Van Drivers - Warning

[kme]

This may apply to other makes; but specifically:

Citroen Dispatch, Renault Master, Fiat Scudo, Toyota Hiace.

I found out this weekend, to my loss, that the little button in the centre of the console, that you can press to unlock the rear doors? Well - it works all the time - even when the vehicle is locked up.

So, if some thieving scrote wants to get into your van, they just "pop" out the one & only lock (drivers` door) ; flick the bar to open the cab, reach in, press the little button, and, as if by magic, the rear doors all unlock. Must have been like Christmas.

There is a little 10 or 12 way multiplug behind the switch unit - mine has now (too late) been removed - but I can only hope that this post gives other members a chance to plug this security hole in your vans.

n.b. If this also applies to other vehicles, please feel free to append them below



KME 

 

[Ferg]

Sorry to hear that Kme.

This is one of the reasons I live where I do.

My van battery is on it's way out so this morning I parked it up in a car park, left the keys in the ignition and the engine running while I nipped out to get a coffee.

I ended up being 10-15 minutes and my only concern was wasting fuel.

I hope you manage to recover at least some of your gear and the thieving scrotes get whatever karma is coming their way.  :run

 

[Phoenix]

I had a company old shape dispatch (pre-2006) up until a year ago. In march 2013 I left it parked on a street outside a construction site in Bramley, Leeds, hardly the best area but could be seen from the site through the herras fencing.

I returned to the van mid afternoon to find that the rear lock had been popped out, and my 24V SDS was gone. Which was odd really they would have had to unload and re-load my steps to get it. We found out that with the lock no longer in place that anything could operate the mechanism, a joiners pencil unlocked it without issue

Like I said it was outside a busy site, and wasn't the first van to be targetted, how they did it without anyone seeing I don't know, also don't know what would have happened if they'd been seen!

 

[Andy™]

first thing i done with my van was remove the links from the locks & modify and weak spots so they cant be opened from the outside. still didnt stop someone trying the lock, but they wouldnt have got the door open anyway

 

[Sharpend]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune.

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[apprentice87]

Hi All.

I have often been tempted to get some old class one electric drills and stuff, wire the live to the frame of the thing, and leave then out to be stolen. Technically, legally, there is NOTHING anyone could do;

[SIZE=12pt]Holman v Johnson[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt] [1775] 'No court will lend its aid to a man who founds his cause of action upon an immoral or illegal act. If, from the plaintiff's own stating or otherwise, the cause of action appears to arise ex turpi causa, or the transgression of a positive law of this country then the court says he has no right to be assisted.'[/SIZE]

Although i would not like to be the one that puts this to the test.... BUT it does show that all those convicted of thumping burglars, or burglars suing them after they break in and then fall down a hole, must have very crap solicitors indeed...

Want an even better act????? burglars eh, want to maim a few, permanently?? for life?? well check this out...

[SIZE=12pt]Offences Against the Person Act 1861[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Setting spring guns, &c., with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Whosoever shall set or place, or cause to be set or placed, any spring gun, man trap, or other engine calculated to destroy human life or inflict grievous bodily harm, with the intent that the same or whereby the same may destroy or inflict grievous bodily harm upon a trespasser or other person coming in contact therewith, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and being convicted thereof shall be liable . . .  to be kept in penal servitude . . . and whosoever shall knowingly and wilfully permit any such spring gun, man trap, or other engine which may have been set or placed in any place then being in or afterwards coming into his possession or occupation by some other person to continue so set or placed, shall be deemed to have set and placed such gun, trap, or engine with such intent as aforesaid: Provided, that nothing in this section contained shall extend to make it illegal to set or place any gin or trap such as may have been or may be usually set or placed with the intent of destroying vermin: Provided also, that nothing in this section shall be deemed to make it unlawful to set or place, or cause to be set or placed, or to be continued set or placed, from sunset to sunrise, any spring gun, man trap, or other engine which shall be set or placed, or caused or continued to be set or placed, in a dwelling house, for the protection thereof[/SIZE]

These are all current acts, look them up yourselves if you like....

So, busily working on my car rear suspension leaf spring powered cross bow for the protection of my house....

john...

 

[binky]

so they can burgle you during the day, but not at night....

lots of vans have the locking-unlocking button - my old vito did, and it would work regardless of the keys being in the ignition. All points in the direction of mechnical security.

 

[MeFil]

Bad luck.

Anyone stealing another persons tools are the scum of the earth in my book.

I was going to put a can cam in the back of my van. Won't stop then nicking them but at least I might have a chance of identifying them later.

 

[Evans Electric]

Sorry to hear that Kme.

This is one of the reasons I live where I do.

My van battery is on it's way out so this morning I parked it up in a car park, left the keys in the ignition and the engine running while I nipped out to get a coffee.

I ended up being 10-15 minutes and my only concern was wasting fuel.

I hope you manage to recover at least some of your gear and the thieving scrotes get whatever karma is coming their way.  :run

Holy sheet Fergie  where the hell do you live ?        Some Utopian Disneyish wonderland ...The Land of Oz ...some town where baby deer look up from grazing and smile at you  while singing bluebirds land on your shoulder in a cloud of fairy dust!!!!     

Do that here and you'd return to find either no van ...or the police towing it away as running while unattended .  

Bad luck.

Anyone stealing another persons tools are the scum of the earth in my book.

I was going to put a can cam in the back of my van. Won't stop then nicking them but at least I might have a chance of identifying them later.

Don't bother MeFil , the police ain't interested.       Park it on a yellow line for 3 mins and they'll show up . 

Liked to see their faces after they did our van and opened the red Hilti case ......to find the housebrick .  We used to leave it right behind te rear doors as a loss leader.

 

[MeFil]

Who said I wanted to identify anyone for the benefit of the police...

 

[apprentice87]

Be better in lots of ways when the islamics take over. Cut their hands off, that is what they need..

john

 

[Andy™]

bet they complain and demand British law instead when their hands are due for removal...

 

[Jono Pashley]

The crappy plastic handles manufacturers fit dont help they can just smash those off and reach in to unlock regardless of deadlocking the van. Vivaro wont let you use the internal unlock button when deadlocked but does suffer with the crappy handles...thinking of sending mine in for separate deadlocks and maybe a van vault.

 

[NozSpark]

My old kangoo had a plastic handle made of cheese that once removed gave you direct access to the mechanism.... Came in really handy when I locked my keys in the van when I was doing a little job for a fellow forumite 25 miles away

 

[kme]

Question for App87.

If I rig my van with a variant of an "electric fence" - whereby the metalwork on the inside of the van is 25Kv hotter than the chassis...........am I committing an offence??

Because I`m seriously considering re-instituting a variant of what WAS in there - but, like an arse, I connected it to the central locking

As soon as they pushed the "unlock" button on the console (THAT has left the f`in building, too), they disarmed my DIY security unit.

If its legal - I`ll market it Any buyers????

 

[steptoe]

I have a wireless pir in the van,

but, i still strongly suggest drilling some holes and fitting those lock thingies.

 

[Sharpend]

Just out of interest, would it be worthwhile writing to the manufacturers re the console button as it makes the van security unfit for purpose surely?

I shall check my caddy tomorrow.

 

[apprentice87]

Hi KME,

The 1861 act refers to spring guns and suchlike mechanical contrivances IN A DWELLING HOUSE. I think i can remember a case where someone got convicted for electrifying their house, because "electrical" contrivances are/were not exempted under said act. [Whereas mechanical ones are]

However, the other act i referred to, "Holman", ought, to provide you with a defence. Would not like to be the one that tested this though. See judges can pervert the law to suit their own ends when it suits them, even to the point of completely changing the intentions of the act, thus obstructing or perverting the "will of parliament" Not saying this is right, or even legal, but this is what happens. {there is a term for the "intentions" of an act, cannot remember it right now!]

Now, if you connected up a cattle fencing unit, such as any farmer can legitimately buy in any purveyor of farm supplies, i would think this would be legal. After all, farmers can string the things for miles across open countryside where members of the public have [rightly or wrongly] the "right to roam" Never mind who owns the land, such places are considered to be "public places" purely because the public have access to them. As your van is insulated from the ground by it's tyres, so long as you park it on private property, i can see no reason why you cannot connect one of these to the WHOLE of your van. No idea if there is any case law on this!!!!

Thing is, the bit that is illegal, is placing something "with the intent that the same or whereby the same may destroy or inflict grievous bodily harm upon a trespasser or other person coming in contact therewith" A fencing unit is not designed to do this, or the above act would prevent farmers using them. I know you will say that the farmer might say that he did not INTEND to kill trespassers, but being reckless as to thet fact that it MIGHT harm them amounts to the same thing. Also be aware of the fact that "you take your victim as you find them" so, even if a piece of equipment was usually safe, if someone with a pacemaker touched it and it killed them, you would be right in it, but then we are back to "Holman" Fact remains though, farmers can use them to prevent their stock from wandering off into the night, cannot see why you cannot do the same!!

john...

 

[Jono Pashley]

Just got home and noticed this.....the little unlock padlock on the dash stays lit up on the vivaro if the doors are locked, now it doesnt work when deadlocked BUT why the **** does it need to advertise its location to any scumbag who happens to look through the window so they can smash their way in to find they still cant get into the load bay....stuck tape over it for now...vans going in for additional locks fitted since 3 vans got done in my area same night as KMEs...apparently locks4vans t series deadlocks are the dogs back wheels at keeping the doors secure.

 

[ROADESPARKY]

Just been reading the posts and decided to add one the you may or may not know about. VW Transporter upto 59 plate. To dead lock the doors you push the lock button on your keys twice. Small problem with some vans the back doors unlock leaving your van open to all. This is an intermittent fault, so anyone with a transporter, when you dead lock your van make sure you check your back doors!