Has our van been 'marked'?

Reevesy1
Reevesy1 Forum Participant Posts: 2
edited July 2017 in Caravan & Motorhome Chat #1

Dear All - I would be interested to hear from any fellow caravanners that have recently found stickers on the back of their caravans.  We bought a new, twin-axle Elddis 840 Chatsworth dealer special last month (June) and the body work was pristine.  We keep the caravan in secure storage and we have used it 3 times since collection - once at Buxton where we over-nighted before towing the van home and then 2 further weekends away at respected commercial sites.  The van was not left unattended at Buxton, but we did go out on the 2 other occasions.  At no point is the van ever left unattended at service stations.

Last weekend saw us out for our 4th trip to Ferry Meadows.  It was only as we were moving the van on to the pitch that my husband noticed that 2 round stickers had been stuck to the back of our caravan above the grab handles and then pulled off, leaving the sticky, furry, backing (so we know they weren't stuck on at this site).  The marks were noticeable but not obvious and have since been removed. This has completely stumped us, as they have been applied within the last month but we certainly haven't been aware of anyone hanging around the van, including children playing.

We would love to know if this was someone's idea of a 'joke' or whether it is a sign of something more serious such as 'marking' our van for possible future theft.  Has anyone else come across this or heard anything about it?

Many thanks.

Comments

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,387 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2017 #2

    It is not unusual for commercial sites to put a sticker on a van to show it is authorised to be there. I have a couple on my windscreen which are dammed difficult to remove. I have also had labels tied to my electricity cable to show it has been paid for.

    peedee

  • Navigateur
    Navigateur Club Member Posts: 3,880 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited July 2017 #3

    Possible that the stick has been there since before you got the 'van and the furry has only recently developed over time.

     

     

  • Reevesy1
    Reevesy1 Forum Participant Posts: 2
    edited July 2017 #4

    Thank you both for you feedback.  The stickers definitely weren't there when we bought the caravan brand new last month.  We even checked with the dealer last weekend to make sure they hadn't put anything on and we'd missed it.  They confirmed they hadn't.  So these have been applied post purchase.  In terms of the sites themselves, they confirm that they have not done this, nor is it their policy.  The mystery continues.......

  • jennyc
    jennyc Forum Participant Posts: 957
    500 Comments
    edited July 2017 #5

    Personally, I find the adhesives used by many commercial organisations to be particularly inappropriate. And I tend to remove such intrusions as quickly as I can. It's not just recreational vehicles which they mark, but many an instruction sheet has been obliterated by stickers unintended by the manufacturer. We once bought a zip pack of empty cosmetic bottles from a supermarket. They now contain a variety of solvents which have proved invaluable for cleaning purposes. In your case we'd be using white spirit, although at home 'sticky stuff remover' might be more effective, but you can't carry everything. Another intrusion is unwanted stickers on windows. I'm rather glad to note that new car vendors have stopped their practice of plastering an advert for themselves inside rear windscreens. I always stipulate 'No stickers' and most garages forget, so they then have to get their apprentice to remove them. Ditto caravans.

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,145 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2017 #6

    Recently there were 4 vans stolen from the storage site we use.  The cctv shows someone entering the site some hours before and marking vans usually by taking the number plate.  Our plate was taken but caravan left unmolested, maybe they heard the sad story of the Lunar brand.  If someone was marking your van it would be easier to leave the stickers in situ. 

  • EJB986
    EJB986 Forum Participant Posts: 1,153
    1000 Comments
    edited August 2017 #7

    Where do you get these stickers...I could do with a changewinksealed