I am trying to work out whether buying a tracking device is worth the cost. I have discovered that it saves me 5% on annual insurance which isn't very much, particularly given the device is £500 and monthly £12, but I also have no idea on how frequently caravans are stoled, is a big thing? So the question is to track or not to track? Thank you for all your thoughts, i do aprecait that it is a bit subjective!
wow expensive! depends on the age of your caravan and the cost of it i guess, personally i would say take a look at something such as an airtag which cost around £25 each
Some trackers use a dedicated radio link to base and will work just about anywhere, others rely on the mobile phone network, and I think plenty of us have found 'not spots' where there is no signal coverage, so therefore no tracking at that location. Arguably, a great many camp sites have little or no mobile coverage!
There is also the consideration that radio/mobile signals can be blocked by gadgets easily available on the internet for only a few pounds (IIRC, they are not even illegal to sell/purchase/own!), so a well organised/determined thief may be able to 'disable' a tracker without even gaining access directly to it! That creates the dilemma of, do you advertise its presence with a prominent sticker as a deterrent to theft, or do you leave it hidden as a stealth device to act in the event of theft!
Quite a few people feel that once their cherished van has been 'violated' by some low life scumbag, they don't actually want it back, I think I fall into that group, to me, it's a very personal space and I'm selective who gets to share it!
With all the high end mechanical locks that are fitted to my van, which I appreciate are generally defeated in little more than minutes, and the standard alarm for what that's worth, I'm not overly convinced anyone determined enough to tackle them would be deterred by a tracker. Therefore, it may well still be stolen, and we're back with do I want back a possibly damaged and certainly 'violated' van!
As to the recovered statistics of 'tracked' vans, personally I've never seen anything other than marketing claims of various suppliers, so can't quantify their worth in the grander scale of stolen vans. As to alerting the Police and expecting reaction from them in recovery, well I just don't have ANY faith! Of countless thefts I'm aware of, of all sorts, especially vehicle related, the only interest the Police show is in logging the crime and issuing a crime number to facilitate an insurance claim!
Despite my cynicism about effectiveness, no doubt every deterrent to theft has some merit. Most effective deterrent to theft is bringing as much delay and inconvenience to thieves as possible, and maybe making their act obvious, with the hope they will move on to easier pickings, but having to accept some will succeed. The van that was stolen from my storage yard a few years back, must have taken 20-30mins in total to get off the premises from first penetration of secure yard, disabling fitted locks/security on van, to breaking out of the yard with van in tow - that's determination on a specifically targeted van!
In all the years and all the vans I've had I've just never seen the need.
Good secure storage with hitch and wheel locks have always worked well for me.
I agree with you monty15. I have been studying the idea of fitting a tracker to our caravan, but have noted how they are so easily jammed.
I think I prefer the idea of bollards across the driveway ( would take at least 2 minutes to cut off with an angle grinder), but at least a visible defence.
Probably the greatest deterrent we have, is the neighbours cars! They are parked all along the road and even I have difficulty getting the ‘van out, I have to go round asking them if they would move their cars. Of course, it would be just my luck the day the thieves arrive would be the one day of the year, they were all out in their cars.
Thanks for all three comments, you are to a certain extent echoing my own thoughts, where the only difference is that I have no real idea of frequency of the loss of caravans although I do have experience of being a very low priority for the police, which while understandable, does underline the lack of resources that they are contending with. The tracker under consideration is the Phantom Pro 3, not that this makes much difference I think!
The security devices are only as good as their locks or ability to communicate, both of which van be negated or bypassed very quickly without an angle grinder. The Alko wheel locks are probably the most difficult to open without the keys, but that is because the bolt is recessed so deep inside, the cylinder lock itself would only take a minute or so with the right tools. You will never stop someone who is determined, but you might persuade them to go for an easier target. It is a balancing act between your insurance and your perception of the risk.
------------- 'A sure cure for sea-sickness is to sit under a tree'
Understood and very true, I am just hoping to garner a few opinions on whether the cost of a tracker is offset by more than just the reduction in insurance. Whilst subjective the overall impression I am getting is no.
Quote: Originally posted by Woody1000 on 28/1/2024
Hello
I am trying to work out whether buying a tracking device is worth the cost. I have discovered that it saves me 5% on annual insurance which isn't very much, particularly given the device is £500 and monthly £12, but I also have no idea on how frequently caravans are stoled, is a big thing? So the question is to track or not to track? Thank you for all your thoughts, i do aprecait that it is a bit subjective!
We have the Phantom Tracker on our twin axle caravan and it is proactive and you are notified the moment anyone interferes with the caravan. The call centre contacts you to ask if it is you and if not, they contact the police.
From the comfort of your home you can monitor the location of the caravan, battery usage and see your monthly mileage. When the caravan is at a dealer for its service you can see when it is taken into the workshop and for how long it is in the workshop. Best of all it gives you peace of mind.
If you are spending £20k on a caravan why quibble about £500 and £12 a month? With the Phantom Tracker you can pay upfront for a year, 2 years or even 5 years and it works out a bit cheaper.
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Topic: Caravan tracking device
via mobile 28/1/2024 at 3:17pm
