Beefing Up Your Vans Security - How I Done It -

[Howzat]

I've got Philips motion sensors in the house connected up to a hue bridge acting as a makeshift burglar alarm and if they're triggered during set times then every light inside and outside the house comes on along with a plug in the bedroom that switches on a beeping electrical tester to wake me up. This also helps the cameras record better footage of what's going on.

So I figured another one in the van might be a good idea and it's worked a treat so far. Open either cab door and it triggers immediately.
I've still got a bulkhead in my van so another one will go in the back then I'll be fully covered. Should help me sleep easier at night until a false alarm has me panicking at 4am sometime in the future, but hopefully not.

As a final trick I use the bloom light in the bedroom to indicate what's been triggered by colour so a house sensor has the light coming on red and a van sensor green.

Just another layer on top of the steering wheel lock and GPS tracker I already have. It all helps and is a pretty cheap and effective solution.

 

[Dellmassive]

brand new 2024 Ford Transit (possible T7)

 

[Iron Giant]

Morning, I'm resurrecting this thread to ask some of you with more knowledge than me, we bought a 2013-plate T5 campervan at the weekend and it only has the factory the fitted immobliser and the lad gave us a halfords steering lock with audible alarm, the steering lock is getting replaced with a Commercial High Security Steering Wheel Lock - Milenco, Europe's leading manufacturer of award winning caravan products we needed something easy and not to heavy but very secure as the van is my wife daily and I wanted to know she could fit it without any issues as she visits peoples houses, if I can put both on overnight I will https://www.halfords.com/motoring/car-security/halfords-t-bar-steering-lock-with-alarm-162379.html?istCompanyId=b8708c57-7a02-4cf6-b2c0-dc36b54a327e&istFeedId=367c5610-f937-4c81-8609-f84582324cd6&istItemId=qitalwwim&istBid=t&&_$ja=tsid:|cid:18032195742|agid:|tid:|crid:|nw:x|rnd:12583366977663751432|dvc:c|adp:|mt:|loc:1006723&gad_source=1

Now for the alarm, I got a price from a local company to upgrade the alarm to a Cat2 alarm for £360 my thinking is that an audible alarm is going to send anyone running if they put a window in or attempt to gain entry through the doors I figured this as the best option as soon as alarm is blaring out they are going off like a shot and surely any attempt to tow it would set off the alarm, now should I get the audible alarm fitted as a secondary alarm to the immobiliser,

I can't fit spotlights or motion security cameras over the van as we have shrubs and bushes in our garden so my phone will be pinging all night, and the van is parked on a area that was our front lawn but we had a core gravel system put down upgainst the old block paving drive, which has edgeing stones cemented in so was considering a security post,

All advice would be very much appreciated because I'm clueless

 

[Bav]

@Iron Giant, personally, I wouldn't bother with the Milenco steering lock or the Halfords gizmo - get a Disklok instead, preferably a diamond edition if your finances can stretch to one. You'll need size 'small' for a Transporter and, if you have twin captain's seats, it's easily stored when driving - it'll wedged nicely between the two seats.

Yes to the security post; yes to an immobiliser and yes to a Thatcham S5 tracker - security is all about layers.

 

[Ayjay]

FWIW, Auto Express did a review of steering wheel locks earlier this year. See here:

Best steering wheel locks 2025 | Auto Express

Thieves know how to beat electronic security systems, so one alternative is an old-fashioned lock

www.autoexpress.co.uk

 

[Iron Giant]

@Iron Giant, personally, I wouldn't bother with the Milenco steering lock or the Halfords gizmo - get a Disklok instead, preferably a diamond edition if your finances can stretch to one. You'll need size 'small' for a Transporter and, if you have twin captain's seats, it's easily stored when driving - it'll wedged nicely between the two seats.

Yes to the security post; yes to an immobiliser and yes to a Thatcham S5 tracker - security is all about layers.

Thanks for this, the disklok was ruled out with it been heavy and my wife needing to remove and refit it multiple times in a day and doing it on her own also she has some issues with her wrists due to a disability so it was with the veiw of the van been secure when she is out working and overnight or if we are out on a weekend.

I fully understand about putting in effective layers as I have read through this thread multiple times, but thought it worth resurrecting for some potential updates and insights from people more knowledge than myself

 

[Sasquatch]

The Milenco lock is a waste of time. A snip of the steering wheel rim with bolt croppers, battery grinder, or even a hacksaw if the tea leaf js jn no hurry, and it slides straight off.

You got to decide which is more important- your wife struggling (my missus has MS and has weak hands and manages it) or not having the van nicked.

 

[Iron Giant]

FWIW, Auto Express did a review of steering wheel locks earlier this year. See here:

Best steering wheel locks 2025 | Auto Express

Thieves know how to beat electronic security systems, so one alternative is an old-fashioned lock

www.autoexpress.co.uk

This is what I'd read last week, which is why I opted for the milenco, based on its security rating and ease of fitting and removal for my wife,

I figured if I fitted this and the Halfords freebie on a night they'd have to hack the steering wheel to pieces with an alarm blaring by which time the whole street would be up and looking out their windows, is a dim thieve going to take the time to do this, I'd very much doubt it

 

[Bav]

Thanks for this, the disklok was ruled out with it been heavy and my wife needing to remove and refit it multiple times in a day and doing it on her own also she has some issues with her wrists due to a disability so it was with the veiw of the van been secure when she is out working and overnight or if we are out on a weekend.

I fully understand about putting in effective layers as I have read through this thread multiple times, but thought it worth resurrecting for some potential updates and insights from people more knowledge than myself

Fair enough - I don't pretend to know the specifics of your use case, only [what I believe to be] the most secure steering wheel lock on the market.

In terms of an immobiliser and tracker, I can personally recommend a Meta Trak S5 Deadlock Pro, which combines both functions, plus OBD port protection.

 

[z1ts]

I can personally recommend a Meta Trak S5 Deadlock Pro, which combines both functions, plus OBD port protection

I too can recommend that tracker & immob

I got mine installed by www.visualtelematics/Meta Trak VTS S5 Tracker

 

[Iron Giant]

Fair enough - I don't pretend to know the specifics of your use case, only [what I believe to be] the most secure steering wheel lock on the market.

In terms of an immobiliser and tracker, I can personally recommend a Meta Trak S5 Deadlock Pro, which combines both functions, plus OBD port protection.

Does a van have to broken into and the odb connected to via a laptop by the tea leafs,

If this is the case then surely an audible alarm will prevent getting into the front of the van, and with a Ghost alarm or similar they can just tow the van away undetected other than the GPS tracker

Just want full clarity on all this before parting with my money

 

[Iron Giant]

I too can recommend that tracker & immob

I got mine installed by www.visualtelematics/Meta Trak VTS S5 Tracker

Thanks mate, how did you find communication with this company the fitter and customer service, it's good that they are saying fitting with 1-4 working days

 

[z1ts]

Thanks mate, how did you find communication with this company the fitter and customer service, it's good that they are saying fitting with 1-4 working days

Georgi & Ben are awesome to deal with.

Had several on the fleet done by that company now.

 

[Bav]

Does a van have to broken into and the odb connected to via a laptop by the tea leafs,

If this is the case then surely an audible alarm will prevent getting into the front of the van, and with a Ghost alarm or similar they can just tow the van away undetected other than the GPS tracker

Just want full clarity on all this before parting with my money

I don't really know what you're expecting me to say. You already know that if someone is determined enough, organised enough and well-equipped enough, they will have your van away. All you can do is put obstacles in their way that deter and delay.

The OBD port can provide the means to clone a key or to disable any factory-fit alarms/immobilisers - hence you should fit some form of OBD protection.

An alarm is useful to alert you/your neighbours - so, if you haven't got one, add one - but the sound of a car alarm is ubiquitous and often ignored, so a lot of thieves won't be deterred by the noise. Also an alarm is useless if they get inside your house and demand you handover the keys.

Even if your van lifted/towed, an immobiliser is useful as it delays subsequent use of the van until the immobiliser has been defeated. Again, though, an immobiliser is useless if they get inside your house and demand you give them your tab/code/button sequence.

Once the van has left your drive, your last hope is a tracker (preferably in conjunction with an immobiliser than can be activated remotely).

 

[Iron Giant]

I don't really know what you're expecting me to say. You already know that if someone is determined enough, organised enough and well-equipped enough, they will have your van away. All you can do is put obstacles in their way that deter and delay.

The OBD port can provide the means to clone a key or to disable any factory-fit alarms/immobilisers - hence you should fit some form of OBD protection.

An alarm is useful to alert you/your neighbours - so, if you haven't got one, add one - but the sound of a car alarm is ubiquitous and often ignored, so a lot of thieves won't be deterred by the noise. Also an alarm is useless if they get inside your house and demand you handover the keys.

Even if your van lifted/towed, an immobiliser is useful as it delays subsequent use of the van until the immobiliser has been defeated. Again, though, an immobiliser is useless if they get inside your house and demand you give them your tab/code/button sequence.

Once the van has left your drive, your last hope is a tracker (preferably in conjunction with an immobiliser than can be activated remotely).

No chance of them getting in our house we have cameras and a gobby dog and my wife is a light sleeper with menopause rage they are both on it if they hear something outside

 

[Bav]

No chance of them getting in our house we have cameras and a gobby dog and my wife is a light sleeper with menopause rage they are both on it if they hear something outside

Simple solution then - your wife and dog sleep in the van!

 

[Iron Giant]

Simple solution then - your wife and dog sleep in the van!

I the wife can no bother but the dog can stay with me

 

[Lubrown]

Ours lives on the street so although I have cameras they don’t always cover the van - sometimes just some random era car that has been dumped outside for days on end!

Like others I shunned steering locks as cutting the steering wheel is easy. As a physical deterrent I went for a pedal lock (mine is made by ATE). It’s fine with a bit of practice but I wouldn’t want to do it multiple times a day.

If I were spending any more on security I’d go for the gearstick lock mentioned in this thread Bear Lock
Seems like an easy to use solution.

Upgrading the alarm would be good.

Trackers are great but can easily be removed- several of our work vans have been stolen and the tracker is out within 20 minutes despite being a professional commercial one. Also many car thieves now use cheap but effective GPS jammers rendering positioning from a tracker useless even if it tells you the van has gone.

 

[Iron Giant]

The Milenco lock is a waste of time. A snip of the steering wheel rim with bolt croppers, battery grinder, or even a hacksaw if the tea leaf js jn no hurry, and it slides straight off.

You got to decide which is more important- your wife struggling (my missus has MS and has weak hands and manages it) or not having the van nicked.

Thanks for this, I had a good think on it yesterday and watched a video of a woman fitting it it looked a piece of pish, so off to Halfords I went, it isn't heavy at all and my wife managed just fine, just reinserting the key to unlock is a bit fiddly but we were doing it in the dark and with time it will no doubt become a whole load easier, I doubt its much more time consuming to fit than other steering locks despite what reviews online stated

 

[Sasquatch]

The locks loosen up over time and you quickly develop the technique.

I bought the carry bag and leave the handle hooked over the drivers armrest somI can slip the lock straight in.