How to's

Van security - Fitting Proplates

There are lots of ways to protect your motorhome from thieves and here I'm just explaining the process of fitting additional security to prevent them getting access via the doors.

We all know that with plastic windows no motorhome will be totally secure but with the following mods breaking in becomes harder so hopefully the thieves will look for an easier target.

Although this article is about a Fiat Ducato similar vulnerabilities exist on most makes of van and unless you have an A-Class your motorhome will have a production van cab at the front of it.

The vulnerability is simply that the area immediately around, and particularly below, a door handle is a weak point and a sharp object can be forced past the door skin allowing that object to find the locking mechanism inside. It's then simple to flip the lever and open the door.

Crazy isn't it? Fortunately it's not that difficult to secure your van against this problem.

Parts needed - Proplates - I bought them on eBay at around £40 a pair, seller  Protectavan). Sealant - which came with the plates. Trim removal tool - less than a tenner from eBay, seller fashionuniononline.

These Proplates should be fitted to the doors that have keylocks as a minimum. They work by blocking the path of a screwdriver/spike which, without them, would allow the latch to be clicked open from outside.

Obviously to fit these particular plates the handles need to be released from the bodywork and the driver's door and rear door are similar but the trim is different as regards getting to the handle fixings. Thinking the back door would be the easiest I started with that.