Attempted theft of my Cali 5am today

[Niborn]

I park right outside my house and sleep at the front of the house , the Cali just underneath my window , my bedroom is on the second floor of our town house . Just before 5am I heard a noise , a clacking repetitive noise , like a tapping sound , not very loud but not normal , just enough to wake me .

I looked outside the window and there was a van parked alongside my Cali , no lights on , engine off . A guy was standing between the van and the Cali doing something . I opened the window and shouted , they drove slowly off .

I called to police who turned up about 20 mins later . They swabbed the van handle area . There is no apparent damage this time , although the police said they probably will try again. They suggested a wheel clamp would put them off , they say it’s the best deterrent, too noisey to get off. I’ve put my disc lock on the wheel for now . I think I’ll go somewhere in it tonight until I have the clamp (s)

I’ve been away the last few weeks but before I went away I saw a guy photographing the road and I thought my Cali in it . Possibly paranoia. Yesterday afternoon I saw the a strange car come around and go around about 4 times , just looking and not parking, possibly paranoia again .

Surprised there is no apparent damage , I wonder exactly what they were trying to do , I mean how they expected to get in the Cali with no key without causing physical damage . It would appear if they avoided damage they have a technique.

Good news is it wasn’t that easy to steal or I wouldn’t have my Cali . Lucky too I sleep light and thanks to this club I’m aware of the fact that our Cali’s are targets.

I’m buying a wheel clamp or two and I will put a camera onto the parking space from the house . Any other ideas most welcome .

Cheers

Ps look at this link - hmmmm hide your keys in lead box
http://bgr.com/2017/11/27/car-relay-theft-video-how-to-prevent/

 

[Hotel California]

Good and bad news in one that is....
Lucky you woke up by the noise!
A wheelclamp does visualise by potential carthiefs , mine is stored inside but i have the Bearlock gearbox anti-theft .
Seems lots of these stories comming from the UK lately

 

[Hotel California]

Seeing the vid. you posted , they first look inside the verhicle for other things that could cause them not to steal the car like steeringwheel clamps ,...

I turn the key of my Bearlock even stored in my garage , when going inside the gasstation for a toilet visit , poping in and out going for bread in France ....

 

[Sad]

They haven't taken your spare wheel have they?

 

[Meoncoast]

You could also turn seats around to slow any further attempt down

 

[Niborn]

They haven't taken your spare wheel have they?

No I’ve got a lock on that , the red one ...

 

[Niborn]

You could also turn seats around to slow any further attempt down

Good idea too

 

[Niborn]

IP Camera now pointing at van .... (I had a spare ) works a treat on the road / van

 

[Niborn]

Seeing the vid. you posted , they first look inside the verhicle for other things that could cause them not to steal the car like steeringwheel clamps ,...

I turn the key of my Bearlock even stored in my garage , when going inside the gasstation for a toilet visit , poping in and out going for bread in France ....

I’ll look out where they sell them ...I’m really pissed off about some parts of our society ...not feeling charitable if I could catch them

 

[Loz]

Shame you didn't have a paintball gun (marker ) handy...

 

[Niborn]

Shame you didn't have a paintball gun (marker ) handy...

Great idea , love it , although they would probably sue me !

 

[Max-Felix]

Going to partly copy and paste/edit something posted last month:

Problem is to introduce inconvenience to the thief you need to inconvenience yourself - ie using fully encased armoured pedal boxes, Disk Locks, hidden fuel solenoid switches, extra bonnet/door dead locks, paying out for a decent pro immobiliser system, monitored tracking systems, turning seats round, wheel clamps, chaining steering wheels etc, etc. All a right load of hassle and cost. And you need to do it everytime you leave it because the one time you don't they'll take it - I know to my cost.

But after all that, if it really cannot be driven off then a low loader or a tow truck is a great way to spirit one away too.

Some thieves are incompetent idiots but most people who nick Calis or nice Audis/BMWs/Mercs and Land Rovers are super pro and stupidly brazen organised teams - many of these vehicles will be specifically targeted and the keys preferred. Before you know it the vehicle will gone, hidden in a container to defeat the tracking before it pops off east over the channel to a happy new owner.

Just use it, enjoy it and have good insurance. Don't hide the keys - don't make them fishable from the letterbox but leave them visible so if they are determined enough to want to enter your house they will be able to grab them and go. Last thing you want is waking up in a nightmare of some lunk standing over you with a knife in your face demanding them.

 

[Niborn]

Not easy to find a wheel clamp in the shops for 235 55 17 wheels / tyres ... anyone know of one ?

 

[Niborn]

Going to partly copy and paste/edit something posted last month:

Problem is to introduce inconvenience to the thief you need to inconvenience yourself - ie using fully encased armoured pedal boxes, Disk Locks, hidden fuel solenoid switches, extra bonnet/door dead locks, paying out for a decent pro immobiliser system, monitored tracking systems, turning seats round, wheel clamps, chaining steering wheels etc, etc. All a right load of hassle and cost. And you need to do it everytime you leave it because the one time you don't they'll take it - I know to my cost.

But after all that, if it really cannot be driven off then a low loader or a tow truck is a great way to spirit one away too.

Some thieves are incompetent idiots but most people who nick Calis or nice Audis/BMWs/Mercs and Land Rovers are super pro and stupidly brazen organised teams - many of these vehicles will be specifically targeted and the keys preferred. Before you know it the vehicle will gone, hidden in a container to defeat the tracking before it pops off east over the channel to a happy new owner.

Just use it, enjoy it and have good insurance. Don't hide the keys - don't make them fishable from the letterbox but leave them visible so if they are determined enough to want to enter your house they will be able to grab them and go. Last thing you want is waking up in a nightmare of some lunk standing over you with a knife in your face demanding them.

Very scary ... If they enter the house JUST to get the keys , but then I guess it’s like 60,000 £ just sitting there for grabs , probably , who knows £20000 on the stolen market ... so it’s a big incentive

 

[calikev]

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/shop/product/atlas-auto-campervanmotorhome-wheel-clamp#woocomerce-tabs1

 

[T6 CFO]

Hi Robin. Sorry to see this post.

Certainly in the short term it needs parking somewhere else. They will know now if they didn’t before what house it belongs to so probably best to avoid the potential threat until you have your physical measures in place. Infuriating to say the least.


Mike

 

[Niborn]

Thanks Mike .....I’ll go away this weekend ....why not ..nothing particularly on and my partner is away ..

Meanwhile Ive contacted some security companies about a variety of things from wheel clamps to ghost immobilisers and trackers and expect to do most of them by next week ..

It was really bizarre / surreal to look out the window and see someone trying to get into it at 5am ...

 

[B J G]

Not easy to find a wheel clamp in the shops for 235 55 17 wheels / tyres ... anyone know of one ?

There is this one but not easy to fit or store. More of a leave it at home type. Bulldog also do a small one that simply clamps onto the tyre/wheel rim but doesn't protect the wheel nuts from taking the wheel off and replacing.

https://www.safe.co.uk/products/centaur-ca2000c-commercial-wheel-clamp.html#reviews

 

[andyinluton]

Do you have a house alarm? We have a wireless one & used to leave a house PIR sensor in the big motorhome when we had it, set up as a separate zone. Took a minute or so to unpair it if we wanted to move the van but that was not often.

Easiest thing on a cali is just to swivel the front seats, it will drasticaly slow down anyone trying to steal it.

Another option is a garden shed type battery alarm, put it on the drivers floor, set it & then exit via the slider. (google wickes shed alarm) Thief enters the van & sets off an alarm he wasn't expecting to be there.

Quite a lot of big white motorhomes put a padlock & chain through the front door handles on the inside to lock the doors together, would work on a cali as it would also stop anyone being able to sit on the front seats until the chain was removed. Again exit via the slider.

These are all quick cheap & simple not necessarily a long term solution.

 

[Niborn]

Do you have a house alarm? We have a wireless one & used to leave a house PIR sensor in the big motorhome when we had it, set up as a separate zone. Took a minute or so to unpair it if we wanted to move the van but that was not often.

Easiest thing on a cali is just to swivel the front seats, it will drasticaly slow down anyone trying to steal it.

Another option is a garden shed type battery alarm, put it on the drivers floor, set it & then exit via the slider. (google wickes shed alarm) Thief enters the van & sets off an alarm he wasn't expecting to be there.

Quite a lot of big white motorhomes put a padlock & chain through the front door handles on the inside to lock the doors together, would work on a cali as it would also stop anyone being able to sit on the front seats until the chain was removed. Again exit via the slider.

These are all quick cheap & simple not necessarily a long term solution.

 

[Jabberwocky]

................ they would probably sue me !

......and win for assault !!!! Strange country we live in.

 

[Niborn]

Thanks very much for these great ideas , I’m doing a few of them . I like very much the 15£ wireless shed 120db shed alarm ... that’s in there on show ...also a huge disclock covering the whole wheel and thatcham approved .....I haven’t done the seats yet but will and yes the house alarm too , I’ll do that too..I like Securitas as they offer zones system easy to set and disarm .

Chain too is another great idea

Thank you very much again for the post ...

 

[westfalia]

A bicycle ´D LOCK´ locked onto the steering wheel and the door handle ?

Yes, i know that it means you have to enter and leave through another door, but it might
be a good visual deterrent.

 

[kurienp]

I park right outside my house and sleep at the front of the house , the Cali just underneath my window , my bedroom is on the second floor of our town house . Just before 5am I heard a noise , a clacking repetitive noise , like a tapping sound , not very loud but not normal , just enough to wake me .

I looked outside the window and there was a van parked alongside my Cali , no lights on , engine off . A guy was standing between the van and the Cali doing something . I opened the window and shouted , they drove slowly off .

I called to police who turned up about 20 mins later . They swabbed the van handle area . There is no apparent damage this time , although the police said they probably will try again. They suggested a wheel clamp would put them off , they say it’s the best deterrent, too noisey to get off. I’ve put my disc lock on the wheel for now . I think I’ll go somewhere in it tonight until I have the clamp (s)

I’ve been away the last few weeks but before I went away I saw a guy photographing the road and I thought my Cali in it . Possibly paranoia. Yesterday afternoon I saw the a strange car come around and go around about 4 times , just looking and not parking, possibly paranoia again .

Surprised there is no apparent damage , I wonder exactly what they were trying to do , I mean how they expected to get in the Cali with no key without causing physical damage . It would appear if they avoided damage they have a technique.

Good news is it wasn’t that easy to steal or I wouldn’t have my Cali . Lucky too I sleep light and thanks to this club I’m aware of the fact that our Cali’s are targets.

I’m buying a wheel clamp or two and I will put a camera onto the parking space from the house . Any other ideas most welcome .

Cheers

Ps look at this link - hmmmm hide your keys in lead box
http://bgr.com/2017/11/27/car-relay-theft-video-how-to-prevent/

Niborn, sad to hear this but happy that you and your Cali are safe.

Sent from my Redmi Note 4 using Tapatalk

 

[rod_vw]

It's a sad thought but maybe the potential thieves watch this forum!!

If they do they probably won't bother with yours now Nibron but will look around for another.

Rod