Caravan theft
With British staycations becoming more popular year on year, caravans and motor homes have become more popular too, which can result in an increase in theft. Having your caravan stolen could happen to anyone at any time throughout the year. At Intasure we have created a list of things to consider to further protect your caravan from being stolen.
- The Environment
When parking your caravan, try parking it within an alarmed building away from any prying eyes or if you are choosing a storage site don’t only look at the price, check to see if it offers and provides good security. To help you find a suitable storage solution you can find guidance from The Caravan Storage Association, (https://www.cassoa.co.uk/). This is a recognised membership body that only shows caravan owners accredited storage sites, with CaSSOA’s three levels of security awards, to help you find a secure storage site near you.
If the caravan is parked on your drive at your primary residence, you could install light movement sensor that makes a distinct chime inside the house when someone is around the caravan. They can also work during the daytime even though the light may not illuminate. You could also fit and install secure gates or security post to the driveway to reduce the risk of theft. - Technological Security Devices
‘Tracker’ type devices or other competitive GPS tracking system should be considered to be installed to locate the exact position of the caravan if it has been stolen. Other options include fitting an alarm system to the caravan. These can also have a tilt or vibration sensor to detect it being towed away. However, there are more affordable and simple options such as stand-alone alarm systems that can alert the owner via a phone that the alarm has been activated. - Security Marking
Since 1992, all new caravans made by the National Caravan Council (NCC) member manufactures stamp the vehicle identification number (VIN) on the vehicle chassis. The 17-digit number has also been imprinted into the windows. These are are recorded on the CRiS (Central Registration & Identification Scheme) database.
Other markings include roof identification of large letters or numbers can help any air support to track the stolen caravan.
Leaving caravans on a site
- Physical Security Devices
Using wheel clamps can be used as a preventative measure to stop theft, but make sure the clamp wraps around the wheel appropriately so it does not allow the tyre to be deflated.
Another preventative measure would be to secure the gas cylinders as these can be inviting targets to a theft. For older caravans, padlock them to fixing clamps so they cannot be removed and for newer caravans, keep gas compartments locked.
If you’re interested in finding out more about our caravan insurance then please call Intasure on 0345 111 0680 or get a quote online and we’ll be happy to help.
CRiS: thencc.org.uk/schemes/cris
*The opinions and views expressed in the above articles are those of the author only and are for guidance purposes only. The authors disclaim any liability for reliance upon those opinions and would encourage readers to rely upon more than one source before making a decision based on the information.
Ref: FP1026-2020
