Guest starspirit Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Visible deterrent I feel might be a better way forward. If the villains can clearly see that there is a device that will prevent them opening the door they might just go and break into someone else's van. I doubt it is much fun climbing through a broken cab door window having first made all the noise of smashing the glass? Perhaps a simple but sturdy locking clamp that will hold the door lock button down might be a start? In spite of many years of wild camping I have never felt so insecure that I needed extra security. If I ain't happy I don't stop - but then again the horror stories from European campers do make me wonder whether 'tis time to bolt up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 [QUOTE]starspirit - 2006-08-01 10:23 AM ......................... In spite of many years of wild camping I have never felt so insecure that I needed extra security. If I ain't happy I don't stop - but then again the horror stories from European campers do make me wonder whether 'tis time to bolt up?[/QUOTE] Ah, but I suspect many of those horror storys come from people who have stopped in places neither you, nor I, would actually have stopped. They will do it, won't they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest starspirit Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Exactly Brian, but if I have learned one thing from various letters and forum entries it is NEVER to stop on motorway or main road type 'aires' for overnight parking but to leave the main road and go find a village aire or car park. I can't speak from experience yet as our first foreign trip ever in a motor home is not until we go to France in September - but I am learning fast and for this I truly thank all you seasoned (or is that pickled?) travellers and I will report back our experiences in due course. I have the current 'Aire de service camping car' book and have paid my 27 euros for this year's 'France Passion' book and these are the only sites that we intend using in our three week meander. Whether the reality differs we will see? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaleg Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 hi chas, i belive that they force the fuel cap off, then i guess try different keys untill they get a match, and as for the transponder, well we had a fleet of transits at work, and some keys we had the transponde had fell out, but the van still started. pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrytraveller Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Hi Brian, Richard and all I read with interest your recommendation of not stopping on the motorway aires, and fully agree. You have to be very careful on safe aires too. We have been going over to France for 6 years now, almost always stopping on the aires d' service all over France, for two months at a time twice a year. We had no problems until Sept 12th last year. We parked at the Arromanches aire for about the 11th time, its a well lit aire and was full, the car park behind had around 15 camping cars too. At 0230hrs I had just made a cup of hot lemon drink for my wife, we sat down on our sofa beds, occaisionaly chatting and heard the central locking activating. Opening the front cab curtain found the prospective tea leaf looking at me through the cab side window, he turned tail and ran off, I came out of the habitation door with the biggest kitchen knife I could find to give chase. I didn't catch him or even get a really good look at him, but a car reversed out of the car park at high speed, so I guess it was the thieves. It was a good job I didn't catch them as they would have given me a good pasting! My sister who has a van blitz alarm was parked next to us, didn't set it (because she always felt safe on this aires), had just over £1000 lifted from her handbag, which they put back in the camper minus the grand, they sorted through the credit cards but didn't take them. Just to put it in perspective, we were also nearly broken into at the savernake forest nr Marlborough 30 years ago. Always lock the cab doors and don't just rely on the standard cab locks, I have a safety chain fitted to the habitation door and a Fiamma strap on brackets attached to the cab doors, also sensors on all doors (including cab), windows and external lockers will trigger the habitation alarm if they open 0.5". I surveyed all the other campers next morning at 0700hrs, and found several other campers of all nationalities had been broken into , the only common denominator - yes you guessed it ' The Sevel Based' cab chassis, Fords round key, Mercedes and all A class were bypassed. Opening the Sevel cab doors is easy, you just need a flatish blade screwdriver, the locks still work okay afterwards with the proper key afterwards. Regards Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest starspirit Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Thanks for that great bit of insight Terry. I have always suspected that the Sevel cab was extraordinarily easy to get into quietly, although Peugeot deny this (well they would wouldn't they)) and you have confirmed that thought. I think perhaps a simple turnbuckle on the door lock rising knob might well defeat the flat bladers and wire coathanger opportunists, or at least possibly create enough noise to wake us or Rosie the lunatic border collie sleeping with one eye open on the cab floor. I already have a chain for the rather flimsy looking caravan door but the trouble is you need to be able to activate these simple devices when leaving the van and that is where the fun and ingenuity really start. I could put a chain on the outside! I'm working on it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 TerryFunny what you do on the spur of the moment, isn't it? Taking the knife might not have been your best move! Some years back I was in a favourite pub when two very drunk Irish navvies started arguing and eventually fell to the floor in a mutual bearhug. Drinks flew, people were knocked sideways and I just saw red! I grabbed the one on the top by his copious forelock, tugged hard, and said, "right, outside you". Mercifully, he didn't budge, and then I looked at him properly. Built like the proverbial masonry privvy he was! I very slowly let go, went red (rather that seeing it) and subsided from view behind everyone else. Had he responded in proper fashion I'd probably still be coming down!Glad you got away with it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Brian I have heard that it is legal tobuy CS Gas in european countries do you know if it is true....Much the same I suspect if they get it off you ..The results could be not what you intended..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Madge Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 [QUOTE]michele - 2006-08-01 6:14 PM Brian I have heard that it is legal tobuy CS Gas in european countries do you know if it is true....Much the same I suspect if they get it off you ..The results could be not what you intended.....[/QUOTE] Michelle, We carry a can of WD 40 in the door pocket, I've never used it in anger yet :-D but if the need arises would be villan will get a nasty shock. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Don, Silly question probably, would that have the same effect ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Madge Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 [QUOTE]michele - 2006-08-01 6:21 PM Don, Silly question probably, would that have the same effect ? [/QUOTE] Michelle, A squirt of WD 40 in your face will definatly put you out of action while we get away from the scene. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrytraveller Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Hi Starspirit, Forgot to mention we have fitted the Fiamma safe door, which locks the habitation door on the outside - see http://www.motorcaravanning.co.uk/shopuk/fiamma_security.htm There are a number of devices which will give you piece of mind when you leave the camper unattended, this one is easy to fit yourself, if you don't want to drill through the camper wall, there is one available which will fit on the door frame. I have seen people lock the habitation door with the safe door, then climb in through the cab doors and either strap them or lock them with a deadbolt or such like. You might ask, how do you get out in case of fire? If your bottom is on fire, I think you would make it out through one of the saloon windows soon enough. In fact - the Autocruise Starblazer schematics show the saloon windows as the fire exit! - so I was right!!! Regards Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 DON Thanks will have one installed by BROWNHILLS Ha Ha.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Terry, Forgive me for not saying hello yet. I must ask what is that you are harnessed into....Hope your bum's never on fire .......Talk about security . joke (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 As someone who has had first hand experience of a fire in a motorhome, please whatever you do be careful and ensure that you can escape VERY quickly. Don't rely on being able to climb out through a window as your escape route when you've secured all the exits - if this is the choice you make try to get out of the windows for real whilst you are not under the pressure of having flames lapping near your nether regions. I doubt there are many people who could actually get out that way - the windows may be large but they wouldn't be that easy to clamber through and you'd still have to be able to see where the catches were to undo them first. Security is important, but safety has to be your first consideration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Betty boothroid would say HEAR HEAR.............my right honrable friend has the eye's to the left ... and her nose to the right and quite right she is saftey first...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrytraveller Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Hello Michele, That's a K13 I'm in, and smiling, because my flight instructor reckoned I was too dangereous to fly with, so he let me up on my own! The Cotswold Gliding Club have plenty of room for campers to stay on the airfield, and you can book flying lessons with them. Have a look at :- http://www.cotswoldgliding.co.uk/ I get no hassel from the family, when I am airborne so it's nice and peaceful. Regards Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest starspirit Posted August 2, 2006 Share Posted August 2, 2006 Mel is right - using a window as a fire exit is OK in theory but if you believe in it why not try it as a fire drill? You might that find it is harder than it looks specially if your body is not as flexible as it used to be, and the ground is a darned long way down when you are doubled up and looking for a landing zone. I think I'll keep my doors easy to open in the dark even though my kitchen is between the lounge / bed and all the doors? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest starspirit Posted August 2, 2006 Share Posted August 2, 2006 I did speak to a couple in Spain last year who had had their van broken into by the occupants of a panel van that parked very tight alongside in a supermarket car park, opened the sliding side door and forced a caravan window to gain entry. Fortunately they were disturbed and got away with nowt but the damage, stress and inconvenience remained. It is easy to sit in a van in any such car park and wait for the occupants to go shopping I guess? Just something else to watch out for when parking? We always avoid car parking areas that have evidence of broken glass on the ground. Paranoid or what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted August 2, 2006 Share Posted August 2, 2006 [QUOTE]starspirit - 2006-08-02 10:28 AM .................. We always avoid car parking areas that have evidence of broken glass on the ground. Paranoid or what?[/QUOTE] No, not paranoid at all. Our car was done in Lyon a few years back and yes, I had parked in a (marked) street parking bay that had a lot of toughened glass granules on the ground. Ours merely added to the pile and now I also avoid parking where the granules are on the ground. Just have to hope the tea leaves don't discover dustpans and brushes, don't you?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Posted August 15, 2006 Share Posted August 15, 2006 As promised I can now report on the deadlocks which Dave fitted to our van last week. The Abus 'HeoSafe' fitted to the habitation door is a very robust lock and the brass bolt passes over the doorframe. It is very simple to open from inside for easy egress. The outside is locked by key and when the cover is in place gives a very visual appearance to the extent that you may wonder if it is also part of an alarm system. Dave tells me that he can supply this lock for the simple self fitting. The cab doors are now secured by electrically operated dead bolts, again easily operated by a hidden button switch for easy egress. This system is not available for self fitting After several nights in the van we have felt very safe and can now leave the secured vehicle with confidence. We are very pleased to have this security and are pleased to recommend it. See also the thread 'Deadlocks' starting 9th August. Roy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingpete Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 For those of nervous disposition and wishing to use a self defence, WD 40 works extremely well, especially when aided by a naked flame ! What you do is aim the WD at the assailant, and light a match or lighter in the stream of pressurised liquid. It don't half go !! Be careful of aim though, don't want to damage the van interior, do we? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 Now now Wingpete, I think we need to steer clear of advising people to aim a burning jet of anything at people as I do beleive that would exceed the "reasonable force" allowed to overcome an assaillant. Besides which it is very hazardous in a confined space. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Dwight Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 Whilst on the subject of flames. Car owners in South Africa fit a gas flame thrower underneath their vehicles, ready for the eventuality of hi/carjacking. It appears that the authorities are aware of this but turn a blind eye. I read an account some time back of this in the South African Times, also have spoken to Sth Africans and they agree it is asure fire way of stopping the problem. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 That might well be the case in SA but I doubt it would be overlooked in Europe and certainly not in UK. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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