Security
Friends of mine had their caravan broken into last week, on a site in France, while they slept. They only woke because of a sudden movement. The intruders gained access via the kitchen window. Many of us have PIR's that detect movement when we leave the van but these tend to be switched off at night and when we are in the van. Does anyone know of or has built an electronic beam that could be across the windows to detect a hand or whatever, once triggered to put on the light and sound the alarm. I understand that four vans were entered that night and a number of phones, money and jewellry was taken. Any thoughts on how to overcome this problem will be most welcome
Comments
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If you have a van like ours with fixed beds that can be shut off from the rest, you could set up a stand alone PIR in the vacant section, as it would not be able to see you beyond the pull across door.
That would take care of the part you weren't in and if they tried a window by where you were sleeping, hopefully this would wake you.
It would need to be a PIR activated by a remote. Otherwise you would annoy the neighbours when you set it off deactivating it.
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Pippin, my sympathy to your friends who were robbed. But isn't it simpler to put money, phones, jewellery and valuables away at night rather than instal electronics in a caravan?
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Wouldn't bother with electronics, just a hungry Rottweiler for the scum which cannot be ar5ed to get a job and get some money the honest way
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I have locking catches on all windows of my Lunar and a dog that sleeps on the front seat, I'm sure a slobbery lick of the hand would deter them
But if you have the non locking catches that can be opened easily from outside, invest in the locking ones for starters. Obviously not foolproof but a deterrent that they would notice, and could make them move on to easier pickings.
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In hot weather all the windows will be open. We often leave the door open as well. No way you can prevent intruders so it is better to be as comfortable as possible with the sites you choose and keep valuables locked away in the car or in a safe.
Tents are totally insecure but campers seem to manage OK.
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I would put the alarm on.
With the layout I go for its possible to have a pir cover the lounge, while asleep in bed. My last caravan I could do that using the remote, same as with my next one.
You also have to consider a gas attack, so even dogs may be put to sleep if that occurs.
We use an unlikely place to put our valuables, but we also avoid going abroad or use sites in the UK we consider "unsecure"
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Two points I have a Lunar Delta 2016 and it does not have locking catches not by a key. I do have a small safe which is bolted to the floor but it's not in an obvious place. Having travelled both at home and abroad I have never had a break in and if I want fresh air I open sky lights. The wheel and hitch clamps are in situ when on site
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This item started me thinking. I have camped/caravaned all my life and never been troubled by felons. But we too leave our door open, though fly-screened, when the weather is hot. There are highly technical alarms on sale at a pretty high price. They cover movement, PIR, unwinding of steadies etc and are aimed at vans left in pretty remote situations I suspect. I can't see the need for anything so grand, however.
I had used a 'shed alarm' (Yale) which is essentially a battery powered PIR, no remote, which I bought to alarm the caravan on my drive. The van is under my bedroom window so that hopefully any alarm would wake me. The main problem is that batteries never seemed to last and that on my infrequent access it never seemed to be working.
Having looked at the gadget again I believe that I can power it from the caravan battery and site it at the access point to the fixed bed area, facing the door and lounge area, thus allowing toilet access without triggering. The area accessed by the main door will be covered, as will all the main windows. The bed area window is never opened and is alongside BH's ear!!!
A simple code number is used to switch the alarm off each morning, provided that you remember!!!
Another job for the summer.
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If you sleep at the back and the toilet is there for use at night then a PIR system covering the front is feasible. If you are at the front then in most cases it cannot be done.
An alarm wired to all the windows looks impossibly complex for the low risk and as said in hot weather you may need them for ventilation although we would only ever have them on the locked ventilation setting and just have the roof vents open if possible.
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Somewhere buried in my van is a personal alarm - it emits a horrible noise which I would guess off putting. Last time I put it in reach was on a virtually deserted site in France. But then I have the 4 legged burglar alarms so feel safe anyway - I intend taking the personal one to New Zealand if I get there to camp.
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Is that the kind that has a pin you pull out to trigger it? You could rig something up with string attached to the door so that if it opened, it'd pull the pin out ....... waking both you and your hounds and hopefully scare any would be thief
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I thought that the offending chemical was now removed from beans but perhaps in the confines of a caravan it does not seem so.
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My alarm has the pull pin trigger and also a contact wire that could be jammed in the door frame. It's two bits of metal kept together like a bird's beak and if opened it sings! But that's a bit of a fiddle and would only detect one place so it's the pull I have handy. Gb
PS. You can buy a gas attack alarm that sprays gas at your attacker and screams! I also saw my door attachment thingy to add to a personal alarm, but it may not be the door they come through? A search comes up with lots of ideas including one using a mobile phone signal to call police and record the attack.
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but might do the trick 
