Theft from motorhome

Gayle

Guest
We were out walking today and parked in the National Trust carpark at Clough Hole (near Hebden Bridge) and got back to find our eura Mobil had been broken into and burgled. They had managed to prise up the bedroom window but without breaking the four locks or outer panel. The inner one is cracked around the locks where it gave way. Also we had a safe and thought leaving our valuables in there was ok - very false sense of security as they ripped the safe out and took it with them. So, even if we replace the window this could very easily happen again - does anyone know if there are better versions of this type of window, please? They are double glazed plastic with four locks - look really secure but if they can be prised open they aren't. We cut our planned week of camping short and came home. I'm not sure I will ever feel safe leaving the van anywhere again to go walking or whatever. And if it's that easy to get in, what if it had happened the night before when we were camping in a beautiful isolated spot?
 
To be so determined and successful I think that somehow, they knew that had something of note on board, As for the safe was it obvious or hidden up under cover or seats etc, otherwise they must have known, as most MH do not have safes. Maybe you were targeted from elsewhere. It is not a common happening and the thing is does one take your valuables with you or get robbed at home when you are away.
 
Sorry to read about yourexperience.

I think windows are all as weak as each other really. There are latch reinforcers that can be bought but they just stop the latch being rotated.

I'm planning to get a safe that's quite easy to find and easy to remove, then filling it with rattly stuff so hopefully anyone breaking in will think they've got the good stuff and go.

I suspect that in most cases, if they had thought someone was in the van they wouldn't have risked it, so I wouldn't go worrying about the what-ifs had you been there (easier said than done though I guess).
 
Gutted for you Gayle, anything like this knocks your confidence & sense of security. If it makes you feel happier couldn't you screw a single or a pair of steel bars across your windows on the inside to restrict access?
 
Thanks everyone. Possibly but that would damage the interior wouldn't it? As for being targeted I hope not, that's very creepy. I don't think anyone knew we were going. The safe was screwed in ( by previous owner) inside the wardrobe and there were things in front of it. My MacBook never came out of it from leaving home. The cupboards were all opened and things pulled out. Somebody must have disturbed them though as they had taken my hoodie from the wardrobe and spread it in the table with some small stuff on it then left it all. Not so lucky with my bag and purse unfortunately. They took a bottle of Baileys and rejected Malibu and Jaegermeister ..... Picky thieving scumbags. They came prepared as the fingerprint man didn't find anything. It's a wake up call to us all anyway.
 
I saw a van in Spain that had the Fiamma door locks fitted to every window . Fiamma_Safe_Door_Security_Lock[2].jpg
 
After having the lock drilled on my car in the lake district a few years back I was told by the local police that the more out of the way National Trust car parks at that time were specifically being targeted by known gangs that were coming into the area from Liverpool, they watched you park up, and had a rough idea of how long you would be gone depending on the local walks etc, they must have been bloody quick in my case as I was only gone for around half an hour.
 
I have long thought that the windows of a MH are it's weak point so far as being broken into. I am constantly amazed at some of the windows that I see on display fitted to even the very latest MH's that we have looked at at the shows. In particular the one's that alarm me most are the type that do not close within their own frame, but instead when closed they are actually proud of the skin of the hab' area so that you can quite easily get your fingers between the bodywork of the MH and the opening light itself. How easy is that to break into I have often wondered. More by chance than choice our Chausson has windows that close into their own frame and therefore you would need a thin sheet metal lever to be able to force the window open. Once you have that device then I am sure that it would be as easy to break into as anything else, but at least you are making life a little harder for potential thieves. The only thing that is maybe going to stop them then is to alarm the windows and possibly the interior of the camper, but even all that would be far from an ideal situation, and until the manufactures come up with a more secure setup for MH windows they will continue to be the Achilles heel of MH security.
 
vindiboy said:
I saw a van in Spain that had the Fiamma door locks fitted to every window .View attachment 29230
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Would be willing to do that but don't know enough about it - does it look like they would make a difference? It wasn't the locks that gave way but the inner plastic of the double glazing. The locks all held firm.
 
FULL TIMER said:
After having the lock drilled on my car in the lake district a few years back I was told by the local police that the more out of the way National Trust car parks at that time were specifically being targeted by known gangs that were coming into the area from Liverpool, they watched you park up, and had a rough idea of how long you would be gone depending on the local walks etc, they must have been bloody quick in my case as I was only gone for around half an hour.
Click to expand...
That's a really frightening thought. We have racked our (admittedly poor) memories to try to think who was in the car park. We think two cars. One with a couple just returning from their walk who my husband spoke with and they gave us the leaflet they'd picked up with the walking routes on it. They were getting ready to leave. The other car - no idea if it was empty or has people in it watching us. That thought upsets me for reasons I can't quite pin down.
As for drilling your locks - that's people going out well prepared for thieving and probably doing it as a full time 'job' by the sound of it.
 
glass cab windows are even easier to get into than plastics given the right tool. forget about having an impregnable van-not only won't it happen,trying to attain that with bars and straps and chains just makes it harder for you to get out if you need to !
park sensibly,think like a thief,have a good alarm ,try to leave it where there are people moving about ,don't display your goodies,etc etc
above all !
don't take it personally,it's not personal,no matter how it feels. an opportunist grabbed his moment,he doesn't know you,and you'll never meet. don't let him put you off doing what you do ! then the scumbags win,and we can't be having that !
 
El Veterano said:
I have long thought that the windows of a MH are it's weak point so far as being broken into. I am constantly amazed at some of the windows that I see on display fitted to even the very latest MH's that we have looked at at the shows. In particular the one's that alarm me most are the type that do not close within their own frame, but instead when closed they are actually proud of the skin of the hab' area so that you can quite easily get your fingers between the bodywork of the MH and the opening light itself. How easy is that to break into I have often wondered. More by chance than choice our Chausson has windows that close into their own frame and therefore you would need a thin sheet metal lever to be able to force the window open. Once you have that device then I am sure that it would be as easy to break into as anything else, but at least you are making life a little harder for potential thieves. The only thing that is maybe going to stop them then is to alarm the windows and possibly the interior of the camper, but even all that would be far from an ideal situation, and until the manufactures come up with a more secure setup for MH windows they will continue to be the Achilles heel of MH security.
Click to expand...

Yes - our windows are the type where the outer part is outside the body of the vehicle - terrible design in hindsight. But we havent had the van for a year yet and can't afford to change it - and until this wouldn't want to, as in every other way it is perfect. But we need a solution to the window problem as I don't think I feel safe leaving it even with a new (same) window in. And if not the bedroom window, the dining area, coming area and bathroom all have the same windows. And there always the brick through the windscreen option. Ironic really as for years we had a T2 bay window (notoriously insecure and easy to break in to) with no incident at all. Now we have our modern mh with locking windows this happens.
 
So sorry to hear about your break-in it has made me wonder about an alarm, first off what kind and what make do you get and do you fit it yourself or get someone to do it for you as we were thinking about that when we were talking about WC. Do you get an expensive one or cheap one.
 
The wire mesh grills fitted by some of the Overlanders are good but, my goodness, they do look pretty frightful
 
Gayle sorry to hear your news, never had our van touched. We have been burgled at home though and you can't let them win, improve security if you can and get out there again and enjoy it.

I had an alarm fit which would obviously go off if someone broke in, but it also gives significant peace of mind at night as at the very least I would wake up and pretty confident they would just run.
 
Sorry to hear of your theft but its not a isolated incident for sure you weren't singled out, Where I live the coastal car parks used by people fishing and walking the coast path are regularly targeted by these type of thieves, Monthly incidents are reported to our Parish Council by the police.
 
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