Latest Security & Tracking Technology

[paid2travel]

With technology moving so fast, keeping pace has become difficult and potentially expensive too. Thieves also seem to have the upper hand like the ability to block GPS/GSM signals.

 

I’ve installed some mechanical and electronic security deterrents myself (which probably don’t hold any water with insurers) so while some Thatcham category hardwire systems appear to be favoured by insurers I’m just wondering whether anybody has found any new devices/systems (whether Thatcham approved or not) on the market today that are capable of preventing the modern-day thief?

 

Appreciated that there are no 100% fixes, but just thinking about keeping up with the changes.

 

Here’s two I’ve just seen while writing my question already:-

 

https://www.tracker.co.uk/solutions/trackers-motorhomes

 

Link to XY Find It

 

Martin

 

(Edit - Link shortened - Keithl)

[ColinM50]

My aunt has dementia and often wanders off on her own and we spend hours looking for her. Might pop one in her handbag. (lol)

[Deneb]

The problem with XYFindit and similar type devices (there are several) is that if the item is lost or mislaid outside of the reach of your phone, it relies on another user with the same tracking device (and therefore the same app on their phone) being within phone range of your tag to be able to locate it. With "more than a million users all over the world" you can work out that the chances of another XYFindit user being in phone range of your lost asset may be somewhat remote amongst a population of 7.8 billion people.

 

Whilst it might eventually work for a lost bunch of keys or other object that has been left somewhere and not moving, the chances of locating a vehicle whilst it is on the move would be next to nothing, and once it has been moved into a "chop-shop", which are invariably situated in remote rural areas so as not to attract unwanted attention, the chances would probably be less than zero.

[TeamRienza]

Rewire security offer a couple of compact tracking devices with a slant on keeping tabs on the elderly forgetful or children.

 

https://www.rewiresecurity.co.uk/personal-gps-tracking-devices

 

I use one of their other devices, a GP104 as a cheap tracker on my van. I am aware of the shortcomings of such systems by signal blocking devices, but better than no tracker at all in my view.

 

https://www.rewiresecurity.co.uk/gps-tracker-tk-104-vehicle-car-tracker

 

Davy

[paulmold]

If a thief has a signal blocker does he not take the blocker with him once he stops or parks it somewhere. Then the tracker becomes live again. So although you can't track the vehicle whilst it moves, can't you locate it when parked up. Or am I not understanding how they work?

[Deneb]

paulmold - 2020-06-21 4:14 PM

 

If a thief has a signal blocker does he not take the blocker with him once he stops or parks it somewhere. Then the tracker becomes live again. So although you can't track the vehicle whilst it moves, can't you locate it when parked up. Or am I not understanding how they work?

 

The short answer is that depends. A longer answer - sometimes, yes.

 

On other occasions we recovered several stolen vehicles which were parked up with signal blockers still plugged into the accessory sockets. I used to have a drawer full of them at work, and switched on on in the office once without telling anyone, to test its range :-)

 

Other vehicles we recovered had been parked up simply waiting for the thieves to see if they attracted attention due to tracking devices they suspected might be fitted. If they hadn't been recovered after whatever period of time they decided to leave them, they'd be moved to wherever the thieves wanted to take them. Often, those we recovered would have extensive internal damage where the interiors had been cut up or ripped apart in a search for possible tracking devices. The damage wasn't a concern to the thieves because most of the vehicles were destined to be broken up and sold as spares or stuck in containers and transported to countries where the recipients aren't too concerned about the condition.

 

Sometimes they'd take them direct to the chop-shop, often a large metal building (metal barn or similar in a remote location) where once inside most trackers couldn't be detected anyway. Sometimes they slipped up and left a vehicle parked outside or nearby, where we'd locate it and pay a visit to the premises to recover thousands of dismantled parts and sometimes crushed or stripped bodyshells with their identification features removed. A lot of work to identify the vehicles involved and put evidence together.

 

Vehicle thieves are like other cross sections of society. They don't all work the same way or have the same aims. What they do or intend to do with the vehicles they steal are as diverse as the people themselves.

[paid2travel]

Deneb - 2020-06-21 4:48 PM

 

Vehicle thieves are like other cross sections of society. They don't all work the same way or have the same aims. What they do or intend to do with the vehicles they steal are as diverse as the people themselves.

 

A very interesting post.

 

As someone with experience in this area, would you say that in order to try and reduce the risk of theft, a MH owner should ideally put themselves in the mind a would-be-thief while at the same time, attempt to consider as many variables as possible when constructing reasons why one type of MH maybe more at risk than other makes so that we could at least focus on a certain type of security improvement?

 

For example; in general, do thieves from differing countries consider the same criteria to steal, is age the of vehicle an important factor, does the latest trend in fashion matter, LHD vs RHD vehicles, visual deterrents v’s none, how much is just down to bad luck?

 

I guess the very fact that we’re travelling means that we’re all likely to encounter any of the above. I think I’ve just answered my own question !!

:-(