To get a Motorhome Alarm or not? Which is the best one (1 Viewer)

Oct 12, 2011
398
484
West Sussex
Funster No
18,461
MH
Lowline
Exp
Since 2011 therefore I'm not a newbie anymore
Hi,

I am thinking of getting a motorhome alarm. However we had one on our caravan, but did not set it as we kept the roof lights open and that would set the alarm off!

We had a tracker - what a scam that was - bought a lifetimes cover, could not transfer it and could not get a refund when we sold the van!!! £195 down the drain!

Therefore now wondering if I should get one for the new motorhome, or get habitation lock re-enforcements?

Any thoughts would be welcome

cheers

Bob
 
OP
OP
Cyclewalkbob
Oct 12, 2011
398
484
West Sussex
Funster No
18,461
MH
Lowline
Exp
Since 2011 therefore I'm not a newbie anymore
When I looked at insurance Caravan guard stated that any van over 50k had to have a Thatcham approved alarm fitted. Another company (cannot remember the name) stated all vans had to have a Thatcham alarm.

the caravan club insurers said you did not have to have an alarm - only an imobiliser.

You really need to look around and get some quotes to get the best deal for you.

Cheers

Bob
 
Upvote 0
Apr 23, 2008
193
68
chelmsford Essex
Funster No
2,257
MH
Swift BESSACAR 597
Exp
22
just had strikeback alarm fitted at vanbitz, long way to go but worth it, friendly helpful people made it all very simple highly recommend them.


rolling rolling rolling keep those doggies rolling::bigsmile:

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0

jubilado

Free Member
Oct 26, 2010
6
3
Leamington Spa
Funster No
14,256
MH
Bessacarr E560
Exp
On and off
Have been following this thread with interest as I am in the same boat. M/H on SORN at present but do need to get an alarm sorted by April.

There seems to be very little and confusing info out there so I thought the best place to start is the industry standard.

I telephone Thatcham and they directed me to a pdf download which lists Alarm systems suitable for Motorhomes with or without factory fitted Central locking/immobiliser

link Link Removed


Ken
 
Upvote 0
Jul 28, 2010
1,710
617
The world
Funster No
12,902
MH
Small car
Exp
1
Hi,

I am thinking of getting a motorhome alarm. However we had one on our caravan, but did not set it as we kept the roof lights open and that would set the alarm off!

We had a tracker - what a scam that was - bought a lifetimes cover, could not transfer it and could not get a refund when we sold the van!!! £195 down the drain!

Therefore now wondering if I should get one for the new motorhome, or get habitation lock re-enforcements?

Any thoughts would be welcome

cheers

Bob
when i got our RV private sale it had no alarm or security
I had a thatcham 2 alarm with imobilizer 9 belly locker and 2 door bonnet switches (has interal PIR and sonic sensors with the ability to alarm outside not internal when in use
i also has smarttracker fitted so has full GPS if stolen

it has a gas alarm also :thumb:

was not cheap at £1200 plus 300 for a life time cover with smartTrack
BUT peace of mind
 
Upvote 0

eddie

LIFE MEMBER
Oct 4, 2007
8,126
41,036
Taunton Somerset
Funster No
540
MH
RV
Exp
since 1989
when i got our RV private sale it had no alarm or security
I had a thatcham 2 alarm with imobilizer 9 belly locker and 2 door bonnet switches (has interal PIR and sonic sensors with the ability to alarm outside not internal when in use
i also has smarttracker fitted so has full GPS if stolen

it has a gas alarm also :thumb:

was not cheap at £1200 plus 300 for a life time cover with smartTrack
BUT peace of mind

Hi Motorhome lover

I hope that you actually had a Cat one installed!:Eeek: The reference to Cat two is actually a 2-1 upgrade.

Any vehicle built in the Eurozone since 1997 has a factory fitted immobiliser. This is Cat II Add the "alarm" portion of this and the "Cat II with the alarm becomes a Cat 1

The logic behind this is that a "Cat 1 system" from the box is an alarm and an immobiliser. On the majority of modern vehicles the immobiliser part is no use so a waste of time and the customers money.

Hence Cat II (already fitted) to Cat I upgrade so you end up with an alarm and and immobiliser.

You should have had a Cat II immobiliser fitted either stand alone or as part of a Cat I installation, as your RV does not have a (or if it does not qualifying) immobiliser.

Worth checking before there is an issue

Eddie

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0

LesAshmore

Free Member
Jan 20, 2009
283
39
Chesterfield, Derbyshire
Funster No
5,416
MH
Rapido 990MHV
Exp
30 +
How I have always looked at it is, If you have one alarm that does both the tracking and the alarm and it breaks down, You have lost both tracking and the alarm, If you have 2 different i.e. a Tracking System and an alarm, and one breaks, You still have some protection at least.

Reason I think that is that I used to have a combined and when it broke I was up the creek without a paddle in Europe.

I now have a Cobra Trak5 tracking / security system Cat 5, and a Dedicate Thatcham Cat 1 alarm system with Text alerts and the works.
 
Upvote 0

eddie

LIFE MEMBER
Oct 4, 2007
8,126
41,036
Taunton Somerset
Funster No
540
MH
RV
Exp
since 1989
If your worried about jamming (although no one is as in reality it isn't a problem, ask Thatcham)

However, if your worried about jamming, there are devices that don't use GSM to communicate but directly uplinks to communication satellites.

However, there is no real evidence to prove that a motorhome has been stolen and not tracked due to the use of a jammer.

Having said that very few modern motorhomes are stolen, and the ones that are are mainly taken with the keys (key theft) so a tracking system would do little in that respect!

We sell hundreds of tracking systems, and have done so since 1996! when a tracking system would cost you £1400!:Eeek:

We have also seen dozens of "cutting edge" Companies come, sell some product then go leaving people with equipment fitted but no monitoring, so we took the decision in 2000 to only supply products from the main industry manufacturers

I would guess that in years to come there will be Tracker and Trackstar as the options.

They will be information providers only. Later this year we should get more information on the new European directives regarding GPS/GSM but it is generally thought that as was the case in 1997 where the directive stated that all vehicle manufactured in the "Eurozone" will have to have a factory fitted immobiliser, that shortly all vehicles will have to have a GSM/GPS device.

This could provide information in crashes, speed, direction, length of time driving etc, provide data about driving styles, fuel useage, and all sorts of other information. No doubt that there willl be the ability to stop the vehicle, as most trackers have that now, but I guess politically that will be "introduced" once we have got used to the idea.

At this point the information gathering will be where the money is, gathering information and selling it to the insurance industry and other interested parties.

Companies like Trafficmaster sat in a purpose built £10,000,000 control centre will be well placed to capitalise on this.

It is a little know fact that Trafficmaster own Eurowatch, so operate in 42 countries.

Many of the other "leading brands" offer European cover, but actually use Eurowatch to handle this for them as they don't have the infrastructure needed to offer this service.


Eddie
 
Upvote 0

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Funsters who are viewing this thread

Back
Top