Motorhome Alarms (1 Viewer)

Dec 20, 2010
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Hi all, can any of you recomend a good alarm system for a motorhome.
Has anyone had stikeback growler alarm fitted. We have spent a lot of money buying the van, so we would like good protection. Thanks in advance. John.
 
D

Deleted member 29692

Deleted User
You've answered your own question.

All you need to do now is ring Vanbitz for a quote. (y)
 
OP
OP
Chocy boy
Dec 20, 2010
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£1000 + for a growler. As anyone out there had one fitted.

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Oct 30, 2010
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Had Growler fitted on our old van and now on our new(ish) van and never had a problem or a false alarm.
Expensive but excellent bit of kit and both were very well fitted.
Like Nick said, just call VanBitz and don't forget your discount.

Richard.

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PeteH

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Nov 22, 2007
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Had a Strike-back in my old R-V. The Alarm (Devils Wail?) Volume was Awesome. If you where inside when it went off you did not want to linger!. It had the External loop as well. Which is a deterrent if you are parked up and do not want to put all the chairs etc back in the locker.I used to run an extension though the "A" frame on the Smart Car as an extra precaution, when travelling.

Did however have some issues with False Alarms. But to be fair Strike-back had us back and worked on it, eventually replacing the unit (brain) FOC even though it was actually just out of warranty.

The new to us Rapido, has alarm fitted new by Brownhills, which is more than adequate, just no External loop, which is sad.

Biggest issue is that Nowadays alarms going off tend to be ignored by the Public / other campers. which IMHO makes a tracker a better Bet?

I have fitted (Hidden) one, which I can track in real time on my Android Phone, No fee`s.

Pete.

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Dec 5, 2013
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Vanbitz head and shoulders above the alternatives that I have looked at.
Fantastic support & real peace of mind.
 

Chris

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May 5, 2010
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We had the Growler fitted on our last van. Fantastic bit of kit.

You really do get what you pay for.
 

Jim

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Jul 19, 2007
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Hi, have a read about Broken Link Removed (y)

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Last edited:

Don Quixote

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Not long enough, but a little common sense helps..........
Another one for strikeback growler, however you have to use it to make it work. I see so many MH'ers with them fitted at meets, shows etc and they never switch them on day or night. We switch ours on every night before going to bed regardless where we are. Why pay so much and not use it.
 

scotjimland

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Jul 25, 2007
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Our present van came with a Vanbitz strike-back alarm already installed.

It's a very tidy installation, something I am very fussy about and can find nothing to complain about. Very professional installation.

I particularly like the facility to arm it when sleeping or if we go out and the dogs are left on guard duty.

had no problems with it .. it's loud, and it works.. no false alarms so far.. what else can you say about an alarm.
 

RowleyBirkinQC

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Sep 20, 2014
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Another vote for the growler system on our van.

Plus the name has potential for humourous conversation with others, such as down the MOT station etc ;)
 
R

Robert Clark

Deleted User
I'm waiting to have a Growler fitted on my new van
Looked at 'cheaper' options, but they were designed mainly for cars and only had a single internal flashing LED
The Growler comes with external flashing LED's, which in my opinion is the ultimate deterrant. I'd rather deter a potential attacker, rather than scare them off with a loud siren, once they've broken in.

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Judge Mental

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My take. I would only fit an alarm if its an insurance company stipulation...most take no notice of alarms sounding. Does not deter smash and grab thieves. Fit a safe and secondary dead locking.... + dummy flashing led's
 

eddie

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My take. I would only fit an alarm if its an insurance company stipulation...most take no notice of alarms sounding. Does not deter smash and grab thieves. Fit a safe and secondary dead locking.... + dummy flashing led's
Lol happily lock you in Motorhome with a Growler sounding and see how long you can last? See if you can ignore a Growler's internal siren system.

Or, are you saying that if you saw a Motorhome, being burgled with an alarm sounding you would do nothing, turn your back and walk away?
 

eddie

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Edit: not having a pop as since I have met you on Fun you seem a throughly likeable chap and I don't believe for one minute that you would turn your back on a fellow Motorhomers plight

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Judge Mental

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Lol happily lock you in Motorhome with a Growler sounding and see how long you can last? See if you can ignore a Growler's internal siren system.

Or, are you saying that if you saw a Motorhome, being burgled with an alarm sounding you would do nothing, turn your back and walk away?

Hoy birthday boy! don't take your hangover out on me!:D
 

PeteH

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Nov 22, 2007
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My take. I would only fit an alarm if its an insurance company stipulation...most take no notice of alarms sounding. Does not deter smash and grab thieves. Fit a safe and secondary dead locking.... + dummy flashing led's
Pretty Much my Point over the public ignoring alarms, Including me!. Yesterday out shopping, white van, alarm went off, and all I did was look, On this occasion it was obvious that it was "accidental" as it was immediately cancelled. BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. One car we had, had an alarm, and we only found out it was there when it went off, the previous owner had fitted it under the dash no indications, keys,zapper, or anything. I spent 10 minutes ripping cable out to stop it. in that time NO ONE even enquired what was going on!.

I do have alarm and it get me a discount, BUT I think the tracker might be a better bet?.
Maybe? then come the question, if the van has been trashed, do you WANT it back?

Pete
 
Oct 30, 2010
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One thing that has changed on our new Growler is that the previous red LED's have been changed to blue and they are MUCH brighter.
That is great in daylight as they show up more than the old, dimmer red ones did but at night they are VERY bright.
So bright that when we first brought the van home my next door neighbour, a retired very senior police officer, thought that an over officious copper could nick us for imitating a police vehicle.
Also, when parked on an aire and close to the next van the light by the hab door is likely to light up next doors bedroom unless their screens are tightly shut.
This year I have taken to covering the side LED with a bit of duct tape so as not to annoy neighbours on aires.

They could do with a dimmer to reduce the brightness at night but I guess that would add complication and price.

Richard.

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Jim

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They could do with a dimmer to reduce the brightness at night but I guess that would add complication and price.

My Strikeback/Growler comes with High and Low Profile switch. The blue lights are bright and a very good deterrent. A flick off a switch and the blue lights are soft. On a campsite, in the close proximity of others I might make the lights softer. When were kipping on the motorway aire (yes we do, we have hundreds of nights on them) then we use the brightest setting. This was an optional extra and a relatively new option on the strikeback. I don't know if they are retrofitting it.

NB, just humour the retired copper :rolleyes:
 

zac

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had mine fitted a couple of weeks ago and it has that option too of toning down the brightness of the leds, i use that when at home as neighbours will only complain at how bright they are. So far on the soft setting no complaints, not really tested it since having it fitted as not been away but we will be next weekend so will give it a run then. I opted for the GSM part as well so if it does go off i get a text/call to tell me as that way i will get back to it as cant rely on others to look in.

It is expensive but for us it is peace of mind when in aires which we use a lot of when travelling through europe.
 

RowleyBirkinQC

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We also have the high/low LED brightness setting on ours. Within a couple of nights of having the Growler fitted, a neighbour walking her dog rang the door bell at 10:30pm to ask me if the van was ok due to the various bright lights flashing merrily away. Nice of her to at least ask if there was a potential issue given she had noticed a difference. We now keep the LEDs on the low setting at home/on sites, selectively elevating relative to where we leave the van otherwise.

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Oct 30, 2010
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Thanks for those answers re a dimmer switch. We don't seem to have that on our system which was fitted in March this year.
Perhaps it can be retro fitted and as I intend to talk to VanBitz about fitting some other kit in the near future I will ask them then.....unless Eddie can give an answer on here of course. :)

Richard.
 

eddie

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Thanks for those answers re a dimmer switch. We don't seem to have that on our system which was fitted in March this year.
Perhaps it can be retro fitted and as I intend to talk to VanBitz about fitting some other kit in the near future I will ask them then.....unless Eddie can give an answer on here of course. :)

Richard.
Nothing is impossible, but as every system is slightly different being a bespoke system we would need to consult the installation file for your Motorhome to see how much work would be involved.

Funny that the old lady and the retired Police officer should "take notice" of an alarm system as apparently "No one takes any notice of alarms":ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 

zac

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Nothi

Nothing is impossible, but as every system is slightly different being a bespoke system we would need to consult the installation file for your Motorhome to see how much work would be involved.

Funny that the old lady and the retired Police officer should "take notice" of an alarm system as apparently "No one takes any notice of alarms":ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

I think a lot of time they don't, our garage alarm was blasting away earlier in the week at just after 3am due to internal PIR being tripped. This is very loud but not a light bulb on anywhere in the street. they all must be sound sleepers as it woke me and the house is not even attached to the garage. Same went for the house alarm when i cut through the wires accidentally of course. No one came round to see if we were being burglered, i think most of the time people just accept they always go off. Our street is also neighbour hood watch as well lol

I prefer to have them though regardless as it is a detterrent and may just be enough to make them move to the next house/garage/van etc :)

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