Anti-theft worries

[rookeryview]

We are now firmly in the departure lounge and going through all the pre-flight checks.
So apart from getting all the treats, do we need to worry about theft?
Can the Cali cope on her own, and what happens if your keys get into the wrong hands by burglary?

I might be wrong, but all advice out there at the moment is suggesting that additional physical means of security are now needed again in this modern age. Disklok, pedal locks, both? (Bear locks are hard to get in the UK?)
Spare wheel locks?
And other layers of security, like trackers, roof decals, window etching, dash cams.
Where does this need to stop?
Having insurance isn't going to make your life easy if it happens, so prevention must be better than cure, surely?

It seems that you need a physical lock with keys kept separately to prevent a drive away with the keys.
Are there any electronic devices that will disable a vehicle that run separately to the main keys, and can be dealer fitted?

I keep seeing the sticky thread of the poor people who have had their beloved stolen.

How many Cali thefts are you aware of? What was the method used, and the outcome?
Obviously a lorry and crane is unstoppable, but most likely to happen at a place you park at regularly - i.e at home, as opposed to when on a road trip. And car-jacking is still rare in the UK, thankfully.

Is the 50k causing paranoia?

Over to the experts please....

 

[Romke]

In case all theft prevention fails the French camping car club recommends to have the last two digits of your license plate painted (or stuck) in large characters on the roof so it can be seen from helicopters, bridges, etc. I have no idea how many people actually follow this advice.

 

[rookeryview]

Ah, yes, that's called Skytag in the UK - it's £29 to register, they give you some unremoveable stickers and the police can track you via all the cameras on bridges and ports etc. Only downside is if your vehicle is covered up during transit. Will help to track a normal thief, EVEN if they change the plates for ANPR.
Worth £29, as another "layer" don't you think? May get them to discount us too! Yes it "spoils" the look of the roof, but it shows that you care, and sends out a warning that you might have something else lurking to foil them.

 

[GrannyJen]

I tend not to worry.

My biggest concern is can anyone get in whilst I am in, on my own, in an isolated place late at night.

As long as I am safe the insurance can take care of the vehicle.

One can get totally paranoid and I have found in the past is is a self-defeating circle. The more you think then the more you buy and the more you buy so the more you think .....

The Cali comes armed with some fairly sophisticated anti-theft devices and I go armed with lots of insurance.

 

[Hotel California]

By reading your post looks like you got al of it lined up , so just use the search function on the forum and find out ...
It's all on how you feel on safety , if they want it they will get it , either way ....
Mine got a bearlock and has just the anti start in the original key from VW , so no interieur alarm .
Cover the numbers on the left of front windscreen , that nr gives info about the car and can be used for making spare keys...
Make some copies of all the original documents and hide the original somewhere other than the glovebox , in case one empty it they will just have the copies.
Lock the Cali propperly at night while sleeping.
Don't worry to much or you will get no sleep at all!

 

[campandfly]

I have noticed a few campers in our local car park and they drop the blinds and spin the passenger seat around, makes you wonder if anyone is home or not.

 

[johnyboy]

Life is too short and that is what you pay insurance for! as long as you lock the thing (and it is still a thing, even though it costs a pretty penny and brings us joy there are far more important things to worry about in life) you should be covered!

 

[WelshGas]

Totally agree. Insurance is there for a reason. If they want it they will get it. Everything else just makes it more of a chore to use.
Keep valuables out of sight. Lock it when you leave it. Make sure Insurance is current. Then enjoy it.

 

[rookeryview]

Thanks all, for the counselling, and psychology lessons

I still think that the Bear thing is a nice quick addition to use, but a little costly and hard to get.

I've cobbled together a few cheap ideas during a few days of online therapy, which others may be interested in depending on their fear levels; You can add these layers cheaply until you feel totally comfortable, which is what we are all after while enjoying our Californian lifestyle.

Physical deterrent
There's a pedal lock which can be found for about £18,
Or adapt a bike lock between the pedal and steering wheel.
Not Thatcham approved of course, but both require some cutting to get further and being non-standard will cause some extra thinking to break. Cutting near the floor with your head in the foot well and your bum sticking up in the air must be one thing that thieves hate! Plus they need tools with them, not just a key snatch and run idea in their head, which is why a physical addition is a good extra to go with a Cat1 alarm system. (Latest Police advice)

Visual
Glass etching. Cheap as chips.
Covering VIN number - free.
Smartwater - you can get a non-registered promotional kit for £15 for a vehicle which can be used on your loose items too, but also the engine and body. There is a 100% conviction rate. The window stickers alone are worth the money and you get two inside ones, two outside ones and six for your laptop etc.
Haven't ordered yet as need the reg number.

Tracking
Skytag roof markings £30 - can be seen by all town, motorway, and port cameras. Means you need to cover the roof to drive far without being clocked en-route. You can make your own if you want to, but Skytag keep a database for the police to use.
Simple GPS tracker for £15. Can text location if needed and has speed detection and geofencing so will text you if it moves in an un-jammed state. Probably just as good as anything expensive, as if they have a jammer, then they won't work anyway.
An old mobile phone left in the van and switched on. This is one of the best trackers, as (won't go into details here!) I was tracked by the police once through a combination of ANPR cameras and my mobile phone so I know it works! The phone will also give up it's last known location to your provider before being put into a crate. Thieves will check that you don't have a proper tracker fitted (or find your cheap one), and might forget to continue jamming GSM while loading up!

Home made!
I was mucking about with a personal alarm and a reed switch, and found that a strong magnet from a computer hard disk tied to a piece of fishing line, can make a very scary noise that can't be detected if hidden well. Door opens after unlocking with the keys, pulls the cord and 110Db from somewhere inside to deal with on top of everything else.
You can make an old android phone do more sophisticated tracking if you so desire - see online and below for more.

You can do most of these things for about £100 which adds several complicated layers for a thief to deal with and give the old bill a chance to catch them. They only need to make one mistake to get caught.
Most of these ideas are passive once fitted. A clutch lock is a bit of a faff, but you don't have to set it every time - it's best once you've had your keys stolen from your house to be honest, so not really necessary when parked up at a random supermarket as the Cali can look after herself there as long as you don't have your handbag stolen with the keys in it. Keep them in your pocket at all times.

This next bit is for the sake of completion, but don't worry as you'll be on the telly if it happens! (South Africa excluded!)
If you keep the additional lock key in the built in safe,(bear or other type) or use a combination lock, then the only way you will lose your van quickly is by someone actually finding you after stealing the keys from you or your house and taking you to the car at knifepoint. You should have time for a 999 in between, run like hell, or lock yourself in the toilet. (South Africa excluded!)
Rather than sleep with the keys under your pillow as suggested somewhere, best therefore to leave your keys downstairs, and lock your bedroom door with a deadlock to prevent the worst case from happening.

Jen mentioned personal security;
Set up a rape alarm inside the cab with the ring pull handy;
You can also chain (or strap) the front doors together to prevent them opening if someone has got a VIN based surf key. Park close to a wall or hedge on the sliding side.
Install a self tracking app on your mobile, so your family can see where you are all the time. (I use Real-time GPS tracker 2 on Android; (My son often texts me from abroad to say "while you are in Tesco, can you get me some tea bags!)


I think that pretty much covers it

 

[rookeryview]

I should have mentioned insurance;

YES - if it works, then that's good of course.
If they say that you had a sticker promoting Jesus on the outside and you are not covered, then that's not much fun. Losing 50k that way is not the same a scraping your wing mirror and claiming £200. Until you test a total with them, you might as well be cautious. A major theft of your vehicle is worth preventing on that basis alone.

 

[robo]

I fitted a tracker and wired up to leisure battery. Its well hidden and works. ( £32 ebay )
It will work happily for 3 days or so if the supply from the Leisure battery is cut using its own battery.
Won't stop it being stolen but at least you would have some idea where it went.
True a jammer may stop it working.
Also handy for finding your van when you forget where you parked it.

rob

 

[johnyboy]

Do you have a panic room at home?

 

[robo]

No but I sometimes forget where I have parked.

 

[reserves]

Thanks all, for the counselling, and psychology lessons

I still think that the Bear thing is a nice quick addition to use, but a little costly and hard to get.

I've cobbled together a few cheap ideas during a few days of online therapy, which others may be interested in depending on their fear levels; You can add these layers cheaply until you feel totally comfortable, which is what we are all after while enjoying our Californian lifestyle.

Physical deterrent
There's a pedal lock which can be found for about £18,
Or adapt a bike lock between the pedal and steering wheel.
Not Thatcham approved of course, but both require some cutting to get further and being non-standard will cause some extra thinking to break. Cutting near the floor with your head in the foot well and your bum sticking up in the air must be one thing that thieves hate! Plus they need tools with them, not just a key snatch and run idea in their head, which is why a physical addition is a good extra to go with a Cat1 alarm system. (Latest Police advice)

Visual
Glass etching. Cheap as chips.
Covering VIN number - free.
Smartwater - you can get a non-registered promotional kit for £15 for a vehicle which can be used on your loose items too, but also the engine and body. There is a 100% conviction rate. The window stickers alone are worth the money and you get two inside ones, two outside ones and six for your laptop etc.
Haven't ordered yet as need the reg number.

Tracking
Skytag roof markings £30 - can be seen by all town, motorway, and port cameras. Means you need to cover the roof to drive far without being clocked en-route. You can make your own if you want to, but Skytag keep a database for the police to use.
Simple GPS tracker for £15. Can text location if needed and has speed detection and geofencing so will text you if it moves in an un-jammed state. Probably just as good as anything expensive, as if they have a jammer, then they won't work anyway.
An old mobile phone left in the van and switched on. This is one of the best trackers, as (won't go into details here!) I was tracked by the police once through a combination of ANPR cameras and my mobile phone so I know it works! The phone will also give up it's last known location to your provider before being put into a crate. Thieves will check that you don't have a proper tracker fitted (or find your cheap one), and might forget to continue jamming GSM while loading up!

Home made!
I was mucking about with a personal alarm and a reed switch, and found that a strong magnet from a computer hard disk tied to a piece of fishing line, can make a very scary noise that can't be detected if hidden well. Door opens after unlocking with the keys, pulls the cord and 110Db from somewhere inside to deal with on top of everything else.
You can make an old android phone do more sophisticated tracking if you so desire - see online and below for more.

You can do most of these things for about £100 which adds several complicated layers for a thief to deal with and give the old bill a chance to catch them. They only need to make one mistake to get caught.
Most of these ideas are passive once fitted. A clutch lock is a bit of a faff, but you don't have to set it every time - it's best once you've had your keys stolen from your house to be honest, so not really necessary when parked up at a random supermarket as the Cali can look after herself there as long as you don't have your handbag stolen with the keys in it. Keep them in your pocket at all times.

This next bit is for the sake of completion, but don't worry as you'll be on the telly if it happens! (South Africa excluded!)
If you keep the additional lock key in the built in safe,(bear or other type) or use a combination lock, then the only way you will lose your van quickly is by someone actually finding you after stealing the keys from you or your house and taking you to the car at knifepoint. You should have time for a 999 in between, run like hell, or lock yourself in the toilet. (South Africa excluded!)
Rather than sleep with the keys under your pillow as suggested somewhere, best therefore to leave your keys downstairs, and lock your bedroom door with a deadlock to prevent the worst case from happening.

Jen mentioned personal security;
Set up a rape alarm inside the cab with the ring pull handy;
You can also chain (or strap) the front doors together to prevent them opening if someone has got a VIN based surf key. Park close to a wall or hedge on the sliding side.
Install a self tracking app on your mobile, so your family can see where you are all the time. (I use Real-time GPS tracker 2 on Android; (My son often texts me from abroad to say "while you are in Tesco, can you get me some tea bags!)


I think that pretty much covers it

Just my personal opinion, a California is a vehicle that can be replaced, it's not a one off.

If I was this worried, I simply wouldn't own one!

Get a good insurance policy, make sure you're covered, enjoy your Cali.

 

[andyinluton]

If its going to be parked up for a while why not just rotate the drivers seat & leave it facing backwards? takes me ages to turn it unlike the passenger one, a casual thief wouldn't know where to start.

 

[WelshGas]

Agree " reserves "

Nice one " andyinluton "

 

[rookeryview]

Love the seat one. Superb. Add that to the list.

Just to reiterate - it doesn't matter how much you worry or not. If the risk is there, and it all backfires, there's only one loser. Then the insurance boys will be looking to escape too or reduce their liability. Imagine the stress that will cause. Having said that, we are probably still more likely to get hit by a bus while crossing the road.

Do we know if the poor people who lost theirs earlier this year have had a good payout enough to get back on the road without any further loss? I do hope so.

 

[bvddobb]

On the Dutch forum another simple measure is mentioned, that people are enthusiastic about.

It seems there are bands of T5 thieves around that work quite sophisticatedly. They simply hook up their laptop to your van to disable any factory anti-theft measure, make the system start, etc.

Now what you can do easily is make a fake laptop connector. Dismount your existing connector, put a simple padlock around it (to make it difficult to use) and put it behind your dash somewhere. When you or your dealer you need it, unlock the padlock, and you can use it.
Then put an unconnected 'empty' connector in place, not connected to anything. The thieves will try to hook up their laptop, and nothing happens...! It will simply take too much time for their comfort to work out what is causing this, and they'll leave your van...

At least that's the idea...

 

[larrylamb]

What about the old trick of just removing the dizzy cap / rotor arm if it is left for a long time?

 

[WelshGas]

If you can find the Distributor on a modern diesel then let me know please.

 

[larrylamb]

If you can find the Distributor on a modern diesel then let me know please.

Ha, sussed i'm no mechanic

 

[larrylamb]

Pull the fuel pump fuse? ( thank you google)

 

[rookeryview]

Just read a dutch forum. If that's true, then you can get the cable for under a fiver, a surf key, and a laptop, and you have a free T5.... Even saw one ad for the cable that said "buy 10 get one free"

They seem very serious about this stuff.

 

[GrannyJen]

Thanks all, for the counselling, and psychology lessons

I still think that the Bear thing is a nice quick addition to use, but a little costly and hard to get.

I've cobbled together a few cheap ideas during a few days of online therapy, which others may be interested in depending on their fear levels; You can add these layers cheaply until you feel totally comfortable, which is what we are all after while enjoying our Californian lifestyle.

Physical deterrent
There's a pedal lock which can be found for about £18,
Or adapt a bike lock between the pedal and steering wheel.
Not Thatcham approved of course, but both require some cutting to get further and being non-standard will cause some extra thinking to break. Cutting near the floor with your head in the foot well and your bum sticking up in the air must be one thing that thieves hate! Plus they need tools with them, not just a key snatch and run idea in their head, which is why a physical addition is a good extra to go with a Cat1 alarm system. (Latest Police advice)

Visual
Glass etching. Cheap as chips.
Covering VIN number - free.
Smartwater - you can get a non-registered promotional kit for £15 for a vehicle which can be used on your loose items too, but also the engine and body. There is a 100% conviction rate. The window stickers alone are worth the money and you get two inside ones, two outside ones and six for your laptop etc.
Haven't ordered yet as need the reg number.

Tracking
Skytag roof markings £30 - can be seen by all town, motorway, and port cameras. Means you need to cover the roof to drive far without being clocked en-route. You can make your own if you want to, but Skytag keep a database for the police to use.
Simple GPS tracker for £15. Can text location if needed and has speed detection and geofencing so will text you if it moves in an un-jammed state. Probably just as good as anything expensive, as if they have a jammer, then they won't work anyway.
An old mobile phone left in the van and switched on. This is one of the best trackers, as (won't go into details here!) I was tracked by the police once through a combination of ANPR cameras and my mobile phone so I know it works! The phone will also give up it's last known location to your provider before being put into a crate. Thieves will check that you don't have a proper tracker fitted (or find your cheap one), and might forget to continue jamming GSM while loading up!

Home made!
I was mucking about with a personal alarm and a reed switch, and found that a strong magnet from a computer hard disk tied to a piece of fishing line, can make a very scary noise that can't be detected if hidden well. Door opens after unlocking with the keys, pulls the cord and 110Db from somewhere inside to deal with on top of everything else.
You can make an old android phone do more sophisticated tracking if you so desire - see online and below for more.

You can do most of these things for about £100 which adds several complicated layers for a thief to deal with and give the old bill a chance to catch them. They only need to make one mistake to get caught.
Most of these ideas are passive once fitted. A clutch lock is a bit of a faff, but you don't have to set it every time - it's best once you've had your keys stolen from your house to be honest, so not really necessary when parked up at a random supermarket as the Cali can look after herself there as long as you don't have your handbag stolen with the keys in it. Keep them in your pocket at all times.

This next bit is for the sake of completion, but don't worry as you'll be on the telly if it happens! (South Africa excluded!)
If you keep the additional lock key in the built in safe,(bear or other type) or use a combination lock, then the only way you will lose your van quickly is by someone actually finding you after stealing the keys from you or your house and taking you to the car at knifepoint. You should have time for a 999 in between, run like hell, or lock yourself in the toilet. (South Africa excluded!)
Rather than sleep with the keys under your pillow as suggested somewhere, best therefore to leave your keys downstairs, and lock your bedroom door with a deadlock to prevent the worst case from happening.

Jen mentioned personal security;
Set up a rape alarm inside the cab with the ring pull handy;
You can also chain (or strap) the front doors together to prevent them opening if someone has got a VIN based surf key. Park close to a wall or hedge on the sliding side.
Install a self tracking app on your mobile, so your family can see where you are all the time. (I use Real-time GPS tracker 2 on Android; (My son often texts me from abroad to say "while you are in Tesco, can you get me some tea bags!)


I think that pretty much covers it

Blimey.

Some of my post-grad students have earned PhD's for less research

All that and then comes sods law.

My other car is a BMW. The "lock" button on the remote is in the centre of three.

I often get out of my Cali, walk off into the sunset, lazily press the centre button to lock the vehicle ...

and leave the side door wide open

The "open electric side door" button on the Cali fob being exactly where the "lock everything up" on the BMW fob is.

 

[WelshGas]

That would work to stop someone driving it away, but not winching it onto a low loader.
If you search the WWW for T5 thefts they are not that common and Californias even less so. ( I'm talking about modern vehicles ) A high percentage of the thefts are key related.