Warning to all new Transit owners

[buttons]

My son has a new transit on a 20 plate he is self employed and is sensible enough not to leave expensive tools in the van overnight.
He went out to his van this morning to find his side door open and a small hole had been punched into the rear of the side door. No alarm no noise giving full accessibility to inside the van.
According to youtube this method is happening throughout Europe.
You can fit a reinforced plate but on a new van should we have to do this.
They left empty handed but only because the van was empty

 

[robrace]

The same trick used to be used on VW golfs.We fittedsteel plates on the handles to our GTI Still had it stolen

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

Same on Vivaro and Trafic vans
Sharp tool to punch hole through the door skin to pop the locks
Have a small stainless plate on my Vivaro doorto stop this.

When Transits first came out you could just turn the door lock with grips to open the door!!

 

[Aly1]

That attack through the side door shouldn’t stop the internal alarm working though. That should go off once they are inside. If they want to break into my van I’m sure they would find it a lot easier to get through the windows.
I have had my door lock changed after an attempted break in because that apparently switches off the immobiliser as well, or it used to.

 

[Lenny HB]

When Transits first came out you could just turn the door lock with grips to open the door!!

Back in the 80's I had a Sierra that came with a plastic emergency key that would open any Ford that had their new lock!

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[Boris7]

Without Armaplate and dead locks Transits are as secure as a bag of Walkers, and if the internal light in the back is turned off then the alarm won’t sound.

 

[bobnick]

I think if naughty boys want to get into your van they will irrelevant of what added security you may have installed.
Case recently whereas a guy made his van electrified???? so anyone trying to get in would get electrocuted.
Police were involved and he was told to remove/disconnect the system or he would get prosecuted.????

 

[Emmit]

I think if naughty boys want to get into your van they will irrelevant of what added security you may have installed.
Case recently whereas a guy made his van electrified???? so anyone trying to get in would get electrocuted.
Police were involved and he was told to remove/disconnect the system or he would get prosecuted.????

Oh! Dear! Accidents will happen?

 

[buttons]

Without Armaplate and dead locks Transits are as secure as a bag of Walkers, and if the internal light in the back is turned off then the alarm won’t sound.

Does this mean the only trigger on the alarm is a volt dip when the rear light is activated. I think I will fit a movement sensor on the opposite wall.
.

 

[Boris7]

Does this mean the only trigger on the alarm is a volt dip when the rear light is activated. I think I will fit a movement sensor on the opposite wall.
.

Seems to be the case, We live in a cul-de-sac 3 of us had vans, a few years ago two got broken into (both Transits) and no alarm sounded, 1 always has interior light switch off the other had no bulbs in the load area, Cops Told them this was a common issue on Transits, both had very little in them, my Iveco was loaded with lots of goodies, but they never even tried to get in, mostly because I’ve built a drive with 3 sides, 1 side shorter than the other, I reverse in and The only door accessible is the drivers door, the drive is build into a bank and you’d need a JCB to move a lot of earth before taking down a wall, the steering is always turned hard left and locked so if you let the hand brake off it will hit the wall with the n/s/f tyre but not roll off the drive.
Drivers door is deadlocked and a very sophisticated alarm is fitted, inc sensors on the underside of the roof.

All sounds o.t.t. but I carry lots of expensive stuff mainly in Europe but also further a field (or I did)

Anyway heard about the break ins at 08:15 that morning, 2 blokes nicked at 09:50, (my security cameras are concealed, and my dash cam runs 24/7)

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[CazPaul]

I wonder how long it would take thieves to get in through a motorhome side wall or the plastic Windows.

 

[PeteH]

Read somewhere, one bloke sleeps his 2 Rottweilers in his van?. Bet they would give the ******* a shock?. and hopefully a good going over?.

I wonder how long it would take thieves to get in through a motorhome side wall or the plastic Windows.

Plastic windows have always been the soft target, in Euro Motorhomes. My Winnebago still had Glass. It was fitted with a Glass break Sensor, courtesy of a certain "Funster", along with the noisiest internal and external alarms I have ever come across.

 

[cmcardle75]

I wonder how long it would take thieves to get in through a motorhome side wall or the plastic Windows.

Given how easy it appears to be to cut holes in the side of a steel van for fitting toilets & water heaters, I imagine not very hard at all with a rechargable jigsaw.

 

[bigwood]

A traffic policeman I knew said if it ain’t nailed to the floor some scum will find a way of stealing it.
During my time doing breakdown work the mk3 Escorts had the same issue with punching locks through. You could have a reinforcing plate fitted to the inside of the door. The high tech thieves these days use electronics to clone the key.
I am hoping the dead locks on our van doors will deter some one from trying to break into it. There’s not a lot of high value things in the van but its the damage that would hurt the most.

 

[gus-lopez]

Case recently whereas a guy made his van electrified???? so anyone trying to get in would get electrocuted.
Police were involved and he was told to remove/disconnect the system or he would get prosecuted.????

i'd have left it on & said prosecute me.

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[The Wino]

What's the relevance of breaking in through a side door to transit based motorhomes very few of which have one?

 

[Stanbrook]

A new Transit is sold every three minutes....

30 vans are stolen every day according to RAC..

Good luck

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

A new Transit is sold every three minutes....

30 vans are stolen every day according to RAC.. View attachment 415787
Good luck

Think this is more appropriate for this site

 

[bobnick]

Similar sign on a Wigan van "No Pies left in the van overnight".

 

[ambulancekidd]

Case recently whereas a guy made his van electrified???? so anyone trying to get in would get electrocuted.
Police were involved and he was told to remove/disconnect the system or he would get prosecuted.????

Sounds like one of those stories that you hear from "a guy down the pub" & when you try to find who this actually happened to, they disappear like smoke.

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[Driventemple]

Sounds like one of those stories that you hear from "a guy down the pub" & when you try to find who this actually happened to, they disappear like smoke.

 

[PeteH]

The trouble is it isn't lethal!. A few dead scumbags would be very nice!.

 

[LesW]

Reading through this thread, I get the impression that the thieves help to design the vehicles.

 

[Ken Hall]

Besides my alarm and the steering lock, I have modified the swivels in both front seats of my Carado T135. When parked they are swivelled through 180 degrees and by drilling a hole in the base plates of each seat I'm able to lock the two seats in place with two very secure insurance approved padlocks. The vehicle would have to be towed away to steal it, that is, if the thieves were able to remove the wheel shackle that is set in concrete holding the van down to the ground. They would need about two hours and welding gear to remove it. Simple and inexpensive and no annual charges.

 

[SpeedyDux]

The trouble is it isn't lethal!. A few dead scumbags would be very nice!.

You could arrest anyone that either smelt singed or was wearing Marigolds after dark.

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[bobnick]

That's the fella. Well found.

 

[Gizmouk]

Fiat Ducatos are just as bad for security. One small screwdriver in the right place, and you're in.

 

[SpeedyDux]

Fiat Ducatos are just as bad for security. One small screwdriver in the right place, and you're in.

SSSSSHHHHH we don't want the scrotes to know that.

 

[PeteH]

SSSSSHHHHH we don't want the scrotes to know that.

I blame the `tinternet. (or Dominic Cummings?)

 

[Otter Spotter]

I may have told this story before but, i visited my van convertor, he complained that cutting the windows holes for my van ruined 5 blades whereas cutting windows in A Transit or vw, was like cutting through paper. If you stand on the floor pan of a transit they flex to much.

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