How Did They Break In?

[ivorantony]

If you look at the link

You can see a handle that you pull towards you and rotate, that moves the external bar across the door, releasing the handle locks in place,
I have also fitted two of these locks to the garage but obviously these type are only lockable from the outside, by key,
All four locks were purchased with the same key number so I have plenty of spares,

 

[Judge Mental]

If we are parking somewhere I feel is a bit dodgy, I put a quick release strap across the door handles

seems like the old ways still the best way. or fit deadlocks of course...

 

[peterc10]

If you look at the link

You can see a handle that you pull towards you and rotate, that moves the external bar across the door, releasing the handle locks in place,
I have also fitted two of these locks to the garage but obviously these type are only lockable from the outside, by key,
All four locks were purchased with the same key number so I have plenty of spares,

These look good but my French is not good enough to find out how much they cost and where I can buy them from.

On second thoughts I am not sure these would be good for me because I have an opening window in my habitation door. All the thief has to do is prise that window open, put his hand in and turn the inside handle.

 

[gus-lopez]

These look good but my French is not good enough to find out how much they cost and where I can buy them from.

On second thoughts I am not sure these would be good for me because I have an opening window in my habitation door. All the thief has to do is prise that window open, put his hand in and turn the inside handle.

http://imc-creations.fr/IMG/pdf/Bon_de_Commande_2015.pdf

 

[ivorantony]

These look good but my French is not good enough to find out how much they cost and where I can buy them from.

On second thoughts I am not sure these would be good for me because I have an opening window in my habitation door. All the thief has to do is prise that window open, put his hand in and turn the inside handle.

I also have a opening window in my hab door, but the external part of the door lock also has a key barrel that you can lock when leaving the MH, so IMO any thief wouldn't know if it was deadlocked using the key on the outside or by the locking lever on the inside and just go on to look for easier pickings,

The handle inside has a strong return spring so you need to pull quite firmly to release then rotate to unlock, quite simple when inside but I would imagine difficult from outside especially the height of the lock above ground level,
All I can say on the matter is since fitting them both my wife and me sleep sounder in our beds, with of course the alarm on for all the doors,

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[Judge Mental]

Not sleeping on motorway service areas is what I recommend to prevent this.

It's well documented they are not safe places to stay....even for few
hours.

Cant believe people still insist on doing this..

Sermon coming

however tired you are just get of at exit and find somewhere safe and quiet... IF not near an Aire which in Europe these days is pretty nigh on impossible

sermon ends

 

[Judge Mental]

These look good but my French is not good enough to find out how much they cost and where I can buy them from.

On second thoughts I am not sure these would be good for me because I have an opening window in my habitation door. All the thief has to do is prise that window open, put his hand in and turn the inside handle.

Google is your friend: http://www.camlock.com/English(UK)/HTML/default.php

for deadlocks I would happily use Harrison locks again anytime

http://www.harrisonlocks.co.uk/motorhome-locks/

 

[peterc10]

Google is your friend: http://www.camlock.com/English(UK)/HTML/default.php

Not in this case it isn't. That only leads to the "innards" of the french locking system, not the locking system itself. So still looking

 

[Zajacp]

We were recently had a overnight break in france on the a6 autoroute.
Looked all over the van and couldn't see no signs of damage to the locks or windows. But it had rained that night and there was a drip stain on the drivers door just below the door handle , I traced the stain back to the underside and found a small hole in the rubber seal between the plastic moulding and the door panel. There is a way to push a small screw driver up towards the lock and it
Releases the central locking system to all the doors. Ours is the x250 model.
Have a look it could be the same way they got into ours.

 

[TheBig1]

We were recently had a overnight break in france on the a6 autoroute.
Looked all over the van and couldn't see no signs of damage to the locks or windows. But it had rained that night and there was a drip stain on the drivers door just below the door handle , I traced the stain back to the underside and found a small hole in the rubber seal between the plastic moulding and the door panel. There is a way to push a small screw driver up towards the lock and it
Releases the central locking system to all the doors. Ours is the x250 model.
Have a look it could be the same way they got into ours.

there is a company that makes stainless steel plates to prevent this and or repair the damage
heres one company
http://www.garrisonlocks.co.uk/deta...(MK3) 1 Door Pack&cat=3&scat=0&gsearch=&ID=24

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[TheBig1]

and another with photo
Broken Link Removed

 

[Espana Peter]

We were recently had a overnight break in france on the a6 autoroute.
Looked all over the van and couldn't see no signs of damage to the locks or windows. But it had rained that night and there was a drip stain on the drivers door just below the door handle , I traced the stain back to the underside and found a small hole in the rubber seal between the plastic moulding and the door panel. There is a way to push a small screw driver up towards the lock and it
Releases the central locking system to all the doors. Ours is the x250 model.
Have a look it could be the same way they got into ours.

I love you, as you have just solved the mystery for me. The damage can only be seen if one is a midget, or if you look up from underneath - at least that is solved and I can contact the insurers again. Many thanks.

 

[Wildbill]

This has just given me another idea I have recently changed both front seats & they recline/tilt forward. I noticed that when I tilt the drivers one it rests on the steering wheel, which isn't a problem until you lean on the seat back. ..............which then sets off the horn. A nice little wire or strop through both doors & over seat should do it

i will try that

 

[Zajacp]

I am glad this was of help to you.silver lining ect , we were lucky I caught him in my van so nothing taken. Good luck with you insurance.

 

[Espana Peter]

You might consider yourself lucky, I am glad we slept through it! He/she/it had cut the cab curtain from bottom to top, presumably to avoid the noise of velcro being separated. So he/she/it had either a knife or scissors about its person, so not to be toyed with when one is half asleep.

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[Deleted34567]

You need a "mind focuser" !!

 

[Puddleduck]

Or even make her day:

 

[gus-lopez]

You might consider yourself lucky, I am glad we slept through it! He/she/it had cut the cab curtain from bottom to top, presumably to avoid the noise of velcro being separated. So he/she/it had either a knife or scissors about its person, so not to be toyed with when one is half asleep.

or amoniaco.

 

[Dill]

We use to use a ratchet strap from one cap door to the other.

Dill

 

[Minxy]

We had a break-in during our last holiday - we were parked in Pisa on one of the main roads near the stadium, along with cars and another camper, as it was hot we'd found a bit of shade for the dogs and had left them in the van as they'd already had a long romp that morning so just wanted to snooze! Our 'mistake' was closing all the blinds to keep them cooler and help them settle down .... as it was a bright day the alarm light probably wasn't that obvious either and of course not all alarms have interior sensors. When we got back and sat down to have lunch we noticed the side window over the dinette was unlocked ... on further investigation we found that the bottom 2 and one side securing plastic lever had the ends snapped off, no other damage and obviously the noise would have woken the dogs and all hell would have broken loose so the 'burglar' would have got one heck of a shock - consequently nothing was taken. If we'd had the dogs with us the internal sensor in the alarm would have been on so if they'd got in the alarm would have sounded anyway but again the window would still have been damaged.

I was able to secure the window with straps through the bottom of the 'hinge' arms and the blind bottom fixings (more secure than the clips anyway!) so it didn't spoil our holiday but was a nuisance nonetheless ... if we hadn't closed the blinds they'd have seen the dogs so we won't close them all in the future! We did check the camper nearby and they'd had exactly the same thing happen but as there weren't any dogs etc in there to deter the burglar I assume stuff was taken (they weren't back so I pushed the window closed to hopefully stop anyone just walking by realising).

Yesterday we called in at Brownhills on our way back home to stretch our legs and bought replacement window clips so I can get it sorted. The van already has 'bars' on the side and back windows next to the bed to prevent stuff/us/dogs falling out so whilst in France I had a loooooooooonnnnnggggg mooch round Ikea (nearly 3 hours ) whilst it was raining and bought some thin but strong metal curtain poles (about 1cm diameter) for the bargain price of just €2 each! I will put these across the large windows in the side door and over the dinette which will give a visual deterrent that it would be 'difficult' to get past them even if they got the window open and also stop our dogs being able to jump, or fall, out too - I'll fix them in such a way as to make them look okay and secure, but be removable in the future without leaving a trace.

We had previously considered getting the 'Lock M Out' slide over devices but weren't totally convinced they'd work and am still not sure if they would have made much difference as they attach to the weakest point in the windows - the stupid plastic levers. With windows having so much flex in them it isn't difficult to get underneath so it may be possible to actually push them off/to the side and flick the lever up anyway which is why we didn't buy them - we haven't tested this theory though and are not sure if the seller has so you'll have to make your own mind up on this! I'll have to put my thinking cap on and see if I can come up with another method of making the actually window more secure without causing problems in use or aesthetically. I'll also see if I can install an extra alarm warning light that can be seen clearly even in bright sunlight.

As an aside to this, we spoke to a lady who's lived in Italy for 10 years and she said that the number of 'migrants' has become an issue much more in the last 2 years - there are lots of them in some of the tourist areas, not always the most popular ones either, trying to sell you fake goods or expect a reward for 'finding' you a parking places in free car parks because they pointed you to an available spot you'd have found yourself anyway!!! Most are accepting of your 'No' response but some are very persistent indeed so be prepared to just walk away and obviously be careful with your bags/wallets/rucksacks etc, don't put them on seats and turn your back on them as they could easily be gone (happened to a friend of ours recently in a train station which wasn't that crowded). She told us that theft is becoming quite a problem - they probably pinch stuff to sell so they can eat/live but that's still no excuse.

We didn't let our experience spoil our holiday but if we'd actually had stuff nicked that might have been a different matter!

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[iandsm]

There have been windscreen washers at many traffic lights in Italian cities. Some are very persistent even though you make it clear you don't want their services.

 

[nickbailey]

Hi Funsters, Just want to add that our auto trail Dakota was broken into on our driveway. we saw the thieving scum bag ride off on a push bike with a bag of stolen items. He stole a Dyson hoover, jewellery and lots of other sentimental items. he even tore the plastic cowling off the front passenger seat to try and remove the case that houses the jack. The mess was terrible he just emptied lockers and went through our possessions like a person possessed. The tv as removed from the wall bracket in readiness to steal. Mud all over the carpets and filthy footprints all over the bedding. We pride our selves on how clean we keep our van and this has ruined it for us. We feel so violated by this that we don't want to go away in the van again. There was no sign of forced entry so how he gained entry is a mystery. The drivers door is where the footprints were but local Police not interested. Yes they gave us a crime number but I know the Insurance company will not pay out without proof of forced entry. We feel so upset by this that I can't see us continuing this lovely hobby through fear of a repeat. Sorry to sound off but just so frustrated and angry.

 

[CWH]

Hi Funsters, Just want to add that our auto trail Dakota was broken into on our driveway. we saw the thieving scum bag ride off on a push bike with a bag of stolen items. He stole a Dyson hoover, jewellery and lots of other sentimental items. he even tore the plastic cowling off the front passenger seat to try and remove the case that houses the jack. The mess was terrible he just emptied lockers and went through our possessions like a person possessed. The tv as removed from the wall bracket in readiness to steal. Mud all over the carpets and filthy footprints all over the bedding. We pride our selves on how clean we keep our van and this has ruined it for us. We feel so violated by this that we don't want to go away in the van again. There was no sign of forced entry so how he gained entry is a mystery. The drivers door is where the footprints were but local Police not interested. Yes they gave us a crime number but I know the Insurance company will not pay out without proof of forced entry. We feel so upset by this that I can't see us continuing this lovely hobby through fear of a repeat. Sorry to sound off but just so frustrated and angry.

Oh no, that's horrendous! When did this happen @nickbailey ?
Please please don't let it stop you motorhoming, though it's understandable you might not want to use your current van. I'm so sorry it's happened to you, there but for the grace etc.

 

[nomadic]

Deadlocks are what I recommend to prevent this. I really hope you can fight your insurance company successfully.

This is the ones I used. But you may need the newer model ones.

Broken Link Removed

Gromett

Did you benefit on your insurance costs after fitting them?

Are they straight forward to fit yourself, or is it a locksmith's job?

Certainly cheaper than an alarm, which everyone ignores when activated.

Certainly interested in this as I am not impressed with our locks.

 

[Gromett]

Gromett

Did you benefit on your insurance costs after fitting them?

Are they straight forward to fit yourself, or is it a locksmith's job?

Certainly cheaper than an alarm, which everyone ignores when activated.

Certainly interested in this as I am not impressed with our locks.

I don't even bother telling my insurance company so I can't comment on whether it affects insurance.

Straight forward to fit on a panel van, however it is quite a bit of work and requires an ability with hand tools and a good bit of measuring.

I posted how I did it on my blog.

https://www.fulltiming.info/self-build-motorhome/fitting-deadlocks

I highly recommend them and will be fitting them to any future vehicles as a first stage in my security.

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[Speve]

@nickbailey if you read the rest of the thread they have found out how their van was Broken into a small hole up under the handle through the rubber.note that this thread started over a year ago!

 

[Kevan]

I fitted these dead easy and they lock German ABOUT £140

This version has key locking. Supplied as a pair for vehicle years from 2006 onwards. Combat thieves who try to break into your motorhome through the cab doors. These robust deadlocks, supplied as a pair, are easily fitted to the inside of the cab doors and are operated from inside.

This model is very simple to fit - see below in the slide show and captions for step by step instructions.

The secure deadlocks are operated from inside the vehicle and prevent the doors being opened from outside whilst your are asleep or whilst the vehicle is unoccupied. Includes a lock and key which secure the deadlock bolt so that it can't be withdrawn by breaking a window and turning the operating knob.

The HEOSafe locks are part of a range which is available to fit most of the vehicles which are commonly used as motorhome base vehicles.

The range extends to locks for sliding doors and other styles of habitation doors, and lockers too, for motorhomes and caravans.

• Very robust, aluminium body casting
• Practical and user-friendly operation
• Lock and key security
• Easy to install
• Oil-free mechanisms with Gliss-Coat so absolutely maintenance-free
• Window sticker warns off thieves before they damage the door to try to gain entry
• Three year guarantee
• For Fiat Ducato 250, Peugeot Boxer, Citroen Jumper from 2006

Click on the first picture below and then browse through the slideshow and captions to see how easy it is to fit these locks. You can click the 'Pause' icon and then move manually through the slides at a pace of your choosing.

 

[nickbailey]

Forgot to mention, our van is a 2015 model so not sure if the hole under handle applies to that model. Thanks to anyone who can suggest anything as it is a total mystery to us. Does anyone know of a good alarm system ?, I would feel more assured that the alarm sounding would prevent the mess that this scum caused and of course the theft of our property.

 

[Robert Clark]

My three tips for security on the move

1. Keep valuables out of sight
2. Get external flashing LED's as a deterrent like you get on a proper alarm such as Gtowler
3.Get a proper immobiliser such as Growler

 

[Zigisla]

@nickbailey terrible thing to happen to anyone. I remember my folding camper was broken into and they smashed the front locker a nicked my gas bottles and tool etc. Cost a fortune to replace everything. I felt violated and didn't want to use the unit again. We did and thankfully had some more great times and eventually forgot about it. We did move onto a MH but that had nothing to do with it. Alarm wise you cannot beat the Vanbitz Growler imo. From @eddievanbitz and remember your funster discount. Even if the scallywags get in, they won't stay for long expensive but remember you want to prevent this again and protect a 2015 year MH ie. Expensive prize and joy. Best wishes and really really try to put this behind you and keep MH ing.

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