The article "Gone in 60 seconds" has prompted me to ask if there are security devices available to stop somebody just hitching up your van and stealing it?  

Yes Rosey. There are tow hitch locks available. Any caravan dealer would have them..........most autopart shop.......Bunnings and such like! Get one if you don't have one. Someone may be able to smash it but it means they have to make a noise and that gives you or someone else a chance to spot them.

We have a tow hitch lock and leave it on our our van when we are out in the bush prospecting. I do not have a lot of faith in the unit, if a serious thief wants our van he can unbolt our hitch and bolt on his own and drive away an insured van. The problem is all the gear I have installed in it and the hours to do it would not be covered by Insurance. Big steel wheel locks just give the thief a bigger challenge and any small grinder with a cutting disc will do the job. Have installed a GPS Tracking device,only trouble is the unit does not run Next G, so the van needs to be taken into/near a town for the Telstra System to give me the GPS Co Ordinates. Peter

I am not a caravan person but do like the idea of 'personal' wiring of the trailer connection. That is, change then from a standard wiring sequence.

With this it is possible to make them only connectable to your own vehicle, without blowing lights/fuses.

The idea is to make them more noticable to the cops. If they are removed without consent, then this stops the lights from working.

Downside is if you tow more than one trailer.

Still, cannot beat the first level security of a tow hitch lock.

Forget the hitch locks. anyone with a length of chain and a couple of shackles can whip off your van in 30 seconds. They will just loop the chain around the tow ball and shackle it th the vans safety chains. The A frame will hang a little low but they can just tow the van around to a quiet spot where they can work on the coupling.

The only way for a little security is with wheel locks.


-- Edited by PeterD on Wednesday 4th of November 2009 10:28:19 PM

The link below takes you to a very good article about this erksome problem.

http://www.lets-getaway.com/theftprevention.htm 


Feeding drug dealers to our awesome crocs, could be a solution too, maybe?

twobob wrote:

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I am not a caravan person but do like the idea of 'personal' wiring of the trailer connection. That is, change then from a standard wiring sequence.

With this it is possible to make them only connectable to your own vehicle, without blowing lights/fuses.

The idea is to make them more noticable to the cops. If they are removed without consent, then this stops the lights from working.

Downside is if you tow more than one trailer.

Still, cannot beat the first level security of a tow hitch lock.

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I would never advocate altering the trailer connection away from standard. This will only create potential problems and I doubt that it would be effective at all as a security measure as a thief is going to hook up and p##s off as quickly as possible.

 

-- Edited by jimricho on Thursday 5th of November 2009 05:56:16 AM

I use one these.......... CPL 10 http://www.derek.com.au/trailerlock.html hard to get bolt cutters inside them Dave

the idea of "deterents" such as coupling locks and wheel locks is to give the thieves some "pause for thought" if yours has even a modicom of security on it and it may make a little noise or take an extra five minutes to undo then they will go to an easier target grab a hitch lock, and padlock it to your van, in theory when the badguy see's it he will go to the next easier one, dont change your wiring as this may lead to disaster and your insurance doesnt want a bar of this sort of modification if you are out in the scrub then take all precautions even as far as removing a wheel and wheel/hitch locks, but in the end if a thief wants it bad enough he will get it just insure it, take some precautions and if it happens just replace it and get on with life, more to this world than menial possesions more chance of it getting stolen in your yard than "out there"

Thanks everybody for your input.

We are "between caravans" at present, but researching our needs and wants and affordabilitys before making the big purchase of our dream-home-on-wheels. It will certainly be insured, but now a tow hitch lock will be fitted too.

Like a locked door at home, it wouldnt stop a determined thief, but will slow him down a bit. Thats life. As you said Dave, some things are more important than "things".

Your wiring idea has some merit TwoBob but I wonder what would happen if you broke down and asked someone else to tow your van or trailer into town.?

rosey wrote:

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Thanks everybody for your input.

We are "between caravans" at present, but researching our needs and wants and affordabilitys before making the big purchase of our dream-home-on-wheels. It will certainly be insured, but now a tow hitch lock will be fitted too.

Like a locked door at home, it wouldnt stop a determined thief, but will slow him down a bit. Thats life. As you said Dave, some things are more important than "things".

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If they really want a car or van they just turn up in a tilt tray ,winch it on with all the
locks  & no one takes any notice .

These things are transported around the country every day .

I have loaded plenty of cars onto tilt tray  & no one asks questions .

This might sound crude but it happens .

 

As long as you have an orange vest on no one will question you....... The things you hear happen now, because no one wants intrude or poke their noses into other peoples business or "GET INVOLVED". We live in sad times. How many people know the people in their street any more, ( me included ).

biggles wrote:

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As long as you have an orange vest on no one will question you.......
The things you hear happen now, because no one wants intrude or poke their noses into other peoples business or "GET INVOLVED". We live in sad times. How many people know the people in their street any more, ( me included ).

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Go back to the 1960s in Melbourne and Sydney when "Removalists" trucks would roll up and transport all your possessions to.........???

By the time the householders got home and the neighbours confronted them with "Why didn't you tell us you were moving?" it was all too late.

 

Yay! Bring back "neighbour"-hoods. It applies to your street or in van parks. You don't have to live with them to get to know them a little. I always feel reassured knowing my neighbours take a little notice of my movements, especially as I do everything alone. Even couples need the support of good neighbours from time to time. A long-term tenant here passed away in his sleep but we didn't check on him for more than 24hours when things "didn't look right". eg lights on in the evening, going to check the mail, car not moving for a couple of days - that sort of thing. If you're a good neighbour, your neighbours will be good to you. Be a good neighbour.

Chris, we've just had one of our tenants die, found by the odour and the mass of flies inside his windows.

The grumpy old sod wouldn't give anyone the time of day and had told all of his kith and kin to leave him alone.

So, alone he died.

My ambition is to be located, some 30 years hence, by the cloud of blowies surrounding my isolated bush camp.
I'd have moved on, doing what, and being where, I wanted.
I love my solitude.

There's a vast difference between peace and solitude and being a grumpy old, antisocial hermit. I don't want to be a lonely, grumpy anti-social old granny, and I've spent all my life hoping someone cares for me just enough to take a little interest. I'm definitely not anti-social, but selective when I'm social and when I prefer my own company. I do have a couple of nice old blokes as neighbours in this park. There are only 4 "permanents", and a couple long-termers such as myself, who plan to move on. It's quiet now, but a small, steady stream keep coming and going. It's a matter of personal choice.

Cruising Granny wrote:

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There's a vast difference between peace and solitude and being a grumpy old, antisocial hermit.......

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Usually determined by just how the aches and  pains are going on any particular day.  

 

I try to not let that be a factor in my behaviour and attitude. The people I may be grumpy to won't know I'm hurting so I do my best to not let it show. Oh! That reminds me - drug time again.