Stolen motorhome

Mate has just had his brand new camper van stolen from outside his house. Luckily, it has a tracker, and they located it about 3 miles away. Lots of damage done to the electrics and so on. But they obviously managed to drive it away, without the keys. So much for immobilisers.

Would a crook lock thingie or wheel clamp have made any difference in these days of battery angle grinders?

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)
Loading thread data ...

Interesting, the brand new £60,000 camper parked at the end of the cul-de-sac has gone today.

Reply to
Andrew

Or they just lifted up te front and towed it

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

The Thatcham approved steering wheel 'Disc-lock' certainly will slow them down a lot, and is pretty well protected against an angle grinder. Coupled with an alarm with pager it will keep away most thieves.

I would not bother with the old krooklok style locks as they are very easy to remove and make an ideal tool to break the ign. steering lock.

Reply to
MrCheerful

That might well depend on whether there were any more vulnerable camper vans, or equivalent targets around for the thieves to steal instead.

That then depends on how wide an area the thieves case before deciding on which one to nick. Your mate's might have been identified as a target days or weeks ago as a result of the thieves scanning a wide area.

Although from the damage you describe, and the fact that it was recovered might suggest its not only canper vans they target

If the van's left standing for any length of time then its advisable to disconnect the battery in any case. So no driving away. Although a visible deterrent clamp or crooklock would help. They'd probably think twice about ransacking a van outside somebodies house (potentially) because of the noise and their being caught bang to rights inside the van.

michael adams

...

Reply to
michael adams

Then why do all the damage to the electrics?

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Except the ones with a low loader and a crane.

Reply to
Jethro_uk

Not against a prepared crew that turn up in a low loader with a grab crane.

There is a reason people sell insurance.

Despite living in a less than genteel area, one bonus was being able to put our caravan (or motorhome if we had one) behind a gate on the property - which also had the bonus of being high enough, with the slope to the road of pretty much hiding it from view. Until Google ****ing Earth

Reply to
Jethro_uk

I'd guess the fact it is only a month or so old was a factor.

They took it to a spot some three miles away. Police said they left there to see if it was being tracked. If it was still there a couple of days later, they'd move it on.

Anything they can sell on, I'd guess. Unlikely to be for their own use.

The very fact it was parked close by meant the theft was discovered quickly. Noticed it missing from the bedroom window at about midnight.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

That's the one I was thinking of. Neighbour uses one on their replacement Disco. ;-) Thanks. Wasn't sure how angle grinder proof it was.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Exactly, anything can be stolen, thieves in Russia stole a bridge a few weeks ago. But in general thieves are deterred by anything that slows them down, makes a noise or attracts attention in any other way.

Reply to
MrCheerful

If you have ever had the misfortune to watch 'overhaulin' you will have been struck by how easy it is and how little attention is paid to people in hi vis loading a stolen vehicle onto a tow truck.

Everyone assumes its official or the owner ordered it

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

I would go for noise. Buy a cheap (£10) pin alarm, attach to underside of van and the piece of cord extend it and attach to something on the ground, if they move it you will have plenty of decibels + as it is attached to the van will continue to sound as they drive down the street.

Reply to
ss

Oddly, it seems this £50 grand vehicle didn't come with an alarm system fitted. Unlike every car I've owned in the last 30 years. It was parked close enough for the alarm to have been heard.

Police have been good for once, and checked it for fingerprints and did DNA swabs - seems the thieves were likely wearing gloves.

AA were also very good and got it started and followed them home with it.

Just waiting on the insurance company to see what will be done. Continental holiday starting next week likely cancelled.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Certainly, but that is not a common method of theft, in the OP case a decent steering lock and an alarm would have been very likely to have deterred the theft.

Reply to
MrCheerful

I have a couple of them and took a good look at how an angle grinder could be used, it would certainly be quite a few cuts and plenty of levering to get one off, hence the Thatcham certification

Reply to
MrCheerful

There are full circle devices like a pair of dustbin lids with an arm projecting from the side that make this more difficult. They cover the whole rim.

Not much will withstand a battery-powered angle grinder though.

Reply to
Andrew

Only if there's an easier option. At some point if there isn't, and they want it, they will get it. Snipping off fingers if necessary.

Reply to
Jethro_uk

In a "one of many" scenario.

Some thefts are targetted. Especially for more unique or rare objects.

Reply to
Jethro_uk

The £60,000 one was round the back being washed. I'll remind him of the thatcham diskloc.

He sold his 1986 Fiat? camper van quite quickly. A similar one reg in 1988 with a petrol engine and no MOT (needed welding) opposite went for £850 on ebay. People pay silly prices for them. The buyer just broke it up for parts (after driving it from W Sussex to Leicester, on trade plates).

Reply to
Andrew

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.