Motorhomes are a huge investment and one that’s definitely worth protecting.
In our recent community poll we asked motorhome and campervan owners if their vehicle had a tracking device fitted.
With more than 500 votes, it was great to see a large number of owners have invested in a motorhome tracking device to keep track of their pride and joy. A motorhome tracking device can immediately and accurately pinpoint the location of a stolen motorhome and guide police to a speedy recovery.
Let’s see how you voted…
Almost two thirds of voters (65 per cent) told us they had a tracking device fitted to their motorhome and that it was activated with many commenting that it gave them that added peace of mind. This was compared to just six per cent who have a tracking device but have not paid the subscription.
Seventeen per cent of voters told us they didn’t have a tracking device but were considering one in the future. If you’re one of these, remember that we do offer a large discount on our motorhome insurance policy if you fit and activate an approved motorhome tracking device. We do recommend that you check a particular tracking device is acceptable for insurance purposes before you commit to buy one.
Only 13 per cent of voters told us that they didn’t have a tracking device and had no plans to fit one.
Your comments…
Barry Carter said for peace of mind and lower motorhome insurance premiums he wouldn’t be without an approved tracking device.
“I am currently into my third motorhome and tracker – a SmarTrack device monitored by Global Telemetrics,” he commented. “I am able to view my motorhome’s mapped position on my smartphone and it also tells me the state of the battery that supplies it. So far (touch wood) I haven’t had to call on them for it to be recovered and may it continue to be so!”
Both Derek Millward and Susan Price agreed.
Derek has had his tracker fitted from new when he bought his 2015 motorhome and pays £99 a year for the subscription which he says is s a “bargain” for the peace of mind.
“If stolen the police have the equipment to alert them if they are in an area where my motorhome is being kept, even inside a building,” he said. “Plus I get a small discount on my insurance. It’s a win-win situation.”
Susan said her motorhome tracker was a very worthwhile investment and would recommend.
Ian Smith has a tracking device that doesn’t need an annual subscription.
“I can use with my phone and computer and only pay to top up a SIM card,” he said. “We also have a CRIS chip fitted.”
Craig,
I thank you and your team for the time and effort put in to secure me a discount on my premium.
When renewing my policy and tracker next year I will contact your team to see which tracking systems are recommended and subject to a discount,
Thank you again
John Danby
Happy to help and providing you stick with the same motorhome, the same tracking device will continue to gain you a discount. However, if you decide to change motorhome and want to fit a new device we do publish lists of approved trackers at https://www.caravanguard.co.uk/tracking
Best regards
Craig Thompson
Hi Liz
The company that supplied and fitted the tracker is called Tracker and is classed as a Retriever Cat 7
It was fitted when the motorhome was built by Dolphin Motorhomes Hampshire Dorset in 2016 it has a yearly subscription of approx £100.00 per annum and has a 5 years life and is due to be replaced in 2020 .
The company has national coverage and they state they cannot even tell me where it is located on the vehicle
Surely the underwriters can see the benefit of having any good tracker fitted ?
Is there any benefit in having one fitted ?
Hi John
I’m aware our contact centre team have called you and in this case we have been granted approval by our underwriters RSA to apply the tracking device discount.
Glad we were able to reduce your premium further.
Thanks
My friend had his motorhome stolen from his drive
A few weeks ago. He was called by the tracking company to say it was about 15 miles away with the battery power cut to the device, this meant that the tracker was not able to monitor the location of the motorhome. Police were called, local shop video cameras were checked but we’re unable to give information to the location of his motorhome. The thieves were able to override the immobiliser according to the police, by using software available on the internet within ten minutes. I personally think trackers are a waste of money. I have a visible wheel clamp, a steering wheel clamp and a security post. These are highly visible deterrent which would take longer than ten minutes to remove. I think insurance companies like yourself should stop pushing for such weak forms of protection, I do wonder if companies get a kick back from the tracker industry. I would be very interested in your reply.
Kind regards.
Trevor Brain
Hi Trevor, sorry to hear about your friend’s stolen motorhome. We can assure you that we don’t get any kick back from the tracker industry but do recognise that tracking devices can help in the recovery of stolen motorhomes, hence the large premium discounts we offer. Unfortunately, as thieves get more sophisticated we do hear of cases where they have been able to locate or tamper with a tracking device, but believe these are quite rare. Many devices now include their own backup battery which means a device can still operate even if the regular power supply has been cut. Also, some devices have an additional driver ID card which means a thief could not drive the vehicle away if the drive ID card wasn’t inside the vehicle.
It’s great to hear you have fitted a number of physical devices to your motorhome, which can be effective at deterring thieves and making it more difficult to steal your pride and joy.
How can 1 tracker be recognised yet another which does the same job is not ?
My tracker is on a 16 plate Elddis but is not recognised for discount by Caravanguard as a new model van / tracker has been brought out by manufacturer ?
Surely a tracker is going to save the insurance company in the long run.
Hi John, our underwriter’s RSA insists a device carries Thatcham approval. This provides confidence a device has been rigorously tested to make sure it performs in a theft situation. It would be interesting to know which device your motorhome has fitted so we can check to see if it has Thatcham approval. Please can you tell us the make and model of the device?