I would like to thank UKCampsite.co.uk for putting my stolen caravan on their Website. My wife and I are devastated by this. We bought this new after I semi retired in January of this year. This caravan had all the recommended security locks, all this tells you it doesn't matter what you do if these thevie won't something, they will take it!. Once again many thanks UKCampsite.co.uk. Steve
Quote: Originally posted by Stevefalconnor1961 on 12/9/2023
I would like to thank UKCampsite.co.uk for putting my stolen caravan on their Website. My wife and I are devastated by this. We bought this new after I semi retired in January of this year. This caravan had all the recommended security locks, all this tells you it doesn't matter what you do if these thevie won't something, they will take it!. Once again many thanks UKCampsite.co.uk. Steve
A sickener, and no mistake. But you are 100% correct. No matter what you do to protect it, if someone really wants your van, they will take it. Not sure id even want it back, depending. But there is a fair chance its in a container heading overseas now.
Had that hard lesson demonstrated to me that nothing will stop them taking a van no matter what you do to protect it if they really want it. Soon after I got my van just over 5 years ago now, had a message from the secure storage yard I use that they'd had a break in and a van had been stolen (thankfully it wasn't mine! - but that did still mean some other poor soul did suffer loss).
As said this was a secure storage yard attached to a operating camp site, with wardens living on site, the van had all the usual security devices fitted. The thieves cut their way through steel palisade fencing to get into the yard from a public place, cut off the wheel locks, changed the hitch to bypass the lock on that (all the removed bits were left lying around, so site staff and Police could see how they were overcome), then rammed their way off the site through 8ft high locked gates and card controlled drop arm barriers on the normal entrance-exit! That was some determination to get that specific van - this was no random choice, they had a target and came prepared! It was a Hobby (probably gives most an idea who took it!), but not an especially new or high spec one and of lesser value than loads of other vans, including mine, that were parked around it!
Chatting with site staff and other van owners after the event, it was true to say we were all rather shaken that all the security measures available to you amount to nothing against determined thieves, and taken aback that anyone would be so bold as to steal the van under the noses of so many people and the lengths to which they were prepared to go.
The only thing you can do is make it as difficult as possible to steal, and hope they go for easier pickings. There was a mini crime wave over that w/e, another 5 or 6 vans were also stolen in the area, no one was in any doubt who was responsible, and no one had high hopes any would be recovered.
Hope there is no hassle with the insurance payout and everything goes smoothly for you to obtain another caravan. Maybe next time consider fitting a Phantom tracker that will alert you the moment they touch the caravan?
Quote: Originally posted by iank01 on 16/9/2023
Hope there is no hassle with the insurance payout and everything goes smoothly for you to obtain another caravan. Maybe next time consider fitting a Phantom tracker that will alert you the moment they touch the caravan?
Its hard to believe there isnt a gadget to pinpoint/jam any tracking device. Rip it out whilst hooking up, and leave it as a memento for the poor owner.
The best anyone can ever do is install something that will slow down the casual thief so that they look elsewhere. The difference between a cheap wheel lock/hitch-lock and a really expensive one is merely seconds to a professional thief, so in my opinion it is pointless going for the really expensive ones, as if they want it they will have it, no matter what you fit.
Trackers are of limited use too especially if your caravan isn't stored very close to where you are. What's the point of being alerted if you are 30 miles or more away? I doubt whether they work inside a container anyway, and that's probably what professionals would do.
Out tracker notifies you immediately if anyone interferes with the caravan. The call centre then checks if it is us or not. If not, the police are notified immediately and they have to respond.
Quote: Originally posted by Colin21 on 20/9/2023
The best anyone can ever do is install something that will slow down the casual thief so that they look elsewhere. The difference between a cheap wheel lock/hitch-lock and a really expensive one is merely seconds to a professional thief, so in my opinion it is pointless going for the really expensive ones, as if they want it they will have it, no matter what you fit.
Trackers are of limited use too especially if your caravan isn't stored very close to where you are. What's the point of being alerted if you are 30 miles or more away? I doubt whether they work inside a container anyway, and that's probably what professionals would do.
Weirdly, i employ the most 'security' where the van is most secure. In the storage yard. Rarely, if ever, do i bother onsite. I figure that once awnings and other gubbins are wrapped around it, thieves will go for one easier to hook up.
Quote: Originally posted by iank01 on 20/9/2023
Out tracker notifies you immediately if anyone interferes with the caravan. The call centre then checks if it is us or not. If not, the police are notified immediately and they have to respond.
Given all the police have to deal with today I would imagine that a stolen caravan would be way down their list of priorities. I would be surprised if they did anything much more than giving out a crime number for the insurance. That's all I got when I had my Mazda Bongo stolen back in 2009, they didn't even come round to see me. Then I got a letter from them 2 weeks later saying they had given up on it due to lack of evidence, even though I tried to tell them that I had been a victim of organised crime, as several had gone missing from the same area of a very short space of time and no trace was ever found of any of them. They were probably being stolen to order and immediately shipped abroad.
Quote: Originally posted by Mrs. Bonce on 20/9/2023
The police? Good luck with them.
Remember that trackers are also fitted to HGV, cars etc and not just caravans so recovery is high on their list of priorities which is why units fitted with proactive trackers have a high recovery rate.
Like has been said “ if they want it they will ‘av it “
All you can do is make it as difficult as possible.
I personally would also Data Tag it or use some other micro dot identification system, this makes it almost impossible to sell on for parts or even sell.
Quote: Originally posted by Mrs. Bonce on 20/9/2023
The police? Good luck with them.
Remember that trackers are also fitted to HGV, cars etc and not just caravans so recovery is high on their list of priorities which is why units fitted with proactive trackers have a high recovery rate.
Not sure why some are so anti tracker?
I'm certainly not anti-trackers as such, it's just that I sometimes question just how much use they are. When my vehicle went missing they just didn't seem that concerned, they didn't even ask me if it had a tracker. They have their work cut out these days with crimes of violence, terrorism, dealing with protests, etc, all of which are much higher priority than thefts of property. They probably give a higher priority to stolen HGVs, as they may contain something of great value or something which could be useful to terrorists. Incidentally, two of my good friends are police officers, one of them quite a high-ranking one, and much of what I am saying came from them.
I managed to obtain CCTV of the vehicle leaving the area with my caravan with the registration as clear as day, but I haven't heard anything back. I can't understand if you go through a speed camera over the limit you soon get a letter through the post. I checked the registration on the Internet for its services history and the registration matches against the vehicle ????
Quote: Originally posted by Colin21 on 21/9/2023
I'm certainly not anti-trackers as such, it's just that I sometimes question just how much use they are. When my vehicle went missing they just didn't seem that concerned, they didn't even ask me if it had a tracker. They have their work cut out these days with crimes of violence, terrorism, dealing with protests, etc, all of which are much higher priority than thefts of property. They probably give a higher priority to stolen HGVs, as they may contain something of great value or something which could be useful to terrorists. Incidentally, two of my good friends are police officers, one of them quite a high-ranking one, and much of what I am saying came from them.
It would seem to be pretty daft to ask you if you have a tracker fitted? After all if there was a tracker fitted, the tracking call centre would have already notified the police. The police are not allowed to discriminate between a HCV or a simple trailer. They have a duty of care.
Quote: Originally posted by Colin21 on 21/9/2023
I'm certainly not anti-trackers as such, it's just that I sometimes question just how much use they are. When my vehicle went missing they just didn't seem that concerned, they didn't even ask me if it had a tracker. They have their work cut out these days with crimes of violence, terrorism, dealing with protests, etc, all of which are much higher priority than thefts of property. They probably give a higher priority to stolen HGVs, as they may contain something of great value or something which could be useful to terrorists. Incidentally, two of my good friends are police officers, one of them quite a high-ranking one, and much of what I am saying came from them.
It would seem to be pretty daft to ask you if you have a tracker fitted? After all if there was a tracker fitted, the tracking call centre would have already notified the police. The police are not allowed to discriminate between a HCV or a simple trailer. They have a duty of care.
Hardly worth it with the monetary value of my caravan, although I would still be sick as a pig if it went missing! I had another old one go missing back in the early 1990s and they didn't really want to know. All they did was give me a crime number.
As for duty of care, of course they do have one, but they still prioritise crimes against the person far more so than theft of property. They would simply claim lack of manpower, and they would probably be right. Unfortunately, although many might think the police would spring into action when something gets stolen, in reality that is rarely the case these days. They are just far too busy. Theft of personal property is very much a case of "when we get round to it", duty of care or not. And that comes straight from the horse's mouth.
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Topic: Stolen caravan
via mobile 12/9/2023 at 12:16pm
