Broken in side window - easy pushed in by burglars

[SBswiss]

Hi all,

We have had our Beach broken-in in France last week. I find it very strange as it seemed very easy for the burglars to brake in the van as they just had to push in the side window on the sliding door and then opened the door.

We could pop it back in so our holidays were not compromised but I find it very strange that this window can be pushed in so easily! We will have to repair it as it leaks now.

Is there a way to have a better protection against this? Window locks? Or a system that prevent's the person to open the sliding door when locked from outside with the key?

Thanks for your help!

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Hi @SBswiss When you lock your van do you use a single or double click on the key fob? If a single click then the doors are deadlocked and can’t be opened from the inside. So a thief couldn’t reach in through the window and open the door. A double click enables Safelock which does allow the doors to be opened form the inside.

 

[Perfectos]

Hi SB,

sorry to hear your woes.

that is not normal and not common at all.

the side window should not be able to be pushed out,
having removed a sliding window in the past, it requires some specific knowledge to get the window out of the frame & requires some force to do it, it certainly is not easy to simply push it out From outside !
the window has pins that lock into holes in the track !

was the window left slightly open ?

 

[SBswiss]

Yes the window was well closed, the police told us it’s very common these days on vans that have side windows. The whole inside of the van was pushed out by the window, so the holes came out of the track. Was quite easy to put the window back in the tracks so I imagine if it’s easy to put back in it must be quite easy to push out. No sing of tools.

When I’m sleeping in the van I always close it using a single click and can still open from inside. I pull once the handel from inside and it unlocks the door then I pull it a 2nd time to open. I’ll check why this is happening with my VW dealer, maybe it works differently with the Beach compared to the Ocean.

 

[SBswiss]

"so the pins came out of the holes"

 

[Loz]

Hi @SBswiss When you lock your van do you use a single or double click on the key fob? If a single click then the doors are deadlocked and can’t be opened from the inside. So a thief couldn’t reach in through the window and open the door. A double click enables Safelock which does allow the doors to be opened form the inside.

Double click of the fob disables deadlocking.
some markets don’t have it, or its an option.

 

[SBswiss]

Here is a video of a single click I do from inside and all doors can be opened, I thought that was a security to always be able to come out of the car if locked: https://www.dropbox.com/s/l4i4cc12et4kd6v/IMG_0658.MOV?dl=0

I wonder if it’s a problem from my T6 Beach or a setting in the van that I can change to have the deadlock option.

 

[paul_f]

My 2019 T6 beach has deadlocking. However maybe your market does not have it?

 

[SBswiss]

My 2019 T6 beach has deadlocking. However maybe your market does not have it?

Ok thanks for the info! I’ll check with my friends that have a Cali here in Switzerland.

 

[SBswiss]

Just had the confirmation that deadlock doesn’t exist on Swiss vans. I imagine burglars know it! Quite scary! I’ll delete this thread as I’m pretty sure they check forums also…

 

[Loz]

Here is a video of a single click I do from inside and all doors can be opened, I thought that was a security to always be able to come out of the car if locked: https://www.dropbox.com/s/l4i4cc12et4kd6v/IMG_0658.MOV?dl=0

I wonder if it’s a problem from my T6 Beach or a setting in the van that I can change to have the deadlock option.

First a single click with deadlocking (note the double clunk) second with 2 presses (note the extra clunk as the deadlock comes off)

 

[Loz]

Just had the confirmation that deadlock doesn’t exist on Swiss vans. I imagine burglars know it! Quite scary! I’ll delete this thread as I’m pretty sure they check forums also…

You can add additional key locks

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Hi all,

We have had our Beach broken-in in France last week. I find it very strange as it seemed very easy for the burglars to brake in the van as they just had to push in the side window on the sliding door and then opened the door.

We could pop it back in so our holidays were not compromised but I find it very strange that this window can be pushed in so easily! We will have to repair it as it leaks now.

Is there a way to have a better protection against this? Window locks? Or a system that prevent's the person to open the sliding door when locked from outside with the key?

Thanks for your help!

View attachment 83200

Did it set the motion alarm off detecting movement inside the vehicle? I know that we left a fan running and it even picked that up.

 

[sapto]

Sorry to hear!

 

[AlanC]

It is possible to just get the sliding window replaced if the locking holes are still intact.

Sometime back I locked my ignition key in our van. I was able to push in the sliding window to gain access to the van. Unfortunately, that did damage the sliding window locking system.

After a troll around a number of local repair shops who were all saying the whole window needed to be replaced, I found a VW dealer-owned body shop that just replaced the sliding window for a much cheaper price.

Alan

 

[B J G]

Extra security solution found here. Seems the same parts for T5-T6-T6.1 listed

Volkswagen Transporter T5 2003-14 | Locks and Security Solutions

TRANSPORTER T5 03-14 We recommend L4V Hook lock fitted high in the side load door and a Hook lock fitted in the high position on the rear barn doors.

www.locks4vans.co.uk

 

[SBswiss]

Did it set the motion alarm off detecting movement inside the vehicle? I know that we left a fan running and it even picked that up.

There is unfortunately no alarm in the van.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

There is unfortunately no alarm in the van.

It seems like the Euro version and the UK version differ somewhat. I would have thought that they all would be equipped with an Alarm/immobiliser system but seems sadly not.

 

[markusschork]

It seems like the Euro version and the UK version differ somewhat. I would have thought that they all would be equipped with an Alarm/immobiliser system but seems sadly not.

Do you mean that the UK version has the Alarm/Immobiliser? Thank you

 

[Meoncoast]

With the van locked - I set the alarm off on ours by putting my arm in the window and tried to open the sliding door via the door window. (2016 Ocean)

 

[Bartleby]

With the van locked - I set the alarm off on ours by putting my arm in the window and tried to open the sliding door via the door window. (2016 Ocean)

I did the same from the inside of our 6.1, double-clicked the lock button overnight then forgot to unlock it and set it off nice and early in the morning while trying to leave it!

 

[two-saabs]

Do you mean that the UK version has the Alarm/Immobiliser? Thank you

Yeah different specs, I didn't add an alarm because I gleefully told the dealer "we're in Switzerland!" But sort of forgot that we will be driving all of Europe.

But still, reasons to not get the alarm:

1) it's another cost (about 300 francs but we are already way over budget)
2) it's just an alarm, meaning detection, but not prevention, my logic being someone can still smash a window and grab some stuff, they just do it music!

I'm not 100% sure if it's also the deadlocking and the immobiliser or if the latter is already standard.

I'll go back to the dealer and ask, might add, will report back my findings (useful for the Swiss buyers)

 

[Jodalo]

Yeah different specs, I didn't add an alarm because I gleefully told the dealer "we're in Switzerland!" But sort of forgot that we will be driving all of Europe.

But still, reasons to not get the alarm:

1) it's another cost (about 300 francs but we are already way over budget)
2) it's just an alarm, meaning detection, but not prevention, my logic being someone can still smash a window and grab some stuff, they just do it music!

I'm not 100% sure if it's also the deadlocking and the immobiliser or if the latter is already standard.

I'll go back to the dealer and ask, might add, will report back my findings (useful for the Swiss buyers)

Would certainly adversely affect insurance premiums in the UK not to have an alarm fitted.

 

[B J G]

Do you mean that the UK version has the Alarm/Immobiliser? Thank you

VW UK supplied models will have full alarm & locking

 

[two-saabs]

Would certainly adversely affect insurance premiums in the UK not to have an alarm fitted.

Apart from lowering insurance premiums, do you feel the alarm has any value? Would you spec it if not standard?

Genuinely interested to hear different people's views