The Blues and Phantom stop January theft and misery
The value of a modern caravan makes it an attractive proposition for a thief. This is further increased by the fact that it is left unattended for long periods of time. These two factors have led to an increase in the number of caravan thefts, estimated to be 1,200 in 2014 by the camping and caravanning club. The good news is that the thieves are not having it all their own way as a recent incident experienced by Brian Taylor highlighted.
I use my caravan when I am working away, so it is very important to me, he explained. It cost me over 20,000 pound back in 2012, a significant investment I want to protect. His Hobby 700 VIPP had been left on a secure site at Cannock for a week when Brian got a text from us here at Phantom. I have a proactive tracker installed in the van so that the instant it is moved Phantoms control centre is automatically notified, Brian said.
They texted me immediately to tell me the alarm was going off. I have installed cameras on the van that I can access via the Internet, but when I checked these to see what was happening, I could not get a signal. This seemed to suggest that they had been deliberately disconnected because a theft was in progress. As I was only 10 minutes away at the time, I decided to drive to the site to check it out, Brian continued.
But, then I got a phone call from Phantom telling me that the van was on the move and on the M54. I immediately contacted the police and they liaised with Phantom to track the van down and apprehend the thieves. Ten minutes later I got another call from Phantom telling me the police had recovered the van. So, in under an hour I had my van back! The monitoring service that we offer means that for a small monthly fee, you can feel secure that your van is constantly being monitored. So that if the worst happens it will be quickly recovered.
It also gives the Police greater control over when they can actually apprehend a stolen vehicle as they need to be mindful of where and when they stop a stolen caravan once it is in motion. The thief will be desperate to get away and will not be too concerned what happens to the van or the danger they cause to other road users. We Currently now protect nearly 500 million pounds worth of caravans and motorhomes across the UK and it is a service that is well worth the outlay as Brian concluded. This is the second time that Phantom has helped me recover the van as it was stolen previously in 2013 down in Portsmouth. They offer an excellent service that is worth its weight in gold. I would certainly recommend it to other caravan owners as it gives you peace of mind knowing that your van is being watched and will be recovered quickly if you are unfortunate enough to have it stolen.