Security in a PVC

[Brian Kirby]

Peter James - 2014-03-31 10:16 PM...............Not sugesting they follow a particular vehicle - just wait around the car park till one comes in. .................

No, nor was I Peter. Just that with the number of supermarkets around, particularly in France, and the fact that on average only the odd motorhome visits most on the odd occasion, I should have thought the odds on making a killing so low no-one would bother lying in wait. Sorry if my drift was unclear.

[Guest Peter James]

Thanks for the replies.

My English bought and registered Citroen Relay X2/50 van has never seen a converter - its just a standard commercial van I fitted out myself. You can deadlock it whilst inside, then you cannot open any of the doors from inside or outside without the key, but you couldn't lock yourself inside and lose the key because you would have to have the fully functioning key inside with you to lock yourself in. If the key battery failed whilst you were inside, you can still release the doors from inside by putting the key in the ignition.

[Muswell]

Peter James - 2014-03-31 10:23 PM

 

Muswell - 2014-03-31 7:33 PM

 

It was a 2010 Transit

 

Thatcham rated the X2/50 better than the Transit or Sprinter.

I think a lot of professional car thieves would like to know how they can start the engine without the key - given the lengths they go to - burglary and even hijacking - to get the key

I went to several locksmiths to get a spare key for my X2/50 and they all said they couldn't do that one because its new technology

 

Here is the link for opening the door

 

And this is another impressive little tool http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFKg2YPSXho

 

And this to deal with electronics http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EpJuOrF4CM take a look towards the end!

 

I don't say this is the whole story but it shows you what goes on.

[lennyhb]

Scary - not much point in locking it is there.

[Guest JudgeMental]

Peter James - 2014-04-01 7:16 AM

 

Thanks for the replies.

My English bought and registered Citroen Relay X2/50 van has never seen a converter - its just a standard commercial van I fitted out myself. You can deadlock it whilst inside, then you cannot open any of the doors from inside or outside without the key, but you couldn't lock yourself inside and lose the key because you would have to have the fully functioning key inside with you to lock yourself in. If the key battery failed whilst you were inside, you can still release the doors from inside by putting the key in the ignition.

 

do you have the lock/unlock switches on dash. Surely this must be disabled in campers as a safety precaution, if a quick exit required.....I dunno a chip pan fire, fire whatever :-S

[Brian Kirby]

JudgeMental - 2014-04-01 10:36 AM............do you have the lock/unlock switches on dash. Surely this must be disabled in campers as a safety precaution, if a quick exit required.....I dunno a chip pan fire, fire whatever :-S

Now let me see. :-) You use a chip pan, in a van, with the doors closed and deadlocked? No wonder some folk have nightmares over security! :-D

[Guest JudgeMental]

Brian Kirby - 2014-04-01 12:19 PM

 

JudgeMental - 2014-04-01 10:36 AM............do you have the lock/unlock switches on dash. Surely this must be disabled in campers as a safety precaution, if a quick exit required.....I dunno a chip pan fire, fire whatever :-S

Now let me see. :-) You use a chip pan, in a van, with the doors closed and deadlocked? No wonder some folk have nightmares over security! :-D

 

you know very well that I dont do anything of the kind.....Just trying to understand why your Hymer deadlocks and mine and others don't

[Brian Kirby]

But mine doesn't, 'cos it doesn't have any Fiat bodywork! :-)

 

Deadlocks are an option. Also, the larger converters can presumably get things added / omitted if they buy enough vans to the same spec, so maybe can trade visible "goodies" for things they think most folk won't spot.

 

I had thought the deadlocking function (if fitted) could be disabled / enabled via the electronics, but also that this cannot be changed by the owner (dealer job). However, that may have been on the Transit, which definitely had deadlocks. But, the deadlocking locks obviously have to be present for the function to be enabled. Isn't there a Fiat equivalent of the Ford ETIS system, that allows the detailed build spec to be read over the net if the VIN is entered? I would think that should say if deadlocking was included.

 

The Fiat manual says pressing the locking symbol on the remote control key twice should activate the deadlocks. Try two presses when inside, and then see if you can open the cab doors with the inside handles. If you can't, you have deadlocks. If you can, either you don't have deadlocks, or they have been disabled (which seems rather illogical if they were originally specified, at extra cost, as a matter of course). If that is the case, my guess is that it won't have deadlocks fitted.

[Wendyhouse]

Correct. My Fiat has deadlocks that operate via a double click on key and doing so disables the dashboard door switches.

Not sure why anyone would do so when inside but...

[Guest JudgeMental]

Wendyhouse - 2014-04-01 4:47 PM

 

Correct. My Fiat has deadlocks that operate via a double click on key and doing so disables the dashboard door switches.

Not sure why anyone would do so when inside but...

 

when sleeping perhaps...Just tried mine and it doesnt, even when double clicked. Will ask when I get its first service in May.

[Guest Peter James]

Muswell - 2014-04-01 8:21 AM

 

Peter James - 2014-03-31 10:23 PM

 

Muswell - 2014-03-31 7:33 PM

 

It was a 2010 Transit

 

Thatcham rated the X2/50 better than the Transit or Sprinter.

I think a lot of professional car thieves would like to know how they can start the engine without the key - given the lengths they go to - burglary and even hijacking - to get the key

I went to several locksmiths to get a spare key for my X2/50 and they all said they couldn't do that one because its new technology

 

Here is the link for opening the door

 

And this is another impressive little tool http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFKg2YPSXho

 

And this to deal with electronics http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EpJuOrF4CM take a look towards the end!

 

I don't say this is the whole story but it shows you what goes on.

Thanks for the links - will have a look when I have time

[Guest Peter James]

Wendyhouse - 2014-04-01 4:47 PM

 

Correct. My Fiat has deadlocks that operate via a double click on key and doing so disables the dashboard door switches.

Not sure why anyone would do so when inside but...

 

So does my X2/50.

The idea is that if someone smashes a window and reaches inside, they still cannot open any doors without the key.

[Guest Peter James]

JudgeMental - 2014-04-01 10:36 AM

do you have the lock/unlock switches on dash.

 

Yes - but see above

If you deadlock yourself in by a double press of the button on the key, you can only open the doors with the key - either by pressing the button on the key, or by putting the key in the ignition

[Guest pelmetman]

Muswell - 2014-04-01 8:21 AM

 

Peter James - 2014-03-31 10:23 PM

 

Muswell - 2014-03-31 7:33 PM

 

It was a 2010 Transit

 

Thatcham rated the X2/50 better than the Transit or Sprinter.

I think a lot of professional car thieves would like to know how they can start the engine without the key - given the lengths they go to - burglary and even hijacking - to get the key

I went to several locksmiths to get a spare key for my X2/50 and they all said they couldn't do that one because its new technology

 

Here is the link for opening the door

 

And this is another impressive little tool http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFKg2YPSXho

 

And this to deal with electronics http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EpJuOrF4CM take a look towards the end!

 

I don't say this is the whole story but it shows you what goes on.

 

What's use is an immobilizer when they just nick your keys :-S.................

[Guest Peter James]

pelmetman - 2014-04-01 6:06 PM

 

What's use is an immobilizer when they just nick your keys :-S.................

 

Thats why I have a secret switch

[Cattwg]

On one of our earlier pvc’s I used two very simple and cheap devices to increase the security of the sliding door and the rear double doors.

With the sliding door closed I drilled a 4mm hole through the floor and through the bottom, sliding arm of the door mechanism. I then cut the sharp end off a 4” nail, pushed a cork (the synthetic type are best) up to the head of the nail to provide a handle. The nail is dropped through the floor and through the door slider. With the nail in situ it is nigh impossible to open the sliding door. At night in an emergency it’s literally seconds to remove the device.

On the rear door I found that I could achieve a similar situation. It was possible to drill though the upper latch of the doors into the body of the ‘van. This hole was tapped and a suitable bolt employed. I wound a wing nut very tightly onto the bolt to serve as a handle – this took fewer than 10 seconds to unscrew should an emergency arise.

These devices were easy to use, cost pennies, were quick to remove in an emergency and did not disfigure the vehicle.

 

Of course as has been said in previous posts the real weakness of an unattended ‘van is the windows. Other than Brian Kirby’s suggestion of security film I’ve not come up with a solution to that. However, a few years ago in southern Spain I did see local cars fitted with what looked like metal grids across the windows. Probably effective but it did look ugly.

 

Cattwg :-D

[Guest Peter James]

When you are in the van, noises outside can be quite alarming if you don't know what they are.

I am parked in Berwick, where you park at right angles to the kerb, under the main road bridge.

I heard a tapping on the van 8-)

Looked out because I couldn't guess what it was.

The rear of the van overhung the pavement by a couple of feet. A blind man was tapping on it to find out what it was and negotiate his way around it. Poor guy, how much harder life must be for him :-(