HeoSafe Deadlocks and Proplates

[Geo]

I’ve ordered a proplate from the same website just the one as I believe you only need to do the doors with a key point (I do believe you can get them for the back doors) and I’m also thinking of getting the heosafe locks to.

Any door that has a handle keyed or not can be opened with the screw driver method or as we recovery folk prefer a slim jim between the glass and rubber window seal we and the thieves aim for the rods that connect to the interior handles
dont forget windows and all sky lights, and remember you are only locking plastic windows
But throw all the money you like at it as its only you that has to feel comfortable.

 

[PDrill]

For years I've been wondering what is the case with these proplates and equals, maybe someone here can fill me in on this? Until now I always thougt that if you fit something below the handle and hit it inside the door between the plastic and the door the central locking will click open on all doors, but now I'm seeing stuff about the cabling in the door. What?

And what difference does the factory deadlocking make? Before the next eurotrip I was going to do something about this but seems the trip will be on another van and it will have the deadlocking, so now I'm hoping to understand what's the deal and will I need it.

 

[Deneb]

The exploit involves moving the actuating arm on the lock cylinder via a small blade pushed into the door between the door skin and the bottom of the handle. Pro plates prevent this by shielding the door skin around the handle, preventing it from being deformed as easily, and the better ones also include a steel shield fitted inside the door that further encloses the actuating arm on the lock.

The two door handles without key locks don't have actuating arms, but the unlocking mechanisms are still activated by bowden cables, and if a thief is able to locate and apply tension to the cable that can also actuate the lock, although admittedly it is not as easy.

Factory deadlocks isolate the internal handle mechanisms from the locking motors, preventing the doors being opened from the internal handles, e.g. by breaking a window. But the deadlocks can be deactivated by using the vehicle key in the lock (or the driver might not be able to open the door without a remote fob, e.g. if the fob battery goes flat or using the mechanical secondary key) which unlocks the door by moving the same actuating arm attached to the lock cylinder that the blade exploit targets. So deadlocks can also be disabled by the external lock vulnerability unless prevented by fitting proplates, because manipulating the actuating lever mimics the action of the key.

 

[Abacist]

HeoSafe deadlocks are an after market deadlock that is fitted entirely separately with its own keys and there is no access to them from outside. They are for locking from the inside to prevent either the cab or passenger doors being opened with the main tab door being used as the last departure point on exiting the vehicle and obviously for night time security.

 

[PDrill]

I've been thinking of something like this (for a Ducato based van conversion):

Get the Ducato with factory deadlock system
Install Heosafe for driver's door (minimum)
A separate remote that disables the central locking (by 'disconnecting the central locking fuse' for example)

Now, lock the driver door heosafe. Get out from some other door. Lock the doors with Ducato remote (deadlocking). Disable the central locking with the separate remote.

If I understand correctly, the central locking doesn't now open any doors no matter how you beat up the driver's door. And if you open the door lock with violence the central locking still doesn't open the doors and the heosafe prevents opening of the driver's door. And even if someone would go through a window he couldn't get the doors open because of the Fiat deadlock. Maybe even an alarm system on top of everything and one would need balls of steel to clean the car.

Would this work like I think?

In case the extra-remote would fail, there might be a hidden switch (somewhere very hard to get to as there sould not be any use for it anyway) to enable the central locking.

 

[HowardB]

Seems a bit complicated. If they want in , break window climb in and then open the sliding door. Mine opens from the inside with the deadlocks on.

 

[Abacist]

Seems a bit complicated. If they want in , break window climb in and then open the sliding door. Mine opens from the inside with the deadlocks on.

A deadlock that opens is hardly a deadlock if you think about it!

 

[HowardB]

Maybe not deadlocks then?? It seems to double lock if I press the reomte twice though.

 

[TinaLes]

We have deadlock's on the Fiat Front doors, The Strikeback Growler System also arms itself, the Blue LED's flash all round the van showing the Van is alarmed, but I will still fit the Proplate on the drivers door,(when I get round to it) even with the Fiat upgrade to the lock internals, as I want it to be obvious that the small screwdriver to puncture the door skin under the lock handle will not work.

Fitting the Hoesafe deadlocks inside the van is also a great idea as they look so neat, but it was brought to my attention from one funster that he had fitted them to protect from entry while they were in the van. To be honest, thats not an angle I had considered, but we do have a panic alarm button on the Growler Alarm, which can be set to turn off the internal sensors and disarm the internal sounders, but so far I am reluctant to use it just in case I forget to disarm in the morning and open the hab door.I dont wake up until the second morning coffee.
I Know, I know,! I should set the alarm when going to bed, we are just asking to be gassed!
LES

 

[Stealaway]

Is there really a massive problem with robbers trying to get in a motorhome - especially when it has people in it.
We spend at least 100 day's and night's away in the van, never on campsites and in many remote locations.
Never had a problem or even heard of any one else having breakins. ------ Except for the gassing of course

 

[Burgo]

Is there really a massive problem with robbers trying to get in a motorhome - especially when it has people in it.
We spend at least 100 day's and night's away in the van, never on campsites and in many remote locations.
Never had a problem or even heard of any one else having breakins. ------ Except for the gassing of course

I believe the gassing is still only a problem in some areas, where thieves now solely target motorhomers with valuable watches and jewellery which is insured.
More sinister are the thieves who now gas you, enter the van and steal your valuables - but replace them with exact replicas. Apparently you can wake up and never even know you have been robbed. How incredible is that?

 

[Kasino]

....
but my van has deadlocks and I also have proplates on all four doors

I know this is an old topic, but just out of curiosity, what sort of deadlocks have you got as I am thinking to have them fitted myself.

 

[Deneb]

I know this is an old topic, but just out of curiosity, what sort of deadlocks have you got as I am thinking to have them fitted myself.

I have the Fiat factory deadlocks. If you have a panel van built to UK spec, or indeed any UK spec commercial van, two presses on the remote fob locking button in quick succession enables deadlocking.

Unfortunately deadlocks are not normally fitted to non-UK spec vans which includes continental PVCs and coachbuilt vans both continental and UK built, where the cabs or bare chassis are ordered and delivered to the motorhome builder direct from Italy, and built to european specification.

The prick attack can circumvent the deadlocks as it is operating the lock in the same way as the physical key, but from the back of the lock. But with the lock mechanism protected by pro-plates, the deadlocks are more secure.

 

[Kasino]

... deadlocks are not normally fitted to non-UK spec vans which includes continental PVCs and coachbuilt vans both continental and UK built, where the cabs or bare chassis are ordered and delivered to the motorhome builder direct from Italy, and built to european specification....

My van is LHD, so I don't believe it came with deadlocks fitted from the factory. I actually saw HEOSafe deadlocks for the first time when I met an Austrian chap last week. The fact that you can lock them from the inside of the vehicle is very appealing. I will have to find someone to fit them for me because most of my tools are currently in storage with the movers. I was wondering what deadlocks everyone else is using. Anyway, thank you for pointing that out to me as I was completely unaware that Fiat fitted deadlocks.

 

[Ava the Adria]

Based on what I’ve read about break ins and this thread, I’ve just fitted the Proplates from Protectavan, part of TVL group, who are responsible for the video at the start of this thread. They have people to speak to on their helpline, simple to order and rapid delivery (albeit paid for).
Fitted to the driver’s door on our Adria Matrix based on 2017 LHD Fiat Ducato chassis cab. Process is pretty straightforward and more or less exactly as in the video.
My problems came when stripping it down, I dropped two of the retaining nuts for the handle assembly into the bottom of the door. Could not find one of them, about to go and get some replacements when it appeared in a door drain hole and I managed to recover them with a magnetic ended screwdriver.
Only to drop one again on reassembly. It’s still in there, somewhere!
You’ll need torx and Phillips drivers, a slim socket extension with a magnetic end, trim removing tool and a kneeling mat. The Fiat has an access hole with a bung over it for access to the lower outer of the three retaining nuts, so I didn’t need to reach in like on the video.
I’d stripped it down in no time, but spent an hour cussing searching for lost nuts! Should have taken me less than two hours.
I bought two sets so I can do the passenger door, but after the faff with the lost nuts, that’s not for today.
(My concern is that being LHD with UK plates, the passenger door is at risk of puncture in the uk when the blinds are closed)!

 

[Thornebt]

Based on what I’ve read about break ins and this thread, I’ve just fitted the Proplates from Protectavan, part of TVL group, who are responsible for the video at the start of this thread. They have people to speak to on their helpline, simple to order and rapid delivery (albeit paid for).
Fitted to the driver’s door on our Adria Matrix based on 2017 LHD Fiat Ducato chassis cab. Process is pretty straightforward and more or less exactly as in the video.
My problems came when stripping it down, I dropped two of the retaining nuts for the handle assembly into the bottom of the door. Could not find one of them, about to go and get some replacements when it appeared in a door drain hole and I managed to recover them with a magnetic ended screwdriver.
Only to drop one again on reassembly. It’s still in there, somewhere!
You’ll need torx and Phillips drivers, a slim socket extension with a magnetic end, trim removing tool and a kneeling mat. The Fiat has an access hole with a bung over it for access to the lower outer of the three retaining nuts, so I didn’t need to reach in like on the video.
I’d stripped it down in no time, but spent an hour cussing searching for lost nuts! Should have taken me less than two hours.
I bought two sets so I can do the passenger door, but after the faff with the lost nuts, that’s not for today.
(My concern is that being LHD with UK plates, the passenger door is at risk of puncture in the uk when the blinds are closed)!

Do you need a pro plate on the passenger door? If it doesn't have a keyed lock it should be safe from the spike attack.

 

[SVMC15]

Based on what I’ve read about break ins and this thread, I’ve just fitted the Proplates from Protectavan, part of TVL group, who are responsible for the video at the start of this thread. They have people to speak to on their helpline, simple to order and rapid delivery (albeit paid for).
Fitted to the driver’s door on our Adria Matrix based on 2017 LHD Fiat Ducato chassis cab. Process is pretty straightforward and more or less exactly as in the video.
My problems came when stripping it down, I dropped two of the retaining nuts for the handle assembly into the bottom of the door. Could not find one of them, about to go and get some replacements when it appeared in a door drain hole and I managed to recover them with a magnetic ended screwdriver.
Only to drop one again on reassembly. It’s still in there, somewhere!
You’ll need torx and Phillips drivers, a slim socket extension with a magnetic end, trim removing tool and a kneeling mat. The Fiat has an access hole with a bung over it for access to the lower outer of the three retaining nuts, so I didn’t need to reach in like on the video.
I’d stripped it down in no time, but spent an hour cussing searching for lost nuts! Should have taken me less than two hours.
I bought two sets so I can do the passenger door, but after the faff with the lost nuts, that’s not for today.
(My concern is that being LHD with UK plates, the passenger door is at risk of puncture in the uk when the blinds are closed)!

I think dropping the nuts is part of the fitting process!

 

[SVMC15]

I expect anyone who knows about the breaking in method will know that if the door doesn't have a key hole then it won't work.