Massive thanks to Eddie Vanbitz and Metatrak

SmithsInFrance

SmithsInFrance

Joined
Sep 2, 2016
Posts
601
Likes collected
1,222
Location
France
Funster No
44,921
MH
Burstner
Exp
Since 2015
Long story, but here goes... My son's MH was stolen a couple of years ago, it was his pride and joy. Fortunately insurance paid out but he never wanted to go through that trauma again, so he bought another MH and went straight to Eddie who recommended going the whole hog with alarm, tracker and immobiliser. Son is sooooo grateful that he did.

Son put the MH into storage at Walton on Thames last autumn and went off travelling abroad. He had a Metratrak notification that someone had tried to start the vehicle, but wasn't sure if it was just that his batteries had failed. Then he had an email from the site saying there had been problems, but I spoke to them for him and they said his vehicle wasn't directly affected.

Son finally managed to get a flight home last week and this was how the inside of his van looked. He contacted Eddie who got straight onto Metatrak who sent out an engineer the very next day and sorted it for him. Son can't thank Eddie and Metatrak enough for all their help, despite being closed due to lockdown both came up trumps at his hour of need.

Son is convinced this was a very planned operation - the thieves had already removed half a dozen trackers from other units, plus cut off wheel clamps (he could see the scorched wheel hubs) and raised corner steadies of caravans, but they were held up by his MH which they just couldn't figure out how to get going - they even brought in a battery from another vehicle to bypass his one to see if that would work. The Metatrak guy said they very nearly cracked it, and they probably went off to research and would have been back to finish the job, at which point they would have broken the locks on the gates etc and taken all the MHs and caravans out in one big convoy. Quite a heist!

Son is so glad he managed to get back before it was too late. And Eddie is his hero :smiley:

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68c said:
What is the point of secure storage if it is not secure. Having so many assets in one place is asking for trouble.
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Yes, when he left the MH there he felt it was very secure - at the end of a long country lane, backing onto the river, two sets of gates, bollards etc. But no CCTV or dogs, so if the wardens were tucked up in bed...

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What a Mess!. That is not going to be any "Cheap" fix.

dalspa said:
I wonder what type of thief would have the audacity to steal motorhomes and caravans and drive them away in convoy ?
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Pi-keys!. A "breed" if they can be called that, who believe they are the "untouchables". 4 "stolen" `vans recovered from a site just off the M62 only within the last couple of weeks, one had been missing for some months!. and (I think) one had been stolen from near the South Coast?

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David and Sally said:
It has a steering lock on. So how did they think they would disable that?
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They saw through the steering wheel and it lifts off, happened to a work colleague. When they got it back it had 10cm missing from the circumference of the steering wheel.
 
We’re all the repair costs covered by the company fitting the Metatrak, that is a real result if so ??
 
PeteH said:
What a Mess!. That is not going to be any "Cheap" fix.



Pi-keys!. A "breed" if they can be called that, who believe they are the "untouchables". 4 "stolen" `vans recovered from a site just off the M62 only within the last couple of weeks, one had been missing for some months!. and (I think) one had been stolen from near the South Coast?
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Bet there were no arrests.BUSBY.
 
busby said:
If you cannot park at home what is the alternative? BUSBY.
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My basic point is how can the site operators say it is secure if thieves have no touble accessing the site and spending time there probably making some noise. Of course, parked at home is not really secure parking, but an unattended site in a rural location cannot be considered truly secure. I am fortunate in having space at home but accept a determined thief will be able to take it, however how much time will they spend to get one van. Unless any loss or damage is covered by the site operator it is certain these thefts will continue.

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Must be a spate of break ins unless this is the same site. Copied from FB...Just been informed that the caravan storage at Coney Park was broken into last night and three motor homes stolen including mine. Please keep a lookout for TEC Freetec 594xs. They are quite unusual in the UK. Please share.
 
irnbru so sorry to hear yours has been stolen. It is really upsetting when it has been 'violated' and damaged, let alone stolen.

68c said:
how can the site operators say it is secure if thieves have no touble accessing the site and spending time there probably making some noise
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You are right! They accessed no trouble and must have made quite a lot of noise - son had a Growler alarm and I doubt his was the only one. Why didn't the onsite wardens react??

Another strange aspect to this tale - the only thing actually missing from son's MH was his electric scooter, which he mentioned several times to the warden. Couple of days later, son pops down to bins with bag of rubbish and sees warden riding around on an electric scooter - just like his one. "Is that my scooter?" he asks "Only it looks just like mine". "No" says warden, laughing. Bit later, scooter is propped up against son's MH complete with charger. When questioned, warden said the scooter had been found in one of the caravans with some awnings (ie all put there by the thieves) and they had been keeping it in the office until they found out who it belonged to...

Son had to stay at the site until today because the repairs were only finished yesterday... but he was jolly glad to be getting away from there, some very strange goings on.
 
Hi SmithsInFrance
Very pleased your son got his van fixed by Metatrack, I hope he has it back on the road now?
That storage place needs to be investigated properly by the police, No CCTV is a warning, Wardens sleeping through angle grinders and a Growler Alarm with 5 sirens, and flashing lights, well lets just say they must have been comatose, or in on the job.
I also doubt their side of the stolen electric scooter.
Get the van out of there if it isnt already, and give a full statement to the police, spread the word about how dodgy this caravan storage peace really is.
I know the area pretty well, Shepperton, & Chertsey Bridge is just up the road, need I say more:eek:
Disclaimer: Tar Mac is readily available from other outlets.
LES

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If it is the place I'm thinking of it will just be a simple campsite, not secure storage, and located behind an estate that didn't have a particularly good reputation.
 
TinaL said:
Hi SmithsInFrance
Very pleased your son got his van fixed by Metatrack, I hope he has it back on the road now?
That storage place needs to be investigated properly by the police, No CCTV is a warning, Wardens sleeping through angle grinders and a Growler Alarm with 5 sirens, and flashing lights, well lets just say they must have been comatose, or in on the job.
I also doubt their side of the stolen electric scooter.
Get the van out of there if it isnt already, and give a full statement to the police, spread the word about how dodgy this caravan storage peace really is.
I know the area pretty well, Shepperton, & Chertsey Bridge is just up the road, need I say more:eek:
Disclaimer: Tar Mac is readily available from other outlets.
LES
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Maybe the storage owners were GASSED.:giggle:
 
Was it the Camping and Caravan club site at Walton on Thames or somewhere else?
 
Diabalo said:
Was it the Camping and Caravan club site at Walton on Thames or somewhere else?
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I think Apps Court, used for Hampton Court Flower Show, offers storage facilities now. Not sure about security, but a lot of previous tenants who made it a busy place, had to leave.
 
TinaL said:
Very pleased your son got his van fixed by Metatrack, I hope he has it back on the road now?
That storage place needs to be investigated properly by the police, No CCTV is a warning, Wardens sleeping through angle grinders and a Growler Alarm with 5 sirens, and flashing lights, well lets just say they must have been comatose, or in on the job.
I also doubt their side of the stolen electric scooter.
Get the van out of there if it isnt already, and give a full statement to the police, spread the word about how dodgy this caravan storage peace really is.
I know the area pretty well, Shepperton, & Chertsey Bridge is just up the road, need I say more:eek:
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Kannon Fodda said:
If it is the place I'm thinking of it will just be a simple campsite, not secure storage, and located behind an estate that didn't have a particularly good reputation.
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Diabalo said:
Was it the Camping and Caravan club site at Walton on Thames or somewhere else?
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Yes, it is the C&CC site at Walton on Thames and they do offer it as a storage facility as well as campsite. Son is back on the road now - but it is his f/t home when he is in UK so contacting CMCC today to see if they can help with a site. Fingers crossed. He left as soon as he could, felt very uncomfortable there. Wardens kept asking him when he was leaving. That's why I posted a warning separately on here as soon as he told me he had left - didn't want anyone else to risk losing their van/mh.

I assume the police had already been out when the wardens first discovered the problem. Son called them on Tuesday evening 10.15pm as soon as he discovered the problem. They turned up around 1.30am and said they were on their way to another job and someone would call him - they never did. When his previous van was stolen they didn't even come out, just gave him a crime number (the insurance did more than the police, although they never managed to find it).

As TinaL says, there are serious concerns here. I put it on here, but was a bit wary of how I expressed things because it is a big community and the wardens may be members, or friends of members, and our opinions may have been tinged by the fact that we were all in shock that this had happened. But from what you have all said, it seems our instincts were right. Neither son or I do Facebook, but those of you that do please feel free to pass on the info to protect others.

Re CCTV, to be fair it is up to the C&CC to provide that (and I notice quite a few of you not very impressed with them, especially during the coronavirus crisis), not the wardens, and I suppose it is easy enough to cut off for professionals like this. But as son said, hindsight is cheap, and looking at the site now he could see how vulnerable it is whereas before he was totally satisfied it was safe. He said by the time he arrived several people had already removed their units, and yet there was still probably hundreds of thousands of pounds worth sitting there.

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