Keeping your motorhome safe this Summer

With the clocks set to go forward shortly, heralding the official start of British Summer Time, now’s as good time as ever to reacquaint yourself with some essential security tips for your motorhome.

The longer nights and warmer days will no doubt encourage more of us to take our motorhomes and caravans on the road but it’s important to consider all security threats to your vehicle, particularly owing to the fact that technological danger is constantly evolving and so are criminal tactics.

Although more modern vehicles are harder to steal than older versions you should still be wary; that’s why, with the help of leading motorhome dealers www.kentmotorhomes.co.uk, we’ve come up with the following tops tips for ensuring your motorhome is kept safe and secure this summer:

Secure your vehicle

It may sound obvious but with so many entry points it can be difficult to forget: always secure your motorhome. If you’re sitting outside enjoying the weather then just ensure all the doors are locked and don’t forget the rooflights and windows, too.

In modern motorhomes, some models offer remote locking which is ideal but not all manufacturers offer this is standard so check manually if this is the case.

Alarms

If you are going to be away from your motorhome for any period of time then always set the alarm, even if it’s a 10 minute walk to the local shop.

Unfortunately, over the last decade we’ve witnessed a big increase in so called ‘high-value’ vehicles being stolen, particularly over here in the UK and further afield in Europe. These thefts have taken place at all sorts of places including petrol stations so always be on guard.

Less is more?

We all have certain travel essential we can’t live without but is it really imperative to bring all your most expensive and treasured possessions on a trip? Yes, motorhomes feel like our mini-houses but in reality they are still vehicles that are easier to break in to than brick structures.

It’s also vital that you never leave the exterior access doors to storage compartments unlocked; there’s been some reported cases of drivers doing this for entire weekends which can invite trouble.

More generally speaking, particularly if you are travelling to well-known crime hotspots abroad, avoid wearing expensive items such as gold and don’t flash pricey mobile phones.

Choosing the right alarm

Choosing the right alarm depends somewhat on the owners’ usage patterns but the number one thing to avoid here is fitting a standard car alarm!x

Motorhome alarms really need to cover all of the exterior and even the less-sophisticated systems have modes such as ‘perimeter protection only’ that works by disconnecting the internal movement sensor, but all other security systems will continue to run.

Aside from investing in a proper motorhome alarm, it’s important to note that the chances of driveway vehicle thefts can be reduced significantly by installing security posts, wheel clamps and clutch locks.
GPS devices can also help you locate your pride and joy should the worst happen.

Card Scanning

A new and growing criminal trend is credit/debit card scanning whereby thieves can empty your accounts without even having to possesses you card: make sure you never leave your cards on display.

Sometimes known as ‘brush pasts’, using a secure card pouch such as Card Defender can prevent this from happening and if you’re more of a DIY fan then placing tinfoil on both sides of your wallet can also lead to the same deterrent affect.

Although most people now pay for the majority of their goods via debit/credit cards if you carry cash, particularly large quantities, make sure it’s locked away securely in a safe in your motorhome.