Stolen Motorhome; Just 4 out of many on a Facebook site, link at bottom of page. All stolen this month.

chas142

chas142

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50696
Posting this here on behalf of an upset couple, not members, (as far as I am aware), and unknown to me. Would be nice for it to be returned to them and the perpetrators of motorhome theft caught. Perhaps if members here shared on their Facebook page it would cover far and wide.
Facebook owners link for above Stolen Motorhome:-

The motor home was parked in Stroud, Gloucestershire and disappeared between Wednesday evening (2nd October) and Thursday morning (3rd October).
On police advice, I am sharing these details in the hope that a member of the Facebook community can help me recover it.
The motor home is an Adria Sunliving, built on Fiat Ducato chassis. The registration is WX65 BVS (although this could have been changed by now)

The VIN, which can be found on the windscreen, ends 67986.



50697

Possible sightings in Coventry and M4 towards London- please keep looking and sharing, thank you.
My parents had their house broken into and motor home stolen today. Rapido 866F with a Fiat base. If you happen to see theirs, photo below, anywhere, possibly parked up on a residential street for a couple of days to see if there’s a tracker, please get in touch. Reg has probably been changed for fake plates, but theirs is WX15 HJN. Taken from BS34. Possible sightings in Coventry and M4 towards London - please keep looking and sharing, thank you..

50698

Please share, stolen on 3rd Oct from Tadworth
*REWARD* £10,000 for location leading to its return.
Reg: EAZ 778 Please call 07821 154540
No questions asked.

50699
Can everyone please share. Some dirty @ has stolen our families van from Fauldhouse last night. My gran is 91 and relies on this for holidays and time away. Please share and make it too hot to handle. # Gutted

It's not all bad news, some other stolen units have been found and returned, some people arrested.

Facebook group for Stolen Motorhomes & Caravans:- https://www.facebook.com/groups/208791536399322/

Not sure if Moderators will allow this post, or if it could be a useful addition to the site. Could it be linked to Wild camping side? No doubt I will be advised.
 
Well after posting this I was inundated by the above Facebook group about stolen motorhomes and caravans. I just couldn't believe the amount that were being stolen. A caravan with 4 wheel clamps and a hitch lock in a storage yard. One guy has had his MH stolen twice in a year, another MH where the tracker was found but no MH. What is the world coming to!! Even tatty looking old showman's vans and I thought it was safer with an older MH.:eek::cry::cry:
 
So are they getting shipped abroad and re-registered, ringed in the UK, or for spares? Maybe all three I guess? How can they quickly by-pass a factory fitted immobilizer and an aftermarket alarm?
 
Factory fitted immobilizer by plugging into the OBD2 port and reprogramming the immobilizer, why some people are now fitting a metal box or metal cover plate around that. Some tracking units just plug into that port, so that can just be pulled and thrown out as they sorting out the immobilizer. Don't know what they are doing to the alarm but I suspect they are disconnecting the alarm and relinking the disconnected circuits.
 
Does anyone have all the vehicle windows etched with vehicle VIN ? This would make vehicle less attractive to steal .
 
North Wales police put out a statement two weeks ago that 30 motorhomes have been stolen in 16 months in their area. They advise the fitting of mechanical devices and obd locks.
 
RV2MAX said:
Does anyone have all the vehicle windows etched with vehicle VIN ? This would make vehicle less attractive to steal .
Click to expand...
I assume you mean front windows not habitation? I have a crack in a habitation window, Hymer just quoted £1300 for replacement, so not sure I would want to etch them. I recall someone here having their post code on roof, don't think I would do that but registration number I would consider.

Saw a vehicle driving around last week, 4WD with large trailer, on false plates, one of fixing screws had fallen out causing top plate to drop down revealing another plate of different number behind. I hope someone managed to report then. I couldn't as on my own and going opposite way.
 
chas142 said:
Factory fitted immobilizer by plugging into the OBD2 port and reprogramming the immobilizer, why some people are now fitting a metal box or metal cover plate around that. Some tracking units just plug into that port, so that can just be pulled and thrown out as they sorting out the immobilizer. Don't know what they are doing to the alarm but I suspect they are disconnecting the alarm and relinking the disconnected circuits.
Click to expand...

When they unlock the door the factory fitted alarm is automatically switched off.
 
chas142 said:
I assume you mean front windows not habitation? I have a crack in a habitation window, Hymer just quoted £1300 for replacement, so not sure I would want to etch them. I recall someone here having their post code on roof, don't think I would do that but registration number I would consider.

Saw a vehicle driving around last week, 4WD with large trailer, on false plates, one of fixing screws had fallen out causing top plate to drop down revealing another plate of different number behind. I hope someone managed to report then. I couldn't as on my own and going opposite way.
Click to expand...
To be effective you need them all done . You even have stickers to announce the fact on the vehicle . Its non damaging ,
I had one of my vehicles in Australia done as it was a favourite for getting stolen .
 
chas142 said:
I assume you mean front windows not habitation? I have a crack in a habitation window, Hymer just quoted £1300 for replacement, so not sure I would want to etch them. I recall someone here having their post code on roof, don't think I would do that but registration number I would consider.

Saw a vehicle driving around last week, 4WD with large trailer, on false plates, one of fixing screws had fallen out causing top plate to drop down revealing another plate of different number behind. I hope someone managed to report then. I couldn't as on my own and going opposite way.
Click to expand...
Our old Motorhome had registration on the roof. NOTE: Mind & keep note of 'original' registration if you put on private number plate. Should your vehicle get stolen, you'd need to quote both registrations.
 
Well thinking about this I wonder about a high level stick on number plate transfer, both front and back. Makes it more noticeable.

Fifer said:
Our old Motorhome had registration on the roof. NOTE: Mind & keep note of 'original' registration if you put on private number plate. Should your vehicle get stolen, you'd need to quote both registrations.
Click to expand...
 
I had my Euramobil stolen in July on Ford base. Nor recovered...believed stoked with a key programmed vision OBD port. I have CUT OFF OBD port. I have Disklok, tracker, deadlocks, Hykee replacement door lock and alarm. I also turn drivers seat round an padlock in this position. None of these would stop a determined thief but the might look for an easier option ?
 
This is very much an issue with any of the modern vans at the moment. As the OBD and Can-Bus can be manipulated within minutes with the Eastern Europeans bringing out these devices for about 900 Euros, all the modern stuff can be gone on minutes if relying on just the factory immobilisation and any Can-Bus controlled factory/2-1 alarm system. Sadly the dealer fit alarms (along with other so-called specialist alarm companies) will fit OBD controlled units, as they are a quick way to fit an alarm with very little hassle and max profit, but sadly very easy to get round (See picture of one that took merely seconds to remove and is Thatcham 2-1 approved and very much not the best way of fitting an alarm product!!).
Independent electronic and mechanical devices can assist in slowing down/stopping the thieves in their efforts to steal the van, but should always be completely independent of the Can-Bus with separate control modules and separate keys/fobs.
It's also not the first time I've heard that the van has been parked 2-10 miles away from point of theft to see if it's being tracked, but sadly with some factory installations the word has got out as to where these tracking units have been fitted as I have also had customers come to us with their replacement vans telling us that their tracking units have been found in bins/hedges etc but no van. Sadly the factory installed units have been done with no creativity as in to fitting the units in different places, as when the vans are on an assembly line they have been fitted in all the same place. Sadly this info has been leaked and some of the pro's have this knowledge. We have also been looking at these devices that are for sale on the net that signal block RF/GPS. As most Factory fitted units are only a GPS/GSM basic unit, some do not give out any warnings that an attempt is being made to jam the GPS signal, this is where the thieves then have the chance to get the van away and sadly the victims find the tracking unit in a hedge, where the unit has been found and ripped out.

OBD Plug and Play alarm.JPG
 
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