Motorhome Theft

[simbadog]

Theft of motorhomes seems to be at an all time high I'm seeing several new notifications every day, it's getting ridiculous, seen several videos recently where thieves are brazenly cutting locks off in broad daylight! Surely there must be something that can be done?

 

[irnbru]

Lots of anti theft deterrents out there if your willing to invest to protect your pride and joy.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Growler + non starter…….. and blocked in by two cars

 

[Brains]

I'm surprised that the insurance companies will even talk to prospective clients unless they have got a non-starter, tracker and alarm.

And that is just as a start.
I'd want to know what other precautions were being taken, such as bollards, hiding keys, CCTV etc. etc.

When we got our van we literally drove from the dealers forecourt to VanBitz to get all the security stuff fitted. (It also helped that our insurer insisted on it before they would offer full cover)

 

[WESTY66]

I'm surprised that the insurance companies will even talk to prospective clients unless they have got a non-starter, tracker and alarm.

And that is just as a start.
I'd want to know what other precautions were being taken, such as bollards, hiding keys, CCTV etc. etc.

When we got our van we literally drove from the dealers forecourt to VanBitz to get all the security stuff fitted. (It also helped that our insurer insisted on it before they would offer full cover)

Third van, third growler and non starter, it’s all I need for peace of mind, wouldn’t have a van without it regardless of insurance requirements

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[Dutch 68]

It will possibly be going the same way as with expensive cars, if security gets too good then you will find them next to your bed, asking you politely to hand everything over if you want to enjoy life for a bit longer, very sad but that the way the world is going. One of the best deterrents still is at least two or more vicious dogs….

 

[eddie]

It will possibly be going the same way as with expensive cars, if security gets too good then you will find them next to your bed, asking you politely to hand everything over if you want to enjoy life for a bit longer, very sad but that the way the world is going. One of the best deterrents still is at least two or more vicious dogs….

Until the Penny drops with a cunning thief and they wait till you take the dogs out for a walk to break in! Until that day dawns you may be right!

Re the waking up bit with "them" next to the bed, give them the keys! when they drive off, use your phone to immobilise the motorhome and when it stops tell the Police where the "armed criminals are"

 

[Al n Val]

Until the Penny drops with a cunning thief and they wait till you take the dogs out for a walk to break in! Until that day dawns you may be right!

Re the waking up bit with "them" next to the bed, give them the keys! when they drive off, use your phone to immobilise the motorhome and when it stops tell the Police where the "armed criminals are"

Eddie
serious question, does your phone tell you (let you know) that the vans being driven away in the event of an unknown theft or does anyone /anything

cheers Al

 

[GMLS]

It will possibly be going the same way as with expensive cars, if security gets too good then you will find them next to your bed, asking you politely to hand everything over if you want to enjoy life for a bit longer, very sad but that the way the world is going. One of the best deterrents still is at least two or more vicious dogs….

If any one wakes up my Mrs in the middle of the night, she can be more frightening than a few dogs!

I think plenty of visual deterrents will still put off any that might be tempted to break in for the keys. Multiple layers of physical security, turn the chair around and lock it and probably best of all, if you have an electrically powered drop down bed, lower it and if you only use the van occasionally, pop the fuse out as well

Interesting to see that with the increase in thefts, others are still suggesting premiums are falling

 

[Wack]

I was told there's a device available for a few hundred pounds that can get into and start all fiats post the new 500 in seconds with no damage , the way round it is to change your door locks so they're different to the ignition, , thieves decode the key from a door lock which doesn't have any pick protection, then this gives them a makeshift key to turn the ignition on, then get someone to rewire the OBD port so it can't be connected to without an adapter

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[Coastal Cruiser.]

Growler & Tracker, removable steering wheel and Mrs CCs car in front

And for extra security 2 Jack Russell guard dogs
Hopefully the scum will try to nick it when they are awake though

 

[eddie]

Eddie
serious question, does your phone tell you (let you know) that the vans being driven away in the event of an unknown theft or does anyone /anything

cheers Al

Within reason you can have anything you want, as we offer a bespoke motorhome security service, so Yes/No answers are hard, also as we have been installing security equipment since 1990 and there are tens of thousands on motorhomes driving around with Van Bitz alarms on them, I sometimes get into pointless arguments saying it does this or that and random people tell me I am wrong lol

So the "disclaimer" out of the way lol Yes, if you have the Non Starter option, you have a number of ways of ensuring this doesn't happen

Firstly, as the name suggests "Non Starter" we started to to combat key theft as Dutch 68 is right that as security has improved it is easier to break into your house and nick the keys carefully hidden in the kitchen drawer! So it incorporates your smart phone into your motorhome security regime. In essence you immobilise your motorhome with an App on your phone so now the thief has to guess its there and how it works, steal your phone, guess your PIN and lets be honest, stealing motorhomes by threatening violence in the middle of the night is rare to the point it doesn't happen, so it would be someone breaking into your house to nick your keys when your at work or gone shopping, or in a holiday mode scenario, nicking you keys from under you towel on the beach while you swim.

So, without your phone, your van won't start even if the scroat has the keys.

Secondly, the alarm would trigger in the question above and the alarm would message the Non Starter and the system would send you and SMS (text) message and also a "push notification" to the App

Thirdly if you wished you can set up a "ring fence" around your motorhome so it it moves outside the set "ring" again you get notified on your Smart phone, so dragging your motorhome onto a low loader wouldn't work either! But again in the "Real world" anyone that has seen the AA & RAC recover anything other than the smallest panel van, know that there is no such thing as simple!

Mind you one of our customers that came to us as he'd had two motorhomes stolen and was getting pee'd off, had a eye bolt concreted into his drive to use the accessory protection circuit (bike loop) which is standard on our motorhome security system so even if someone tried to "push" the van away the bike loop would unplug and trigger the alarm before the motorhome was off the drive!

It was really envisaged to protect bikes and trailers, but it did seem a good idea

 

[busbuddy]

As sad as it is, the best current deterrent is to make yours less appealing/less easy than your neighbours one but if they want it they will have it
I've known them to be lifted with a hiab over the security post and straight onto the back of a lorry, never attempted to pick any locks at all

 

[TDub49]

Where are all these thefts of motorhomes taking place? Down here near sunny Southampton they either go unreported or don't happen with any regularity so is there a "hotspot" in the UK for motorhome theft?

 

[P Bentley]

One of the best deterrents still is at least two or more vicious dogs….

Until they escape out of the van and savage a child or other person to death.

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[andy63]

Lots of anti theft deterrents out there if your willing to invest to protect your pride and joy.

Second that..
one or two good quality visible deterents...steering wheel locks and pedal locks come immediately to mind.. with a good alarm and those cut the odds of losing your vehicle..but of course if its parked somewhere where they can have the time to work on it then there isn't much that can be done..
I recently bought a vehicle that is quite desirable and easily taken..
I looked into getting one of these newish .."ghost immobiliser " which use inbuilt vehicle networking so pretty well undetectable and you don't need any additional fobs and stuff like that..
Unfortunately my choice of vehicle was a bit old and didn't support this type of immobiliser.. But I think they are worth a look if you want additional devices..preventing the keyless theft that is quite common now.
I've fitted removable steering wheel and lock , and a good pedal lock that I've added an additional layer of awkwardness to....

A roller shutter door lock that I pressed into service making it just a bit harder to overcome..
Andy

 

[PaddyM]

It will possibly be going the same way as with expensive cars, if security gets too good then you will find them next to your bed, asking you politely to hand everything over if you want to enjoy life for a bit longer, very sad but that the way the world is going. One of the best deterrents still is at least two or more vicious dogs….

Make my day , they would be a long time enjoying hospital food , through a tube .

 

[PhilandMena]

Theft of motorhomes seems to be at an all time high I'm seeing several new notifications every day, it's getting ridiculous, seen several videos recently where thieves are brazenly cutting locks off in broad daylight! Surely there must be something that can be done?

Can you put the video links on here please !

 

[eddie]

Where are all these thefts of motorhomes taking place? Down here near sunny Southampton they either go unreported or don't happen with any regularity so is there a "hotspot" in the UK for motorhome theft?

No

 

[mitzimad]

Until the Penny drops with a cunning thief and they wait till you take the dogs out for a walk to break in! Until that day dawns you may be right!

Re the waking up bit with "them" next to the bed, give them the keys! when they drive off, use your phone to immobilise the motorhome and when it stops tell the Police where the "armed criminals are"

do you think they wont know that and take your phones as well? oh and any jewelrey while they are there plus 2 rolexes and 2k cash please

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[mitzimad]

lots of bravdo on here re confronting theives when they burgled the house opposite us they took 4 cars so at least 5 of them all probably carrying screwdrivers hammers crowbars and possibly knives .Do you feel lucky?

 

[ontheroadagain]

It would be interesting to know how many are stolen per year.
I suspect the actual number is quite low.
With social media, forums etc. you are much more likely to hear about it when it does happen.

 

[Chris Laing]

It maybe of interest to some who are contemplating getting a new motorhome that the new Fiat ducato is keyless entry and start.

 

[Wack]

It maybe of interest to some who are contemplating getting a new motorhome that the new Fiat ducato is keyless entry and start.

the old ones are keyless entry and start if you know what you're doing , I'd like to be able to wire the door handles up to the mains and put their charred remains in with the garden waste

 

[PhilandMena]

Can you put the video links on here please !

Well that's a disappointment ! No response or video links of the several thefts watched by the O.P.

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[davieboy]

Insurance company(safeGuard) last year sent out the fluid with the micro dots to Dab in various places to help with ID/Recovery have one of Vanbitz's finest alarms if it got nicked, well it is a Transit after all

 

[Wack]

Well that's a disappointment ! No response or video links of the several thefts watched by the O.P.

Google is your friend

Couldn't be bothered to look for any more but as motorhomes get stolen and there's a lot of CCTV out there I wouldn't think it'd be too difficult to find more.

 

[PhilandMena]

Google is your friend

Couldn't be bothered to look for any more but as motorhomes get stolen and there's a lot of CCTV out there I wouldn't think it'd be too difficult to find more.

I agree 100% and therefore it should not be a problem for the O.P. to post the links of the several thefts he saw recently where thief's are brazenly cutting locks off in broad daylight!
I too saw that video clip in the Mail some time back and as best as I can recall was discussed on this forum as there were some anomalies about the way it was stolen but that's another story,

 

[Wack]

I agree 100% and therefore it should not be a problem for the O.P. to post the links of the several thefts he saw recently where thief's are brazenly cutting locks off in broad daylight!
I too saw that video clip in the Mail some time back and as best as I can recall was discussed on this forum as there were some anomalies about the way it was stolen but that's another story,

We all know they get stolen, cars, vans, motorbikes, bikes , thieves aren't scared anymore, battery power tools and they're gone in 5 minutes

Video: Thieves use angle grinder to steal bicycle from outside shopping centre

Metropolitan Police say officers attended the Surrey Quays Shopping Centre where the theft took place, but no arrests were made.

news.sky.com

 

[movan]

A very good friend of mine's mum had her mh stolen last week. The family don't have much money and had saved hard for years to buy it and have it converted to suit severely disabled access, bed and electric wheelchair (in mh). The scum stole the van which is prob not suited to anyone else which had few personal belongings in ready to move to new home the following day...... Photos and videos of deceased daughter and baby grandaughter who died. Heartbroken for them.

They have cctv of the guys taking the vehicle (they had tried five others in the street) and no amount of money can replace the memories. Vehicle and clothes mean nothing.. It's the personal things that hurt most, especially as these hardworking people didn't have much to begin with. . Their health has suffered.

What happens if they catch the perpetrators? Huh.... Say no more.

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