Newbie - how is the risk of vehicle theft in the UK/London? (for on street parking)

[Superlevure]

Hi everyone,

I've never owned a camper van and am very keen to get a vw conversion which I would also use as a daily driver.

I live in London and plan to use the van to escape the city every Friday night - it's turned into an obsession!

I'm not sure I'll be able to park it in my residential car park because of the size and the availability of spaces. Would it be safe if it was parked on the street?

I googled this and saw that campervans were often targetted by thieves. Some people recommended to clamp one wheel and put a disklock on the steering wheel. Now it would be quite tiresome to operate all this twice a day for my commute and this has put me off a bit.

What is the general feeling about that? Do you have to have your own space to store the vehicle at night?

 

[David and Sally]

Ask an insurance company for their view. They will know the risks in your part of London

 

[suavecarve]

London, not many Londoners on here with their motorhomes on the road overnight.

Whereabouts in london ?

Turning the seat round and disclocking with visible signs of GPS tracking on the windows will help and if you were to join you can get a discount on an alarm that will wake up everybody in your postcode

In general, the most highlighted thefts are Ford Transits

 

[Riverbankannie]

I’m afraid theft of desirable vehicles is a fact of life wherever you live. The more deterrents you can put on it the better but there is always that balance of making it awkward for the thief and practicality of using it yourself. Asking insurance company as suggested above a good idea. Don’t get a snazzy good looking VW is mine. Get a runner with a few bumps and bruises already that doesn’t break the bank and see how your idea pans out.

 

[Podney]

Well,there’s London,and there’s London........as you know because you work/live there.
In other words,some areas are worse than others for vehicle theft.

You need a good alarm system. There is some old geezer on here who flogs a good one. I think his name is eddievanbitz or something. I suggest you contact him. I have no connection to his firm.

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[Superlevure]

Ask an insurance company for their view. They will know the risks in your part of London

Thanks for the welcome!

I thought about this. I need to get a couple of registration numbers so that they can run them in their system.
Tricky though, for a conversion, not sure whether this should be insured like a normal van but with modifications?

 

[Vipar]

Greetings peeps welcome from West Kent

 

[f6c]

Welcome aboard

 

[Boris7]

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[68c]

Thanks for the welcome!

I thought about this. I need to get a couple of registration numbers so that they can run them in their system.
Tricky though, for a conversion, not sure whether this should be insured like a normal van but with modifications?

Look on Autotrader or Ebay, you can often see number plates there. Oddly I am a little nervous about giving you my registration number.

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[mitzimad]

car crime is always going to be higher in a city than a village but levels will be lower than the chances of getting your car stolen no one joy rides in a motor home its the accidental damage thats probably more of a problem scrapes and dings from passing cars bin men etc

 

[TheBig1]

keeping a motorhome on the street within the M25 seems to be a massive problem these days with most owners storing their van outside the city limits

Any valuable vehicle is a target for theft and vandals

 

[DaveandJen]

Hi and Welcome. The last thing you want to do is leave it on the road in London. Can you make a storage area in your front or side garden?

 

[Lenny HB]

I think your biggest problem will be insurance, most Motorhome insurers will not cover Motorhomes parked in the road.

 

[pappajohn]

Tricky though, for a conversion, not sure whether this should be insured like a normal van but with modifications?

That depends what it's classed as on the V5 reg document.
Motorcaravan.... Its been registered as a motorhome and should be insured as such.
Panel van, van with windows etc.... Its been registered as a regular van and insurance probably won't cover the interior fittings.....classed as cargo/carried goods.

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[Nanniemate]

Buy one that fits in your parking space? My Van fits in a standard shopping parking bay even with the bike rack. I had a car stolen from outside the flat in Dulwich within 1/2 mile of where I lived was a very rough estate that the police advised me against going in to look for it. I'm with Riverbankannie don't get anything pretty. good luck and keep us updated

 

[bobandjanie]

I think one of the most important things is it's compliance with ulez congestion zones, then insurance left on the road, I feel your going to struggle. ? Bob.

 

[Landy Andy]

Adrian Flux insure if you park on the road ????

 

[davidbaldam]

Hi and welcome to FUN. ?

 

[Coolcats]

Hi everyone,

I've never owned a camper van and am very keen to get a vw conversion which I would also use as a daily driver.

I live in London and plan to use the van to escape the city every Friday night - it's turned into an obsession!

I'm not sure I'll be able to park it in my residential car park because of the size and the availability of spaces. Would it be safe if it was parked on the street?

I googled this and saw that campervans were often targetted by thieves. Some people recommended to clamp one wheel and put a disklock on the steering wheel. Now it would be quite tiresome to operate all this twice a day for my commute and this has put me off a bit.

What is the general feeling about that? Do you have to have your own space to store the vehicle at night?

Vanbitz do a great range in security ?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[mitzimad]

keeping a motorhome on the street within the M25 seems to be a massive problem these days with most owners storing their van outside the city limits

Any valuable vehicle is a target for theft and vandals

what do you base that statement on?theres four in my immediate area that are parked on the road within 1/4 of a mile

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

You may not be compliant with the London LEZ requirement for pollution. Plus there is the congestion charge. VW vans are regularly stolen, there is a market for parts etc.
Best of luck whatever you do.

 

[SpeedyDux]

Hi everyone,

I'm not sure I'll be able to park it in my residential car park because of the size and the availability of spaces.

My previous VW T4 pop top campervan did fit in a standard 4.8m x 2.4m parking space. It would even go in some multi-storey car parks. For security it had an immobiliser and I always put a Disklok on the steering wheel.

I never took it inside the M25 because the LEZ checker said it was non-compliant so it would have cost a fortune to do that.

 

[nicholsong]

I kept my N&B Arto outside my terraced house in SW13, but only for a few days at a time(on a Visitor's Permit because it was too long to get a Resident's Permit).

I had no problem getting insurance. It has an alarm.

I did not feel it was susceptible to theft because it would be easily recognisable within the M25 and would not fit in a shipping container. Also there were lots of high-value cars in the area which might have been more profitable.

I also ran a cable from the bedroom window across to a lampost and down to the charging point on the MH. Any thieves would have no way of knowing if disconnecting this would trigger an alarm.

I also think it depends on where you live in London.

Geoff

 

[Superlevure]

I kept my N&B Arto outside my terraced house in SW13, but only for a few days at a time(on a Visitor's Permit because it was too long to get a Resident's Permit).

I had no problem getting insurance. It has an alarm.

I did not feel it was susceptible to theft because it would be easily recognisable within the M25 and would not fit in a shipping container. Also there were lots of high-value cars in the area which might have been more profitable.

I also ran a cable from the bedroom window across to a lampost and down to the charging point on the MH. Any thieves would have no way of knowing if disconnecting this would trigger an alarm.

I also think it depends on where you live in London.

Geoff

Thanks for your reply. I didn't know N&B Arto vans, they look quite large!
You said you parked it there only for a few days and that you could insure it - did you have to take an insurance just for the time it was parked there? Do insurers need updates on your location?

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[Rob Hammond]

Look on Autotrader or Ebay, you can often see number plates there. Oddly I am a little nervous about giving you my registration number.

Don’t worry you live in the wrong city And anywhere in the uk is a risk

 

[Superlevure]

Don’t worry you live in the wrong city And anywhere in the uk is a risk

I totally agree I'm obsessing about a camper so I can escape for the weekend every Friday night.

 

[Superlevure]

My previous VW T4 pop top campervan did fit in a standard 4.8m x 2.4m parking space. It would even go in some multi-storey car parks. For security it had an immobiliser and I always put a Disklok on the steering wheel.

I never took it inside the M25 because the LEZ checker said it was non-compliant so it would have cost a fortune to do that.

Thanks for the welcome.
That's worrying about the LEZ checker. I would have thought a relatively modern VW camper would be compliant and reasonable with emissions. I'm looking at 2013-14 models.

 

[Nanniemate]

I think you have used all you free posts, pay your subscription and the conversation can continue. I hope you find what you want. When living in London and looking for a flat the priority was road parking for a 12mtr long vehicle. I found it .You can find parking good luck I hope your dreams come to fruition.

 

[Coolcats]

Thanks for the welcome.
That's worrying about the LEZ checker. I would have thought a relatively modern VW camper would be compliant and reasonable with emissions. I'm looking at 2013-14 models.

I believe 13-14 models are EU5 with EU 6 coming in on the T6 Models with 'Add Blue' but you would need to check. One reason we brought a new Fiat Based MoHo in 2018 was that it was EU 6 and the later models now have 'Add Blue'