Leave my cat alone!!

peegeenine
peegeenine Forum Participant Posts: 548
edited June 2016 in Motorhomes #1

5 years ago I had the catalytic converter stolen from my motorhome parked beside the house. To prevent it happenning again I used to remove it after every trip and refit before going away again. It was a simple job taking no more than 5 mins. My new motorhome
is fitted witha DPF and is much more complicated to remove. So I had a think about how I could deter someone from stealing it. The issue with motorhomes is the ground clearance that allows access to the underneath, so the answer was to reduce this. I purchased
4 4inX4in fence posts and made a square frame, cutting them to length. The frame was then placed on the drive and the van driven over it. When happy with the position the van was reversed off and the frame screwed to the drive. The off cuts where then attatched
to the top of the frame, doubling the height. The frame sits inside the front wheels with a clearance of about 3ins either side and extends back level with the transverse exhaust silencer. The transverse sections sit underneath the front subframe and the rear
silencer which are the lowest points with a clearance of about 2ins. So far I have not had any problems driving over it or reversing off, just need to keep the front wheels straight until I'm clear. I haven't taken out a patent so if anybody wants to copy
it they can.

Comments

  • EJB986
    EJB986 Forum Participant Posts: 1,153
    1000 Comments
    edited June 2016 #2

    A really excellent idea which I have not heard of before.

    I presume they will be forced to steal the Motorhome next timeSurprisedHappy

  • huskydog
    huskydog Club Member Posts: 5,460 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited June 2016 #3

    Do you have a problem with that type of theft in your area???

     

    How long before a mod moves this to the pet sectionSealed

  • peegeenine
    peegeenine Forum Participant Posts: 548
    edited June 2016 #4

    We did have but not sure about now, better to be safe than sorry though Husky.


    EJB986, To steal the van they need to overcome the locked gates, a very robust security post concreted into the ground, a clutch claw and a tracker device.

  • Kennine
    Kennine Forum Participant Posts: 3,472
    1000 Comments
    edited June 2016 #5

    My God, must be a dreadful area for crime where the OP lives----.never heard of that sort of thing until now. 

    I don't envy anybody having to go to all those lengths to protect their property. 

    Sorry to hear of the OP's  concerns 

    K 

     

  • Reevsie
    Reevsie Forum Participant Posts: 18
    edited June 2016 #6

    Earler this year I was parked near Conwy and was lanning to stop the night.  About 9:30 pm we had a knock on the door. A young lad in his 20's came to warn us about somebody wanting to steal out cat. 

    Apparently he had been offered to buy a laptop from someone on facebook and arranged to meet them on this car park near we had parked the night ,When he was talking to them they told him thet were coming back that nght to get a cat of MH parked nearby and
    does he know anybody who wants to buy it.  Luckly he came over to tell us so we moved on and parked about 20 miles away. You never know where it might happen. 

     

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
    1000 Comments
    edited June 2016 #7

    I collected my 'new' caraan from what is primarily a motorhome dealer the othr day. They were just moving a vehicle as we arrive & my mate commented to one of the staff about its blowing exhaust. It was to prevent cat theft, apparently the dealer had had
    20 odd cats stolen from motorhomes on their forecourt in a Christmas break. Though the insurance did cough up, they said that in future they wouldn't, so since then, the dealer removes cats to prevent their theft.

  • peegeenine
    peegeenine Forum Participant Posts: 548
    edited June 2016 #8

    Not surprised. Mine cost the insurance company £800 and that was 5 years ago.

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,389 ✭✭✭
    2,500 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited June 2016 #9

    Cats were stolen for their high scrap value. Since they tighten up scrap dealing laws, it seems to be less of a problem either that or the media have gone quiet about it.

    peedee

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