Help me to choose a Thatcham 2-1 alarm please

[Langtoftlad]

This equipment isn't Thatcham approved as far as I'm aware and a derived motorcycle alarm,

As I have a vanbitz product , I've not investigated to any degree - I was put off by the myriad of "optional" extras but I do know it's well recommended & well reviewed... and they do claim Thatcham...

Ps
auto correct changed 'vanbits' to 'bandits

 

[Deneb]

auto correct changed 'vanbits' to 'bandits

Off topic, but I remember typing a letter to Mount Vernon hospital which my spell checker changed to Mount Vermin. They seemed to take it well though

 

[Nosmo King]

Mike - DaveNewell no longer does alarms... fate has indeed been tempted!

Deneb - thanks for the comprehensive reply. Not convinced I can understand it all.... or the implications - but thanks anyway

 

[OldAgeTravellers]

Another vote for the Vanbitz Growler with the non starter option, yes it is a lot of money but the Fun discount helps. If you are strapped for the extra £500 then do the box ticking exercise but be prepared to scrap it in a couple of years when you start to realise you should have gone for the extra.
You may be very secure at home but it will not be at home all the time, I hope, so:

• You stop at a supermarket which is a popular place for MH break-ins so you have to sit in the van while the other half does all the shopping? Because the average alarm will not deter the bad guys.
• You have been stuck in traffic and are really tired and will never get to the site you planned to stay at. So you pull into a car park to sleep for the night. You only have a car alarm you cannot set it while you are moving about inside so you are vulnerable to break-ins and do not rest properly.
• You get to your site, is it secure? I bet not, so you again can't set just the perimeter alarms.
• I am sure you can think of many more.

Getting stolen is an important point for the insurers, peace of mind while I sleep is more important to me. The growler gives me that peace of mind. We rarely stop in sites preferring small aires or the wide open countryside. As soon as we stop whether in a forest, camp site or a car park. The seats turn round and the perimeter alarm is set, we can then totally relax.
I have no connection with Vanbitz but like the ten or so others above thoroughly recommend them to the point of taking the time to write about it. Another point, 10 years down the line if you still have the same van and you have a problem with the growler, I am confident Eddie and team will not be saying, "Sorry mate only guaranteed 12 months". In fact on my current Hymer we scrapped a perfectly good Hymer fitted alarm which was Motorhome specific to have the growler fitted because the other one didn't seem as good or as easy to use and I couldn't expand it to also cover all the windows. The Growler can be extended as much as you want from the basic spec.
Whatever your decision, I hope you really enjoy your MoHo.
Steve
p.s. I insure in France and Insurance companies don't insist on an alarm at all, but I still fitted the best.

 

[Nosmo King]

Thanks also OAT (Steve)
I'm not sure that any alarm system will outperform any other in terms of a deterrent effect. I'd never heard of a growler (not in terms of alarms anyway... ), nor Toad, nor Sigma. I have heard of Thatcham, as, I suspect, most people, including would be thieves. So if a thief sees Growler on the side of the van, is he less inclined to go for it than if he saw Sigma? What does he think when he sees Thatcham and a flashing LED?

I accept the point re separate setting using a fob and I'll avoid a single key set / reset. The cheaper alternatives do allow zone setting, and they also allow a separate detector for the back of the camper so the perimeter is protected.

Lots of things to consider, but, I've not really read anything that would convince me to pay in the order of a thousand pounds for an alarm system.... perhaps I will live to regret it. Perhaps not. I shall return in due course and update my opinion.

Once again, thanks everyone - I really appreciate your views and opinions.

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[MartinH]

Have Strikeback and non starter from Vanbitz, had an issue with the non starter - not only did Eddie go to the office on a Sunday afternoon when the monitoring company called him, he walked me through where to find what I needed and how to do what was needed and made sure I was mobile before he ended the call - IT DOES NOT GET BETTER THAN THAT!

 

[Jenben]

@thewheelbarrow - completely agree with your thoughts

I think the main gain is made by fitting any alarm and then using it all the time. We just wanted a basic alarm to meet the insurance requirements and found that Autowatch have a range of Thatcham certified motorhome alarm systems. These can either use separate key fobs or can be integrated into the Fiat canbus system. We had one fitted by a local mobile fitter - With additional wireless sensors for the locker doors and internal movement sensor it cost around £380. Now 3 years on we’re still very happy with it. PM me if you want more details.

 

[WESTY66]

Old thread I know and you’re probably sorted, but I insured with NFU and they didn’t request an alarm to be fitted, so guess what???

I went and got the best alarm money can buy, Vanbitz growler and non starter, didn’t need to but I didn’t want some theiving scum getting their grubby mits in my bus. Oh and as MartinH said the aftersales is second to none, had a jamming episode on the second night and eddievanbitz sorted me out temporarily at 6.20 in the evening till metatrak did the full update the following morning, that’s service for you.