Safes in motorhomes

[Brian Kirby]

chas - 2006-12-27 11:01 AM We hear so much about so called gas attacks to ocupants in vans, when will some enterprising manufacturer develope a knock out gas system that triggers off when some b. . . . . d ! gains entry via the alarm . Please, the liberal/ do-gooders amongst us , I am only wishfull thinking, or am I !. chas

Chas

See posting at top of the list entitled "gas attacks" - but read the first post on page 1 before you read any others!

[Brian Kirby]

chris - 2006-12-26 9:35 PM This is the safe we use under our fixed bed. It is wound round the metal bed frame base. We bought ours from Halfords. Won't damage the van with this and they would have to take the base of the bed with them otherwise ! http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/66130/beat_sat_nav_theft_with_a_strongbox.html

 

The reason the insurers don't like the safe idea, is surely because of the amount of damage done by a thief trying to get it out.  He's not going to set about cracking the safe in situ, but will probably have a good go at levering it free so he can run off with it to explore later.  Simple, lockable, boxes that can easily be removed or opened don't cause the same problem but, of course, don’t provide the same security. 

Thus, items in a safe may well be protected against theft, but if the cost of repairing the van after the attack seems on average likely to exceed the value of those items, it becomes cheaper overall for the insurers merely to replace them.  That, surely, is where they are coming from.

This is partially a function of the way 'vans are built, and the relative difficulty, and hence cost, of carrying out satisfactory repairs. 

What I saw inside the poor German's van was a badly cracked wardrobe side wall, most of the shelf fixings ripped out, and the door hinge fixing points cracked.  He had done a gaffer tape job on it, but to re-sell the van it was going to need most of a new wardrobe.  To get at that, the dinette and the cupboard above would have to come out.  To shift the dinette the seatbelt attachment frame would have to be removed, in turn requiring removal of the fresh water tank.  That is an awful lot of work.  The German said he actually had left nothing in the safe, but had left it locked because it was the only way he could keep its door closed.  All that damage because of a worthless challenge!  You can see the insurer's point.  New cameras/laptops are relatively cheap, and loss of your passport causes you great inconvenience, but no great financial loss.

The moral, I suppose is, never go away with valuables you don't need, always carry with you your essential valuables, and be prepared for the loss of any you can't carry.  You'll need to check which valuables are covered as contents under your 'van insurance, and which may be insured away from home under your home contents insurance.  The rest, you'll just need to try and insure separately.