The theft of 4×4 caravans was once a major problem in the United Kingdom. It has decreased in prevalence, but it still remains a fact that over one thousand and six hundred caravans are stolen in the United Kingdom every year, with only about four per cent, or just over sixty are ever found again and returned to the owner after being stolen. One way to help keep thieves away from your caravan is to fit a coupling lock which will prevent anyone intending to steal your caravan from lifting the coupling latch, which will prevent the caravan from being released when it is attached to the car that is towing it, and from being towed by a car once it has been uncoupled and locked.
A universal make of coupling lock is also available which will prevent the caravan from being coupled by placing a tow ball attached to a lockable bar in the coupling, thus preventing it from being coupled to a prospective thief’s car. If you feel that a greater level of security is required, a wheel clamp might be an option to consider. By contrast, a quick option that may have to suffice if you are caught out while on holiday to secure your caravan lest it be one of the one thousand, six hundred stolen 4×4 camper trailers for sale each year is a chain and padlock. Also consider having the VIN and licence plate number permanently engraved in various places inside the caravan, as thieves will alter these when trying to sell a stolen caravan. Invisible ink that only shows up under ultraviolet light is a good option.
One option that would not have been practical in the past for securing your 4×4 offroad camper is a GPS tracking device. These can easily be acquired for under two hundred dollars and tracked through a dedicated website or smart phone app. If you want guaranteed piece of mind regarding the security of your caravan, these are by far the best option. About the size of a key chain, they can easily be concealed somewhere in your caravan, and a motion sensor will activate the tracking feature only once the caravan begins to move.
This means that a GPS tracker is ideal as a form of security when your crossover trailer is at your destination caravan park or camp site, or when it is parked while you are at home but is less useful in cases where caravans have been stolen from servos and other places on the way to and from holiday spots. Luckily, these kinds of thefts are comparatively rare when considered alongside the number of caravans stolen from caravan parks and from homes. For this reason, it’s a good idea to invest in secure parking for your strong tough camper at home if this is at all possible.