In addition to the factory fitted kit on the van, what are the best security devices?
Tracker, wheel clamp, dead locks, angry rottweiler in the cab?

We park ours with a milenco wheel clamp when on drive, though ours isn’t a daily driver. When camping we have two big dogs inside, not that they’re tough in any way at all.

I’ve done a lot of solo camper van travel on the continent and the only thing I used extra was a long ratchet strap between the doors of the cab.

Thanks
I meant for when it’s sat on the drive and you’re not at home.

snownrock – are the Milenco ones good?

I don’t rate the milenco wheel clamps. We had one on my girlfriends ifor Williams trailer, one day I decided I would move it again after we had been out but didn’t realise it had been put on the back wheel. It just bent and the wheel came straight out and I could drive straight off. Only damage was a bent and mangled wheel clamp and a scrape on the mudgaurd which I replaced for £25 and you would have never had known

I have a clutch claw that fits round the brake and clutch pedal . Supposed to be a bugger to get off.
Fairly quick and easy to fit once you get used to it. Plus can be adjusted to suit most vehicles

All good stuff, keep ’em coming

One of these, it immobilises the clutch usually called Mechlock or something.

Remove the fuse to the starter motor. They will be in a little lidded compartment somewhere and numbered.. Just find the corresponding number fuse for the starter or fuel pump

I fitted a cheap tracker – ~£25 from Amazon with a Giff Gaff SIM on PAYG. I’ve wired it in to the door light switch so it can be set to trigger either on movement beyond a set radius (I run it at 50 metres) or the door opening – it then sends me a text with a link to the position of the van on Google maps. There are loads of other connections possible, including the option to immobilise the ignition remotely, or to sound an alarm, but I’m happy just to know where it is…

It’s tucked away somewhere completely invisible, so no one would know it’s there, and it works very well. Luckily I haven’t had to use it in anger, but I have found myself receiving a slew of text message alerts after setting off without remembering to cancel the alarm 🙂

Security film on the windows, puts off the ‘smash and grab’ types when the brick bounces off. I’d get a couple of glass escape hammers for the windscreen though as the side windows will be much harder to break through. Once saw a BMW with this stuff fitted, had a perfect imprint of a house brick on the window, and the broken brick was on the floor.

Seat belts looped though internal door handles and plugged in, or as above, a ratchet between both doors. (more for when staying in the van)

Hinged security post in front of the van.

Thanks

getting a kill-switch box put in ours.

some box with a sim card. it’ll tell you where the van is, whether it is being moved/driven and allows you to remotely kill the power when the van slows below 10km/h.

costs about 250 notes.

we thought of having a manual switch, but figured the chances of you not telling the guys that have just robbed you for the keys where the switch is, is kinda low. better have them drive off and then leave them stranded or at least a few KMs away five minutes later than being koshed for not telling them where the kill switch is.

Disklok on ours.

Might get a tracker fitted sometime too, just in case.

alpin – that’s what I have but it cost £22!

^^ interesting!

not been fitted as yet. is due to be done at the end of June so may have a rethink.

is it easy to install? why did you not bother with the kill switch?

Lorax – that sounds like a pretty neat solution there. Any issues with the setup? Does the SIM card need much credit to keep active?

The problem I found with all the stealth deterrents is that the feckers still try, so I went for more obvious visual ones that they see str away.
Crooklock on steering wheel with wheel on full lock. Swivel driver’s seat 180 and chain and padlock seat back to steering wheel. (Chain just long enough to fit round so it can’t be threaded off seat.)
Deadlocks on all doors.
Bulldog 4×4 wheel clamp on front wheel.
Cat 1 alarm with sensors on all doors.

If the van is on site and you are out riding for the day, “privacy ” windows will help, but, draw any curtains or blinds, place a pair of shoes by the sliding door , radio on loud enough to be just audible outside ( use an old battery powered one so it won’t discharge your engine or leisure battery). It just might cause any potential thieves to think the van is occupied.
At home, even very simple things like leaving them in gear with the steering turned so it’s locked, handbrake on, can prevent them being towed quietly in the night.

I take the opposite approach, I remove anything of interest, open the cab curtains fully, and window blinds (mine come from the bottom) I usually raise part way so you can’t casually look in but if you want to check it out you can.

Nothing of interest on show, means hopefully they won’t bother. I like the radio idea though.

Very easy to install – just needs a 12v feed to get it up and running – I’m a complete numpty so if I can do it anyone can. I’ve got it set up on Gigg Gaff with auto top-up. It’s just set to add more credit if it drops below £5, and I only pay a few quid a year to cover the cost of the few texts it sends when I check it. It works abroad as well.

I didn’t set up the kill switch because I was uneasy about the idea of what might happen if the engine cut out while someone was driving along – either because of a text from me or if something went wrong with the kit. It’s only supposed to kick in at low speeds, but if the engine stops and the brake servos go while a thief is driving it away who know who they might hit. I reckon it’s safer just to know where it is so the police can deal with it…

I had a new immobiliser fitted by a very experienced vehicle security bloke a few weeks ago. I showed him the tracker and he was seriously impressed – he’s fitted one to his own car now, and he sells the £250 ones!!

^^ good. certainly worth a look.

nice to know that there are kits for 250 quid and i wasn’t being mugged off.

Read about this yesterday in a bike Mag;
http://www.superbike.co.uk/product-reviews/oxford-products-launches-new-self-contained-tracker-unit-with-ten-year-battery-life/