Motorhome Trackers and Immobilisers

Motorhome security refers to the use of electronic or physical measures to discourage malicious acts, prevent damage, and prevent vehicle theft. These measures include immobilisers, trackers, dashcams, steering locks, driveway bollards, and other physical deterrents.

In 2022/23, England and Wales witnessed a significant increase in motor vehicle thefts, with 130,521 instances reported. This is a stark contrast from the previous year, and the trend of vehicle theft has been on the rise since 2013/14 when 70,000 vehicles were reported stolen. The increase in vehicle thefts can be attributed to the growing use of keyless entry and start systems, along with the emergence of new digital theft methods that make it easy for thieves to circumvent factory-installed security features and steal vehicles in mere seconds.

Almost every vehicle make, model, or type has an equal risk, meaning that just about any modern vehicle on the road can be stolen as easily as the next, particularly those fitted with keyless technologies. The Fiat Ducato, which is the base platform for nearly 90% of all UK-registered motorhomes, is the most frequently stolen leisure vehicle in the country, even though for the most part it uses a traditional turnkey style starting mechanism. Motorhomes that don't have keyless entry and start technology are often stolen using key cloning or OBD attack methods. In fact, cloning a key is almost as easy and quick as using the relay attack method that's commonly used to steal modern keyless vehicles. This means that thieves can easily clone a key and use it later to steal a motorhome.

Here we discuss some of the most important things you can do to protect your motorhome from theft.

1. Keyless entry and Start systems.

If your motorhome has a keyless entry and start system, it is recommended that you turn it off. This will prevent thieves from using electronic devices to pick up and transmit your motorhome’s key signal, which would allow thieves to gain entry, start and steal your motorhome. Although you will need to press the unlock button on the fob every time you want to enter the vehicle, it is a simple step that can provide added protection.

If you cannot turn off your motorhome's keyless entry and start system, it is important to take measures to protect your motorhome's key. You can either keep the key in a Faraday pouch or box when you are not using your motorhome or keep the key a good distance away from the vehicle.

If you choose to keep your key at a distance from your motorhome, make sure there is no direct line of sight to the vehicle, such as through windows and doors. The transceivers that thieves use can broadcast deeply into a house to find your key, so simply keeping the key a good distance away from your motorhome may not always be sufficient. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you use aftermarket security products such as a tracker and immobiliser system, as well as a Faraday pouch, to further deny entry to the vehicle.

If your motorhome does not have keyless entry and start technology and uses a conventional turn key (ignition barrel) system, then it is already more secure than the former. However, you can still take precautions with your vehicle's traditional key, which mainly involves keeping it safe and only giving it to trusted service or tradespersons. Whenever you hand your motorhome's key to someone and leave them with your vehicle, they have the potential to clone or code a new key to your motorhome. To avoid such risks, make sure to keep your motorhome's key safe and only give it to trustworthy individuals or businesses.

2. Look for an indication your motorhome locked.

Thieves have found a new way to steal motorhomes by using signal jammers to prevent owners' key fobs from locking their vehicles. They target motorhome owners who don't check whether their vehicle has locked before walking away. These thefts usually take place in supermarket car parks or motorway service stations, but they can happen anywhere. The thieves follow a motorhome, broadcast a signal to prevent the key's signal from locking the vehicle, and then steal it through an OBD attack, a cloned key, or other ways.

To avoid this type of theft, you should always check for an indication that your motorhome has received the lock signal from your key fob. This can be a flashing indicator light, folding mirrors, or a horn beep. If you don't receive any indication after pressing the lock button, your key's signal is likely being jammed. In this case, you should stop and lock your motorhome manually using the key blade or by touching the door handle if fitted with keyless technology. Locking your motorhome manually is an effective way to prevent this type of theft, as it avoids the use of the key's signal and therefore foils jamming attempts.

3. Invest and install additional aftermarket motorhome security.

Many vehicles produced today have insufficient security features, which makes them vulnerable to digital theft. Manufacturers are struggling to keep up with the rapid development of new theft techniques. For this reason, motorhome owners are turning to aftermarket solutions to protect their vehicles.

Aftermarket immobilisers are becoming increasingly important in the fight against modern digital theft methods. These user-friendly passive devices require no input from the driver and provide an additional independent layer of authorisation for your motorhome's starting procedure. They work independently from the vehicle's factory-fitted security systems and are therefore excellent upgrades for preventing your motorhome from being stolen via the use of modern theft techniques.

Modern professional vehicle trackers are also essential in the recovery efforts of a stolen vehicle. Without one, the chances of finding and recovering a stolen motorhome are slim. Motor insurers often require the installation of Thatcham category S5 trackers, especially for vehicles over £45,000 which most new motorhomes easily surpass. These trackers offer 24/7 theft monitoring and automatic driver recognition for early alerts to a potential theft. They are must-have items on your motorhomes security to-do list because they are insurance-approved products, and their installation can help reduce your insurance premium.

Ideally, you should have both a tracker and an aftermarket immobiliser to ensure maximum security for your motorhome. An aftermarket immobiliser prevents nearly all attempts of opportunistic theft, while the tracker serves as a backup in case of theft in any circumstance. Without an immobiliser, your motorhome can be stolen with relative ease using modern theft techniques. And without a tracker, you are unlikely to recover your motorhome if it does get stolen.

4. Factory-fitted trackers (a false sense of security).

(If fitted) It is not advisable to subscribe or activate a factory-fitted tracker on your motorhome. If your new leisure vehicle comes included with a tracker and subscription plan, that's fine. However, it is not recommended to spend money on one when equipping/speccing the vehicle from new or even activating it in a pre-owned vehicle. It is better to have an aftermarket tracker installed, even if you are already subscribed to the factory-fitted tracker service.

The reason for avoiding factory-fitted trackers is that they are not designed for true vehicle security purposes. They are just part of your motorhome's communications hardware with a monitoring centre attached to it, marketed as a factory-fitted tracker. While some of them may be independent factory-fitted trackers, they are often outdated and bulky, making them easy to find by thieves.

Manufacturers offer factory-fitted trackers and services as another revenue stream, but they are expensive compared to aftermarket subscription rates. The primary reason to avoid factory-fitted trackers is that they are all installed in the same place specific to the vehicle model. This makes it easy for thieves to locate and remove the tracker if they know where to look.

Most stolen-recovered vehicles are found with the factory-fitted tracker disabled, but thieves will also disable all factory-fitted hardware that can communicate with the outside world, including the SOS call system and integrated SIM.

Motorhome dealership-fitted trackers are also not recommended, as dealership technicians are not professionals in the covert, high-quality installation of aftermarket security equipment. They are likely to follow specifications for their connection and positioning of the tracker provided by their aftermarket supplier, making them easy to find again in the same locations or generally through poor installation. True aftermarket installation of your security equipment away from any dealerships is always recommended. Always use an experienced industry professional or business to ensure you receive to best advice, production recommendation/suitability, installation standards, service, and aftercare.

Therefore, it is not recommended to have your tracker installed at the dealership unless you do your research, ask, and find that a third-party reputable vehicle security installation professional comes into the dealership to perform their installations.

Conclusion -

To conclude, it’s wise to invest and we would encourage you to install some form of aftermarket vehicle security product on your motorhome. With the development of new digital theft techniques, most modern vehicle’s factory-fitted security features are inadequate leading to an increased risk of vehicle theft. Therefore, it's recommended you turn off your motorhome's keyless entry and start system if possible and take measures to secure your motorhome key against relay attack and key cloning. You should also be wary of your key’s signal being jammed when locking your vehicle and look for an indication from your motorhome that it received the signal and locked, indicator flash, folded mirror, or horn beep. For peace of mind, theft prevention and recovery capabilities, the installation of an aftermarket tracker and immobiliser is recommended as a minimum to combat modern digital theft methods. But this must be installed by an industry professional, not a dealership unless they use industry professionals to carry out this type of work instead of their own technicians, even so, prices are likely to be higher than you can find elsewhere due to added dealership margins. Also, activation or reliance on a factory-fitted tracker is NOT recommended.

Electronic Security

We highly recommend installing a Thatcham category S5 motorhome tracker and aftermarket engine immobiliser to protect your leisure vehicle from modern digital theft methods. In case your motorhome gets stolen, this will enable a professional and police-backed response for recovery. It is advisable to combine both a Thatcham S5 tracker and engine immobiliser into one system from the same hardware manufacturer instead of installing them as stand-alone products. This combination provides more functionality and makes for a more user-friendly system. Moreover, these combined S5 tracker and immobiliser systems can use the communication capabilities of the tracker to remotely control the arming and disarming of the engine immobiliser.

Furthermore, an OBD (On Board Diagnostics) port immobiliser is also useful to combat more sophisticated theft methods that use software to compromise a vehicle's on-board electronic systems and software. Thieves can use a theft method known as OBD attack by plugging hardware into your motorhome’s OBD port and then communicate with its on-board electrical systems using advanced software. They can circumnavigate many things usually required for starting your motorhome and steal it with ease. Installing an OBD port immobiliser denies thieves easy access to your leisure vehicle's on-board electronic systems through the OBD port and so prevents modern theft methods like OBD attack and key cloning.

Installing a secondary wireless battery-powered tracker to your motorhome is also an excellent choice for extra security and peace of mind. This type of device can be installed in even more covert locations on your leisure vehicle as it requires no hardwiring. It can be positioned in locations not normally accessible for hardwired devices, such as underneath your motorhome or behind exterior panels, where electrical wiring is non-existent. As a secondary back-up tracker, it can be used to continue tracking a stolen vehicle if the main tracker is lost and also provides further resistance to jamming thanks to low-frequency, pre-programmed data transmissions.

If you are interested in a security system that combines all the features mentioned above take a look at our – Meta Trak S5 DEADLOCK PRO+ multi-point vehicle tracking and immobilisation system.

Physical deterrents

Installing a steering lock is a wise decision for enhancing your motorhomes security. We recommend the type that covers the entire wheel rather than the bar style as determined thieves will often simply cut through the steering wheel using battery-powered saws to defeat those types of locks.

Driveway bollards are also a good addition to motorhome security at home. They can prevent and deter thieves from stealing your motorhome straight off your driveway. Driveway bollards come in different shapes and configurations, typically as fold-down surface mounted or assisted-manual lift posts. They can also contain smart technologies for automated lifting and lowering with the presence of your leisure vehicle using a motorised mechanism for a sense of convenience that manually operated bollards lack.

Unfortunately, physical motorhome security upgrades can often be inconvenient and cumbersome. Steering locks, for instance, need to be locked, unlocked and stowed away every time you want to drive it. Similarly, driveway bollards only provide security when your motorhome is at home, and unless you have the budget for an automated system, they require the manual operation of multiple posts every time you enter or leave your driveway.

What to do?

When upgrading your motorhome security, we would recommend having a combined tracker and engine immobiliser system installed before anything else. This type of system is user-friendly, effective against modern theft methods, and convenient, as it automatically arms and disarms the immobiliser without any driver's input. It works whether you're at home, work, or even abroad, so you can take your car's security with you wherever you go. It's worth noting that physical deterrents are also effective in deterring motorhome theft by making your leisure vehicle look less attractive, troublesome, and time-consuming to attempt to steal. Physical deterrents such as using driveway bollards, steering locks and other types of physical security measures will work to deter, prevent, or at the very least slow down a thief.

If your insurer has asked for a tracker to be fitted to your motorhome, they’ll normally request a Thatcham-approved, professionally monitored and installed tracker. Even if you do not require a motorhome tracker for insurance purposes it’s still advised to install one.

‘Thatcham Approved’ products are products that have been independently tested by Thatcham. The certification provides reassurance around the functionality, design, performance, and compliance (legislative and automotive quality standards). Thatcham has created the compliance criteria for two Categories of Stolen Vehicle Tracking, Category S7, and Category S5.

We explain the difference between the two categories below.

Thatcham Category ‘S7’

Thatcham Category S7 is a type of standalone tracker that is used primarily to secure lower-value vehicles. These trackers provide location data and other important features such as driving behaviour monitoring. They are connected to a monitoring centre that operates 24/7/365 with trained personnel who are alerted when the tracker detects any suspicious activity. If any alerts are generated, the monitoring centre will immediately contact the owner of the vehicle.

Thatcham S7 motorhome trackers usually come with features like vehicle battery disconnection detection and tow-away alerts to prevent any possible sabotage. Furthermore, the tracking unit has an in-built backup battery that enables it to remain operational even when its power supply is removed.

In case of theft, the owner of the vehicle needs to report the incident to the secure control room by phone. The personnel will then liaise with the police to aid in the recovery of the stolen vehicle.

Thatcham Category ‘S5’

Thatcham Category S5 trackers are designed for high-value and high-risk vehicles. They consist of a tracking device and automatic driver recognition technology which provides fast proactive alerts to any unauthorised movement of your motorhome.

Driver recognition technology is used to confirm that the driver of the vehicle is authorised to do so. In most cases, this is done by using a small battery-powered tag that is usually attached to your motorhome's key fob or carried by the driver.

When the vehicle's ignition is switched on, the tracker fitted to your motorhome scans to find the signal from the tag. If the tag is detected, then the system sees that an authorised driver is present. However, if your motorhome tracker fails to detect the driver recognition tag, an alert will be sent to the monitoring centre whereby the owner of the vehicle will receive a phone call to check if a theft has taken place. The monitoring team will then liaise with the police on the ground to recover the vehicle quickly if a theft is confirmed.

Compared to S7 trackers where you would need to discover and then report a theft manually, S5 trackers alert quickly and automatically to any unauthorised use or theft of your leisure vehicle. This fast alerting is the difference between the two systems. With an S7 tracker, you may not realise your motorhome has been stolen for several hours, whereas an S5 tracker ensures that a potential theft event is triggered right away automatically. This proactive feature enables the fastest response from the monitoring team and police, increasing the chances of the safe recovery of your motorhome.

S5 trackers include all functionality associated with an S7 but with the added benefit of driver recognition for automatic, and therefore faster alerting of potential theft events.

If you're considering installing an aftermarket engine immobiliser to your motorhome or require one to comply with insurance regulations, Specialist Trackers UK is the perfect place to shop. We offer the very best engine immobilisers and combined tracker & immobiliser systems on the market that will be suitable for your motorhome.

As the theft of motorhomes continues to rise, insurers are also turning to engine immobilisers to curb this trend. However, unlike trackers, there are no specific Thatcham/insurance-approved categories for aftermarket immobilisers yet, except for Category 2, which mainly relates to factory-fitted equipment.

Therefore, it's currently rather hit-and-miss as to whether your insurer has approved the product you plan to install and added it to their list. Even if they haven’t, simply explaining and providing information to them regarding the product's specifications is normally enough for them to accept its installation. Aftermarket motorhome security companies are working hard to get the lists of accepted products updated by insurance companies as quickly as possible with modern products. It's frustrating but crucial work because many of the outdated, inferior, and discontinued motorhome immobilisers that insurers recommend to customers are being used, even though there are better, more modern alternatives on the market.

An aftermarket immobiliser is an electronic anti-theft device that prevents the unauthorised starting of your motorhome’s engine. While similar in operation to factory-fitted immobilisers, they differ in a few important ways.

First, aftermarket motorhome immobilisers work independently of your factory-fitted systems, which means they are not influenced or disarmed by the presence of your vehicle's key or its signal. With many modern theft methods exploiting the vulnerabilities of keyless entry and start systems, this feature is crucial as it makes them effective at preventing digital theft methods such as relay attack and key cloning.

Second, when paired with a tracker, many modern immobilisers can utilise over-the-air communications, which enables remote immobilisation of your motorhome's engine. You can find these types of systems and more information on them here - Combined Tracker and Immobiliser Systems

Third, most motorhome engine immobilisers are passive systems that arm and disarm automatically without any input from the driver. This is achieved through proximity and communication of a battery-operated ID tag. Unlike the factory vehicle key, the ID tag uses a different technology for communication, which makes it less vulnerable to signal relaying due to its security architecture. The increased theft rate of modern vehicles fitted with keyless entry/start systems is due to the vulnerability of the factory vehicle key's signal, which can be easily relayed to the vehicle at a distance. Even if your motorhome does not have keyless entry & start technology, aftermarket immobilisers are highly recommended as they are effective at combatting modern digital theft methods such as key cloning and even OBD attack for conventional turnkey (ignition barrel) vehicles.

Finally, aftermarket immobilisers are superior to any factory-fitted immobiliser you may have fitted to your motorhome due to the points mentioned in this article. Factory-fitted immobilisers can be disabled in as little as 30 seconds with many modern theft methods, this problem is also compounded in the leisure vehicle market as many of the base vehicle platforms have been around for more than 13 years. This gives thieves plenty of time to circumnavigate many of the platform's factory-fitted security equipment and software.

If you're looking to increase your motorhome's security, the vehicle security aftermarket now offers many systems that are far superior to anything fitted at the factory. Unfortunately, vehicle manufacturers are lagging behind the advances and new threats made in vehicle theft techniques. As a result, leisure vehicle owners are turning to the aftermarket for new developments in motorhome security products and technologies to secure their vehicles against theft.

If you want to upgrade your motorhome’s security, then a combined van tracker and immobiliser system is the most effective way to do it. Even some motorhome insurers are now requiring their customers to have both a van tracker and an engine immobiliser installed. These combined systems have been popular in the aftermarket for some time, as they offer a great solution to combat motorhome theft and enable recovery capabilities. The aftermarket vehicle security installers have been fitting these combined systems for years to fight modern theft methods.

If you are a potential customer for motorhome security, I would recommend a combined tracker and immobiliser system as the minimum amount of security needed for effective protection against modern theft techniques. This is because modern vehicles with keyless entry/start technologies can easily be stolen, this applies even to older turnkey-style technologies. Thieves can steal a both new and older vans in as little as 30 seconds using modern theft methods such as relay attack, OBD attack and key cloning.

While other types of van security such as trackers are crucial in the recovery of a stolen motorhome, they do not prevent theft. A motorhome fitted with any type of tracker can still be stolen using modern theft methods and provides no increase in a motorhome’s security or theft prevention other than the capability of potentially alerting to the theft attempt and providing positioning data for its hopeful recovery. Therefore, I recommend fitting an aftermarket motorhome immobiliser but pairing it with a tracker. This combination is effective at preventing keyless theft because the immobiliser works independently from your vehicle’s factory security systems and is not disarmed via the factory remote/vehicle key.

A combined tracker and immobiliser system is a motorhome security package that usually includes a category S5 tracker and an engine immobiliser. The engine immobiliser is automatically armed and disarmed by proximity of an the ID tag.

Having a combined tracker and immobiliser system installed in your motorhomeis crucial to protect against modern keyless theft techniques such as relay attack, OBD attack and key cloning. The most important feature of this system is the engine immobiliser, which automatically arms and disarms, ensuring that your motorhome is always immobilised when not in use. This helps to prevent the exploitation of keyless entry and start technology and protects your motorhome from many of the modern theft methods.

Most of these systems do not require any input from the driver of the vehicle as they are passive systems. This means that the immobilisation of your van's engine is done automatically, often through the proximity of an ID tag, making it easy for motorhome owners to use day to day.

When it comes to motorhome security upgrades, it's important to compare electronic and physical options based on ease of use, cost, range of use, and effectiveness.

Overall, electronic security products tend to excel in most aspects except cost. Although deterrents like driveway bollards can be more expensive than electronic security systems.

Electronic systems such as trackers and immobilisers are simple to use, reasonably priced, and offer effective theft prevention. They can follow you wherever you go and are good at preventing motorhome theft by modern theft techniques.

On the other hand, physical security deterrents like steering wheel locks and driveway bollards provide strong visual deterrence to potential thieves, which electronic systems lack because of their secretive nature. These physical deterrents can discourage thieves from attempting to steal your vehicle.

However, physical deterrents also have their drawbacks. Steering wheel locks are cumbersome to operate, move, and stow away, while driveway bollards require constant manual operation and only provide security when your vehicle is at home.

In conclusion, it's recommended to install electronic motorhome security first and then consider adding physical deterrents. Electronic security systems are intended to be installed professionally and covertly, so it's best not to display any stickers or indicators that could reveal their presence to potential thieves.

It's important to keep thieves guessing about potential security measures on your motorhome. While a motorhome not displaying any aftermarket security measures may seem attractive to thieves, using physical deterrents such as steering wheel locks, driveway bollards, and dash cams can help enhance security without advertising the presence of electronic security systems.

Its simple!

1. Select the product you wish to have installed and either add it to your bag or go straight ahead and purchase it.

2. Once purchased Specialised Trackers UK will contact you that same day to arrange a date and time for your installation.

3. Once your product has been installed you will automatically receive your ‘proof of installation certificate’ via email. This is the important bit your insurer will be wanting from you to prove the product has been fitted.

4. Your all set and now insurance compliant.