The men were said to have been involved in the large scale conspiracy since 2004, they stole the caravans and motor homes from driveways and motorway service stations. That information should stand as advise to any caravan or motor home owner. Most people are more careful once they are on holiday, but criminals often target driveways and service stations as people sometimes do not take all of the necessary measures to secure their caravans or motor homes in these places.

Insurance officials reported that in 2007, the year that the men were arrested, caravan theft almost halved. It dropped from 848 to 454 in just one year. All of the men had previous convictions relating to the theft of caravans and the judge described the operation as “well organised”.

It is worth remembering to adequately secure your caravan. There are a number of tools available to you to make sure that you are not the victim of organised or opportunistic crime.

Firstly ensure that your caravan is registered with C.R.I.S. (The Caravan Registration and Identification Scheme). If your caravan was manufactured after 1992 it will already be part of the scheme, if it was manufactured before this date you can apply to have it registered. The scheme makes it significantly harder for criminals to sell on your caravan once it has been stolen. If you are buying a second hand caravan you should definitely perform a C.R.I.S. Check and ensure that it has all of the necessary documents.

There are lots of other security measures that you can undertake, including fitting alarm, electronic tracking devices, wheel clamps and hitch locks.

If you would like more detailed information about caravan security please follow this link to our earlier caravan security blog post.

1. Caravan storage can affect your insurance premiums.
2. Most caravan theft occurs in the months when caravans are not being used.

3. Bad weather can damage your caravan.

4. You are likely to want to do some work on your caravan when you are not using it.

5. You may want to take spontaneous trips with your caravan.

There are a number of options for seasonal caravan storage available to you, depending on your priorities. It is a good idea to look into all of the available caravan storage options before making a decision, you may find that it is cost effective to store your caravan in a secure site as your insurance premiums may drop but this can be inconvenient in other ways. Always read the small print in your insurance documentation as there are likely to be clauses that specify how winter caravan storage must be done.

Home Storage

Many people choose to store their caravan at home, normally on a driveway. This is the cheapest place that you can store your caravan and it has the advantage that your caravan is easily accessible. You can carry out routine maintenance without much hassle, you can go away for the weekend without having to sign out and into a secure site. But there are disadvantages, firstly the presence of your caravan becomes an indicator for thieves whether or not you are at home. Secondly your neighbours may not like your caravan being visible on your driveway. There may also be legal issues with storing your caravan on your drive, it is forbidden in the deeds of some houses. Always check before you begin storing your caravan at home. Insurance premiums are likely to be higher if you are storing your touring caravan at home, contact your insurance provider and ask them their policy about home storage.

Open Air Storage

If you do not have room or do not want to store your caravan at home storing it at an open air facility is likely to be the next cheapest option. Prices start from around £3 per week. Not all of these facilities will have hard standing areas on which you can secure your caravan. Those that do will be more expensive. If your caravan is placed on the earth you need to ensure that it is firmly anchored. One of the major drawbacks to this type of storage is that your caravan will be exposed to the elements whenever it is not being used. The chance of weather damage, particularly in the winter, is quite high. Additionally a lot of these sites do not have great security measures in place, increasing the risk of theft. Ultimately if there are any issues with damage or with theft it is likely to take longer for them to be noticed, unless you regularly go and check your caravan.

Permanent Siting

If you consistently return to the same caravan site you could consider getting a permanent siting on that site. This will mean that you do not have to move your caravan when you wish to go on holiday. It is likely to be relatively inexpensive to do this but the drawbacks of storing your caravan in the open air are still present. Weather damage and potentially low levels of security are issues with permanent sitings. On the plus side if it is a busy location there are likely to be lots of people around who will inform you if there are any problems.

Undercover Storage Sites

There are now many facilities which over undercover storage for touring caravans. Across the country there are large warehouses and barns which have been converted into caravan storage areas. The main advantage of these undercover caravan storage sites is that the caravan is kept away from potentially being damaged by the weather and it is kept under lock and key meaning that it is extremely unlikely that you will be the victim of theft. These sites cost substantially more, but they are monitored and will have a varying number of security measures in place. Some sites will pick up your caravan for you, which is especially useful if you are uncomfortable reversing it into tight spaces.

Registered Undercover Storage Sites

There are a number of organisations that offer exceptionally good security and are regulated by trusted organisations. The Caravan Club, the Camping and Caravanning Club and the Caravan Storage Site Owners’ Association (CaSSOA) all offer high standards of undercover storage. Protecting your caravan from both theft and weather damage. Although the cost may seem at first glance to be prohibitive you may find that your insurance premium will drop substantially if you use one of these accredited sites. It is advisable to contact your insurance provider and ask them what their policies are about storage sites. The waiting lists can be long for a spot at one of these sites so it is worth contacting your local caravan storage site in order to check availability of places and to be added to a waiting list if necessary.

Simple but effective deterrents

Always locking doors, windows and roof lights, regardless of the duration of your absence from the caravan.

• Storing the keys somewhere safe, preferably without labels informing that they are for the caravan.

• Removing personal belongings when you are not using your caravan. Also leaving cupboard doors open to show that they are bare, may prevent a break-in.

• Keeping your caravan in a police approved, secure caravan park. Don’t just consider price, be aware that if you can walk into the park and remove your caravan without being challenged then a thief will be able to as well.

Minimum Security Requirements

Wheel Clamps

Often a minimum requirement for insurers, they work by immobilising the wheel. The advantage of wheel clamps is that they are an obvious security measure and as such a deterrent to opportunist thieves. There are a proliferation of wheel clamps available. The best ones do not have exposed locks and do have thick radiating arms so they can resist damage from tools like saws and drills.

Hitch Locks

Again these are often a minimum requirement for insurers. They prevent your caravan from being hitched or towed away. It is important to make sure that it covers the hitch head and completely covers the security bolts. Otherwise thieves can just bypass it. Some also come with audible security alarms.

Anchors and Posts

These are generally used when your caravan is not in use. Security posts are concreted into the ground, either by the A-frame, the body or ideally both. These make moving the caravan virtually impossible for a thief. Anchors can be used in a similar way.

Electronic Security

An important thing to remember is that tracers and alarms often have high power consumption. This is particularly an issue if they are going to be left alone for a long amount of time. So remember to check the power source; many caravan-specific devices have special long life batteries to counteract this problem.

Alarms

It is advisable to get an alarm that has an internal sensor, one that will activate immediately if an intruder gets in. Other key features are tilt motion sensors and corner steady vibration sensors. They will detect if anyone is attempting to move the caravan in order to tow it away. If you buy an alarm specifically designed for a caravan it should not be set off by the normal movement created by the wind. It is also possible to get alarms that are remotely controlled or ones with panic alarms, should something happen when you are nearby. Another desirable feature is that the alarm will be activated when the road lighting is plugged in.

Markers

It is essential to have your caravan CRiS registered, for if the worst does happen you will have a greater chance of your caravan being returned to you. CRiS use a 12 digit vehicle identification number (V.I.N.) individual to each caravan as an identifier. There are also extension services of this nature available, involving micro dot tagging or extra electronic chips. If your caravan was built by a N.C.C. manufacturer after August 1997 then it will already have an electronic tag. If it was built after 1992 by a N.C.C manufacturer then it will already be CRiS registered.

The Police also recommend tagging your belongings with a ultraviolet marker, in case of property theft. They also suggest that marking the roof of your caravan with the V.I.N. may aid recovery if it is stolen and the police search from the air.

Trackers

Modern tracking devices generally work using global positioning satellites. This means that you will be able to know where your caravan is at any time, enabling you to follow its path. You can choose to have a monitored service, meaning that an external company or the police will be alerted when your caravan is moved. Or you can choose to be alerted yourself. It is important to note that the police do not have to immediately respond if you phone and alert them of a stolen vehicle. They are more likely to respond if contacted by an external company. Be aware that these companies often charge a high premium for constant monitoring. Thieves are also becoming better at finding and removing tracking devices. Despite this having a tracker installed increases your chances of finding your caravan. Due to the vast number of tracking devices and their varying levels of merit, not all insurers will automatically drop your premiums if you get a tracking device installed. It is always worth checking with them before making an expensive purchase of this nature. A last note on this is that the Police are under no obligation to recover your caravan; if it is abandoned it is still your responsibility.