Pete-B Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Catalytic converter theft has reared it's ugly head again. We got an email from Lincs police today warning about the increase in this crime and people with vehicles like ours should do something to protect themselves. They suggest buying one of these Retainagroup etching kits which then goes on a national register but I doubt the low lifes who commit this crime would worry about a few numbers and letters! Does anyone know if anything new as come on the market lately or anything in the process of being introduced. Appreciate any help or advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Agree with you there Pete. Absolutely useless information, unless they are on commission from Retainagroup >:-( I've been looking around for some method of linking the Cat into the Motorhome Alarm system & locating a repeater Sound unit alongside the Cat . (then the lowlifes' may be deafened enough not to be able to respond to any approach) >:-) :-D :-D It should be feasible, but not found a solution todate. Does anyone know different (?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tugga Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 I blame the lowlife scrap metal dealers that are buying them. They must know that they are stolen, but still they give cash to burglars that steal them! I think that putting a few numbers and letters on them is not going to do any good, there are just not enough police to patrol the scrap metal merchants and sue the pants off them for accepting them. If they are ever caught handling the stolen goods, perhaps close their business down might make them think twice, if all else fails, shoot the buggers!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Collings Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 I mulled over a few ideas with an alarm specialist and we agreed that making a systen to protect a cat was was relatively easy but the extremely hostile environment made making it reliable very diffcult indeed. There are some systems on the market that detect vibration when the vehicle is out of use and link it to an alarm. However I would want to see evidence of how many hours products had been tested and the results of the tests before laying out hard earned cash. In the meantime there are two or three types of armouring available with plates and stainless anti-theft cables but again I would like to see some evidence of thieves being defeated before spending dosh. My own thoughts are that fibre optics might be adapted to surround a cat but suspect the high temperatures might be a problem. I recently took a cat from a 14 year old VW polo to the scrap dealer and came home with £15 in my pocket. It was small enough to hold in one hand. There were notices that photo and address Id were required if payment was in cash so effort are being amde to deter the theives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Hi George When you mulled the subject over with the Alarm specialist, was the possibilities of using Infra-red sensors explored ? I was thinking in terms of something similar to the interior sensors but suitably protected for "under the van", not necessarily attached to the Cat. & could be located at some distance away out of the worst of road muck. Would then only have to find a way of making sure the local gang of moggies don't get under the van & trigger the Alarm. >:-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowie Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 I'd think along the lines of CCTV or an extension of my domestic intruder alarm and exterior lights I think. Failing that a dog and kennel close by the van; but I suppose most people keep their dogs inside the house where it's nice and warm cheers alan b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Collings Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 Ultrasonic alarms are fine in a controlled environment but the underside of a vehicle is wide open to pets etc. My low tech approach if the vehicle is kept on a hard standing would be to fill the gap caused by the large ground clearance. see diagram. In case my effort at attachement fails. Essentially its a concrete building block with pins dropped through into holes drilled through it into the hard standing. It might not be suitable for everwhere as clearance under the rear axle has to be considerd. Its preferable if the block can driven rather than reversed over. The pins need only be a loose fit so the block can be lifted away when not required. Casting a steel reinforced concrete custom made version would be easy. The attachement was partly successfull. Open the attachment and scroll down to second page. Picture 8 Peterborough.doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T8LEY Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 A monitored alarm cable attached to the cat that would need cutting before the cat could be removed would be the simplist solution. Would work everywhere. All you need is a zoned alarm system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ChrisB Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 T8LEY - 2012-08-11 6:52 PM A monitored alarm cable attached to the cat that would need cutting before the cat could be removed would be the simplist solution. Would work everywhere. All you need is a zoned alarm system. I have used a similar method for protecting items - but rather than using a zone circuit I used the PA circuit which has the advantage of being active whether or not the alarm is set. Completing the circuit with 2 crocodile clips or similar to two ends of the cat part of the metal exhaust should do the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete-B Posted August 11, 2012 Author Share Posted August 11, 2012 Some good ideas come out from you guys following this thread, thanks for that. What I know about car electrickery is ziltch but would it be possible to use the fly lead (meant for protecting bikes etc) from my Vanbitz alarm. The lead is plugged into a seven pin (towbar type) socket under the van then wrapped around whatever it's protecting then plugged together, it's quite long and should reach the cat I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 Pete-B - 2012-08-11 8:32 PM Some good ideas come out from you guys following this thread, thanks for that. What I know about car electrickery is ziltch but would it be possible to use the fly lead (meant for protecting bikes etc) from my Vanbitz alarm. The lead is plugged into a seven pin (towbar type) socket under the van then wrapped around whatever it's protecting then plugged together, it's quite long and should reach the cat I think. But you will have to remove the wire from around the cat every time you drive the MH or it will melt and may set the alarm off if it shorts to earth (the cat will be earthed) :'( My suggestion is along the lines of George's with his block of concrete but would be an angle iron 'cube' sized to slide under the MH after parking and then chained to chassis, front wheels, anchor point in drive or anything else suitable. You would then have to slide it out before driving off and so would not risk damaging your undercarriage when driving over it. Hope my idea makes sense, Keith. Edit to add that the sides of the cube would need to be such that you could not reach the cat 'through' them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Dwight Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 Our van is parked in an enclosed drive 2 mtr high fence and gates. The van is parked over several long pieces of timber, scaffold boards and 2 parts of an extension ladder, the gates have to be opened fully to get the ladder out of the way this means dragging it out so lots of noise plus moving the timer etc. There is also a security light that comes on if anyone approaches it is set so fine even the moggies set it off. Plus the fact the van only just clears all the obstacles under it. Its not perfect but it might help. I suppose linking an audible alarm to the light could be effective. But is anything safe these days!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallii Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 A length of nichrome wire insulated with ceramic beads should be tough enough and could be connected to an alarm system or a dedicated alarm ? H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Collings Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 The difficulties of alarming a cat should not be underestimated. Components have to continiously withstand a wide range of temperatures and vibrations and withstand impacts from road debris. Temperature changes can be extremely abrupt from several hundred degrees C when the cat is at maximum to being at near freezing when driven through a deep puddle in winter. Mechanically caging makes life more difficult for the thief but most use high security cable to wrap the unit and secure it to the vehicle. Thieves have no scruples about attacking the vehicle with power tools to free the cat and large chunks cut out of the floor could mean virtually dismantling a motorhome to effect repairs. It was this factor that made me think about blocking access. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 George Collings - 2012-08-11 12:06 PM Ultrasonic alarms are fine in a controlled environment but the underside of a vehicle is wide open to pets etc. My low tech approach if the vehicle is kept on a hard standing would be to fill the gap caused by the large ground clearance. see diagram. In case my effort at attachement fails. Essentially its a concrete building block with pins dropped through into holes drilled through it into the hard standing. It might not be suitable for everwhere as clearance under the rear axle has to be considerd. Its preferable if the block can driven rather than reversed over. The pins need only be a loose fit so the block can be lifted away when not required. Casting a steel reinforced concrete custom made version would be easy. The attachement was partly successfull. Open the attachment and scroll down to second page. This is the image George was trying to post: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 Its ridiculous that people have to go to these lengths to stop their property e.g. Van from being vandalized the police should have the power to close down any scrap merchant that is found to be receiving these cats!! we were at a Dealer only last week and was told 15 of their vans had had their cats removed by thieving low life's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Collings Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 Thanks Melanie, I am glad somebody knows what I am doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 It would seem that the Cat can be removed and a short factoy supplied pipe fitted in its place this does not affect the running of the van or its MOT so No Cat no crime and Guard or alternative protection may see more damage to the van, in most of the local vans where cats have been stolen there are marks from where jacks of some description have been used. As long as scrap deales buy these at low prices from theives to make bigger profits for themselves there will be no let up of thefts. Alf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve928 Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 Replacing the cat with a through-pipe has been the best thing I've done to our van. No more looking underneath expecting the worst upon return from a day's cycling etc. , plus either the engine has co-incidentally loosened-up (18K miles) or there has been a small but noticable improvement in performance and economy. Sadly with Euro5 vans with their combined cat+dpf removal is no longer an option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T8LEY Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 Keithl - 2012-08-11 9:51 PM Pete-B - 2012-08-11 8:32 PM Some good ideas come out from you guys following this thread, thanks for that. What I know about car electrickery is ziltch but would it be possible to use the fly lead (meant for protecting bikes etc) from my Vanbitz alarm. The lead is plugged into a seven pin (towbar type) socket under the van then wrapped around whatever it's protecting then plugged together, it's quite long and should reach the cat I think. But you will have to remove the wire from around the cat every time you drive the MH or it will melt and may set the alarm off if it shorts to earth (the cat will be earthed) :'( My suggestion is along the lines of George's with his block of concrete but would be an angle iron 'cube' sized to slide under the MH after parking and then chained to chassis, front wheels, anchor point in drive or anything else suitable. You would then have to slide it out before driving off and so would not risk damaging your undercarriage when driving over it. Hope my idea makes sense, Keith. Edit to add that the sides of the cube would need to be such that you could not reach the cat 'through' them. Obstruction methods look good for security at home but I can see anything portable, that's not secured in the ground, being cut with bolt choppers or a windy saw; these crims don't care about making a noise. Alarm cable would not need to be insulated at the cat. Detection circuits are continuous loops of cable which don't use the vehicle metal parts (not much metal in some coach built vans, above the floor) and only need insulation to keep the conductors apart, so, as suggested already, just clipping cables to each end of a cat would suffice, with a short piece of high temperature cable for final connection, either ceramic, again as mentioned. or ptfe insulated. Alternatively, a length of bare steel wire could be spiralled around the cat and the alarm circuit connected to each end of that. Unlike physical protection, you don't need to make electronic protection difficult to remove, so no substantial heavy things to be carried around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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