Keeping your caravan safe and secure

Trying to keep your caravan safe from the attention of thieves and vandals is important given how much of an investment it probably represents.

Here are a few tips and thoughts that may help:

• install an alarm system. This is a significant disincentive to thieves of all types. In addition, it might just end up earning you a discount on your touring caravan insurance (or any other form of caravan cover);

• make sure that that your caravan is fitted with wheel clamps and hitchlocks if it is mobile (this a mandatory pre-requisite as part of our provision of cover);

• try to select sites that have some form of permanent security or supervisory presence – visit the CaSSOA website to find out more;

• make sure that you know your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and that it is recorded. It may not stop your caravan being stolen but it might make it easier to trace and recover afterwards;

• build relationships with your neighbours if you have a static home. They may be able to keep an eye on your caravan when you are not present. People spotting and reporting something suspicious are a major source of crime prevention;

• don’t advertise the fact that your caravan is unoccupied. Sometimes leaving a light on and using timer switches might be a big help if your absence is relatively short term. Try not to let the garden areas become overgrown;

• depending upon the value of your caravan, you may wish to consider fitting a tracking device. Once again, this may not stop your caravan being stolen but it might speed recovery (and advertising the fact that you have a tracking device installed, might prove to be a discouragement to thieves).

Ultimately, it may prove to be impossible to absolutely guarantee with any degree of certainty that your caravan could not be stolen or vandalised.

Yet thieves and vandals typically look for easy low-risk pickings and may shy away from uncertainty. So, taking some of the above steps may significantly reduce the likelihood of their attention and that may provide you with a little more of that precious commodity – peace of mind.