The Caravan Industry & Security – Protecting Your Caravan

The caravan industry is an ever changing market, and with that comes developments in security as well as trends in caravan crime. Tim Booth, from the Caravan Safety and Security Group gives us a run down on what’s happening at the moment.

Looking at recent press reports it is very apparent that the Leisure Market is currently very buoyant, with both caravan and motorhome manufacturers reporting  high levels of sales. There is also a marked increase in the number of sales of European manufactured caravans.

Whenever a buoyant market for sales exists in any industry this is often seen by criminal groups as an opportunity to take advantage of a ‘high demand’ by seeking to meet this demand themselves. Of course, they achieve this supply at the expense of the current keeper or even the dealership, by stealing the caravans that they supply.

This then, is an important time of the year to make sure that you do everything you can to protect your caravan or motorhome.

Make sure that your caravan insurance cover is up to date and that you are meeting the requirements of the policy.

Of course it is not always possible to store your caravan or motorhome at your home address, due to planning conditions, and for some a lack of space – so owners increasingly turn to storage site providers.

It is a fact that many of the caravans being stolen are actually being taken from ‘informal’ storage sites – where caravans and motorhomes are just ‘parked up’ for the winter period. There are no inspections made by the site owner, or even the consumer. Many of the tracking systems fitted at time of manufacture only actually activate once the owner discovers that their property has been stolen, and then notifies the tracking company – the property can be long gone by then and chances of recovery are generally very low.

A ‘pro-active’ system will notify you if there are any issues that need to be addressed, so it is worth checking whether this is the type of system that you have – if your caravan or motorhome is fitted with such a system are you subscribed to their monitoring service?

Certificated storage sites, like the CASSOA scheme, offer the consumer a level of protection that is recognised by many insurers as a ‘positive deterrent’ to opportunist thieves. Some even offer insurance benefits for using such a facility.

Of course – if you are considering buying a caravan or motorhome, then make sure that you carry out a CRiS check on any caravan – this can tell you whether the caravan is currently stolen, or if there is finance outstanding. A HPI check can provide you with similar information about a motorhome. 

The cost of these checks could prevent you from becoming a victim of those people who choose to steal caravans and motorhomes, and then look to target unsuspecting consumers.

These straight forward measures can serve to protect your caravan or motorhome from being targeted by thieves.

Tim Booth provides specialist security advice to the caravan and leisure industry. He also works to support the National Caravan Council, The Camping and Caravanning Club and The Caravan Club by delivering an industry group called the Caravan Safety and Security Group.

Tim Booth Consultancy Services Ltd

Caravan Safety & Security Group