Keeping your Caravan Safe.
Having your caravan stolen can be heartbreaking. Your 'second home' is full of memories and personal equipment and caravan accessories you have collected over the years and is worth as much emotionally as financially. The AA estimates that up to 4000 caravans are stolen in the UK every year, often to order by professional caravan thieves. These professional thieves can steal your caravan with surprising ease, even if you only leave it unsecured for a couple of minutes, so it is worth following these tips to prevent the heartache and frustration of theft.
Firstly make sure that the caravan is secure between trips. If you leave it in a storage area always check that the security arrangements of the site are up to standard. Always secure your caravan by clamping the wheels using a reputable wheel clamp such as the
MILENCO LIGHTWEIGHT WHEELCLAMP, make sure you follow the stipulations laid down by the insurance you have for your van. Make sure that the windows are tightly closed to prevent thieves getting in to steal personal belongings.
If the caravan is parked outside your house you will still need to use wheel clamps and hitch locks such as the
Al-Ko Universal Hitch lock, and it is worth installing an alarm such as the
IDM4 Intruder Alarm system so that if a theft is attempted at least the neighbours will be able to hear the alarm and perhaps prevent the theft. Any security procedures you adopt will make any insurance claim easier to process if the worst happens.
During trips away you must still be diligent. Service stations are easy targets for caravan thieves as they're near to motor ways and the thief can be miles away along with your caravan ahead of the police even arrive.
If you are going into the station just to pay for petrol, then leave somebody in the car to keep your touring caravan safe. If you are going in for longer always use you wheel clamp and set you alarm and don’t leave bags, documents and other valuables on view in the caravan. Just be sensible.
More useful tips:
1. In the home, keep the caravan and security keys well hidden - if you're burgled, you don’t wish to lose your caravan too.
2. Don’t leave your purchase papers and insurance details inside the caravan, it will make it much easier for the thieves to sell on your caravan if they have all the legal documents.
3. Don't leave valuables in the caravan, or make sure they are well concealed underneath the bed or somewhere equally out of view so that thieves cannot see expensive equipment or valuables.
4. Ask about built-in security when buying a new caravan and add the cost of security equipment such as wheel clamps to the cost when buying your caravan. It is false economy to spend your savings on a wonderful caravan and then not keeping it safe.
5. Take photos of your caravan so it can be easily identified, especially of any distinguishing features. An unusual window sticker or such like would make it more identifiable.
