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Yesterday our son, home alone, answered the door to a 'salesman' offering windows. The visitor asked questions of the Transit another son bought, currently SORN and not insured on the driveway.
The van is 1m from kitchen window and blocked in by another car majority of the time, visible from the street in a quiet cul-de-sac.
The questions were around who owned the van and thier trade.
I suspect they are wondering if it's got tools in.
Where to from here? I'm wondering about leaving it unlocked (it's completely empty), or even putting it on insurance (something we were delaying until April when son is home and starts driving it).
If they want to steal it then most anti-theft devices can be bypassed.
Perhaps remove the wheels and then leave it unlocked? Cheapest option?
a Fire & Theft (no Third Party because of the SORN) policy should cost buttons, could be worthwhile
You could always buy a short-term cover for theft? And report it as its unusual and there may have been other reports of suspicious behaviour/visits to other properties. Could always remove all of the fuses/battery to deter 'quick getaway' if leaving unlocked
Pretty easy to make it undrivable. Disconnect or remove something vital under the bonnet. Then leave it unlocked, especially if it has a bulkhead and you can leave the back open but lock the cab.
I thought the son intended to sleep in it whilst abroad, time to start practicing 😉
i wonder how much it would cost if you took the whole story to the insurers:
ie: we are worried about it being nicked, but it is as secure as can be reasonable, does zero miles and any ne'r do well would have to move another car to get it out.
Cant be much, surely? Just make sure the details are included on the notes.
I'd just leave it unlocked - there's not much you can feasibly do to stop them hacking their way into a van. At least leaving it unlocked will hopefully stop them damaging the van in the process. Disconnect battery in case it's the actual van they're after. And yeah, insure it even though private ground.
I'm considering adding a window in our Transit rear to allow folks to see there's nothing stored in it overnight. Issue would then be (obviously) that bikes/etc would be visible at the times we're using it for it's intended purpose.
Surveillance from a bedroom ready to toss a brick out the window at them.
Surveillance from a bedroom ready to
toss a brickFIRE THE FLAMETHROWER out the window at them.
FTFY
FFS that’s a stress no one wants, yeah leave unlocked. Shotgun blank alarm for anyone sat on front seat. Should produce quite a pop in a small space. Tell the family though.
Leave unlocked as above but if you get anyone ask again just say mam with van or removals etc. Implies nothing in the van.
Maybe drop an email to your local policing team - they might be interested in people going door to door and asking sus questions like that.
Years ago we had a VW van that couldn't be started on the drive. It had a jammed startermotor. We'd taken the battery off to charge and left it unlocked.
Someone had tried to steal it by cutting a seat belt to use as a tow rope and tried to bump start it down the road unsuccessfully. We found it a few streets away the next morning.
Strangest thing was they'd left a half eaten pot of coleslaw on the dashboard.
We took a wheel off after that.
Shotgun blank alarm for anyone sat on front seat. Should produce quite a
poppoop in a small space.
FTFY
I’m wondering about leaving it unlocked (it’s completely empty)
Im not sure the lock will be safe 😕 they'll probably be away with that, maybe the doors too.
a Fire & Theft (no Third Party because of the SORN) policy should cost buttons, could be worthwhile
Would an insurance company be likely to look at a claim very suspiciously if it was to then be stolen a few days after such a policy was taken out? Genuine question, not trying to be clever.
Remove the battery. And steering wheel (if simple), or a wheel otherwise. Leave unlocked. We used to routinely remove the battery from my mini when I parked it in London.
Nobody will try and drive a vehicle without a steering wheel.
In a past life driving a car with security befitting of its 1970s vintage, when parking in an area where it was likely to be "borrowed" I stuck the coil lead in my pocket.
As you say though, it seems more likely that they were interested in its potential contents rather than the van itself. If they wanted the van then that wouldn't have required an advance scouting party.
How did your son answer? That would be key to them returning would it not?
Nobody will try and drive a vehicle without a steering wheel.
Seen a car driven with a set of mole grips!
Leave the van open, tbh if its an old transit a tennis ball will open it but better to leave it open if nothing in it. Battery removal to stop it being driven off.
Tbf with the costs of vans they could just be asking with no nefarious intent.
Slightly tongue in cheek but do you live in a newish build estate where the deeds specifically forbid trade vehicles?
The salesman could be local and looking to rid the neighborhood of the aberration on your drive. Expect an angry people in local newspapers article next week on how the area is going to the dogs. Probably want to know if it's a vaguely respectable trade before they get too angry.
tbh if its an old transit a tennis ball will open it
That was Volvos, Transits need to be opened by looking at them funny.
Nobody will try and drive a vehicle without a steering wheel.
Back in the day I had a Ford Escort mk1 with a badly worn nylon fixing for the gearstick and changing gear too hard made the gearstick simply pull out of the housing. It was stolen from a cinema car park and subsequently found about 200 metres down the road, engine still running, gearstick on the back seat. Best security device ever 🙂
Both rear wheels off,
axle stands.
Leave unlocked.
Coming soon to STW, "help, someone's stolen my axle stands!"
Thanks all.
Unlocked and 'immobilised' unless you're a mechanic.
I suspect they thought tools.
The lad was ok with his answers - he did tell them it was his brothers van, who was a student. Nothing more.
I tell you, if this leaks out it will re-invigorate our neighborhood watch, cause house prices to plummet as middle class residents realise there is actually crime at times...shhh.
Similar to Johndoh my old man had a maroon Maestro, with the ignition key jammed in the lock. It was stolen a couple of times, but always abandoned within half a mile, sadly never burnt out. A truly hateful car.
Smear the steering wheel with dog muck
Both rear wheels off,
axle stands.
Why rears if it’s front wheel drive?
cause house prices to plummet as middle class residents realise there is actually crime at times
Can’t be that middle class anyhow if there is a van parked up on it 🤪
Undo all the wheel nuts but leave them in place. Dog shit under the door handles.
Transits need to be opened by looking at them funny.
Is that funny ha ha, or funny peculiar?
Maybe drop an email to your local policing team – they might be interested
After you lot have finished with your random destruction and dirty protests I think I'd rather my van was stolen. It'd end up in better condition.
I was thinking the same thing...!
When I had my home brew camper, I had 3 or 4 folk knock on the door and ask if it was mine (parked on the road) and if I wanted to sell it. I think there are just some people in central Scotland that buy and sell vans. Nothing too dodgy IMHO.
Just leave it unlocked
I had a neighbour who was sick of his van being broken into, he just decided to start leaving it unlocked. Never a problem again.
We had a big white Merc van parked on some spare ground up our lane for 9 years. It belonged to a builder who lives near to us who had blown the engine up, bought another van, ad was going to repair it and convert to a camper.
We had people knocking on our door on a regular basis asking if it was ours and did we want to sell it, I assume he also had loads of enquiries . In all that time it was never broken in to or vandalised. Eventually he gave it to his daughter who had it collected and delivered to go into her garden and be converted into some kind of glamping van. she has had it 3 years and not got round to doing it.
We have also had door knockers asking if we want to sell the Tourneo Custom as they cant get one anywhere at the right price.
In all probability the guy was just having a bit of harmless chat.
Nobody will try and drive a vehicle without a steering wheel.
I did. Drove a mk1 MX5 I was scrapping onto a low loader. Steering wheel had been sold so pair of molgrips on the spline and away I went. I'll admit, it wasn't the most responsive thing to drive in that configuration.