Van conversion added security

HI All

Firstly I'd love to add pics to this post but lost the will to live trying to do so! However, Ploughlin has kindly helped, thanks Ploughlin, so here goes......

I have added some extra security to my Warwick Duo, having read a disturbing YouTube article from The Indie Project, where their van was broken into and thrashed. This upset me to the point of actually doing something about it!

Now, I KNOW there is nothing any of us can do to stop a very determined thief, all we can do is make it more difficult in the hope that the Mong will try an easier target..............

Firstly, and most expensive (more of that later) is the DISKLOK, steering wheel lock. This actually wasn't expensive as I got enough insurance discount for just having one, thus it cost very little. it is, IMHO, the most effective device we can have. It is Thatcham 3 rated. It is a loose fit on the wheel to prevent it being used to break the steering lock, it also prevents theft of the steering wheel airbag. It, conveniently, drops right into the driver door pocket, a pocket of no known use as it is so deep down as to be unreachable when seated! Therefore it takes up, effectively, no space at all! To fit is dead simple, and needs no key, the key is only needed to open it.
Had an interesting meet with a French guy in Brittany recently. He clearly didn't know we were in the MH, and was trying to photograph it! Scared the living daylights out of him (dark glass is so much fun!) then let him photograph it and gave him the website details, all he wanted was to buy one for himself! So, visibility of this is also important, you'd have to try hard not to see it.
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Secondly, and virtually no cost,,,,,,,,,,,,wish I could get these damn pics!, is my tie bar which joins the inside of the rear doors together. If you take the rear door trim panels off, there is already a hole in the top corners, nearest to the centreline of the door closure. I drilled these out to 10.5mm, then fitted an M10 screw from the inside, fastened with a plain nut in the recess where the hole is. Drilled a matching hole in the trim panel and refitted it then added a nyloc nut. The bar is a strip of steel, 25 x 6mm, drilled to fit the screw centres. I bought two M10 knobs online. The strip has a cutaway on one of the holes allowing it to just drop over the screw on that side. To lock the doors, the bar is pivoted down from one side , over the other screw, then both knobs tightened. This is entirely without keys and is only accessible from the inside. It can be held in the open position by just moving it clear of the other door and tightening the fixed knob (wish I had pics!) This makes the rear doors more or less impossible to open from the outside, BUT, and MOST important, allows easy exit from the inside in an emergency.
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Thirdly is the MILENCO cab door locks. These fit to the door itself and pivot rearwards to cover the door pillar, lockable in open and closed positions. Quite visible from outside too, which is a good thing. The really good thing about these is they can be in the "secure" position, still effective from outside, but totally UNLOCKED from inside, again, allowing emergency escape from the inside, as per the rear doors, above.
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Lastly is another MILENCO, this time the one which locks the side door, but only from the outside. I fitted this today, having first spraying it silver to match the van. With all the above in the locked position, this becomes the only way into the van. Therefore it is VITAL to have its keys! To that end, one is with the ignition key, one is secreted on the vehicle, one is in the wife's handbag, and one is in the vehicle safe ( I know that's inside, but it is the last resort as it has the common key number on it.
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If someone can help me do the apparently impossible (I have added pics before) and do a step by step way of adding pics, I'll happily do another post with the pics on it. Thanks again Ploughlin, armed with this, well renewed, skill I'll do another post of more recent mods!

beaten to it

I've a set of Heosafe locks for sale in the classified section to suit Boxers 1996-2006 but no interest so far.

Thanks to all 

Hi Ian,

One question but not about security, how did you put your satnav ball on the top dashboard, glue it ?

Regards
Peter

GP1069 wrote:Hi Ian,

One question but not about security, how did you put your satnav ball on the top dashboard, glue it ?

Regards
Peter

Easiest way to mount sat nav on dash is with one of these mats..

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Also available from Amazon

GP1069 wrote:Hi Ian,

One question but not about security, how did you put your satnav ball on the top dashboard, glue it ?

Regards
Peter

Actually, no!

I tried removing the panel, some of these are "clipboards" and lift, this one has an airbag under it. So it is screwed with very short and blunted self tappers into holes drilled with a stop on the bit, always aware of puncturing the airbag.

I would not do that again, I would glue it, or as I have seen, a flexible mat clipped into the existing spring clip.

I would NOT recommend that anyone else does it the way I did it, but I am confident I have done no damage to the airbag, and hope never to find out!

Ian

Many thanks for the above tips esp like the one for the back doors.

Another  tip is to fit a cheapo tracker., by cheapo I mean like the ones on E bay

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You send the device a text and it tells you where it is, all you have to do is hide it somewhere and make sure it is permanently connected to a live battery, and there are many many places you can hide it, for example on a previous van I had I hid one behind the  airvents 

only one word of warning if you tell your insurance company of any security device they can use it against you, 
True story
Friend informed insurance co that he had a Steering Wheel security lock and a handbrake lock. One day after a long drive stopped at Motorway services for a urgent loo break and made a run for it didn't put on either and the insurance company refused to pay out, so if you tell them you MUST use them every time you stop and leave the vehicle.

David

I like the interior locks but have reservations about the side door one. I would want a much larger inside plate and proper bolts. All motor-homes are not difficult to get into if you do not mind damaging things. As others have said a tracker/ immobilizer system is the way to go.

The trouble is, apparently, Trackers are easily disabled by thieves.

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jennyandpeter wrote:I like the interior locks but have reservations about the side door one. I would want a much larger inside plate and proper bolts. All motor-homes are not difficult to get into if you do not mind damaging things. As others have said a tracker/ immobilizer system is the way to go.

I agree, they are held on with 4 large self tapping screws into carefully drilled 5mm dia holes. However, much as I too would like proper bolts on large load spreading washers, it is not even slightly possible to get inside the door frame ( at that area anyway) to do so.

The vehicle is fitted with a tracker but I do not subscribe. Trackers are much easier to disable these days and, if it did get stolen, I'm not sure I'd want it back!!

Yes but the latest ones can immobilize the vehicle when a jamming signal is detected. As well as send an alert to a mobile.

This looks like a neat idea 

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No action necessary if you have your phone on you

Kind thought Jennyandpeter.

One, minor, stumbling block................I only have a poor people's phone, so far from an I Phone it is actually made from stone!!!

You do not need to use one just program any of the vans buttons.

jennyandpeter wrote:Yes but the latest ones can immobilize the vehicle when a jamming signal is detected. As well as send an alert to a mobile.

This looks like a neat idea 

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No action necessary if you have your phone on you

Can you let us know the name of the tracker firm you use please.
Really impressed with the OP's set up, will implement them as well.
Great post and thanks in advance.
Best regards, Mike 

Vanbitz 'Strikeback Plus' with 'MetaTrak' none start system and tracker, anti scan and anti grab fobs, inc an accessory loop for bikes or kayak = Peace of mind