You know what makes me really seeth? We work hard, we pay all our bills and we abide by the law - both state and moral, we save up for years to buy a caravan to provide the type of life for our kids so they can experience the level of freedom that we did in our childhoods.
We spent two years collecting everything we could possibly need for our van. On the week we load it up ready for the off, some people of questionable parentage come along and steal it fully loaded. They have probably never worked an honest day in their lives and what really gets me is that they had been watching me and the kids coming and going and knew exactly what time to hit us. The hitchlock and wheel clamp and chain were professionally removed, locker locks and door locks drilled out and to add insult to injury, the whalloped the gatepost on the way out.
The contents policy has paid out and I have a meeting with the loss adjustor tomorrow for the caravan insurance although what he is expecting to see I don't know - a big space where the caravan once was?
I seriously question whether it is worth the heartache of having a replacement only to see the same thing happen again. and what do we get? Inflated insurance premiums. The police didn't even bother coming out. It was Smartwatered too and still that didn't put them off.
If we had spent another £500+ on a tracker, it probably would be back with us by now. £500 is a lot of money when things are tight but for the pleasure of finding the scum that did this a week before we were due to go away for our summer hols (try explaining that to the kids!) I would love to have had the benefit of hindsight. Just leave them with me and a cattle prod for a few hours.....
Are top notch wheel clamps, hitchlocks and chains really worth the price when professionals can remove them in no time at all? Or should be buy cheap ones that act as visual deterrents and spend the real money on a tracker? OR should every house be fitted with CCTV - Thoughts?
Sorry to hear about your loss I am wondering the same thing at the moment but the difference with us is the caravan is 21 years old do I just put the theft devices on or fit an Alarm & Tracker as well
I think it depends on whether it could be easily replaced or not. Our van was only three years old and they don't make them any more so no, it could not be replaced with something of the same quality and spec - would have to go with another make. You also need to consider whether the tracker is worth more than the van....One thing I would say is that you need to make sure you keep all receipts or photograph everything in the van and everything you load into it to prove ownership should the worst happen. We were underinsured on the equipment as when we came to add it all up as we had replaced some "starter" stuff and fitted a motor mover, the total to replace was considerably greater than the insured value of the equipment. Contents insurance has been approved (after a few interesting telephone conversations with the house insurers) but the main man comes out tomorrow.... Neighbour been over (she has been away) and told me she witnessed everything but didn't realise what she was seeing until hubby told her about the theft. These guys are like that - act nonchalently and confidently and it cuts suspicion.
Hi annielou, What Bloo** Scum Bags, Think you are being to lenient with the cattle prod, couple of hours, that’s to short a time, (a week at least would be more appropriate), beginning to think that you would need the raised stop ramps on drive way, razor wire and a 12 gauge. I know that nothing is theft proof, and a lot of high end security devices, will only slow them down a little, the tracker looks a good option till they find a way round about that, there was a thread on here some time ago, that used stick on numbers on roof of van (car registration number), matching van to car, helped track van from air, think it had some other form of tracking device. Security – A Tracker and good reasonably priced security devices. I have CCTV, that is only good if they are recognised or caught (proof of the deed) and end up in court.( The 12 gauge may be best option 2 bangs and end of criminal career, only half kidding). Did your neighbours not see any thing? Just saw your post about neighbours. If my van was being moved and I was not there the phone wires would be red hot. So Sorry for you.Hope you get it all sorted quickly and are able to get away soon.
------------- If everything runs smoothly then I must have done something wrong
If in Doubt Check it Out.
I remember a couple of years or so back having the police knock on our door to see if we had seen anything. A neighbour had her caravan stolen in similar circumstances outside the house. Locks were professionally removed, caravan hitched up and driven away. In broad daylight and no one witnessed it. That was also just after they had packed it for going on holiday. Makes you wonder because we live in a culdesac so whoever stole it would have had to come off the main road into the estate.
Sorry to hear this, I feel your pain, yes it is pain. We bought a brand new sprite quattro last April, we thought long and hard over trackers, as it at the time was stored on a farm, its a twin axle, travellers delight. Its now stored at a gold caossa site, we invested in a mtrack tracker, more details at www.mtrackonline.co.uk. I sleep better at night knowing it is being monitored , the beauty with this one its self powered, the size of 3 packs of fags,own battery which lasts 4 years,no wires to trace,alarms on vibration we have entered it without turning it off and within a minute the call centre was calling us, ,there is only me and DW who know where it is fitted, no stckers so no warning, I would replace and stick a tracker on, discount on insurance and piece of mind, goodluck for the future.
I really want to swear lots right now, it makes my blood boil. Yes I also feel your pain. We had ours stolen from outside of our house fully loaded ready for the first trip of the year! Ours is even kept on a secure compound, and i picked it up, arriving home about 6pm, loaded all the kids stuff, beer, bedding etc etc and by 8am the next morning, gone!! We had it attached to our car with the hitchlock, easy pickings i see now!! Hinesight a wonderfull thing!
Although we were in our nievety approx 3K underinsured, we did get a speedy pay out and bought a new one. It is safe at the compound, but when i take it home to pack, I now sleep in it with my ice hockey stick beside me! Hopefully the bastards will return!!
Advice, do not let them win, get another one, for the childrens sake!
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Topic: Theft deterrents versus tracker
