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Security and Insurance


Passera

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Well we collect our first MH a week today and thanks again to everyone who contributed to my Aircon thread.

 

A concern I have is regarding security insurance etc.

 

In terms of items easily "lifted" in a break in I wonder what you all do. The personal belongings that concern me most is things with flat screen TV/DVD, camera, ipod, satnav and laptop. I cannot see it is practical to carry these with you all the time. Is there anything that you recommend by way of hiding or safes etc that may at least deter the casual thief.

 

Also I started to obtain Insurance quotes yesterday and am amazed in the difference on prices. So Far Club Care insurance is by far the cheapest at 212 GBP (no recovery). We are over 60 full NCB and no accidents. Although UK residents we will be using from Spain so must have cover 365 days in EC. Awaiting Sureterm and Coversure to quote but would appreciate any comments at all on Insurance.

TX

 

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Where you put such things will depend on the van you get, the obvious thing is leave out of sight. As to any 'hidey holes', I think that should be by pm/email only, and then only to/from what appears to be genuine members of forum ;-)
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Passera - 2010-06-25 11:14 AM ............ Also I started to obtain Insurance quotes yesterday and am amazed in the difference on prices. So Far Club Care insurance is by far the cheapest at 212 GBP (no recovery). We are over 60 full NCB and no accidents. Although UK residents we will be using from Spain so must have cover 365 days in EC. Awaiting Sureterm and Coversure to quote but would appreciate any comments at all on Insurance. TX

Unless you have decided to dispense with recovery insurance, I suggest you do not set aside the costs of this when evaluating insurance packages.  Some of the recovery inclusive packages, although more expensive at first sight, are substantially cheaper when compared with insurance + stand alone recovery.

Try Comfort, for example - 'but phone them, don't use the on-line enquiry service, because some seem to find it gives high cost results.  You can buy, as an insurance "bot-on", an RAC recovery package that is, to all intents and purposes, the full RAC Recovery Europe package, with all the bells and whistles, for about £60 p.a.  Compare that with the cost of the same package bought separately, and I think you will find it is a much better deal.

The security question is, mainly, as above, a matter of not leaving any valuables on show - not just when leaving the van, but pretty much all the time.  This means using the blinds at times, to keep such items out of view.  Don't park in places that feel insecure, or on isolated bits of land at the edges of towns.  Stick to campsites, parking areas designated for motorhomes, or busy car parks where there are people around.  You can't eliminate the risk entirely, but an odd van on a bit of waste land is a rather obvious "soft touch", compared to one in a busy supermarket car park, for example.

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Thanks Brian

I will call Comfort now. I am keen on breakdown cover but the three so far who have quoted do not extend this to 365 days a year although there insurance package does so. We will not be out of UK for 365 days but will have no set time to be in UK so anything that says 90 days in any one trip atc I have to discard. Will let you know thanks again.

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As promised just to advise I called Comfort and they were 344 but lots of questions about the time we spend abroad. The profile did not fit so ended up with Safeguard at 273 with Euro recovery. No limits on time abroad or mileage. Excess was higher though.

Noticed the thread recently Safeguard v Comfort.

Nice to know there are several options.

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We bought an alko caravan safe many years ago and transfer it from vehicle to vehicle. bolt it thro floor in a locker which has access inside and out.If you have a double floor more the better B-) Big enough for cameras passports etc.
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Having experienced a break in on our' van today (luckily we were only just down the road so we had nothing worth nicking on-board i am in a security frame of mind and it occurred to me that if the items are worth a bit (and maybe your laptop has all your photos on it) you might find it worth finding something you can unscrew that has space behind/under it, to store your valuables.

 

Or is this a stupid idea?

 

It's been a pretty crap day...

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Yes you're right about making it look too obvious.

 

I was thinking your average teef would not want to start taking things to bits "just in case", or even realise you could, and would prefer to have a quick rummage through your drawers, ooh err Mrs Slocom, and then get on his (or of course her's... for all you robbing female ladies out there) merry way.

 

Perhaps the concept is slightly flawed as it doesn't have great opportunity for profiteering. Shove your laptop under your gas bottle... that kind of thing.

 

pete

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I don't think having a safe is a good idea in that even if empty but locked, a scumbag could do a lot of damage to your pride and joy trying to remove the safe / contents. The average motorhome has lots of places that stuff could be hidden so it maybe better to spread your valuables in them. If you then get a determined scumbag at worst he will probably go after finding one stash. This coupled with a decent alarm system should be adequate
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Having seen the interior of a van that had been broken into, in which there was a safe fitted, I'm not so convinced.  The safe was fine, but it was the only thing in its vicinity that was!  Trying to break into the safe - or remove it completely - with the aid of some kind of crowbar, by levering against the furniture, resulted an awful lot of seriously trashed furniture.  I don't know what the owner had in the safe, but I'd bet the cost for new furniture comfortably exceeded its value!  A quick in and out job will be fast and brutal, with stuff chucked all over the place.  The more you try to lock stuff away, the more damage will be done in the frenzy of trying to get to it.  I think a degree of subtlety is the key, hiding valuables in nooks and crannies that are not, in themselves, obvious, in the hope the tea leaf just won't see them, and above all in not leaving your van in isolated, insecure, places.  At least, thats my theory!
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I don't think having a safe is a good idea in that even if empty but locked, a scumbag could do a lot of damage to your pride and joy trying to remove the safe / contents. The average motorhome has lots of places that stuff could be hidden so it maybe better to spread your valuables in them. If you then get a determined scumbag at worst he will probably go after finding one stash. This coupled with a decent alarm system should be adequate
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I don't think having a safe is a good idea in that even if empty but locked, a scumbag could do a lot of damage to your pride and joy trying to remove the safe / contents. The average motorhome has lots of places that stuff could be hidden so it maybe better to spread your valuables in them. If you then get a determined scumbag at worst he will probably go after finding one stash. This coupled with a decent alarm system should be adequate
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