Going on a camping/business trip to Barcelona then back up through France for a 2 weeks.
Have a Mk7 Transit crew/mess/welfare van and never had any security issues but very wary of ever leaving it anywhere.
Will have quite a lot of camping valuables (Engel fridge, tent etc) and goods in the rear section when not on camp sites.

Wondering whether to bolt an additional lock to the back doors for added security for whenever we’re just popping in the local shop or if this just screams valuables on board!

What do you reckon? attack it with a Dewalt and Yales finest or rely on uncle Henry to protect my stuff?????

A cover inside (if possible) always seems a better bet to me – if someone wants to get in they will though…unless someone stays with the Van?

Once you get out of Barca it’s probably a lot safer than parking at Afan.

cover stuff up is the main thing and be sensible where you park. Used to back up to walls in car parks in the van.

Why do you think mainland Europe is any worse than the uk?
Nigel Farage and the EDL are doing a better job than I thought.
Enjoy your trip without worrying.
Just make sure you have good insurance and roadside assistance cover.

left a van full of bikes on british plates at the airport in dijon while i went to watch the TDF in paris……

i must admit i was surprised to see it still full of bikes when i got back but i didnt really have another option.

+1 for parking against walls with the back doors and using a curtain to block the cab from the load bay.

dont have your van covered in stickers.

i reckon you’ll be ok, certainly better than in the UK.

Barca is dodgy, mind.

I’d be curious to see the Spanish crime stats for the last 10 years as they’ve had one hell of a recession and conventional wisdom used to be that property theft rises when the economy dips….

i’d be careful of parking in dodgy car parks/beaches/poor surveillance streets etc. someone i know had his camper broken into round there and the guys we bought our camper from also had an attempted break in further south towards malagab i think (to our van when they had it, luckily no damage even though its 1986 technology!)

saying that i left a hire car with 2 bikes in for a few days/nights in tarifa and didn’t have a problem

Many moons ago when we did a 9 month trip round Europe in a bay window camper we fitted an isolation / cut out switch hidden under a seat to prevent it being driven away. Not sure if it’s worth fitting for a 2 week trip. We had 4 bikes on the back with no problems.

sorted in the end….
http://fordtransit.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=144972