I had some expensive tools and testing equipment nicked from my van a couple of months ago.
The thief forced a screwdriver just between the door handle and metal, actually a very neat job, but I can’t believe how easy it looks to open the van without a key.
I’ve started thinking about a newer van sometime next year but security seems way down on the list of importance.
Sure Euro 6 engines with low emissions are saving the planet but they’ll mean jack when I set fire to it in a rage knowing some tea-leaf have sold my tools for little more than round of drinks at his local!
So to really save the environment, please point me in the direction of a really secure work van.

NONE, all vans have doors and thin metal sides and roofs, some older high roof transits had GRP roofs, so easy to get into.

Reinforce the sides with ply lining, and the roof will be an easier target, there have been a few reports of vans towed away by stolen recovery trucks , and the roof cut open to take tools etc.

alarm .lock,s insurance, internal cctv with recorder in a bolted down steel safe and no sign writing or stupid signs saying no tools left in van overnight it highlights tools in van at some time, instead of it just being empty

and all CIT vans are crushed when they reach end of life just so they cant be bought and dismantled for thieves to find a way into them

Mate had an ex sucircor van, deadlocks bullet proof glass & windows that didn’t open.

must be an old one securicor no longer exists, or just one of their courier vans for internal data, not cash

That was about 10 years ago. Honestly thought your best security is insurance and not leaving stuff in the van.

Most CIT vans aren’t that secure. Anybody who really wants to know, will already know how to get into them quickly.
They’re main design purpose is to keep the drivers safe from attack long enough for police to arrive, or drive away. Lorries on the other hand, you aren’t getting in without a lot of effort.

Armoured vans don’t always get scrapped, but the security systems are all stripped out before they’re disposed of. Without the security systems, there’s nothing special other than the armour plating.

Vans in general aren’t secure. Our workshop record for getting into a transit without any panel damage, was just over 5 minutes. If you don’t mind damage, you could have the back doors open on any van with minimal noise well within a couple minutes. The best deterrent is a good alarm, as thieves don’t like drawing attention to themselves.

Decent ply lining and an additional lock kit (you often see the lock at the rear edge of the sliding door) fairly neat.

Security film on the front windows will stop the glass falling out if a brick is thrown at it.

. Our workshop record for getting into a transit without any panel damage, was just over 5 minutes.

Yep, in under 5 mins

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=409IGgu-Utw[/video]

Might need some T-cut though…

🙂

I was talking about a normal transit. CIT vans always need a bit t-cut afterwards, and aren’t our problem. They have their own security techs for dealing with such problems as batteries going flat and the key not working in the lock.

Decent ply lining and an additional lock kit (you often see the lock at the rear edge of the sliding door) fairly neat.

Security film on the front windows will stop the glass falling out if a brick is thrown at it.

In practical terms, most additional lock kits don’t make much difference. If anything, they’re more of a visual deterrent, as they just mean you might have to lever in an extra place. I wouldn’t say any of them are any better than the genuine latches, as at least the genuine latches require physical effort until something gives as they physically latch over. Any additional locks I’ve seen will simply pop out if levered enough, or just pull out whatever panel they’ve been bolted to.
Same for security film. They just prevent the side windows from shattering, but a few hits will knock/fold the whole lot in and out of the door frame. It’s not like a bonded in windscreen, where you’d need to physically cut the laminate to get through.

There are plenty things you can do to give the illusion of security, but very few make much difference in practice. A secure steel box bolted to the floor is the most secure option for keeping tools secure.

The thief forced a screwdriver just between the door handle and metal, actually a very neat job, but I can’t believe how easy it looks to open the van without a key.

Look up Armaplate, they assess the common vulnerabilities of different makes and models and make little armoured plates and covers for them. I had a set of their lock protectors on my last sprinter as that model had the same vulnerability around the handle where you could push a screwdriver between the handle and the bodywork and operate the lock. Even in the event of shooting the horse after the gate is bolted….the plates are a good way of fixing the damage after a break in.

Other makes and models have different achilies heels – a ford model had a cable you could cut by sliding a blade down the shut line of the door that would release the central locking. Ford changed the wiring so that it wouldn’t but thieves still cut the cable just to see so they’ve made a plate to protect it

Additonally to that you can bolt a van vault to the floor

Additionally to that, dump all the boxes your power tools came in and invest in something like TANOS’s systainers (best deals are on german eBay) and pack your kit up much more compactly so that its ease not leave kit in the van over night

Additionally to that get decent tool insurance, a lot of insurance bolted on to van insurance doesn’t cover you over night, better to get cover for your tools anywhere/time. Mine are covered where ever they are (van, site, workshop, home) so long as they are locked out of sight.

Additionally get a sticker. If theres one thing all theives have in common – they all believe everything they read

Get one like this

Don’t get one like this

I find a dead rat in a bag in full view of the windows at the back of my van is a great deterrent for people wanting to get in and nick stuff. You do have to get used to the smell however, and work in pest control, for this tactic to work.

Fiat ducato pug Citroen variant OP? Same happened to us on Lear tree services couple of years back. Overnight job two btand new ducatos over 25k worth of tools gone between 6 lads.

Tiny pin hole under handle in between body and plastic on rear doors. Pro job according to the old bill as the vans were re locked after the theft and 5 others were done that night in the same area and a site also.

No van is safe if they want in they will get in. Good aftermarket alarm and van locks on all doors a deterrent they even made a neat job of the can vaults inside the vans bolted to the floor.

Get plates welded or rivited around handles too and take out tools at night (know its a ballache but its routine for me now after that incident) try to park back doors flush to a wall and get a bulk head fitted if you don’t already have one.

And get good insurance I’m covererd by works contents and home contents.

After reading the above comments about the van vaults dont put your faith in them after the minimal damage to ours Joiners had lost their keys to theirs on site took me 40 secs to get in with a cordless grinder and a flat pry bar I won’t say how I did it but seriously they’re just a slow down for them that was the first one I attempted even the lads on site were shocked how fast I got in. They now use a old ridgid armour vault no external points of leverage or locks. Properly secure but pricey and won’t fit in most vans more of a static site solution tbh but if you want the best loom at them.

took me 40 secs to get in with a cordless grinder

Without waking the neighbours? 🙂

I think I could get in quicker with a shaped charge, but I suspect I’d draw attention to myself 😆

We were on a site and they wanted in theirs as lost keys. Thing is by the time someone’s made noise 40 secs ain’t a long time in reality.

I could see the distraction doing it in a quiet street but with ours nobody batted a eyelid at a busy service station they had CCTV of them off the site theft and they had a lwb van of their own and wore hi VIs and hard hats so I guess nobody gave it a second thought.