Message Forums

Check on what security they would like on the van.  We had a new van in July.  Caravanguard wanted us to have hitch lock, wheel lock/clamp and tracker, and insisted we kept the van on a Gold CASSoa site.  They also said we were not allowed to keep the van at home at all over night.  This may seem fair enough, but if you pull over at a service station on a motorway for a cup of tea, we would have been expected to fit the wheel clamp as well as the hitch lock.

The Caravan Club said, just hitch lock and said that we were allowed to keep the van at home for two nights at a time.  They also insisted on a Gold CASSoa storeage site.  Now this doesn't mean we don't have other forms of security, but to make them obliggatory, like Caravanguard did, and the implications of making them obligatory, we felt was a bit over the top.

When we had our previous van stolen (no doubt this was a factor in prescribing the security measures), the other van that went missing at the same time was insured through caravan guard.  They sent out a loss adjuster, who visited the secure compound, and this was preceeded by what amounted to a two hour interview.  We were insured by the Caravan Club and no-one visited us - the whole process was very conciliatory.

Check the small print on the insurance policy and make sure you are insured for the full whack.  If you are insured new for old, you need to be insured for the amount it would cost to replace the van at the time of the renewal of the policy - you need to make sure you review it each year.

Having had a van stolen left me looking at all these things, just wondering if everything would turn out OK.  In the end it did, but whe whole process made me aware how easy it would have been to get it wrong.  I even found out for example that you don't have to be insured for the delivery charge that they put on to a new van (at least not with the C.C.)

We've had no problems with Caravan Guard, they came up with a good quote ofr our vans over the years. We have a series7 pageant now & use a wheel lock as well as two leg locks & have the van hitched to an RSJ concreted in the flower border. They had no problems with our vans being kept on the drive.

Give them a call to establish what security they require you to have & see how you feel about it then.

BB

Quote: Originally posted by Basilbrush on 20/10/2009

---

We've had no problems with Caravan Guard, they came up with a good quote ofr our vans over the years. We have a series7 pageant now & use a wheel lock as well as two leg locks & have the van hitched to an RSJ concreted in the flower border. They had no problems with our vans being kept on the drive.

Give them a call to establish what security they require you to have & see how you feel about it then.

BB

---

Good advice BB about giving them a call.  You say what security devices you have, but not what security devices they require.  They can't expect you to have your van hitched to a RSJ on a camp site.  The security devices required often depends on the postcode, and I imagine recent statistics of van theft in your area.  I would also imagine it might depend upon closeness to a motorway network (for ease of the thieves getting away), I guess.

I would also ask about security required on a camp site, and if you pull-up for a break on the side of the road or service station etc and if it differs from what they require on your drive at home.  Establish the difference between what they require you to do as a condition of insurance and what you would like to do to make your van secure.  Ask these questions of any insurance company to get a quote from (not just Caravanguard).  It's best to be safe than sorry.

Thanks for the info.       The van comes with an ALKO secure wheel lock , hitchlock and two corner steady locks , i will give them a ring see what they ahve to say. 

Quote: Originally posted by jimbouk on 20/10/2009

---

Thanks for the info.       The van comes with an ALKO secure wheel lock , hitchlock and two corner steady locks , i will give them a ring see what they ahve to say. 

---

The Alko wheel locks are meant to be very good.  I have heard one or two say that they are a bit of a pain to get them lined up, but other find them fine.  Ring more than one company and ask all the questions.  Let us know how you do.

Best wishes

We got a Alko wheel lock. It takes us a few minutes to line up the wheel and put the lock on.

Quote: Originally posted by Jusy on 20/10/2009

---

We got a Alko wheel lock. It takes us a few minutes to line up the wheel and put the lock on.

---

Quote: Originally posted by LobeyDosser on 21/10/2009

---

Quote: Originally posted by Jusy on 20/10/2009

---

We got a Alko wheel lock. It takes us a few minutes to line up the wheel and put the lock on.

---

How do you do that if the van is on a wedge chock on a campsite?

---

That is a tricky one. We havent had to use a wedge on site so far. It would take slightly longer to line up the holes.

We insure with Caravanguard with our S7 Pageant and we find their security restrictions reasonable.  When the caravan is in storage or a campsite we must have the axle lock ond hitch lock fitted.  We store at a Cassoa Silver storage.

If we stop at services etc, they just insist on the hitch lock, some other companies we got quotes from (can't remember the names) stated we had to use a wheelclamp in services too.

Quote: Originally posted by Zafiral on 23/10/2009

---

We insure with Caravanguard with our S7 Pageant and we find their security restrictions reasonable.  When the caravan is in storage or a campsite we must have the axle lock ond hitch lock fitted.  We store at a Cassoa Silver storage.

If we stop at services etc, they just insist on the hitch lock, some other companies we got quotes from (can't remember the names) stated we had to use a wheelclamp in services too.

---