security worries ?

[44658]

Hi Mitzmaid,
Know the feeling, Scouse kids used to nick a car and drive to the police station and hoot the horn, just for the chase.

 

[eddie]

Several magazines are showing an advert that says basically 'Motorhome Crime is on the increase' When ever I see such line grabbing adverts, am always wary.
Can anyone other than this company confirm that such crime has increased. I know Chief Constable annual reports are usually issued in the Autumn of the year after. Plus don't know if vehicle crime is broken down into leisure etc.
Crime is reasonably predictable and localised, as in boat crime on the Broads or around Marinas on the south coast.
So does Moho theft centre from the home or whilst travelling.

Theft "of" the motorhome is more likely to be from the home or storage, theft "from" the motorhome is random

I have seen no figures supporting that motorhome theft is on the increase and I have studied the market, having specialised in motorhome security exclusively for nearly 30 years.

I wrote to Warners once asking if they could run some seminars on Crime Prevention inviting local plod along or security firms specialising in auto theft. Never so much as had a reply. Hey ho, no money in it for them so couldn't be arsed, I am assuming of course.
I have been invited speak at many seminars run by show organisers and owners clubs. Normally to an empty room other than to a few who come along for an argument, determined to try to prove their opinion that tracking or security systems don't work. This they invariably fail to do so a waste of time for them the speakers and the guests

 

[Simon Select]

A Growler saved my van last night. I think the whole street came out to see what the blue flashing lights and sirens were for expecting to see Police and not realising it was Bessie.
By the time I armed myself at 1am with flip flops, dressing gown and a hammer they were long gone. Did get a damaged can door lock as a souvenir.

 

[Hymer 1961]

so, we'll probably do a bit of wild camping during our motorhoming year, and more than likely, when not at home, our van will 80% of the time be parked on a side street somewhere, wether we're visiting a town, or overnighting. (a carefully chosen side street of course)
The van will be delivered next week, it's a new Rollerteam/Fiat, and initially without alarm. The extent of the security will be a Diskloc fully enclosed steering wheel lock, and window stickers to suggest alarm and tracker.
The issue that I have, is probably unrealistic, but for every solution I think of, there's a straightforward way that the thief can overcome that measure. Internal cab locks sound easy and fairly non-destructive to the new vehicle to fit, and an extra external habitation door lock might be useful (I'm not sure why drilling holes in a new van still sounds horrendous to me though)
I'm not a fan of an alarm after watching all the video's of gangs raiding vans for tools, and doing this while the alarm is sounding, nobody will tackle a couple of big lads in hoodies !
I think maybe I've convinced myself that internal cab locks (which open with a key) would force the thief to enter and exit through the smashed cab window.... which won't be a lot of fun with all the broken glass, and an external locking device on the cab door.... should put most thieves off..... maybe they'll believe the alarm sticker and give up for an easier target

what's a decent, nice and neat external hab lock ?

Thieves are opportunists, they want to be in and out as quickly as possible.
The Growler is super loud and I mean loud. So if any thief is stupid enough to ignore the four flashing blue LEDs, the window warning stickers, and the fact it’s imobillised via the NonStarter, so even if they had the keys they couldn’t drive away.

Conclusion, they are either very stupid and want their eardrums burst as Hell rains down upon them or they are deterred and walk away to find an easier victim.

 

[Decker]

Another vote for vanbitz’s, can’t tell you how secure I feel about leaving the van anywhere within reason and don’t worry about pulling the van to bits had mine fitted not a wire to be seen or anything out of place , proper professions are the team at vanbitz.

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[Arrius]

A tracking device with a motion sensor, shock sensor, and a geofence zone is what you need. Motorhome trackers will get you lower insurance premiums as well.

I have written a few articles on the topic and one of my mates own a security company called Rewire Security; so trust me when I say that a well-hidden GPS tracker is your best bet to prevent break-ins and recover a stolen MH. That's what I did at least, after working for vehicle tracking companies for years I can say that the GPS technology has definitely improved a lot over the years. Stuff like immobilisation, instant notifications, real-time tracking makes them excellent security systems.

I have https://www.rewiresecurity.co.uk/db1-gps-tracker-telematics-device installed and I can park anywhere I want without having to worry about my MH's security.

 

[Chockswahay]

so trust me when I say that a well-hidden GPS tracker is your best bet to prevent break-ins and recover a stolen MH.

How would a tracker prevent a break in? I get the recovery thing but not the break in bit

 

[peterc10]

We fitted a Growler and non starter from VanBitz. With the latter the thief will not be able to start the motorhome even if he has stolen the keys. People say that the problem with alarms is that they are ignored. The growler is so noisy inside that it actually hurts your ears and disorientates you. And the moment the alarm goes off, or an attempt is made to start it, both my and my wife's phones ring and tell us. I also have 2 different means of knowing where the motorhome is at any one time.

Not cheap, but the peace of mind it brings is well worth it.

 

[Arrius]

Sensors mate, there are a lot of accessories you can add to the tracking systems or that comes built-in.

Motion sensor/shock sensor/tampering sensor - I don't know the exact name of it but it is extremely sensitive and if it detects a certain amount of vibration, it alerts you and that gives you the opportunity to call the police.

I know MH's are rather easy to break-in but at least this way, you won't find out the robbery after it happened.

 

[peterc10]

Motion sensor/shock sensor/tampering sensor - I don't know the exact name of it but it is extremely sensitive and if it detects a certain amount of vibration, it alerts you and that gives you the opportunity to call the police.
.

The trouble with these is that they are often too sensitive. Goes off on windy days

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[Deneb]

I know MH's are rather easy to break-in but at least this way, you won't find out the robbery after it happened.

Since a robbery involves the threat or use of force against a person, it would be very difficult to be the victim of a robbery and not know about it at the time!

Theft on the other hand, is a different matter.

 

[PP Bear]

My simple answer to internal cab security.

Sits high enough above the seats that should I ever require to drive away from a wild camping spot, then I can.

Great visual deterant too, easy to fit and remove and costs next to nothing.

Though you might like to know

 

[Phantomphixer]

What price security?

Well I worked in the Commercial Intruder Alarms and Integrated system business for many years. If a thief wants it they will have it full stop! A local Caravan dealer had 3 vans stolen they just wrapped chains around the A frames and dragged them onto trailers.

There are many schools of thought on how to approach security. Make it secure as possible and hope the yobbos pick an obviously less secure target. Fit physical security and do not bother with alarms. Let the Insurance Company take the weight and not bother with any security. These are but a few. I guess it’s all relative to the value of your van and possessions within.

With a Determined thief or professionals, you stand no chance they often steal to order, you have to accept that! (A friend who was a transport manager had three Lorries stolen, it was discovered that they had been booked on a ferry to France the week previous to being stolen).
You might be able slow them down and make it damn awkward to take, which may buy you valuable time, this may well be key to stopping them, or perhaps them abandoning the attempt.

Alarm systems, these come in many types, Thatcham approved being the most secure and recognised by the insurance industry, most vehicles are already fitted with alarm systems some Thatcham approved some not, normally the insurance company will want to know which system you have and what Level of Thatcham type approval it has. There are 3 levels for alarms 1, 2 and 2/1. however please be aware there are some companies that give convincing specifications on their systems however they may not have Thatcham type approval. Be wary if the company uses wireless detectors and door contacts, to my knowledge these do not fall in line with the Thatcham guidelines. My advice would be always use hard wired detectors / contacts, One, they are generally more secure, and Two, if you have to replace them they are less costly and you will have a variety of options available rather than having to stick with the wireless manufacturers sensors.


Trackers, a lot of insurance companies like them or insist on them, I think it depends on the vehicle your insuring. How do they work? In a nutshell they receive signals from the GPS satellites, triangulate the position of the receiver, and resend (push) that data via the cellular network to a GPS tracking server to be read by tracking apps or software. Disabling them? Yes you can, GPS / SPS (L1 1575.42MHz) can be jammed, wideband jammers can remarkably be purchased very easily, or for those with the knowledge can make simple equipment to do the same. The uplink via the cellular network is less likely to be compromised however there is a question of the signal coverage in the area you are located.

However a thief can never really be sure that the signal has been compromised, so another common tactic would be to gain access and rip the tracker out. In MH's that have factory fitted trackers I'm pretty sure the installation location of these devices would be well known, however the location of those fitted by security companies would be relatively unknown. If you have a commercial tracking system already fitted, you might also wish to consider a second tracker, a thief would be unlikely to expect a second device! Considering the cost of these devices today, they could almost be used as a sacrificial device, used so that when the thief has located it and removed it, he is now confident that he has got rid of the device and will no longer be tracked. A typical cheap unit for those that wish to have something rather than nothing or to be used as a backup would be the TK103 series of trackers, Google is your friend! Please note the suffixes at the end of the model numbers denote the various functions the unit has so make sure you are purchasing the right model for your needs.
Generally Insurance companies do not accept Alarm systems to Trackers that are self-fitted.

Immobilisers these are generally part and parcel of the alarm system, however more secure standalone devices can be purchased that are more secure and more importantly can be controlled remotely via an app or a computer. These have the benefit that should you lose or have your keys stolen you can disable the vehicle remotely

Stopping them getting in!!!???. IMHO would be difficult because there are few RV's that I would say are inherently secure .... Perhaps panel vans? The leisure industry tends to use chocolate to fabricate their doors, windows and roof-lights because weight is a factor, this is unlikely to change. However making it unbearable to stay in the van is a viable option. Internal sounders can produce a wall of sound that deters even the most determined (even with ear defenders). You might want to consider an alarm that has a deafening internal sounder system. If you have an existing system and you wish to enhance the internal sounder, Google “Sound Bomb” this is a quad Piezo Electric sounder with a low current consumption that is deafening, install two of these in your van you won’t want to hang around.

Physical security, this is a good visual deterrent, and is generally accepted as a good way of slowing the criminals down. I’m sure that professional criminals know how these devices can be removed but it’s a good deterrent to the casual thief and another weapon in the armoury!

So back to the original comment what price security? Well if I have spent a considerable amount on a Motor home, personally I think it’s a no brainer not to secure it to the best of your ability, why would you not?

On collection mine is going straight to a specialist to have an additional alarm and remote immobiliser fitted. Additionally I will be fitting a few little surprises along the way for any would be thief, which I will not be discussing on any social media.

These are my personal views and you may wish to take different measures or none at all, its just my 2d!