I take it you are getting concerned about security..... The standard fitting for the main door is an Abus deadlock, as fitted to many Hymers. Other makes will do, but the install needs tools - or a professional.
Alarms - I take it you want a self contained battery operated unit to give some level of intruder detection in the van. These are available on Ebay for about a tenner, and offer a keypad operated IR motion sensor, and a loud alarm. They do work, I had one for a few months. I installed it opposite the door. The trouble is with these is that they are hard to hear outside the van, and unless you hide it in a cage, as soon as it goes off they are so flimsy that an intruder can locate the noise and stamp on it within seconds.
The sad truth is that all you need is a spade to get into any motorhome, deadlocks or not. It is impossible to secure the plastic windows. Security alarms only go so far, and any self respecting criminal knows his stuff - and passers by will rarely intervene.
But the good news is that the problem is overstated, we all panic when we read stories of MH occupants being gassed, like it's an everyday occurrence. It's not. A motorhome is quite a risk for a thief - he has no way of knowing what is inside and what to expect. A casual thief will always choose a car or a house. A dedicated thief, if you are statistically unlucky enough to encounter one, will succeed regardless.
In 350,000 km and 15 years of hard Hymering I have never been burgled. That doesn't mean I have a cavalier attitude to security, I don't. Passports and money are either with us, or in any of the really good hidey holes the Hymer has to offer. Laptops get disguised in plain sight. When parking in higher risk areas, new places, poor areas, whatever, I have a collection of old mobile phones and a second wallet with expired credit cards and about 20 or 30 quid in local currency, or even pounds.....most thieves want in and grab and out...so the trick is to minimise their time inside by making it easy for them. I also leave my old android tablet on the bed, so they will grab that and not look further for the ipad under the mattress!
My ultimate backup is that I actively plan for the eventuality of being left with nothing except my underpants. My photos are in the cloud, my passwords are also out there somewhere, and I have good insurance. Fire is by far and away a bigger risk. A new phone and laptop and an internet connection and I would be back on track in a day....oh and some trousers!
So enjoy your holiday and don't obsess about security - address the issues, but don't obsess. Having backups of your data and photos, and knowing what to do in case of emergency with regard to your finances and contacting relatives is the most important thing. If you are unlucky enough to be visited by a criminal, take it on the chin, use the insurance, and move on - you have just been unlucky, same as if some truck had scraped down the side of the van.
An old van is also good camouflage - thieves know that modern vans are £60,000 plus, so their owners will also have lots of gadgets and stuff inside - older vans less so.
Alarms - I take it you want a self contained battery operated unit to give some level of intruder detection in the van. These are available on Ebay for about a tenner, and offer a keypad operated IR motion sensor, and a loud alarm. They do work, I had one for a few months. I installed it opposite the door. The trouble is with these is that they are hard to hear outside the van, and unless you hide it in a cage, as soon as it goes off they are so flimsy that an intruder can locate the noise and stamp on it within seconds.
The sad truth is that all you need is a spade to get into any motorhome, deadlocks or not. It is impossible to secure the plastic windows. Security alarms only go so far, and any self respecting criminal knows his stuff - and passers by will rarely intervene.
But the good news is that the problem is overstated, we all panic when we read stories of MH occupants being gassed, like it's an everyday occurrence. It's not. A motorhome is quite a risk for a thief - he has no way of knowing what is inside and what to expect. A casual thief will always choose a car or a house. A dedicated thief, if you are statistically unlucky enough to encounter one, will succeed regardless.
In 350,000 km and 15 years of hard Hymering I have never been burgled. That doesn't mean I have a cavalier attitude to security, I don't. Passports and money are either with us, or in any of the really good hidey holes the Hymer has to offer. Laptops get disguised in plain sight. When parking in higher risk areas, new places, poor areas, whatever, I have a collection of old mobile phones and a second wallet with expired credit cards and about 20 or 30 quid in local currency, or even pounds.....most thieves want in and grab and out...so the trick is to minimise their time inside by making it easy for them. I also leave my old android tablet on the bed, so they will grab that and not look further for the ipad under the mattress!
My ultimate backup is that I actively plan for the eventuality of being left with nothing except my underpants. My photos are in the cloud, my passwords are also out there somewhere, and I have good insurance. Fire is by far and away a bigger risk. A new phone and laptop and an internet connection and I would be back on track in a day....oh and some trousers!
So enjoy your holiday and don't obsess about security - address the issues, but don't obsess. Having backups of your data and photos, and knowing what to do in case of emergency with regard to your finances and contacting relatives is the most important thing. If you are unlucky enough to be visited by a criminal, take it on the chin, use the insurance, and move on - you have just been unlucky, same as if some truck had scraped down the side of the van.
An old van is also good camouflage - thieves know that modern vans are £60,000 plus, so their owners will also have lots of gadgets and stuff inside - older vans less so.
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