hymerwoman Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 Hi, Returned home early yesterday afternoon to find two men with a mechanical cutter cutting through the wheel clamp on my newly aquired pride and joy. I was livid and when i challenged them they said that my husband had asked them to remove it because it was stuck. While i went inside my home to telephone my husband i could hear them driving away at great speed. I rang the police who came and took finger prints from the drivers door and wheel clamp. They had already removed the post concreted into the drive so it was obvious what there intentions were. The police are sending someone today to give me advice about security, i already have wheel clamp,steeldrive post and a clamp on the driving pedals,what more can i do. Will post more after the police have been to see me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GypsyTom Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 How old is your Hymer? I only ask because, even if they'd removed the clamp the steering lock and more importantly, the immobiliser, should have prevented its theft. I'm only curious because I'm sure that the majority of car thefts nowadays involve either a set of keys, stolen when they break in to your home, or an older vehicle that doesn't have modern security features. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Decorator Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 Hi Julie, Thanks for the info, it may assist others if you told us what M/H you have and how old it is, its obviously an attractive vehicle for the thieves to persist as they were doing. It would appear they had worked out the family movements and were caught out by your appearance. Regarding further security I cannot answer. Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Domino Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 Hi Hymerwoman How awful for you to return to this. I will be interested to know what the police say as it sounds like you have done so much. Could you say what part of the country you are in - so we can look out for them, the would be thieves - not the police. Also, is there any chance you can hide the van behind gates? We have managed to put a gate that slides across the entrance and most people cannot see the van as they drive by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coachman Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 Does anyone remember a post years ago with a Hymer owner who had his van parked end of drive, waking up to hear a noise but could not see anything, went back to bed and in morning found his front and rear bumper missing, at the time somebody said they are parts which they have a ready market for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 years ago some on pinched the square headlights and the grill:-S from my VW Westphalia camper van parked outside my house *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hymerwoman Posted March 19, 2010 Author Share Posted March 19, 2010 Hi, The police came yesterday(thursday)with some disturbing news. I live in a small village on the outskirts of sheffield,a very close knit community. My vehicle is a hymer 2001 vintage, also at the other end of the village there is also another hymer of 2001. My vehicle has a thatchcam alarm fitted as well as the other devices that i have already mention in my first posting. The thieves had not attempted to break into my vehicle and the police explained why. After visiting my neighbours and residents the police spoke to an elderly gentleman at the other end of the village who told them that he had seen a breakdown truck parked near his house and that it sped off in the middle of the afternoon following a white van. The police assumed that the thieves were going to try and tow my van away and make it look as a breakdown. Frightening. As i live on a open plan i cannot put up gates or a wall so i have been advisded to install security cameras as an extra security measure. I have had three quotes this morning and have accepted a quote and fitting will take place in a weeks time. I feel enraged about what has happened but accept that there are some people out there that have no scrupples and morals of any kind,bring back the birch and flog them instead of putting them up in three star hotels. Will post again after fitting of security cameras. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mad mac Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 I sometimes moan that our van is stored away from our house, but when I hear about things like this maybe it's not such a bad thing. It's a CASSOA gold site so it is pretty secure and gives us a bit of peace of mind. Sounds like you got home just in time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Highe Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 Hi Disturbing stuff. We had a tracker fitted to our Hymer by VanBitz as well as the Strikeback alarm already fitted. It does give us some peace of mind. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmbeedee Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 If you watch the video mentioned on here: http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopic-82645-20.html you will see a gang making off with a caravan in 10 minutes, despite alarm, driveway post, wheelclamp, hitchlock etc. I think this is one area where Sharia law could be beneficial, i.e. cut their bl00dy hands off (!) (!) (!) Like to see them using an angle grinder then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Momma Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 I know hindsight is a wonderful thing and I certainly hope that you do not have to go through such an ordeal again. However, if you have a mobile phone with a camera you could discreetly take a photo of the offenders (perhaps even publish it on 'You Tube'). Did you think about, or manage to take note of their vehicle, registration number, distinguishing marks etc. As i say, hindsight is a wonderful thing but perhaps worth some thought should their be a next time :'( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliB Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 emmbeedee - 2010-03-19 2:51 PM If you watch the video mentioned on here: http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopic-82645-20.html you will see a gang making off with a caravan in 10 minutes, despite alarm, driveway post, wheelclamp, hitchlock etc. I think this is one area where Sharia law could be beneficial, i.e. cut their bl00dy hands off (!) (!) (!) Like to see them using an angle grinder then. The person or company who installed the CCTV should also be subject to Sharia law. The lens on the camera has an incorrect focal length for the subject scene. You can see the roof of the building about 2 doors down which is not necessary. The correct lens would just frame the important bits like the caravan and garage. This would made the intruders appear much bigger and easier to identify. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 None of the above will prevent such thefts, however, although they may put off some thieves. In view of the security measures you have already taken, I guess you are not entirely confident that your village is that "safe". My suggestion, therefore (and this will not prevent a theft either) is to investigate tracker alarm systems. I can't recommend a good one, but I have read reviews of several. It seems the first criterion is to be as sure as possible of the status of the operator, because a few have simply gone bust, leaving their customers unaware that their trackers no longer work. Second, is to be sure it is a system the police recognise, so that they can pick up on it if/when necessary. Third, is to get one that allows minor movements of the vehicle without triggering a three counties search, just in case you want to stick it in the road for a while. Fourth, get one that is fully monitored, so that any unexpected movement of the vehicle is immediately notified to you, to confirm whether you have driven off forgetting to notify them you are on the move. I believe many, if not all, can also be re-activated at a new location, so that the van is "protected" wherever it is.The rates of recovery seem generally to be good, but immediate notification of any unauthorised movement of the vehicle is the key. It won't stop it being nicked, nothing really can, but it greatly increases the sharia law risk to the thieves, and also your chances of getting it back quickly. I think I would have greater confidence in a good tracker, than a fairly easily disabled CCTV system that can only start the identification process once you can access the recording, maybe hours later.I think you were lucky to have caught them in the act, but if ever you have the misfortune to have a repeat experience, I wouldn't tempt fate by approaching the thieves as you did. I would also try to take some additional short term security measures, just in case, having damaged your existing devices, they come back to finish the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 I am not in the least surprised...this is what they - do lift and tow *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingpete Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 As it seems you live in a rural area, contact ther local farm equipment store, and buy an battery powered electric cattle fence. Install around the 'van. It is not high voltage, so no harm can come to any miscreants touching it for neferarious purposes, just a nice shocl to their nervous sytems. If worried about H&S, place a warning sign in an obvious (to you ) position (say 10 feet up a side wall) and wait for the screams. *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingpete Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 As it seems you live in a rural area, contact ther local farm equipment store, and buy an battery powered electric cattle fence. Install around the 'van. It is not high voltage, so no harm can come to any miscreants touching it for neferarious purposes, just a nice shocl to their nervous sytems. If worried about H&S, place a warning sign in an obvious (to you ) position (say 10 feet up a side wall) and wait for the screams. *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 How about fitting a 'new fire protection system' inside the van ?? once entered when the system is activated the doors are automatically deadlocked and the Halon cylinder mounted under the van discharges it's contents into the van, effectly smothering any fire by displacing all the oxygen........after 15mins. the doors unlock. No Fire and No Burglars(live ones anyway). Problems; Halon is a banned gas these days(punches holes in the ozone layer evidently). And disposing of the bodies of dead caravan thieves, Oh and most important remembering code to disarm system. That combined with 3 phase 415v version of the above mentioned fence, should complete the protection. >:-) >:-) Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingpete Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 Another mean method of deterent is to use the flame throwers as fitted to vehicles in South Africa, whereby anyone attempting to hijack a car is incinerated by a flame of ignited LPG. Less mess to clear up ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilote742 Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 On the subject of CCTV the following may be helpful if you are going to get some quotes, make sure that you and the contractor know what you want the camera (s) to do it is too late when an incident happens and when the police look at the pictures all they see is small images which are no use from a evidence point of view. 1.1.1. Monitor - An observer can determine the number, direction and speed of movement of people whose presence is known to them; i.e. they do not have to be searched for. The image should fill 5% of the screen 1.1.2. Detection - Following an alert an observer can, after a search, ascertain with a high degree of certainty whether or not a person is visible in the pictures displayed. The image should fill 10% of the screen. 1.1.3. Recognition - Viewers/observers can say with a high degree of certainty whether or not the individual shown is the same as someone they have seen before. The image should fill 50% of the screen. 1.1.4. Identification - Picture quality and detail should be sufficient to enable the identity of the person to be established beyond reasonable doubts. The image should be zoomed in to 120%, so that it doesn't all fit on the screen. Philip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 Taking up on the CCTV theme. Does anyone know if it would it be possible to use the Motorhome Reversing Camera to get the picture into an external (to the Van) CCTV system. Our M/H is parked on our drive with a security post at the rear of the M/H. (+ other deterents) The Reversing Camera's area of vision is directly at the Security Post. Any suggestions ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilote742 Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 It is possible, but you would need a recording device attached in the event of activity happening, so that the camera actually record the activity. Philip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 Hi Phillip But the recording devise needs to be external (so the proof is retained). As I see it, it's the logistics of:- A) Powering the Camera, (thinking of something like a PIR) B) Alternative Power source, currently require ignition ON & Reverse Gear selected. C) Alternative Camera Feed to external Recording devise. D) ????????? But then again, as MOH generally sighs, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, not another crazy idea" (?) (?) (?) (?) *-) *-) :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilote742 Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 The recording device (VHS Recorder /computer) or other means will be located inside the premises. Maplin's sell a very basic kit of 4 security cameras and a monitor- 10.2" LCD Colour, for about £400.00 and is simple to DIY. Therefore you could have a camera surveying the MH and the others on the house, gates etc. Adding a PIR to send an alarm to trigger recording if movement is detected is possible and is worth considering if taking these measures. No doubt there are many solutions, but having good neighbours is always worthwhile, who will report suspicious activity if seen and you can do likewise for them. Don't have nightmares!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilote742 Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 Just found the answer. Unable to attach file any suggestions Philip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilote742 Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 Have a look here Enjoy Philip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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