The Caravan Owners Club

[Hobbynut]

As previously stated in another article on here, a caravan storage compound at Catfoss in East Yorkshire was broken into 3 times last year during which Hobby's were stolen ( including a 3 week old 700 SMF ) Hobby windows and upholstery were also stolen. On the last visit the thieves stole 4 British vans ( no Hobby's available to pinch at this time ). Since then the company has been awarded the CaSSOA Silver Standard. So what exactly is this CaSSOA all about, presumably if more vans had been stolen, the company might have achieved Gold Standard ??????

[beejay]

There is no such thing as secure caravan storage. All the initials mean is that a certain standard has been reached in the opinion of whatever organisation is involved. Whether that standard is meaningful or not is debatable! Until caravans are registered individually as on the continent nothing will change. The police, insurance companies and manufacturers are not interested and we all spend, spend, spend on security devices, that, in many cases, are a sheer waste of money. Some of these items are just junk! My three (required) "Sold Secure" devices were overcome in a matter of minutes, silently and without disturbing two dogs. The "sophisticated" device (wheel clamp manufacturer's phrase) used to remove them was a stillson wrench and a length of tube. Interestingly, all these labels only indicate that the device was not defeated within a certain time. It would be far better if they were defeated AT ALL. If caravans were to be registered then disposal would be far more difficult and we would have to live with the inevitable "MoT" and tax that would result, however, lower insurance premiums would be bonus.(who am I kidding?). Are all the ( tens of) thousands of stolen vans really bought by unsuspecting buyers, if not, where the hell DO they go?

[jason]

i bet what the thieves do is put an old caravan on the secure storage site suss out the security arangements and when the opportunity arrises steel or brake into some elses van.

[Doc]

. . . . Until caravans are registered individually as on the continent nothing will change. The police, insurance companies and manufacturers are not interested and we all spend, spend, spend on security devices, that, in many cases, are a sheer waste of money. Some of these items are just junk! . . . . If caravans were to be registered then disposal would be far more difficult and we would have to live with the inevitable "MoT" and tax that would result, however, lower insurance premiums would be bonus.(who am I kidding?). Are all the ( tens of) thousands of stolen vans really bought by unsuspecting buyers, if not, where the hell DO they go?

Totally agree beejay; I've been wittering on about it for years.

Not only to curtail theft and, importantly re-sale, but also to incorporate some sort of Caravan MOT along the lines of the German TUV test. This would help to curtail dealers from selling on technically 'dodgy', damp 'vans.