gus Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 My Talbot Royale 540 was stolen at 0500hrs today 10/03/17. It's reg no is L82SMA and it is white. I've reported it to Cambridgeshire police (at 0505hrs) but apparently a stolen motorhome in Peterborough town centre is surprisingly invisible at that time in the morning. It has decals on the bonnet front rim saying"Montana Canada". I'm posting this in the hope that someone, somewhere will catch a glimpse of him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Ah, sorry . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Gus.......it's worth posting up any photographs you have. Also stick it on every m/home site you can access. I hope you get it back in one piece. Worth mentioning when i had a car stolen some years ago i was worried at the length of time police were taking to find it. They told me the time for you to worry is when we call you back within hours of it being taken......because that means we've found it wrapped round a tree! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 I think this is a good warning to Dave, Horace may not be as safe as he thinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gus Posted March 12, 2017 Author Share Posted March 12, 2017 Thanks for your message. I've been so lucky - a public spirited person spotted Sam in a private car park and contacted the police. Other than a broken tail light cluster, and a sheared ignition barrel, it's in one piece. Got the RAC to hotwire it in a way that I could operate and safely back home. Need better security though so anyone with any ideas, feel free to advise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted March 12, 2017 Share Posted March 12, 2017 Great to hear some good news about a stolen van for a change ! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordonaldson Posted March 12, 2017 Share Posted March 12, 2017 Padlocks can be cut as well as Chain. Buy a cheap phone that you can track and hide it in the Motorhome. Or fit an earth switch hidden somewhere and from there add wires to lights, ignition and fuel injector. So if anyone trys to start it or put lights on all power goes to earth. Simple and a pain to sort out. Or how about removing an essential part of your engines ability to run, rotar, leads, cables, fuses, steering wheel. Idea's are endless and I've got this problem coming up very soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney123 Posted March 12, 2017 Share Posted March 12, 2017 thats the 3rd motorhome nicked in the East Anglia region in this past week, 1 in Basildon, 1 in Cambridge area and last nite in Clacton, surely somebody has seen something ????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted March 12, 2017 Share Posted March 12, 2017 Great news, Gus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aandncaravan Posted March 12, 2017 Share Posted March 12, 2017 Gus, glad you got it back. I would suggest that for security, as a first easy, cheap fix, a battery isolator like the one in the attached photo, Mine were under a fiver on eBay. It bolts on to the Starter battery and you just remove the Green handled screw to isolate the battery. It just completely undoes to fit in your pocket. When the Green 'key' is not in place, to an unfamiliar eye, it looks 'normal'. To fit one of these you just remove the existing Battery Negative clamp, bolt the new isolator in it's place and then reattach the battery clamp to the Isolators 'mock' battery terminal. Takes 5 minutes to fit almost all Starter batteries Negative terminal, but a bit fiddly on some with the under Cab floor batteries, like the X250. Also helps prolong battery life in storage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeti Posted March 12, 2017 Share Posted March 12, 2017 Its always upsetting when a treasured vehicle is taken by a scumbag,not just the loss of holidays but the posessions on board,some of which have been accummulated over the years. Mine was stolen last June,we had come back from a trip late anf just took the food out of the fridge,next morning taken with a great deal of out clothes and equipment . I recently read of some one who spotted his stolen vehicle on the M6 he followed it whilst his wife rang the rozzers,who came out and gave chase. The van was on Romanian plates and on board was a Romanian family who said they bought it for £6500,it was a 2010 model! No doubt it was on its way to the channel. The police are very lazy in policing car theft,just relying on the insurers to pay out-the reason why premiums are on the increase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 colin - 2017-03-10 6:39 PM I think this is a good warning to Dave, Horace may not be as safe as he thinks. Do you think anyone would bother with it though? A 1990 one on Gumtree here for just £3k.........and that was three years ago!! (lol) http://oi67.tinypic.com/262b1ja.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keninpalamos Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 So pleased your M/home is back with you. It would really cause me a great deal of stress if it happened to me. Anyway hope all goes well and that suggestion of Allens is a good idea for older 'vans. Might fit one myself?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samnkeez Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 Talk to Vanbitz of Taunton for security advice. If you decide to go with them they also have a campsite where you can stay the night before for free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordonaldson Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 This case of fitting Romanian plates, or any foreign plates would certainly foil the roadside numberplate detector units. Its a case if you see a right hand drive on Romanian or that area plates report it. I wouldn't bother with French, German or Italian plates though...I stay on the main route to Ireland so are their plates known to out DVLA for recognition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 Bulletguy - 2017-03-13 12:12 AM colin - 2017-03-10 6:39 PM I think this is a good warning to Dave, Horace may not be as safe as he thinks. Do you think anyone would bother with it though? A 1990 one on Gumtree here for just £3k.........and that was three years ago!! (lol) http://oi67.tinypic.com/262b1ja.jpg Don't you remember this £9k one from last year BG? ;-) ......... http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Cor-9k-/41554/#M493485 No longer listed so must have sold :D ......... Just to add I like the battery clamp thingy of Allen's, I'll be getting one of those back in the UK B-) ......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancepar Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 (^) No good for regular use but if left for longer periods between use, find and remove the fuel pump fuse. B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aandncaravan Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 Pelmetman, we assessed a old 1980 Hymer for someone recently that they had paid £20,000 for. It was in outstanding condition. I didn't get a full picture of it, but it was in some snaps of the Campsite site that I took to update our web pages. I have cropped the rest of the photo off to make it small enough to add below. With Classic Ford Transits now attraction good money, your Motorhome must also be on the up, being a rare Transit and Motorhome? Therefore probably quite 'nickable'? They used to say a good steering wheel Clamp was one of the best deterrents, but I wonder if that is still true with such powerful portable Grinder/cutters being available? I would guess the Steering Wheel on your vehicle is similar to the Cortina/Sierra boss for which there are now quite cheap quick release Steering Wheel kits. Just press a button and take your steering wheel with you, make it pretty hard for a thief to drive off!!! Picture attached below of one we built in the past for Citroen H vans, from memory based on a Cortina boss?, mated to a 'Classic' wheel on our Electric Power Steering conversion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 aandncaravan - 2017-03-13 10:54 PM Pelmetman, we assessed a old 1980 Hymer for someone recently that they had paid £20,000 for. It was in outstanding condition. I didn't get a full picture of it, but it was in some snaps of the Campsite site that I took to update our web pages. I have cropped the rest of the photo off to make it small enough to add below. With Classic Ford Transits now attraction good money, your Motorhome must also be on the up, being a rare Transit and Motorhome? Therefore probably quite 'nickable'? Andy Pelmets permanent abode is cloud cuckoo land! I posted a 1990 Travelhome on a Transit which sold for just £3 grand........and that was three years back! (lol) Now a vintage Hymer really is something else though i must admit i'd never shell out £20k for a 37 year old!! I saw better than that though on a campsite in Poland. A German couple next to me who parked up in an old Merc van the guy had converted. Externally it wan't much to look at but the interior was stunning. Real craftsmanship and beautifully fitted throughout which he'd done himself making everything from scratch. He'd worked as a cabinet maker which helped! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 aandncaravan - 2017-03-13 10:54 PM Pelmetman, we assessed a old 1980 Hymer for someone recently that they had paid £20,000 for. It was in outstanding condition. I didn't get a full picture of it, but it was in some snaps of the Campsite site that I took to update our web pages. I have cropped the rest of the photo off to make it small enough to add below. With Classic Ford Transits now attraction good money, your Motorhome must also be on the up, being a rare Transit and Motorhome? Therefore probably quite 'nickable'? They used to say a good steering wheel Clamp was one of the best deterrents, but I wonder if that is still true with such powerful portable Grinder/cutters being available? I would guess the Steering Wheel on your vehicle is similar to the Cortina/Sierra boss for which there are now quite cheap quick release Steering Wheel kits. Just press a button and take your steering wheel with you, make it pretty hard for a thief to drive off!!! Picture attached below of one we built in the past for Citroen H vans, from memory based on a Cortina boss?, mated to a 'Classic' wheel on our Electric Power Steering conversion? Agreed the older Trannies MK5 and earlier are becoming rarer, and depending on condition not only holding onto their value, but increasing B-) ........I reckon with the advent of euro engines and the more stringent MOT's the chances of today's crop of motorhome still being on the road in 20 years time is debatable :-S ........ Horace did quite well at Transitmania a couple of years ago ........He won a 2nd & 3rd :D ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graylion Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 There's been a thread or two on FB recently after someone had their Moho stolen from their drive - with all sorts of suggestions for future security. I reckon you need to go for as many devices as possible based on what the vehicle is worth or what it's worth to you. People said that trackers can be blocked or disabled - I don't know if that's true but never put all your eggs in one basket! You can't really stop anything from being stolen or broken into - what you want is a deterrent or several to make it not worthwhile. Buy two dirt-cheap battery PIRs from eBay, one at the front and one rear. They are controlled by remote keyfobs and make a loud noise - which is good! About £6 each! Fit cab door internal locks - the lever type designed for windows but with manual, not automatic locking. (Much cheaper on eBay than say Screwfix) Fit a Milenco or similar habitation door lock that is lockable from inside and outside - about £60 for the Mk2 version No.4718. If you have screw-down jacks, fit locks to those for about £38 a pair. You can buy a "fit for life" tracker too for about £200, but I don't know if they are worth it. The battery switch is another good one. These are just a few ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyLou Posted March 16, 2017 Share Posted March 16, 2017 This battery switch looks good but won't it disable the Alarm? Also would I need to re-enter the radio code each time. Thanks Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted March 16, 2017 Share Posted March 16, 2017 Andy&Lou - 2017-03-16 9:49 AM This battery switch looks good but won't it disable the Alarm? Also would I need to re-enter the radio code each time. Thanks Andy Andy, The way around this is to connect a low amperage fuse, say 5 A, across the battery switch. This them maintains the power for the alarm and radio but if any attempt is made to start the vehicle without tightening the 'key' the fuse instantly blows. You could possibly fit a slightly higher amperage to allow central locking to still operate but this may take a split second longer to blow. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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