Total Novice - Advice Needed Please!
Hi. We have taken the plunge and bought our first tourer, a 2002 Swift Corniche. I am aware of most of the stuff I need to buy before our first trip away in July, however, I am a bit stuck on hitch locks and general security. The caravan will be stored in
a very secure place, however, I dont want to spend a fortune on security items if I dont have to. We arent collecting the van until perhaps this weekend, I have seen some hitch locks on ebay for around £15, would these be a waste of money? Also, the van has
a motor mover, can anyone recommend a decent 110ah leisure battery? The one at the dealers they have recommended is £92 but I am sure I can get one cheaper online.
Any advice you can supply will be brilliant! Thank you.
Comments
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I buy the explorer 135 AH battery from Alpha Batteries http://www.alpha-batteries.co.uk/. Cost £89.99 though they do sell a 125AH battery for £79.99 and a 110 AH one for £75 free delivery too. Hitch locks I reckon you get pretty much what you pay for. It is probably worth having a decent one though as your insurance company will probably insist on it and probably a wheel clamp too. Even if they don't they will still help to reduce your premium. Something worth knowing too is that with your caravan club card you can get an extra 10% discount at GO outdoors on anything you buy there on top of their normal discount. Buying things like water carriers and waste carriers look on line and at Pre-loved and Gumtree. You can save a small fortune.
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I bought rthe Enforcer 110ah Battery from County Batterys, it does the job for me and I have a quite steep hump to get my caravan off of the road and a long drive to get my caravan parked up.
County Batterys are at Kirkby in Ashfield Notts and the battery arrived within a couple of days.
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Thanks Peter, I think that was a website I looked at the other day. My hubby is working away until July so I am trying to sort it all myself. I like a challenge!
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Check your insurance policy regarding your hitchlock, it really isn't worth skimping on one. What kind of hitch you might decide which hitch lock to buy.
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Check what your insurance company policy says on security, my caravan is in storage and a wheel clamp and hitch lock are compulsory, I use a Milenco wheel clamp and Alko hitch lock. Numax batteries are very good, I still have a 110amp which is now 10 years
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Twitchette One word of advice I had an alko hitchlock on my van plus two wheel locks and the van was stolen from under my bedroom window, they used some sort of device to force the sides of the hitchlock open and left it on the grass and undid the one wheel lock with a key and forced the other off as well and the van went away never to be seen. Advice is as the guys on here say, get the best and I have a post sunk into the ground now with 3 ft of concrete, a cctv camera, an alarm and two secure wheel lockes and a very heavy bulldog hitch lock.But please remember that if they really want your van nothing will stop them..I believe it make it as difficult as possible for them.I would love to surround mine with an electric fence like they have for cattle but with a slighly heavier current, somehow don't think I could get away with it.......SG2
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Do not go mad, for security, just make sure you are covered for insurance purposes
If your caravan is chosen, a few quality power tools , and it is gone
Probably best thing is remove all upholstery, the cost to replacing will make them chose some one else's van
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Do not go mad, for security, just make sure you are covered for insurance purposes
If your caravan is chosen, a few quality power tools , and it is gone
Probably best thing is remove all upholstery, the cost to replacing will make them chose some one else's van
I tend to agree. Do what you need to to comply with the insurance requirements and store the caravan in a storeage site with a good reputation. Personally, I think a good storeage facility is of more value that all the security devices. Our (very large)
storeage site has only ever had one 'breach' of security, some years ago now, and the owners are convinced that was 'an inside job'. Security is even tighter these days, with cameras as well. Amongst caravanners, our storeage goes by the nickname of Fort
Knox or Alcatraz.
David
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The idea that security measures do not work is incorrect. There are two kinds of thief, opportunists and professionals. The opportunists are looking for an easy target and less concerned about what it is. In simple terms they are looking for unsecured or
badly secured caravans and decent security will put them off.The professionals will know to a larger extent what they are looking for and target that. If in a storage site you may find there are more than one of what they want, they are aware of the time it takes to steal a caravan and speed is of the essence. therefore
they will take the easiest target of what they want but if it is yours very little will stop them. The ALKO wheel lock is beyond many of them and is the best bet if you have the caravan that will take it.Hitchlocks are frankly a waste of time as a good chain round the A frame is all that is needed to bypass it but if your insurance requires it fit it.
For wheel clamps the best should be Sold Secure Gold marked ones and I would still say it is worth paying for a decent one as it just might be the difference between losing your caravan and not.
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