chester Fairoaks, near Ellesmere Port, about three years ago when returning home from France.

 

[dabhand]

Get yourselves a yappy little terrier

 

[Just smiffy]

Get yourselves a yappy little terrier

How do I get this to bark...? ?

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[Ernesto]

Get yourselves a yappy little terrier

I think I’d rather be broken into ??? .....


but seriously for a moment, I think the follow up question I’d like answering ... how many people have had their perimeter alarm armed and set, with flashing lights going, and still been broken into?

 

[TheBig1]

Get yourselves a yappy little terrier

much prefer the silent but deadly staffy solution personally

 

[two]

We have been burgled whist asleep in the van. It hasn't changed the way we use the van, though. Just very inconvenient and rather costly. If you start getting nervous about these things, it could spoil the enjoyment.

 

[Ernesto]

We have been burgled whist asleep in the van. It hasn't changed the way we use the van, though. Just very inconvenient and rather costly. If you start getting nervous about these things, it could spoil the enjoyment.

Any alarm set?

 

[dabhand]

Now the problem with that is that it would be classed as an offensive weapon and therefore you could be done for attempted murder technically I guess (I’m not a lawyer) however, 3 or 4 lb of magilite torch which I need to see whose at the door, now that’s a different matter entirely!

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[dabhand]

The baseball bat that is!

 

[Abacist]

I went a bit OTT in our first van and fitted pro-plates, heosafe deadlocks, it already had an alarm which we set at night, alloy wheel locks, a locking clamp over the valuable bit of the exhaust pipe and window alarms and for good measure fitted rape alarms to the roof lights in case anyone felt like dropping in on us. Never had a problem but we avoided motorway service areas in any country and picked and chose where we stopped at night.

In the A class we have a Vanbitz alarm and all the gadgets and that's been enough so far!

 

[two]

Any alarm set?

No, were were rather tired and went to bed with valuables left on the table(!) We do try to set it if we feel vulnerable, but are generally trusting of fellow citizens.

I had previously decided that I would attack any intruder with the intention of collecting DNA but now realise how ineffective that would be:
To be alert enough to do anything sensible if woken from a deep sleep.
To be able to get out of bed with any speed or degree of surprise.
To be able to see the culprit without spectacles on.
To attack without a suitable weapon to hand.
I would not have any footwear or clothing to chase anyone outside.
They may retaliate and be much fitter than me.

 

[Parrot Face]

We've been camping, caravanning and motorhoming all our lives. Never been broken into or robbed. Sometimes its just bad luck , sometimes stupidity. We met a couple in Spain once who couldn't believe that we'd never been robbed. They'd been robbed about 3 times. They were also surprised that we locked and alarmed the motorhome when we went for showers or toilet! As we were talking, the woman was going for a shower and the husband was running to catch her up, their caravan door was wide open. Ernesto makes a good point and we feel even more secure with the Growler alarm system. However we never feel smug about it and are always conscious of threats.

 

[webby1]

No, were were rather tired and went to bed with valuables left on the table(!) We do try to set it if we feel vulnerable, but are generally trusting of fellow citizens.

I had previously decided that I would attack any intruder with the intention of collecting DNA but now realise how ineffective that would be:
To be alert enough to do anything sensible if woken from a deep sleep.
To be able to get out of bed with any speed or degree of surprise.
To be able to see the culprit without spectacles on.
To attack without a suitable weapon to hand.
I would not have any footwear or clothing to chase anyone outside.
They may retaliate and be much fitter than me.

Tend to agree with your logic there, especially as I get older and my well being becomes more important and more fragile then anything we might carry in the van.
Any weapon could be turned against you by an angry intruder.

Once thought about carrying a spray of Deep Heat(for my muscular pain) and then I began to think about what it would be like sprayed in MY face by the younger ,fitter,angrier intruder who snatched it from my grasp as I pointed it at him.

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[The Wino]

We have been lucky I suppose we often use aires but never had a problem. I have thought about fitting some flashing blue leds must get around to it

 

[Billmyl]

Any alarm set?

 

[Toady]

Took a picture of this van last night because I noted his security. Fiamia locks on all the windows.....is this a step too far?

 

[two]

We've been camping, caravanning and motorhoming all our lives. Never been broken into or robbed. Sometimes its just bad luck , sometimes stupidity. We met a couple in Spain once who couldn't believe that we'd never been robbed. They'd been robbed about 3 times. They were also surprised that we locked and alarmed the motorhome when we went for showers or toilet! As we were talking, the woman was going for a shower and the husband was running to catch her up, their caravan door was wide open. Ernesto makes a good point and we feel even more secure with the Growler alarm system. However we never feel smug about it and are always conscious of threats.

i agree that we should take more care. Also try not to look more affluent/attractive to thieves.
It's a sad reflection on today's society but there you are. I used to have an old farm house with barns and a workshop, none of which were ever locked, and never lost anything from them. Always try to keep them locked, alarmed and have cctv running now.

 

[The Wino]

Took a picture of this van last night because I noted his security. Fiamia locks on all the windows.....is this a step too far?

We were on an aire once when a van came really late at night he had been to a restaurant and came out to find his van had been broken into they had a lot of damage as they had fiamma locks like that fitted and the doorframe was badly damaged when it was prised off.

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