Phantom - Advertising feature

ACCORDING to Home Office statistics, some 4,000 touring caravans are stolen each year, which is nearly a quarter of all new caravans sold annually.

The majority of caravan thefts take place at night, most commonly between 8pm and 4am.

The Caravan Registration and Identification Scheme (CRiS) currently holds details of over 10,000 outstanding caravan theft reports and as few as one in four of these caravans are ever recovered.

This recovery figure drops to an alarming 10 per cent in the case of motorhomes.

There is a huge choice of security products available, but most of them are centred around the old staples such as hitch-locks, wheel-clamps and security posts.

Locks, alarms and immobilisers are good at preventing the casual thief, but if an organised gang has targeted your caravan or motorhome, there is little that can be done to prevent its eventual removal.

If you really do treasure your vehicle, it is still possible to stay one step ahead of the thieves by installing a transponder and tracking system.

Sometimes, the very presence of the warning sticker is sufficient to deter a thief, although if your normal security devices are defeated, it is comforting to know that your possessions can be recovered within a short space of time, quite often before the thieves have even had chance to set foot inside.

Phantom produce two different security products, both specially designed for use with caravans and motorhomes.

Both systems make use of a Global Positioning Satellite system, enabling Phantom’s 24-hour monitoring centre to pinpoint the location of your stolen property.

This enables the police not only to make a speedy recovery of your property, but also to catch the thieves, thereby saving other people the worry and inconvenience that a theft incurs.



At the heart of both Phantom tracking systems is a single, compact unit fitted covertly inside the bodywork, giving no clues as to their whereabouts.

PHANTOM TARGET FOR CARAVANS AND MOTORHOMES

This system utilises 24 orbiting GPS satellites to deliver accurate location information on demand to a dedicated call centre within moments of your theft being reported.

Phantom Target locates through a 12 channel receiver built into the system’s on board ‘blackbox’.

When instructed to reveal its location an encoded SMS message containing satellite observed coordinates is converted on to a street level map (left) and will be accurate to within 10 metres.

This location, along with the crime reference number obtained from the client, is used to engage the services of the local police and gain recovery of the stolen caravan.

As they require no special equipment of their own, the police can simply despatch the nearest officers. Recoveries are likely to be swift and the caravan is likely to be recovered in the same state as when it was stolen.



Phantom enjoys a good working relationship with the police who recognise the contribution the system makes to overall crime reduction and are always willing to respond in a timely manner.

The Phantom Target systems are also the first in the UK to be awarded Sold Secure Gold status and are also ‘Q Class’ listed by Thatcham - the industry standard for vehicle security.

PHANTOM PROACTIVE FOR CARAVANS

The Phantom ProActive device, as its name suggests, is able to communicate directly with the call centre and report on the status of the caravan it is protecting.

This ingenious device monitors the caravan’s alarm system and, should the alarm trigger, sends a message to the call centre carrying the location of the caravan.

The call centre are thus able to phone you and confirm whether the alarm has been triggered by thieves or yourself.

If no alarm is fitted to the caravan you can still benefit from the rapidly communicating ProActive unit if you have one of Phantom’s tiny movement sensors fitted.

This is hidden at the time of fitting the main unit and comes with a small switch that can be fitted in a convenient, yet suitably obscure location, that has very little chance of being discovered by an intruder.

In this way, you can switch the movement sensor on as you leave the caravan and switch it off when you wish to move it yourself.

Importantly, the movement sensor sensitivity can be adjusted to meet your individual requirements and would normally be fine tuned to trigger on the movement of the caravan itself rather than movement within the caravan, so avoiding false alarm calls.

BENEFITS OF PHANTOM TRACKING DEVICES

Whichever unit you choose, it is hidden in your caravan, drawing the minimum of power from your leisure battery.

It would take in excess of 6 months for the unit to drain an 85Ah battery so you can take comfort in the fact that while your caravan is in storage, or on site, it is still being protected.

Because the units have a backup battery, they will still work if the thieves cut the main battery power to the caravan. Cutting power to the system will also alert the control centre operators, who will relay this information to the customer.

Satellite location of your caravan means that the average recovery time is less than two hours and far quicker for caravans with a ProActive unit.

The Phantom unit works throughout Europe and no extra charge is made for this service.

The Phantom systems are transferable from caravan to caravan so costs are kept to a minimum.

Most insurance companies recognise the benefits of the Phantom tracking system and will offer you a discount if you have one fitted.

WHERE CAN YOU GET THEM FROM?

You can buy the trackers from Phantom Limited.

The Phantom Target for Caravans system costs £399 inc VAT and fitting and the Phantom Proactive for Caravans retails at £499 inc VAT and fitting.

There is a choice of annual or five year subscriptions at £99 and £349 respectively, available on both models. The motion sensor costs an additional £30 if required.

Phantom has a national network of fitters that ensure units can be fitted within a two week period.

You can even have the unit fitted at the dealer you are buying your caravan from or at a time convenient to you and at any location of your choosing within the U.K.

So you are left with the decision of choosing the Phantom Target unit or the Phantom ProActive unit.

Buy the former at £399 and it is then your responsibility to tell us that your caravan has been stolen. If you choose the £499 option, the control centre operators can inform you that it is in the process of being stolen.

All prices include VAT and fitting. There is a choice of annual or five year subscriptions at £99 and £349 respectively.

ADDED BENEFITS

•    Thatcham ‘Q Class Listed’ and Sold Secure ‘Gold’ approved status attracts insurance discounts - which could make the system pay for itself!
•    Caravanguard - 30% discount
•    Shield - % discount on application
•    Saga - % discount on application
•    Caravan Club - 10% discount
•    Bakers of Cheltenham - 10% for Target unit, 20% for Proactive unit.

CONTACT:

PHANTOM LTD 
149 Broadstone Road, Stockport,
Cheshire, SK5 7GA
Tel: 08451 303 301
Web: www.phantom.uk.net

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