A'van Security

I believe in Queensland last year an A-van was stolen out of someone's driveway.  I understand with a lot of van thefts, the van finishes up in the 'bush' and I really mean in the 'bush' where they are used as a hut for the minders of marijuana plantations! Sure beats living in a tent! If you just use a trailer lock like the one you show, saying it can be sawn through with a hacksaw in thirty minutes - you can take it to a metal foundry and they will case harden it for you very quickly - red heat and dunk in water several times. The point I am trying to make is, if that is the only security you use on a van I could take that van in about 30 seconds flat without cutting through the trailer lock or touching the padlock. All I would do is bring my own padlock, back my car up to the van, padlock the van safety chains together at the right links, so I lift it up and drop it over my towball, and take off.  You can drive for miles safely like that to somewhere private, then take all the time in the world in removing the locks, If that is too difficult, then unbolt the hitch off the A frame, and bolt on the spare one you have thoughtfully brought along.

Photo at left shows the tongue that fits into the socket. Photo at right shows the lock fitted on the A'van. The manufacturer suggests that the chains be fed underneath as well. This isn't too easy to do!

  Nothing is impossible with any security. If a thief wants yours too bad, you wont stop him, only slow him down. Make it difficult, or time consuming for him, so he will go and steal someone else's van instead of yours! To that end, it is recommended that you should in all things have at least two deterrents. My own security is I use the trailer lock as above, PLUS, I padlock the safety chains together through the handle so it cannot be used as above, PLUS I put on a Klamp-it Wheel Clamp. Their motto is Klamp-it Keep- it!  The firm is in Sydney.  They advertise in the caravan magazines. Different sizes for different wheels. Cost about $200.00. One only required. I put mine on the spare wheel while travelling along, and on arrival wherever I then take it off the spare and put it on the left hand wheel.

Very quick, very simple. A sad reflection on society, but my van is a big investment to me - there is about two to three vans a week stolen around Australia, and their recovery is a very low priority with the police. Not many are recovered.

Oh yes, and I do have three security systems on my car, and three on my house, and I rest easy!

Neil Louer