Should I upgrade my security?

[WESTY66]

The blue LEDs keep my neighbour awake so I have to leave them off. She lives on the other side of the road.

You can dim them I have mine bright all the time, no one on our street has complained, if they did I would dim them out of courtesy

I’m on my third van and have had a growler and non starter on every one.
My second van, the sonic had a OTT alarm which I had taken out and the growler/non starter put in, partly because I couldn’t be bothered to figure out the OTT and mainly because I was familiar with the growler and non starter and I know how good the aftersales is. It’s all about personal choice at the end of the day and what you’re comfortable with. If you do keep your cobra, just make sure all of it works as it should

 

[TDub49]

If you insure with Comfort they do not ask about Thatcham.

They certainly asked me. Happy to stick with the Cobra that was in situ when I bought the van. I agree with the OP in respect of needless consumption and with subsequent posts that suggest ramping up the other security measures like pedal locks.

 

[VXman]

It's a bit like listening to the news in terms of crime/violent crime. If you really believed it was so common you'd never go outside of the house. In practice the UK is a very safe place to live.

I am surprised how rare reports are of motorhome theft and given how cheap insurance is (relative to the cost of a motorhome) then that suggests there isn't a massive motorhome theft problem. Yes, I know it happens and we hear about it more because we are on motorhome social media but in real terms?

In response to comment about insurance requirements for alarms/trackers - Comfort do not require me to have an alarm or tracker and charge just £300 to insure a £60,000 motorhome.

 

[WESTY66]

I’m with comfort, they certainly asked me too

 

[Two Owl Ones]

the cobra is a thatcham cat 1 alarm and immobiliser and is insurance approved if you have the installation certificate,if not then i would consider having it done for peace of mind, vanbitz seem to be the installer of choice on here, it all boils down to what it would cost you if your van was stolen and how bad you want it to remain in your possession, im happy with the cobra system but if i lived closer or needed another system i would make contact with vanbitz and hope they could fit me in to have one of theirs fitted on my van, i am reasonably comfortable with the cobra because, The Main features are the ultra secure immobiliser module with all black wiring and you simply can't bypass the immobiliser due to the module being Epoxy sealed. Unlike other alarms ( not vanbitz) were an experienced thief can bypass the immobiliser directly at the alarms ECU. With a digital immobiliser link to the main alarms control unit the immobiliser unit can be hidden very well within the vehicle and its a lot harder to find unlike others were the alarm and immobiliser unit is all one piece.
this is just my individual opinion, and one shoe dosent fit all, and we can get confused with all the information available to us, we as funsters are here to share our knowledge to help each other out if we can, if you are in doubt contact an expert in the problem that you are experiencing,in this case eddievanbitz is insurance and funster approved,their systems have great reviews, and we havent ever heard of a vehicle being stolen after having one fitted.

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[Rick Axon]

I would leave alone. And get a few extras. Clutch claw . steering wheel lock .And a few claymore mines

If you're going to use claymore mines, it's essential you point them in the right direction, instructions are printed on the mine.

 

[PaulC70]

You can dim them I have mine bright all the time, no one on our street has complained, if they did I would dim them out of courtesy

Same here, but I certainly wouldn't turn them off and leave the van unprotected after spending so much on it! I'd be telling the neighbour to buy better curtains!

 

[WESTY66]

Same here, but I certainly wouldn't turn them off and leave the van unprotected after spending so much on it! I'd be telling the neighbour to buy better curtains!

TBH I didn’t know you could turn them off, they’re the thing that drew me into the growlers, they were all over at my first ever show (Norfolk 2018).

 

[PaulC70]

TBH I didn’t know you could turn them off, they’re the thing that drew me into the growlers, they were all over at my first ever show (Norfolk 2018).

I don't think you can turn them off without turning off the alarm though?

 

[Tony50]

I would leave alone. And get a few extras. Clutch claw . steering wheel lock .And a few claymore mines

And a small Safe

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[Otter Spotter]

The blue LEDs keep my neighbour awake so I have to leave them off. She lives on the other side of the road.

On mine there are 2 settings bright and dim,(blue blue switch) no switch off lights completely unless you turn the internal sensor off (red switch) Suggest to neighbour that she wears an eye mask

 

[Bobbydaisy]

I would add a tracker, got one on my van and get a discount from Comfort for having it which helps discount the subscription for the tracker. You also get a discount from Comfort if you have reversing camera or sensors fitted.

 

[muddygig]

Have you got the dimmer on ? Re the blue lights. I have mine on all the time unless leaving it somewhere in the daylight away from my drive. Brilliant reassuring growler I have plus the tracker Van bitz fit with the app etc , it’s really good.

 

[Chris Sykes]

The blue LEDs keep my neighbour awake so I have to leave them off. She lives on the other side of the road.

Your Vanbitz alarm system external blue led’s should have a dimmer position which is operated by the rocker switch in the cab, which has a blue light - if you use this switch it will reduce the brightness by 50% which should keep both your neighbour & your insurance company happy!

 

[Gromett]

If you're going to use claymore mines, it's essential you point them in the right direction, instructions are printed on the mine.

Just went to look at claymore mines as your post got me curious.
I always thought they had a relatively short kill range. I imagined 10 meters with perhaps 25 meters injury or serious injury.

HOLY CRAP BATMAN!!!!

Sorry well off topic.

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[mackeellan]

I have had both cobra and vanbitz alarms. I had vanbitz fitted out of choice. My next van had cobra already fitted when I bought it. After 2 years of ownership I had issues with it. The local cobra engineer replaced the siren and the wiring was 8 core so used another core. He had to strip the dash and remove a headlight to get at it.....cost £100 and works well now. No problems at all with vanbitz but the cobra is fine and can be repaired locally.

 

[cbrookson]

Just went to look at claymore mines as your post got me curious.
I always thought they had a relatively short kill range. I imagined 10 meters with perhaps 25 meters injury or serious injury.

Your search history will just have become more interesting
I wonder what adverts Google will be dishing up now!!!

Cheers

 

[eddie]

The Cobra system doesn’t have the accessory protection circuit (bike loop) with front, rear and internal sirens, or front, side, rear and internal LED deterrent as stand as does our Growler system which al#o benefits from a lifetime parts and labour warranty

Sometimes we compare names, not specification

 

[Gromett]

Your search history will just have become more interesting
I wonder what adverts Google will be dishing up now!!!

Cheers

Google are completely blocked on my system. They will know someone did a search, but they won't be able to link it to anything else. Even finger printing won't work

 

[Tony50]

We stayed in a hotel for a night in Cochem, next morning we went into the breakfast room ,sat down at a table , waiter came in and said , you have sit down at that table which was isolated from the Germans, it wasn't as if we were not dressed correctly, and their attitude was definitely anti British, never had a problem in Germany before or since .

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[Sapper520]

Just went to look at claymore mines as your post got me curious.
I always thought they had a relatively short kill range. I imagined 10 meters with perhaps 25 meters injury or serious injury.

HOLY CRAP BATMAN!!!!

View attachment 650309


Sorry well off topic.

We were instructed on how to make Claymore’s.……using our mess tins.

 

[VXman]

We stayed in a hotel for a night in Cochem, next morning we went into the breakfast room ,sat down at a table , waiter came in and said , you have sit down at that table which was isolated from the Germans, it wasn't as if we were not dressed correctly, and their attitude was definitely anti British, never had a problem in Germany before or since .

I just came across this post and had to re read the whole thread to see where it came from. But alas, no connection. What a bizarre post

 

[Tony50]

I just came across this post and had to re read the whole thread to see where it came from. But alas, no connection. What a bizarre post

Wrong place I do humbly apologize

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

Go to Vanbitz as Eddie needs funds for another holiday


Plus you will get a top alarm fitted by some very careful people

 

[Coolcats]

Hi, I am super new to motorhoming. I picked up my new purchase yesterday. Was very nervous about driving a large vehicle for the first time, but it was fine. I have been researching the forums and other places to prep for motorhome life and was concerned about theft and security. More research and I decided to get Vanbitz to install the growler and non starter systems. However, when I picked the Motorhome up yesterday, I discovered it already has an extra alarm fitted, that I wasn’t aware of previously. It is a Cobra.

Essentially, my questions is, although I know this won’t have as many features as the growler, is it good enough? It seems silly to replace the alarm if there is a perfectly acceptable one in it (I will still get the non starter), but as I have already budgeted for the growler, if the cobra isn’t very good, more than happy to upgrade. I just can’t stand needless waste of resources for the sake of terms of both my pocket, and the environment and not wanting to be part of the throw away culture.

As someone who had two vehicles stollen and the MoHo not I can only thank Vanbitz for thier system it is well thought out and suspect the LED’s put the thieves off taking it. On a personal not I cannot recommend strikeback or growler enough. Speak with eddievanbitz or his team get them to go through the differences. If I was to purchase a MoHo and it had an alarm from someone else I would definitely have a vanbitz one installed.

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[Poppy and Hamish]

Thanks for all the replies here. As an update, I am all booked in at Vanbitz.

 

[foxy1884]

Hi, I am super new to motorhoming. I picked up my new purchase yesterday. Was very nervous about driving a large vehicle for the first time, but it was fine. I have been researching the forums and other places to prep for motorhome life and was concerned about theft and security. More research and I decided to get Vanbitz to install the growler and non starter systems. However, when I picked the Motorhome up yesterday, I discovered it already has an extra alarm fitted, that I wasn’t aware of previously. It is a Cobra.

Essentially, my questions is, although I know this won’t have as many features as the growler, is it good enough? It seems silly to replace the alarm if there is a perfectly acceptable one in it (I will still get the non starter), but as I have already budgeted for the growler, if the cobra isn’t very good, more than happy to upgrade. I just can’t stand needless waste of resources for the sake of terms of both my pocket, and the environment and not wanting to be part of the throw away culture.

I would still go to Vanbitz, an average thief will bypass a Cobra system quickly.

 

[muddygig]

I get your dilemma. As someone who has a growler fitted I know the quality of VanBitz fitting and the extra cover that the growler has over other alarms and it’s built specifically to your motorhome.
I know the price of the growler but given the amount of thefts happening daily of motorhomes I would if you can afford it, get the best possible alarm , and in my personal view that is the growler.

 

[syddam]

The blue LEDs keep my neighbour awake so I have to leave them off. She lives on the other side of the road.

She needs blackout curtains!

 

[Coolcats]

The blue LEDs keep my neighbour awake so I have to leave them off. She lives on the other side of the road.

Does she sleep vertically? and curtains may help as does closing ones eyes

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