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You can only discourage with as many devices as possible. If they want it they will take it - encourage them to take someone elses with as much security as possible.

Just remeber that you do have insurance and this is the major reason why you buy insurance - theft.

They don't steal them all - how many people do you know who have had their's stolen.

Google earth is a right pain in the sky and should be banned!

One extra point - don't store anything really precious in the van.  If your van is insured then it will be replaced - those family photographs, precious objects,  or whatever can't be - so keep them inside, at home.

have all the wheel locks and chains onto the wall,hitchlock,alarm.ground anchor to the front.if they want it they will take it.for the winter have removed all cushions too.paying the insurance is possibly the best security.if you can afford then try these.

http://www.phantom.uk.net/

cant help but just wanted to say I understand your concerns Fiona. Our next door neighbours a few years ago were ram raided and I was so obsessed/ concerned with it happening to us I worried myself sick. All you can do is your best, I firmly believe if a thief wants whatever it is they want they'll get it no matter what you do. You dont want to stop the fear from you getting what you really want. It   sounds like you have a good set up at home, perhaps a cover is worth it as it will also protect your new van from the elements.

I'm really pleased you've found your ideal van. Have your plans for Italy changed then? will you take the van?

Hi Pager - yes we have definitely found our perfect van now - Im being unusually careful about it though & we still haven't fully made up our minds yet whether to jump in now or wait until the planned Autumn 2010 but then Im worried that Coachman will do something daft to it like Lunar did (imo, although it seems I'm in the minority as apparently they are selling more than last year) to their 546 or maybe we will compromise and wait until NEC in Feb - decisions decisions. 

Our plans won't change as we've been planning a caravan for a while now and are booked on pitches which will take tent or caravan in the UK.  We will still go to Italy, its a Dover/Dunkerque crossing if we can't get a ferry booking to take the caravan then we'll just take the tent - we are happy campers either way.

PS I saw your post about you being all change - I had a bit of a giggle at that!

All you can do is satisfy the requirements of your insurance policy. We lost our last one off the drive early one morning. This gutted me because several times before it went we'd come home to find the jockey wheel raised off the ground. We thought it was local kids messing with it but we now feel it may have been the filth who pinched it testing the water. 

It was found within hours & I recovered it from the police compound to our dealer three days later. We had the axle converted to accept the Al-ko lock & had it fitted with a mover so we could park it on the drive nose first. This was done because I'd concreted a long RSJ in the flower border & had a ball hitch bolted to it with the bolts welded. Now the van is driven in on the mover, hitched to the RSJ & the jockey wheel is removed from the A frame. The rear legs are also locked down & the majority of the time there are several vehicles parked around it on the drive.

We remove everything including all the seat cushions from the van when it's out of use. We've always done this, but it didn't stop them taking our last one, they had our caravan & stopped off at a house about 4 miles from here, broke into their caravan & stole their seat cushions.

These people are the lowest of the low, if they're determined to have something, they'll do their best to have it. All I've done is satisfy the insurance requirements & my own mind that I've done my best to make it as hard as possible for them & I believe that's all you can do.

BB