# Tracker System



## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

Prior to visiting the NEC Caravan & Motorhome show I had decided to fit a Tracker. With prices ranging from approx £150 to £800 plus annual subscriptions we had to decide how sophisticated and how much we wanted to spend. 
After considerable Internet research and much discussion the system we went for was the AVT Sentinel which was exhibited at the show.
This is a basic system that texts you if the van is moved, you can then follow the van on a map via your home PC and/or locate its exact position via your mobile phone you then advise the Police of the situation who also have access to the moving map.
Installation is quite straightforward the most complicated part being trying to understand Vodaphone's Scott manning the sim card activation desk.

I just keep phoning the van for a status report and peek out of the front window to see if its telling me the truth. AVT technical support team are most helpfull.

http://www.avtracking.co.uk/ I have no connection, just a satisfied punter.

Steve


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## Vennwood (Feb 4, 2007)

Thanks Steve,

This looks like something I could be interested in

Pete


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## linal (Mar 14, 2006)

Hi Steve, looks good & not a bad price either.

Alex.


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## r6demon (Aug 18, 2008)

Hi steve, how much did you pay? Can't follow link on mobile device.


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## b16duv (Feb 14, 2006)

Hi,

I have experience of vehicle tracking systems as part of my work, so am speaking from a position of knowledge.

The first, and most important point about any system of this type is whether the system is approved by your insurers. Even if it is not approved, the insurers may seek to limit a claim should you be unable to recover your motorhome using a tracking sytsem that is fitted. This is irrespective of whether the insurer gives you a discount for having it or not. Thus, check the situation with the insurer first and get it in writing.

Secondly, the use of text messages is quite expensive, and the costs can add up. A system using gprs data (like a 3 broadband dongle for example) will work out cheaper in the long term, especially if you play with it a lot.

A low cost system would be to use an old mobile phone permanently connected to the 12volt power in the van, and use one of the networks phone tracking systems on a pay as you go basis. There is noneed for hourly or daily updates in most cases as the vehicle is normally parked at home.

feel free to pm me if you require more info.

PS I have no experience of the particular service mentioned in the thread, but lots in the field of vehicle tracking.


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## Medallionman (Nov 26, 2005)

b16duv said:


> The first, and most important point about any system of this type is whether the system is approved by your insurers.


I am taking delivery of my new MH next week and I was interested in the AVT Sentinel because insurers Caravan Guard insist that that I have a tracker fitted. So I checked with them and it is not on their 'approved' list, not Thatcham approved. Pity, I think it seems to be a good system.
Brian


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## eddievanbitz (May 1, 2005)

This is the problem with many tracking systems: Thatcham. There are several that are GPS and GSM based that send lots of data on request and chronologically and by response to a condition that occurs at the motorhome (low battery or temperature for example) Some will then allow things to be activated by a simple GSM command being sent from the owners telephone.

We installed a system for a couple last year that were concerned about their dogs that would have to leave them for no more than a couple of hours in a morning on a regular basis.

The system monitored the 220 volt connection, temperature inside the RV and battery voltage and was also linked to the alarm and would send a message in case of alarm activation. If they got a message telling them that the temperature was over the pre set temperature they could in turn send an additional GSM text message and turn on the 220 volt roof Air conditioning. All in all a complex security and monitoring system. Not Thatcham approved so we had to install an additional simple Tracking device that was on the list to satisfy the insurers! Stupid!

Thatham had all their Trackers on the "Q" list which meant that all we had to do way to pay Thatcham to test anything we wanted and we could say that it was Thatcham tested. What no one really said was that it was Thatcham tested to the tests that we asked them to do.

This resulted in some criticism and a separate list of Trackers in now maintained, and in addition to this there is a Category Five list of Trackers that is more about the monitoring and the installers than the products. RACTrackstar had just spent ten million pounds on their new head quarters and control centre but because it was "bomb proof" they didn't qualify so now "farm out the monitoring their CAT 5 system to a dugout down the road!

All in all not a great situation. But take comfort of the facts.

on average over 70% of all recorded vehicle crime is theft from the vehicle. This takes into account things like joy riding, theft of a vehicle to commit a crime (getaway vehicles and the like) and theft to fund secondary crime. Most of these things do not apply to motorhomes so the 70% figure would be even higher so in fact you are far more likely to suffer a theft FROM the motorhome than the theft OF the motorhome.

When you think it through, you should be receiving a whacking discount from your insurers to have a Tracking system installed. You pay the insurer to insure you against theft, then you pay a few hundred pounds to have a tracking device fitted and then you either pay several hundred pounds up front or a hundred or so pounds a year to monitor your vehicle. All this to get the van back if it is stolen to avoid the insurers paying out!

There is a case for tracking systems, but if you settle on a system that you really fancy and is within your budget and your insurers refuse to recognise it there is often a case for changing your insurer.

Just a few thoughts to ponder

Eddie


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## b16duv (Feb 14, 2006)

Eddie,

I fully sgree with all you said there, but would like to add a few comments: -

The tracking system MUST have a regular off-vehicle log of the position of the vehicle. It is relatively easy to disable the tracker if you know how, and it's fairly obvious that trackers are fitted to high value vehicles as an insurance requirement.

The gps receiver must be of the latest generation that have a greater resilience to the canyoning effect caused by tall buildings, mountains and even trees.

A position report should be logged whenever the gps signal is lost and not reacquired after a short time.

A pure gps based system is useless if the vehicle is parked in a manner so as to block the receivers 'view' of the satellites. Thus, a secondary gsm based location facility is required, whereby the approximate position can be detected by triangulating the distance to the phone network 'cells'. Again, this works better in densely populated areas where the triangulation is more accurate due to the higher number of cells that the 'phone' can see.

Alarm monitoring is absolutely essential so that the control centre is alerted if the vehicle is moved immediately after alarm activation.Thus the system is useless if the alarm is not set whenever the vehicle is unattended - this includes going to the loo on a campsite, or after filling at a petrol station.

Finally, security at the data centre is vital, otherwise it is possible to 'steal to order' using the data from the centre to locate a suitable target vehicle in the first place. 

Clearly, all this functionality costs, but a lesser system is next to useless. Stick a phone in a cupboard somewhere and track that on pay as you go -it's really cheap!

David


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## eddievanbitz (May 1, 2005)

DAB boasted that he could build a GPS jamming device for under a fiver. I like many others were sceptical. So he build a jamming device and effectively turned off every navigation (and therefore every tracking system on the rally!)

I personally do not have tracking on any of my vehicles for security purposes as the very small percentage of motorhomes actually stolen does not worry me. Instead I worry about things like battery power, temperature and some scumbag trying to break in and this is why I fit tracking/monitoring devices. 

GSM tracking through the triangulation of the telephone masts works very well indeed, in areas where there is the need for a good signal, which is normally densely populated areas. In the Country where professionally stolen vehicles often end up the coverage is often sparse, meaning the accuracy is vague. When GPS is present and does work the "vehicle is outside of 16 Acacia Avenue" is more reassuring than somewhere within a three kilometre radius :lol: 

There can be a case for tracking, and if money is no object why not get it fitted. 

It could be another "tick" on the list: Strikeback, AirRide, SOG, Netmaster, Rustbusted,Dual Lens reversing Camera, Pioneer Navigation, Air Conditioning, Awning and Safari room :lol: All the things we tell ourselves (and more importantly our spouses :roll: ) we need, First and foremost I would always go for a good quality alarm and pager, which will stop most people in most situations.

Good thread though

Eddie


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## b16duv (Feb 14, 2006)

Eddie,

Absolutely, toys for the boys!

GPS jamming? - bit of tinfoil over the aerial/receiver works every time!

David


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## eddievanbitz (May 1, 2005)

David :lol:


> GPS jamming? - bit of tinfoil over the aerial/receiver works every time!


This bit of "tin foil" was about two acres big!

Another thing to consider when choosing a manufacturer is lenght of service. I can list about twelve tracking companies that have gone bust over the last ten years or so, leaving their customers with usless junk in their motorhomes  The worst of all cases!


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## b16duv (Feb 14, 2006)

well, scrap's down to £20 a tonne now, so it'd be a cheap bit of tinfoil!

Trouble with tracking is the components are quite cheap and easy to put together into a package. It's resilience and security that costs and this is ongoing. The marketplace isn't that big and so the plethora of small unsustainable businesses is understanding. 

At the commercial vehicle show last year, tom tom were exhibiting a tracking system based on one of their sat nav units, but from a commercial point of view, it was full of holes!. Might be a low cost option for peace of mind though?

David


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

b16duv said:


> Eddie,
> 
> Absolutely, toys for the boys!
> 
> ...


David,

Many high quality GPS trackers are installed with a covert antenna to get around that.

Dave


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