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Preventing Auto Theft: All You Need to Understand

Increased demand for caravans correlates with an elevated risk of caravan theft. Here's vital information to safeguard your caravan, whether parked at home or traveling, to protect it from theft.

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Securing your RV or camper from theft: essential information
Securing your RV or camper from theft: essential information

Preventing Auto Theft: All You Need to Understand

In the ever-growing world of caravanning, the number of registered caravans and campervans in Australia has reached an all-time high, with over 859,000 units registered in 2023, according to Tourism Research Australia. This represents a 21% increase since 2019.

With this surge in popularity, the risk of caravan theft has also risen. To help mitigate this, Neighbourhood Watch Victoria CEO, Bambi Gordon, suggests informing trusted neighbours when leaving a caravan at home, allowing them to watch for suspicious behaviour.

Deterrents for Potential Thieves

  1. Neighbourhood Watch stickers can help deter thieves, signalling that the area is monitored.
  2. External sensor lights are effective theft deterrents when caravanning in isolated areas.
  3. Home security systems such as alarm systems can be a deterrent to opportunistic thieves.
  4. Security measures like wheel clamps, coupling padlocks, alarms, and sensor lights can also be effective.
  5. Parking a caravan at night should be in a well-lit and secure location.
  6. Parking a caravan on a driveway or front lawn makes it more obvious to potential burglars that the homeowner is away.

Preventive Measures

  1. Always securely lock your car and caravan before leaving or going to sleep, even if it's on your own property.
  2. Leaving caravan doors and windows locked at all times is important for preventing theft.
  3. Marking property with the driver's license number can make stolen property harder to resell and easier to recover.
  4. Check the VIN number of a caravan online to ensure it isn't reported stolen.
  5. Investing in comprehensive caravan insurance, such as RACV Onsite Caravan Insurance and Touring Caravan Insurance, can provide coverage for theft.

Additional Tips

  1. When buying a caravan, look for positive customer feedback and strong warranties on sellers' websites.
  2. Be aware of the growing black market for stolen caravans and do thorough research to avoid falling for a stolen one.
  3. Consider parking with the hitch away from the standard access to deter potential thieves.
  4. If possible, visit the listed address to make sure it exists and have a face-to-face meeting with a staff member when buying a caravan.
  5. Valuables that can't be marked, like jewelry, should be photographed and recorded with their makes, models, and serial numbers in a secure document.
  6. Hiding a spare set of keys in or around your car or caravan is not recommended, as thieves will search for them.
  7. Storing a caravan in a secure location like a garage, fenced yard, locked building, or commercial storage facility is recommended when not in use.
  8. If a caravan is typically parked in a drive or front yard, extra security measures such as sensor lights, locks, and timers can help protect the home when the caravan is taken on a trip.
  9. Criminals frequently linked to caravan-related crime in recent years typically include opportunistic thieves targeting unguarded or improperly secured vehicles. Measures taken against caravan theft include comprehensive caravan insurance offering all-risk protection, optional theft coverage up to specified sums, and temporary security measures after break-ins, alongside police advice on minimizing burglary opportunities such as securing windows and preventing access aids like ladders.
  10. The best way to avoid caravan contents theft is to remove temptation by never leaving valuables visible in the car or caravan.

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