Security Paranoia?

[Rimswell Wanderer]

If I wanted to steal a motorhome (which I could) I’d steal it from your drive.

Older much less valuable motorhomes are much easier to steal and much easier to sell “no questions asked”

Physical deterrents are more inconvenient to the owner, than to a thief, you arrive home late at night and need to take the vehicle to the garage in the morning, its dark, it’s raining and you can’t be arsed to kneel down in the wet, especially as you’re wearing your new top!

Which is why immobilisation should be automatic and electronic

I agree with the inconvenience especially if it’s throwing it down with rain and cold but it’s part of my insurance agreement, I make as difficult as I can but if they are hell bent on taking it they will have a try and usually succeed, quite a few years ago a friend of mine loaded his caravan ready for a quick start after work his steel gates where chained shut and wheel clamped also a hitch lock fitted, the gate chain and wheel clamp where burnt of as well as the hitch lock but because of the evidence he had done all he could fortunately his insurance company paid out. Forgot to mention it was a daylight steal.

 

[Compusol]

We have an alarm and immobiliser, a Stoplok steering lock, a tracker, an external locking device on the hab door, and have belts to stop the front doors being opened from outside.
But very rarely when on the Continent have we seen any foreign vehicle bothering to use any of these when on site, it seems like it's only us Brits that bother. Are we more security conscious, or are we paranoid

 

[Fatmrsgeorge]

By the time we get the clutch claw, the disklok, the drivers seat secured wrong way round, the straps on both doors ....I feel like squaring up to the skanks and shouting "MON THEN COME AHEAD " .....

 

[Roby2008]

On sites IMHO not so much chance someone will nick your van, more for park8ng on the street or at home.

True enough. The only incident we have had in 15yrs was an attempted break-in when parked on the street in Valencia—trashing the lock but no entry.

 

[Paul n Sue]

As I have discussed on these forums we have fitted hook type deadlocks, a drivers door Proplate and bought a Disklok for our new van.
We are on a site at the moment and it looks like we are the only people to have any physical security measures.
It makes me wonder about the real risk of theft, perhaps I am concerned without good reason, maybe even a little paranoid?

Proplate on door, 2 steering wheel locks, milenco hab door lock, 2 wheel clamps. Can't have enough is my view.

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[Oldrat]

The whole point of crime prevention devices is to make your vehicle hard work to steal (obvs) and therefore encourage the thief to go elsewhere. Changing the risk factor-v-reward ratio in your favour.

It’s a bit like not having to run faster than a bear, just faster than the next person.

You’ll know when the right level of security has been reached when you feel comfortable it’s secure enough, which for some people, like myself is unobtainable.

 

[Peter Clark]

I have a grands worth of alarm and immobiliser along with a tracker. Each door has it's own chained deadlock for use where we feel we might need them. The only way into our van is with a sledgehammer or chainsaw. But if you walked past us in the day on a site it would look like we had no security at all.

I always presumed it was best to make additional security - such as deadlocks and wheel/pedal locks - obviously visible so as to deter thieves from having a go at the vehicle and damaging it in the process?

I have deadlocks on every access - but am very aware it’s relatively easy to get in through a window.

I’ve often wondered why no manufacturer has looked at the possibility of fitting one or two steel crossbars in the window frame to make it clear to thieves they can’t scramble in.

Combined with deadlocks it would then be almost impossible to break in without the above mentioned chainsaw.

 

[Speve]

If you have a good immobiliser & alarm you don’t need the claw locks and the like.

 

[Jerrywh]

They say about 4000 motorhomes in the UK get stolen each year

Do they? Who says that? Genuinely interested .. actual data?

 

[Jewellbags]

Who’s they?

Do they? Who says that? Genuinely interested .. actual data?

I just AI’d it and that came up with the same figure 1700 of which were tuggers

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[Badknee]

I have an alarm/immobiliser, tracker but I also use a disc lock, pedal lock and deadlocks. What I want is my van left alone and hopefully get the scroats to steal one where the owner couldn’t give a toss that’s why I do it.

 

[LesW]

The OP was asking about being on sites, with all the hardware folk carry to prevent theft, I'm surprised they have room for anything else.

 

[Barchetta47]

I just AI’d it and that came up with the same figure 1700 of which were tuggers

Latest recorded numbers of MHs in UK indicate 300k. Your AI figures suggest close to 1 in 100 are stolen annually. Seems a lot.

 

[Jewellbags]

Latest recorded numbers of MHs in UK indicate 300k. Your AI figures suggest close to 1 in 100 are stolen annually. Seems a lot.

Info sourced from ripe insurance and one or two tracking companies -

 

[Spara4042]

Cane Corso and a German Shepherd would be perfect… struggle with a PVC though!

The Corso looks the part of big guard dog and GS just delivers…

All you need is a Cockapoo that'll bark at anything & then roll over for tummy tickles

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[Spara4042]

Nah - ground-to-ground would be more of a deterrent…..!

Claymores & trip wires for me, backed up with a vicious Cockapoo

 

[davidhat33]

Don't forget the .050 inch Browning firing on fixed lines ( known only to you) when anyone gets closer than 5 yards,

 

[Oldrat]

If you have a good immobiliser & alarm you don’t need the claw locks and the like.

Does zero to deter someone from breaking into your van to steal some of the contents.
Which when parked up on holiday can include mucho cash/passports etc.

Your van, your choice.

 

[bornagain]

If you have a good immobiliser & alarm you don’t need the claw locks and the like.

They might not be able to steal it, but if they can't see the security then they can do a lot of damage just trying to get in before the alarm goes off and frightens him away.

The thing about obvious physical security is that it ought to provide visual indication to the thief that its not worth bothering here and that he should go and attack a less well defended target.

 

[Tony50]

I have a grands worth of alarm and immobiliser along with a tracker. Each door has it's own chained deadlock for use where we feel we might need them. The only way into our van is with a sledgehammer or chainsaw. But if you walked past us in the day on a site it would look like we had no security at all.

That's what a Detective told me don't advertise your security, keep potential thiefs guessing. if you put stickers on the windows about security they know what's you have.

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[Oldrat]

Just imagine how much damage there would be before the idiot thief discovers that they can’t break into it.


Security is about layers.

Overt security to disuade some from even trying.
Hidden security to stop your P&J being taken.

And BTW, nowadays to become a “detective” you only need your head screwed on frontwards.

 

[DDJC]

Have two immobilisers, locked HEO deadbolts on the cab doors, external door locks on hab and garage doors, alarm, tracker, window catch locks, and a big fat visible yellow disklok. Couple of stickers on the windows. All the keys live in Faraday box at home and Faraday pouches when we are in it.

At home, it lives behind heavy gates with 4 heavy duty padlocks and locked ground spikes. I have two remote controlled, day and night, recording cameras trained on it, 24/7. A car is always parked in front of the gate too.

Yeah, I am paranoid, but I want to make it crystal clear to the swine, that it is easier for them to nick someone else's baby. Sorry if that is yours.

 

[Bill-H]

I don't worry about it. It has enough security to satisfy the insurance company, if it gets nicked, I'll buy another with the payout. My motorhome is only a tool I use to enable me to travel, just the same as most other things I own are just tools for the job they were designed for - money is much th same.

 

[DDJC]

I don't worry about it. It has enough security to satisfy the insurance company, if it gets nicked, I'll buy another with the payout. My motorhome is only a tool I use to enable me to travel, just the same as most other things I own are just tools for the job they were designed for - money is much th same.

I would be inconsolable if my bus was pinched!! It is our holiday home, our very spirit of freedom! And more importantly, it is exactly the way I want it.

 

[Pausim]

I would be inconsolable if my bus was pinched!! It is our holiday home, our very spirit of freedom! And more importantly, it is exactly the way I want it.

I would be inconsolable if I lost my nearest and dearest because they can not be replaced. My van is my holiday home, is the way I want it and gives me a sense of freedom BUT it can be replaced and is insured. I might stop 10% short of Bill-H s view but I am 90% with him. It is a tool to be enjoyed.

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[Bill-H]

I would be inconsolable if my bus was pinched!! It is our holiday home, our very spirit of freedom! And more importantly, it is exactly the way I want it.

I do 10-12,000 miles a year in mine and am away in it at the moment but theres nothing in here I couldn't replicate in another one within a few days. I've had motorhomes, campers and caravans fot many many years and always felt the same as my original post, same applies to most things I own - they are just 'things' which can be replaced

 

[Sewdhull]

The 4000 stolen motorhomes includes caravans and campers. I can't find the source for that statistic tho, just the words...some studies show.. which sounds like marketing

 

[DDJC]

I would be inconsolable if I lost my nearest and dearest because they can not be replaced. My van is my holiday home, is the way I want it and gives me a sense of freedom BUT it can be replaced and is insured. I might stop 10% short of Bill-H s view but I am 90% with him. It is a tool to be enjoyed.

Yeah, obviously the family comes miles above the van! Even Mrs DDJC
And the extra safety stuff on my van reflects that.
But If I lost the bus, I could not replace it and everything in it, within a few days like Bill-H says he could. It would take months. And I wouldn't want to, which is why I have gone heavy on security.

 

[CustomBuild]

I don't worry about it. It has enough security to satisfy the insurance company, if it gets nicked, I'll buy another with the payout. My motorhome is only a tool I use to enable me to travel, just the same as most other things I own are just tools for the job they were designed for - money is much th same.

I have the same approach; if anyone steals my RV, car, stuff then I guess I’ll just have to replace it. You can only go so far with security before it becomes inconvenient for the owner.

At the same time, I can fully understand why other people will pay for extra peace of mind. It’s all personal choice.

 

[Wazzer1622]

I understand people saying it's insured i will just replace it, but even that's an inconvenience. Time without a van, insurance company only paying out market value, then trying to source a replacement. Increase in premium for the new van.

The other issue is if the vehicle is recovered before the insurance company pay out and it's not written off, which happens regularly. This happened with my mates VW camper, recovered one week later. They had clearly had a party in it, and no matter how much it was cleaned he could never get rid of the cannabis smell.

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