Not sure if I am being paranoid but I am a bit concerned,
We keep our caravan at home round the back of our house, you go down a long shared drive and then it tucks in round the back of the house so barely noticeable, we have to keep it at home as we use it as a spare room when people stay over etc and we love having it at home, having had it in storage before.
Anyhow, Today I had a knock on the door from 3 blokes in a white van, and asked me if I could sell it to them, when I declined they got really pushy and then asked me if I would swap it for a hobby!!!, I stilll persevered in saying no we love our caravan and they kept on and on, In the end I went to close the door and they started asking me about re cementing my porch or doing my drive! I said no and went in and phoned the police who gave me an incident number, I did get the registration mark of the van (although not sure what van it was but not a transit)
Anybody else had this happen??
The van is quite secure (I hope) with wheel lock, hitchlock, Tracker sticker and currently our friends daughters car is parked infront of it too until she passes her test, It is also really difficult to get out the space without the mover due the angle, Is there anything else I could do?
My 2 dogs also sleep in the utility room through a conservatory and I know Coco would bark if someone was messing about out there,
I am just being paranoid I think but its really worried me. I would be fairly confident in saying these are traveller types, but am shocked.
------------- Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
It sound to me as if the person who has called on you might have a 'knocked-off' Hobby caravan to offload. If he offloads it to you and swaps it for your van, you then have the stolen van and he had a van he has allegedly obtained legitimately. I think you did the correct thing reporting the incident to the police. I don't think you are being paranoid, and you are not the first person to report something similar on here. I would keep a careful eye on the van, they could have been 'casing' it. Certainly I would make sure my caravan insurance is adequate and up to date. This sort of incident is quite worrying. Did you give the vehicle registration number to the Police? Even if they were 'legitimate', it's hardly the way to do business, IMHO.
Oh that doesn't sound nice. Yes I think you're right to be concerned. I'm glad you called the police, at least now they know that a gang is operating in the area.
There's really not much else you can do! So try not to worry about it. Perhaps they got the message!
Thanks both, yeah I gave the details of the van to the police, I also have alerted neighbours who have caravans stored at home to be vigilant and my dad who is a postman and can tell his friends and people who he delivers to who have vans stored at home,
I certainly wouldn't sell our van and would never just swap it to someone who banged on my front door,
Think I may leave Coco free reign of conservatory too for a few nights just incase.
------------- Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
Not a nice situation to be confronted in this way on your own doorstep. I think I might sleep in the van for the next couple of nights along with the dogs.
Am tempted Tony,the kids would enjoy it, Just can't believe the cheek of some people. I told my OH when she finishes work rather than take her bus back to the depot bring it home and park it on the drive, lets see them try and dray 10 tonne of bus out the way to get it! LOL
------------- Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
Think I would be up to 99 if that happened to me. The last time we had our van home I was out cleaning it and a White transit drove slowly past, turned and came back. He then askedfor directions for somewhere the other side of town. Every slightest nose that night and I was up checking it.
Hope you get some sleep tonight.
Nicky
yes twice now it does unnerve you.think the first one was genuine as he left a card if i changed my mind.the second i took his number and gave it in to the police as he drove very slowly past and had a good look at the van.
------------- the only silly question is the one you do not ask.
Well I have parked our folding camper on the shared drive too now, OH is going to park infront of that when she gets back as our next door neighbour works nights and she has said she will leave her car there all day tomorrow,
Because we have a large front drive we tend to park on that and then leave the shared drive for our neighbour as long as she moves the car when we need to get the caravan out but I think when she is out I am going to start parking on it more often.
Its awful to think of someone messing with our pride and joy, It isn't going anywhere without making a huge racket anyway now!!
------------- Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
I have found recently that these things are now the norm. Its the same as cutting through other peoples pitches (adults and children) if you say anything you get a funny look or just ignored. I now tend to shout out to see if they want coffee, tea etc., no answer. It does not matter what rules the sites have these people will take no notice and continue to please themselves. I enjoy caravaning but its getting more like a chore these days, and alot of the nice people who feel like me are giving up, whats left more of the others.
Unusual to have a tracker sticker on a caravan. This would normally indicate that the caravan does not have a tracker fitted. if companies advertised that a caravan had a tracker and it was the norm, thieves would look for the tracker and toss it out.
Either way you are right to be paranoid as I am like that even though we don't have the caravan at home. Also very suspicious when you see a car slowly cruising around the caravan park where you are sited.
A couple of years ago we were selling our swift, I put a 'for sale' sign in the front window, then had a chap knocking the door, he was a traveller (before you all start defending him, he told me he was!) he was nice enough, but offered me a stupid amount for the van, which I turned down, he wasn't too pushy, but I was kicking myself for putting the sign up! I could hardly refuse to show him round it. As my kitchen is at the front of the house, I noticed him keep driving past at different times, with other chaps in the van, each time they would slow down and have a good look.
I was convinced it was going to be stolen, couldn't sleep, was straight out of bed in the night with any noise! Anyway luckily it sold the following week, so I could relax.
I don't think you are paranoid at all, I know they are not all the same, but I recon travellers are to blame for the majority of caravan thefts.
The fact that they wanted to cement your drive sounds to me like they were gypsies.
I have had a few run ins with these people , as they dont seem to understand the word no.
I doubt they will be back, they will just harass the next person and move on.
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Topic: Paranoid???
