SECURITY: Under lock and key

Date: Wednesday, April 3, 2019 | Author: Steve Banner

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Lockable boxes bolted to a van provide extra security for tools

Extra security for tools is provided by the hefty lockable onboard boxes Van Vault can supply, which can be bolted to your van.

“If a peel-and-steal thief gets through a van’s doors, and is then confronted by one of our bright yellow vaults, then he’ll probably give up and go and try someone else’s vehicle,” says marketing manager Deborah Hunt. “We equip our vaults with built-in locks designed to resist picking, drilling and cutting.”

One of the firm’s most popular models is Van Vault 2, which tips the scales at 48kg. Made from heavy-duty steel it costs around £200.

“That’s not a lot to pay if you have £3,000 to £5,000 worth of tools in your van,” she observes.

Nor is it always practical to take them out of your vehicle every night, Hunt adds, so you need somewhere secure onboard where you can lock them away.

The in-vehicle secure storage box specialist has just upgraded its product line-up with a new range designed to make life harder for thieves. All the keys areas of attack have been strengthened, says the company, and include a cross-bar-reinforced lid said to be next to impossible to prise open. A VaultLock locking system has been introduced that sits deep within the body of the box and is shielded by a hardened steel plate.

A wide-mouth drop-front is now available to provide better access to the container’s contents and a recessed lock stops the key from being damaged if it happens to be left in.

Old-fashioned money is supposed to be disappearing as a means of payment, yet some businesses still need to deal in cash and transport it in their vehicles. Checkmate Devices can provide a variety of different onboard safes weighing anywhere from 6kg to 29kg, which are bolted into the vehicle.

If you are having a load area racking system fitted that includes drawers and cabinets, then make sure they are lockable.

“We’ll be adding lockable drawers and cabinets to our range of racks although as yet we don’t have a time-scale for their introduction,” Van Guard’s Land says.

Will the firm be adding van door locks to its portfolio? “We’ve got a sister business called Van Guard Full Fit that can fit them along with ply linings for load areas, tow-bars and a variety of other products,” he replies.

Van Guard suggests a few common-sense measures that should make your van less easy to steal: always try to park it with its doors against a wall in a well-lit area and preferably one that is covered by CCTV; always lock it even if you are only going to be away for a couple of minutes; and never leave it unattended with the keys in the ignition.

Meanwhile, alarms are now available which will send a text message to the van owner’s phone if triggered, as are trackers, which may help the owner retrieve a stolen vehicle, although it is, of course, always preferable to prevent it from being taken to begin with.

Key security is also vitally important. Lock the keys away in a safe or desk drawer if a van is being parked in a yard or on a domestic drive overnight, and never leave the keys on a table near your front door. It is not unknown for thieves to poke a fishing rod through the letter box, hook the keys and use them to make off with the vehicle.

Trailers are stolen too, but devices are available that can make thieves’ lives a lot more difficult, says Paul Jones, marketing manager at AL-KO’s Southam, Warwickshire operation. Well-known for its range of trailer components, it acquired Bradley Doublelock, another specialist in the field, back in 2014.

Various types of locking device are available, designed to prevent a trailer from being uncoupled from its towing vehicle and stolen, or coupled to a thief’s vehicle and towed away if left standing on its own unattended.

If trailers are equipped with landing legs then they can be locked into the down position to make the trailer more difficult to tow away, and trailers can also be secured with wheel clamps. So can vans.

“Our advice is to fit as much security as you possibly can,” Jones states. “Put as many deterrents as you can in the thief’s way. More is better.”

Admittedly such devices will not deter the professional criminal who is determined to steal your trailer and has the knowledge and equipment to overcome them. They will slow him down, however, and should certainly frustrate the opportunist thief, who will then look elsewhere.

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