Dodgy bloke knocking and asking to buy MH!

Parrot Face said:
Had a number of irish people asking me about my motorhome. I don't understand the link between 'Irish' and the need to be cautious. My experience is that these guys are extremely polite and never pushy. Always very sociable and good humoured. We live in a cul de sac and spot everybody driving into the grove. I am more concerned with the number of vehicles with 'english' plates that drive into the grove with two guys in them that stop and have a good luck at the motorhome and drive off. If you lived on a normal street you probably wouldn't notice these people.
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He was clearly an Irish traveller.
And yes he was quite pushy.
 
Tell them it got a blown engine, and you are undecided about replacing it, it will stop them thinking of nicking it,
 
I've had several knockers asking about my m/h on my drive. I found one snooping around it who said he was looking for his lost cat and then asked if he could look for it in my shed.
Another had a young lad with him who had a long but bare fishing rod which I've heard they use to reach in an open window and lift away keys from the top of a fridge, worktop or hooks on a wall etc.
 
Jammi said:
Our MH is stored on my Dads drive.
Today a bloke in a truck with a thick Irish accent knocked at his door and asked if he’d like to sell the MH.
Dad said he was definitely a traveller type and was quite insistent.
Obviously said no, it wasn’t his MH anyway and we didn’t want to sell either.

Am now feeling a bit paranoid!
It’s not new, 2015 reg. We have an alarm and immobiliser so I was told by dealer.
Steering wheel lock, hab door lock and I went over this afternoon turned the cab seats and chained the cab doors together.
Parents park their car in front of it overnight too.

Am I right to be feeling worried?
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I have had several callers asking the same question, i usually counter by asking the question, "How much are you offering" The caller steps back looks at the 09 plate and offers somewhere in the region of £8K. When I put him straight on motorhome valuation that is the last you hear of them.
 
Just an everyday example of entrepreneurship . . .

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Anyone know how I can check if the alarm and/or immobiliser is actually working?
We’ve only had the van a year and don’t have any record of either, just dealer that mentioned them.
 
Jammi said:
Anyone know how I can check if the alarm and/or immobiliser is actually working?
We’ve only had the van a year and don’t have any record of either, just dealer that mentioned them.
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Lock the doors but leave a window open then wave your hands around inside the cab and the alarm should activate if it has motion sensors .
 
In the summer I get this 2 or 3 times a week. Usually I'm not too polite. I did make a post about it a while ago but was told I was over reacting to enquiries. It gets monotonous after a while.
 
We’ve had a caravan stolen off our drive by travellers and our last one had all the soft furnishings taken after jemmying the door open causing huge damage! So very nervous of anyone wandering up our drive!

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Jammi said:
Our MH is stored on my Dads drive.
Today a bloke in a truck with a thick Irish accent knocked at his door and asked if he’d like to sell the MH.
Dad said he was definitely a traveller type and was quite insistent.
Obviously said no, it wasn’t his MH anyway and we didn’t want to sell either.

Am now feeling a bit paranoid!
It’s not new, 2015 reg. We have an alarm and immobiliser so I was told by dealer.
Steering wheel lock, hab door lock and I went over this afternoon turned the cab seats and chained the cab doors together.
Parents park their car in front of it overnight too.

Am I right to be feeling worried?
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Buy A Ring doorbell. Currently £58 on offer. At least you can keep an eye on the van and anyone who comes round.
 
Jammi said:
Our MH is stored on my Dads drive.
Today a bloke in a truck with a thick Irish accent knocked at his door and asked if he’d like to sell the MH.
Dad said he was definitely a traveller type and was quite insistent.
Obviously said no, it wasn’t his MH anyway and we didn’t want to sell either.

Am now feeling a bit paranoid!
It’s not new, 2015 reg. We have an alarm and immobiliser so I was told by dealer.
Steering wheel lock, hab door lock and I went over this afternoon turned the cab seats and chained the cab doors together.
Parents park their car in front of it overnight too.

Am I right to be feeling worried?
Click to expand...
Hi this happened to us in Whitby couple months ago, near car park behind co_op traveller and his wife said his brother would bring cash right now I said it was not for sale then he asked if my wheels were for sale anyhow we swiftly moved on and I have put locking nuts on my wheels and other safety precautions so you are correct to be concerned perhaps just find somewhere else to park it for awhile or get cctv and just try to disable it somehow you can't be too careful.
 
Jammi said:
Our MH is stored on my Dads drive.
Today a bloke in a truck with a thick Irish accent knocked at his door and asked if he’d like to sell the MH.
Dad said he was definitely a traveller type and was quite insistent.
Obviously said no, it wasn’t his MH anyway and we didn’t want to sell either.

Am now feeling a bit paranoid!
It’s not new, 2015 reg. We have an alarm and immobiliser so I was told by dealer.
Steering wheel lock, hab door lock and I went over this afternoon turned the cab seats and chained the cab doors together.
Parents park their car in front of it overnight too.

Am I right to be feeling worried?
Click to expand...
Hi, yes it doesn't harm anyone to be vigilant. If he was eyeing it up he will just be the scout who collates the relevant information and it would be others who attempt to steal, if that is what the intention is/was.

If it was me I would err on the side of caution, if you are not using it for a while put it on axle stands and take the wheels and nuts inside and fit all and extra locking nuts back in the hubs so you can't fit another wheel without removing the locking studs/nuts. Fit a visible steering wheel disc lock, an outside light with a passive IR sensor.

I would put a PIR flood light on a wooden stake to put by the gate pointing at the house anyone coming in the front/rear will activate the light which will immediately alert you. Any of your extra vehicles you put on the drive as a barrier, turn their steering on full lock so if they try to move it they would have to break the steering lock as well as deactivate the alarm. When you are out in the car and the path/ barrier's aren't there, maybe fit a substantial lockable post in front of the van.

The more visual deterrents the better. if you put as much as you can in place you know that you have done everything humanly possible to protect what you own. If they still get past all your deterrents, we have to rely on the police and insurance company.

If you have a standard factory fitted immobiliser, I would consider having a Thatcham Cat 1 alarm & immobiliser fitted. It could help reduce your insurance too with the fitting certificate as proof. It certainly reduced my annual premium. I would like to add the above is my own personal opinion, and I hope my views are of some assistance to you.

Good Luck. :)
 
Jammi said:
Anyone know how I can check if the alarm and/or immobiliser is actually working?
We’ve only had the van a year and don’t have any record of either, just dealer that mentioned them.
Click to expand...
Check if you have sensor blocks on the hab/garage doors too. If you do, leave them unlocked, set the alarm give it a minute and then open the doors. If they are working the alarm should sound. Equally, you can lock the van from the fob whilst inside. Keep still then move about after a while and see if it sets the alarm off.
Wheel locks, as you mentioned you were thinking of getting one, are a good addition. Get one that covers the wheels nuts and make sure it’s visible. They are a good visual deterrent and difficult to remove without making a lot of noise or creating a lot of sparks with an angle grinder. But like all security measures they are just an extra barrier to give a bit more piece of mind.
 
Jammi said:
Our MH is stored on my Dads drive.
Today a bloke in a truck with a thick Irish accent knocked at his door and asked if he’d like to sell the MH.
Dad said he was definitely a traveller type and was quite insistent.
Obviously said no, it wasn’t his MH anyway and we didn’t want to sell either.

Am now feeling a bit paranoid!
It’s not new, 2015 reg. We have an alarm and immobiliser so I was told by dealer.
Steering wheel lock, hab door lock and I went over this afternoon turned the cab seats and chained the cab doors together.
Parents park their car in front of it overnight too.

Am I right to be feeling worried?
Click to expand...
Happens all the time to us, there is an Irish traveller family in our street and he is always asking if we want to sell either the MoHo or one of the cars, we did actually sell him a car a while back and when I saw him a few days later and asked if he still had it he said "oh no it's in Romania now"

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Hi folks. We get this regularly. Either the Motorhome or the land rover. Either way we say ‘yes’ and suggest a high market price. They tend to scuttle away. One guy said’that’s far too high a price.’ I said, ‘you asked how much to buy, that’s the price I would sell it for. It is worth less but that’s my price.’
They generally go away. Mind you the security and big dog helps. 🤣
 
Jammi said:
Our MH is stored on my Dads drive.
Today a bloke in a truck with a thick Irish accent knocked at his door and asked if he’d like to sell the MH.
Dad said he was definitely a traveller type and was quite insistent.
Obviously said no, it wasn’t his MH anyway and we didn’t want to sell either.

Am now feeling a bit paranoid!
It’s not new, 2015 reg. We have an alarm and immobiliser so I was told by dealer.
Steering wheel lock, hab door lock and I went over this afternoon turned the cab seats and chained the cab doors together.
Parents park their car in front of it overnight too.

Am I right to be feeling worried?
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Had umpteen travellers offer money for van over years and that's all they've been. Actually sold an old caravan that had been parked up on drive unmoved for a couple of years a good few years ago now to another traveller. Did me a favour taking it away and got a few bob for it too. Don't think you've anything to worry about.
 
Spriddler said:
Another had a young lad with him who had a long but bare fishing rod which I've heard they use to reach in an open window and lift away keys from the top of a fridge, worktop or hooks on a wall etc.
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They would have a job here as we don't have a letter box and our windows are the bottom hinged storm type ..... also keys are not on display but kept covered in a place you would need to know about. I could tell you but then ..........
 
Ian Bosman said:
Be aware that you are not allowed to record images of passers by on the footpath or street. They must be fully on your property to be legal
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Who is saying you are not allowed and not legal ?

Do you have a Dash Cam?

Having been burgled we have views from our drive parts of the street for our own use as part of our security, I have two different systems one is Ring and a Uniview system

The system does not peer into peoples homes or their garden which would be a private area, there is no problem capturing and storing images from a public place. My neighbours are quite comfortable with the cameras as it also helps with their security.

The images are stored securely and only accessed if there is a need to be viewed.

Public Areas Are Fair Game​

Is it illegal to take a picture of someone without permission? Generally, you can take any photos you want of people when they are in a public location, like a park, a beach or a city square. It's perfectly legal since they have elected to place themselves in a public location and have no reasonable expectation of privacy. If you snap a hundred pictures of people at a political rally, a marathon or a rock concert in the park, all is well and good.
People in public places have no reasonable expectation of privacy, including where they go, who they go with and what they do while there. For example, if you photograph a couple kissing on the beach and publish the photo in the newspaper, they cannot complain. They have no claim against you even if one of the two happens to be married to someone else and the marriage ends because of the photo.
https://legalbeagle.com/8581945-illegal-pictures-people-permission.html
https://legalbeagle.com/8581945-illegal-pictures-people-permission.html
Likewise, if you take photos of someone shooting up drugs, wearing a bathing suit three sizes too small, falling down drunk or smacking their baby, you are within your rights. The exception is when the person being photographed is in some particular part of the public space where he has a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Privacy Expectations​

In some places, even though they are public, most people expect to have privacy. If these expectations are deemed reasonable by the courts, you cannot photograph other people in these spots. People have been found to have reasonable expectations of privacy in places like public bathrooms, changing lockers at the pool and fitting rooms at clothing stores.
And people almost always have a reasonable expectation of privacy when they are at home with their families. That means that you can't take pictures of people inside their own home without their permission. The rule applies even if you are standing on a public sidewalk looking through a window and using a telephoto lens. This kind of photo violates their rights.

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A nearly blind lady near me, had a person knock on her door obviously saw a Antique card table in view and asked her had she had any antiques for sale she said no , about 3 months later, broken in the table was stolen she told me.
 
Ian Bosman said:
Be aware that you are not allowed to record images of passers by on the footpath or street. They must be fully on your property to be legal
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Not so sure that is correct..
As stated polis ask neighbours if they have cctv when a breakin occurs.
 
Has anyone ever had a motorhome stollen from their property following a door knock from a traveller asking if it is for sale? I've not heard of such a situation.

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MattR said:
Has anyone ever had a motorhome stollen from their property following a door knock from a traveller asking if it is for sale? I've not heard of such a situation.
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I would be interested to hear this too!
 
Otter Spotter said:
Happens regularly and some say they are casing the vehicle and others say they are just asking the question to see if there’s a bargain to be had. No real evidence that they will steal your van but no reason not to upgrade your security.
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Jammi said:
Our MH is stored on my Dads drive.
Today a bloke in a truck with a thick Irish accent knocked at his door and asked if he’d like to sell the MH.
Dad said he was definitely a traveller type and was quite insistent.
Obviously said no, it wasn’t his MH anyway and we didn’t want to sell either.

Am now feeling a bit paranoid!
It’s not new, 2015 reg. We have an alarm and immobiliser so I was told by dealer.
Steering wheel lock, hab door lock and I went over this afternoon turned the cab seats and chained the cab doors together.
Parents park their car in front of it overnight too.

Am I right to be feeling worried?
Click to expand...
I know how you feel and we have had a couple of people knock on our door to ask if we want to sell our MH. Our answer is always no. As a result of this I have installed a very heavy security bollard behind the vehicle which is very visible and would delay any person with designs on stealing our motorhome.
 
Parrot Face said:
I don't understand the link between 'Irish' and the need to be cautious.
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I don't think the caution is because they are Irish, they just seem to be Irish.
We had one knock our door and legged it when I produced my phone to take a photo, the same day they knocked a friend's door on the other side of the village, he was, pretty pushy and aggressive with them and as she has recently and suddenly lost her husband, the memory of that incident has made her part with it.
All very sad and I am keeping an eye on her.
 
Jammi said:
Our MH is stored on my Dads drive.
Today a bloke in a truck with a thick Irish accent knocked at his door and asked if he’d like to sell the MH.
Dad said he was definitely a traveller type and was quite insistent.
Obviously said no, it wasn’t his MH anyway and we didn’t want to sell either.

Am now feeling a bit paranoid!
It’s not new, 2015 reg. We have an alarm and immobiliser so I was told by dealer.
Steering wheel lock, hab door lock and I went over this afternoon turned the cab seats and chained the cab doors together.
Parents park their car in front of it overnight too.

Am I right to be feeling worried?
Click to expand...
It has become apparent that the travelling community is moving from caravans to Motorhomes, so they can move very quickly if needed. Police regularly check their vehicles, so it’s easier for them to buy them than steal them for now. Not saying how they got the money though.

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