The surge in the popularity of the on-the-road lifestyle has had one unwanted side effect … a similar surge in the number people wanting to steal caravans and motorhomes.
With Recreational Vehicle prices – and thefts – on the rise, grey nomads and other travellers are understandably looking at ways to protect their pride and joy.
Travellers commonly consider everything from locks and immobilisers to security cameras and alarms … and much more besides.
At the end of the day, though, recreational vehicles do still get stolen as thieves become ever more determined and ever more sophisticated.
And there’s only one thing worse than having your RV stolen … not getting it back! The market for GPS trackers – devices that allows you to track where your vehicle is around the clock – have grown rapidly in recent years, offering customers a much-improved chance of getting their stolen vehicles back … as well as much greater peace of mind.
There are two main kinds of GPS Trackers – wired and wireless. The hardwired variety has the advantage of being ‘set and forget’ but can be more costly and ‘findable’. The wireless version is very compact and can generally be hidden anywhere in the vehicle, but its batteries will obviously need replacing from time to time.
Trackers now commonly come with an app that allows you to track your RV’s location on your phone or computer if it’s on the move. Many can be ‘geo-fenced’ so that the user is notified immediately the van moves out of a certain area. Some will even sound an alarm when moved unexpectedly.
The price of a GPS Tracker can vary significantly depending on the features offered and the company involved but, as a general guide, one of the leading Australian companies Solid GPS, sells its wireless tracker for $147, and charges an annual subscription of $69.99.
The company says its device’s batteries generally last between three and six months and take about six hours to recharge. Users are alerted when the batteries are starting to run low.
Eric Harrington – who has been travelling around Australia in his caravan for the past year – bought a Solid GPS tracker ahead of his adventure and is delighted with it.
“I haven’t had any bad experiences yet, but the money I’ve invested in my ‘home’ was definitely a good enough reason to make sure I don’t lose it,” he said. “I just wanted to be able to know that my van is where it should be and that, if it does get stolen, I would have an opportunity to get it back.”
Eric, who stays in both caravan parks and free camps with his wife, says the Tracker was easy to set up and to monitor via an App on his phone.
“For me, it was a question of how do I safely and effectively safeguard my caravan,” he said. “So yes, I’ve fitted it to my Zone van and it does give me peace of mind as I can look where it is at any time.”
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