By William Coleman
You never ever think it’s going to happen to you until the day comes where you head outside to find that your caravan has been taken away by vehicle thieves. And in the event it does happen I doubt you’d think it would end up hundreds of miles away in a totally different park of the world.
It’s not every day that the police uncover stolen caravans to find out they have travelled several hundred miles from the point they were pinched.
Local officers were not too sure what to make of the situation where they were able to recover two stolen caravans that, after some looking into, were actually lifted from Germany. Bit of a long way to tow a stolen van, I’d imagine you’d do your profit in petrol and toll crossings.
The two caravans were recovered from a woodland area not too far from the Silverstone race course and have yet to be reunited with the owners.
Police soon got word from German authorities that the vans were on a list of stolen vehicles and had travelled well over 500 miles from where they last seen in Germany.
The Northampton Chronicle and Echo got word from a Northamptonshire Police spokesman who said: “A stolen van and two caravans were seized from Hazelborough Forest, near Silverstone, on February 7.
“Enquiries led us to trace these caravans back to their rightful owners in Germany and the police there are now investigating.”
It just goes to show crime knows no length or boundaries and you really do need to keep both eyes on your property before someone has away with it.
Here are a few tried and tested methods to protect your caravan and motorhome from thieves and vandals.
Wheel Locks
Sometimes the most simple method can be the most effective. A wheel lock can be effective in more ways than one.
The initial effect of the wheel lock is that it cannot be easily removed, not without making a lot of commotion and noise. An opportunistic thief would take one look and instantly be put off by the amount of work needed to remove the lock.
Some owners I know use a chain with a padlock, a practice that I cannot recommend as they are extremely easy to remove. All it takes is a pair of bolt cutters and then just like that your van is gone.
So invest in a decent wheel lock which is both a visual and physical deterrent. Well worth the investment which will also work for short and long term storage.
A Block Can Be A Defence
Another really silly one, well not that silly as I see a lot of people not doing it, is to park your tow car or primary vehicle in front of your caravan.
If your caravan or motorhome is blocked in then it will make it extremely difficult to get to. This way you do not have to buy any additional kit, should you not already have it.
I realise that this only works if you have a front garden or drive at the front of your home so it may not work for everyone.
Another good system, which can cost under £100, is a hitch post of moveable security barrier. Something so small and simple is super effective. The hitch post in such a good invention which will immediately put off anyone who tries to make off with your vehicles.
The small movable security poll/barrier is universal, unlike the hitch post, so it is ideal for motorhome or campervan owners.
Door Locks
The lock on a caravan or motorhome doors are not exactly known for their durability. I have seen some doors removed with very little force and some locks picked within a minute or so.
If they cannot take the van you can bet they will try and walk away with something. So the next best thing is to get inside to see what they can make off with.
Pretty much anyone, especially someone who knows what they are doing, can get inside a caravan with little to no effort.
So to reinforce your caravan door I would strongly suggest adding an additional external door lock. If you shop around you can pick one up quite cheap, which I would avoid like the plague. You buy cheap, you buy twice, but on the second purchase you may have to replace most of the contents of your van.
I would speak to whoever you bought your van from to see who they recommend or if buying new get it fitted before you pick it up. A brand that always comes highly recommended is Fiamma so I would always point someone in that direction.
