Security
At the forefront of any van lifers mind after spending a lot of time, money and effort to make a comfy home on wheels is the security. Not only for when you leave the van to explore but also during the day and night when the vehicle is occupied. I will run through a couple of considerations for van security below.
Jump to topic
- Locks
- Steering Wheel Locks
- Pedal Boxes
- Trackers
- Alarms
- Cameras
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Locks
Unfortunately van doors are prone to break ins, even stealth campers are a target for thieves hunting for tools to sell on. A van becomes your home and you desperately want to protect it at all times. The first port of call would be to invest in some decent locks for the habitation area Looking around at security options for doors can be confusing, vans traditionally have two options: slamlocks and high visibility locks, whereas caravans and motorhome tend towards deadlocks. After a lot of research we decided on deadlocks for the van, below is a comparison of the different types of locks you could choose.
We choose to opt for deadbolts, which we purchased from VSS ‘Van Security Systems’. We felt this was the best compromise for easy use and security, especially as they stop ‘peeling’ attacks, whereby the thief wrenches the doors back with a crowbar to see what’s inside the van before deciding whether or not to proceed wit the break in. For us in another country it would be a nightmare to have such a badly damaged door and a miracle to be able to get a suitable replacement loaclly.
Steering Wheel Locks
Steering wheel locks are less of a preventative but more of a deterrent and time waster for potential thieves. There are only two real contenders that rank among the best in this field: Disklok & Stoplock. Both systems require noisy power tools in order to be able to bypass the lock.
Disklok
Designed to fit over the entire wheel this system has been an industry winner for many years. It benefits from carrying a Thatcham approved Cat 3 status – which can help to reduce insurance premiums. The downside of the Disklok, is the weight and cumbersome design, it’s quite a bulky item to store when the vehicle is in use. Apparently the removal and refitting of the device is quite a fiddly affair, which most users find tedious after a while. The consensus is that this is an excellent lock for long term storage but would not be a first choice if the lock is to removed and refitted daily. It is also rather expensive coming in at around £124.
Stoplock Pro Elite Steering Wheel Immobiliser
Also an award winner for security and also carrying the Category 3 approved status from Thatcham. The stop lock is a considerably smaller affair which is easier to store. According to users it is easier and quicker to fit without reducing its effectiveness. It is also the cheaper of the two options coming in at around £50-£60.
For us personally we feel that the Stoplock, is going to be the best option, we will be driving a lot and the ease of taking the lock off is an important factor to us. If we ever wild camp and did decide to put the lock on we may need to be able to take it off quickly. The price was also a consideration for us, we have a lot to buy and as both are Thatcham approved it seemed a bit senseless to pay twice the price for effectively the same product. Another factor was ease of storage, we wont have masses of space and the bar style of the Stoplock should be easier to store in the cab with us without making the space cramped.
Big thanks to John and Linda for supplying Gandalf with an early 2020 Christmas Present!
