Every year in the United Kingdom there are approximately 1,400 caravans stolen, with very few ever making their way back to their rightful owners (source: Caravan Club UK).
This is a shocking and distressing statistic but there may be a few things you can start to do to try and make sure that you do not become part of it:
- start to recognise that your caravan is seriously at risk. Theft is not something that only happens to others;
- take the security of your caravan seriously. There is a whole range of various security devices and options that can help to deter thieves or make sure that you have a higher chance of getting your caravan back if it is stolen. There is a very useful article listing these on the site of the Caravan Club itself;
- develop a threat-awareness and identification mentality. Of course, you do not wish to become paranoid or ruin your leisure time by interpreting every person you meet or location you visit as being a serious risk to your tourer. However, being blissfully unaware is equally unacceptable, so make sure you look around at your site to get a feeling for its overall security , how many other tourers are using it, its quality, the surrounding areas and so on, all before you decide to park there;
- be prepared to spend money on crime prevention. Some crime prevention techniques will cost you very little whereas others may be rather more expensive – but compare any costs to the inconvenience and potential costs involved should you experience a theft. It might put your planned security spend into some sort of perspective;
- don’t unintentionally make yourself vulnerable. Both in the UK and particularly when abroad, unhitching your tourer in certain isolated even if picturesque locations, will simply be an open invitation to thieves. It’s worth bearing in mind that whether or not you buy cheap caravans insurance, a policy may still contain certain stipulations relating to where you can or cannot unhitch if you plan to leave your tourer unsupervised;
- don’t take static security for granted either. Crime in this area isn’t only restricted to the outright theft of say a tourer but also burglary of statics and even their occasional theft too. So, read up on security measures that might prove to be a serious obstacle or deterrent to thieves and sometimes vandals;
- if you have something like a trailer tent or collapsible, the same logic applies. Sadly, some people will steal almost anything given half the chance and your trailer tent might be a very juicy target unless you have taken steps to secure it.
The range of security devices and measures now available is impressive and ranging from relatively common sense steps right up to high-tech solutions.
It might make sense to familiarise yourself with them sooner rather than later.