Alarm help /advice

Hi all. 
Following on  from my post titled 'attempted theft'.
Can anyone recommend a good diy alarm kit I can fit to my AS Rapport on a Trafic. Also does anyone know if there ks a central locking conversion available?

Thanks in advance
Gary

Search EBay for 'central locking kit for Renault' and you'll find a few kits. I'm sure a standard diy car alarm kit would suffice or even a fitted a basic fitted one.

I got a sigma s30 alarm and fitted it seems a good thatcham cat 1 alarm took a few hours to fit as it is well hidden and all the cables are black.

...a proper Thatcham cat 1 alarm will usually get a small discount off your insurance - but it has to be a proper one 'cos you'll need to show the certificate.

Personally, I'm not sure whether in this day and age many people would take much notice of a car alarm going off.

A better deterrent would be a big dog.

A 50 cal Gatling gun 

repoort wrote:...a proper Thatcham cat 1 alarm will usually get a small discount off your insurance - but it has to be a proper one 'cos you'll need to show the certificate.

Personally, I'm not sure whether in this day and age many people would take much notice of a car alarm going off.

A better deterrent would be a big dog.

I got shot down when I said my dog was left in MH sometimes.

...whilst I'm not a dog owner myself, I'm sure some owners are attracted to motorhomes/campers just so their pets can be with them all the time.
I don't see why you should be "shot down" for your opinion. 
I wasn't seriously suggesting leaving a dog alone all night.
For that, you can probably get an "app" for doggy sounds to be played at random intervals....

repoort wrote:...whilst I'm not a dog owner myself, I'm sure some owners are attracted to motorhomes/campers just so their pets can be with them all the time.
I don't see why you should be "shot down" for your opinion. 
I wasn't seriously suggesting leaving a dog alone all night.
For that, you can probably get an "app" for doggy sounds to be played at random intervals....

Thanks for the replies all contributions greatly received

On a lighter note my wife has a vision now were are going to have or van converted to carry a WWII machine gun strapped to the roof and a converted ice cream chime box playing ' How much is that doggy in the window'  


thanks again for lifting our mood from something like sheer despair at the thought of nearly losing our van to one of lets get packing and planning for the season ahead


regards

Gary

Good result 

Ji Gary
I read your previous thread and i sympathise with your situation.
I thought i would make a few comments re security in case any of it is of assistance to you. I have just retired from 30yrs with the Police and in that time experienced thousands of different types of auto crime. the following comments re security are fairly generic and i believe apply to the bulk of auto crime involving opportunist thiefs. (The type that effect most people). 
Virtually all types of security can be overcome and if you have a valuable prestige car sitting on your driveway the type of criminal it would attract would be those involved in organised crime with the skill and ability to overcome whatever security is fitted. However, these are not the criminals involved in the majority of auto crime, but rather the opportunist thief who commits a crime when the oppoprtunity presents itself.
The secret is in whats called "Target Hardening" or in other words not presenting an easy target to the criminal by having visible deterents. Alarms are the most common type of security, but in many cases they are not clearly advertised on the vehicle. Therefore the thief is only detered after it has been activated by a broken window or a screw driver in the lock. A more serious crime has been prevented but damage has already been done. 
some of the most visible deterents are those attached to the vehicle such as high visibility steering locks, wheel clamps and extra locks to doors etc. if you park your van on your drive, you can obtain the folding bollards that you install in your drive in front of the van. Many of these devices, clamps, wheel locks etc, are cheaper than alarms, provide a more visible deterent and can be moved from one vehicle to another.
These devices can be overcome, but the aim is to present your van as a difficult target in order that it is easier for the thief to look elsewhere.
Recognised alarms get you a discount on insurance but often this is fairly minimal. Some companis will also ask re other security devices (Clamps etc) and give discounts for these also.

So to summarise....Whatever security you fit, make sure it is as visible as possible.

Hope this helps in some small way.

Big help Gary thanks. All good advice.  I have just bought one of those cheap steering wheel locks that another member recommended. Doubt very strong but day glo and very visible. Getting another one for my  Landrover. And I always leave the steering on full lock. try towing that in a straight line ha ha.

I found an interesting poster on an American website pertaining to gun owning households which you would put outside your house and it stated 'Nothing kept here worth dying for'. 
Probably wouldn't go down too well over here 

My alarm was tested yesterday, after leaving mh unused for three weeks due to illness, when I came to start it flat battery, after putting it on charge had enough to start it and took the dogs out on a longer trip to go to park, on return put it back on charge, obviously bonnet was up, not realising, silly me the alarm was on, after a few seconds all hell broke lose, the alarm went off and believe me you couldn`t ignore it, it would have waken the dead in the church yard 2 miles away.

Apart from that I have decided to get a steering wheel lock, a bit of hassle when I come to use it more like every day, also a solar dashboard battery charger, for future use if camping and not on electric, can anyone recommend one please.

Sorry if this has gone slightly off topic. Just thought I would put my findings, alarm did go off at the Newark show last year, someone walked too close to the MH, so I am well pleased with how it works, it is a factory fitted one not an added extra later

Regards,
Margaret

...if the alarm went off when someone walked too close to it - did anybody rush to the van to help apprehend the villain....?

I was a few feet away.

repoort wrote:...a proper Thatcham cat 1 alarm will usually get a small discount off your insurance - but it has to be a proper one 'cos you'll need to show the certificate.

Personally, I'm not sure whether in this day and age many people would take much notice of a car alarm going off.

A better deterrent would be a big dog.

Although it is very easy to fit an alarm yourself it won't get a discount on insurance unless it is professionally fitted. Without the professional you won't get a certificate.

daisy mae wrote:I was a few feet away.

...so for all anybody knew, you might have been the criminal ! .......the point I was trying to make, does an alarm raise much response from the general public.

I've had a Sigma S30 on previous van and have had a Cobra installed on current van by one of their listed installers. Never had a certificate and never been asked for one by insurers.

....In my experience, one of the standard questions always asked when obtaining insurance - even just for a quote - is about any additional security devices fitted.

I never really fitted my s30 for any insurance discount so not too bothered but I did get the certificate in the box with it although it would need filling in by a qualified auto electrician or alarm fitter.

GaryH61 look in the topic Security for Motorhomes. Lots of good advice in there. I've gone for Milenco Original Wheelclamp and a steering wheel  lock but I do have an immobiliser on the van. I always worry an alarm might flatten the battery if the van doesn't get used for a while.
Marmot (the ex-PC) talks sense

I forgot to mention, I do not have central locking, and both cab doors and habitation door need to be unlocked separately, with different keys, I had been used to central locking previously, and at first thought this was a bind for me, on thinking about it,  it is an additional security.

Will get a high vis steering wheel clamp though.

an imobiliser is the best way to go.then wire the van direct to the mains just incase.g

Thanks again to all for advice and humour, I have now installed a highly visible StopLock and a Wheel clamp. I agree its all about time. The longer it takes to get in and go the less attractive it becomes.

If your not living on the edge; Your taking up too much room

Re: van security - I have a wireless infra-red movement sensor in the van - it detects anybody entering the van and wirelessly links to and sets the house alarm off - the house alarm when activated also dials my mobile phone.