I carry a fog horn in my van and a personal alarm on me. If you get disturbed at night do not turn your lights on inside, instead and use a torch so you light them up instead of you.
Fantastic Video Nic !! And some great ideas, I’m really into protecting myself and my van & have the additional following security tips iv done: 1) Van dead locks, you can fit these external locks to every door on your van - google your van make, and deadlocks and you can usually buy pre designed locks that will defo fit. 2) Interior door latch/dead bolts - for safety reasons I don’t lock my deadlocks at night (well, you can’t from the inside), incase of fire etc, but on the inside I have a garden gate metal hook/gate latch - these are like £5 from DIY stores - its an extra lock catch inside, so if someone was able to defeat the vans normal factory lock (easily done tbh), the door still won’t open as the ‘garden gate hook’ prevents the door from opening - but if you needed to get out the van asap its easy to open from the inside - cheap and effective extra door bolt ! 3) For the back door I have a metal pole that sits on 2 metal hooks bolted into the rear doors - this makes a ‘castle gate’ type door lock, so if the rear door lock was broken into its physically impossible to open the rear doors - but inside u can just lift the metal pole off and the doors open - hard to break in, easy to escape in emergency 4) You have Cctv covered which is great, consider an external Cctv cam in the bumper of the rear of the van (hidden and not obvious) - however your van would need its own WiFi network, which i have in mine with a simple and cheap Teltonika modem and a phone SIM card. 5) if you have van WiFi you can create your own ‘smart home’ in the van, be it with apple HomeKit, google home, etc - once you have your hub you can then buy essentially a ‘home security’ kit and sensors - i have £15 door sensors on each door - so if I’m away walking somewhere and somehow all my door locks get defeated, ill know which door is open, and my alarm would go off , my HomeKit alarm and door sensor was £40 (it also has temp and humidity sensors that go to my phone, handy!) - also i have a cheapish HomeKit smoke alarm as part of my vans smart home - so i know if something is wrong if I’m away from the van - its all fairly affordable and recommended, and extra piece of mind. If anyone wants more ideas iv done to my van, let me know!
Hi Ben thank you so much for sharing all this. I will look at doing suggestion 2 and 3 myself. 2 is super simple such a clever idea. I could really do with 3 right now too as I have been anxious leaving my van since it rolled in to a house and the back doors are all bent. It looks easy to break open so will get on it this week. Thank you again for sharing more tips!
Thank you! There are lots more in the comments below from people! Some super useful ideas, I will try to a round up on the pinned comment of them soon 🤗
@@nicroams I'm buying my camper next year and pretty close to choosing our top choice even though I'm way ahead of myself!! Getting all my research done while I can. Love all the vids/vlogs you've posted...theyre a breath of fresh air. Stay safe out there on your own
I would add.... always share your sleeping location with someone you trust, for me it’s the parents. Then contact them in them in the morning that all is ok, if they don’t hear they can contact emergency services and have your exact last known location
At night always keep your keys in the exact same place so your not wasting escape time. Always have an attack spray. I would always recommend a means of escape through the roof or back doors in case of a fire that prevents escape from the front doors. Of course that could weaken your security, you don’t want an intruder on your roof. Some people put a chain from passenger door to drivers door, so the doors can’t be opened from the outside.
Thank you for your tips! I'm interested in being more stealth as well, so I'm thinking of selling my shuttle bus and going back to my original idea of getting a van. Along with security cameras, I'm also interested in locks for doors and windows. Thank you for your channel!
I'd get a dash cam also. I've got nextbase 322gw. When you are parked the camera comes on and films if movement around your van. Definitely a good thing to have for driving around
Oh wicked, i guess I could use my reo link cam for this too as it works day and night. Never thought of having it running whilst I'm sleeping. But also at the same time I don't know if I want to know if there are any creepy crawlys out there 😄
Thank you so much, Nic. Great to know about the what3words and sos function on the phone. The camera looks the business too. Wind deflectors are also a great idea! Do you use any locks on your steering wheel or pedal and what do you think about deadlocks?
Glad the tips have been useful 🤗. I don't use any of them. I had a wheel lock but it takes up so much space and I feel like it's saying don't steal me / I have fancy things in here. I also don't have deadlocks as again they are saying don't break in, I have fancy things in here ☺. It is entirely up to you though, nothing is wrong with using them it is all about what makes you feel most comfortable 🤗
Best self defence tool is a a CO2 fire extinguisher sprayed in the face. Powder is better but makes a hell of a mess. Also useful for putting out fires. Dual purpose 👌
Great vlog Nic :) aww Sam got busted 😂 I’m worried of throwing an axle now 😂 thank you 🙏 for the great tips, I’m glad I have my four dogs made me feel safe the last time I went away. Do like that camera idea, might have to look into them :) I totally agree with the escape hatch , I done this for my van. Does worry me seeing many van builds where they have blocked that area with a kitchen :( my van built with security system in side when I bought it. In the cab and one by the side door and one by the back door, when I went to bed made sure the cab sensor was armed :) always good to be safe:) Hope your having an incredible weekend Nic 😊🤗🐾🐾🐾🐾
Good advice im a 19 stone lorry driver and even i just double checked to see if i locked my doors 😆 Nothing worse than realizing that you didn't in the morning 😆 Great video keep them coming :) x
Good advice but hang a saw next to the axe so you can tell cops it's for collecting fire wood ect and if you have a baseball bat have the ball a swell 👍😉👍
Thank you for those wonderful tips! It also gives me peace of mind to know that you are very aware of your surroundings and the possibilities of danger that you may face. It would be awesome if everyone always had good motives, but unfortunately we live in a time that nothing could be further from the truth. And although God did not create us to be frightened, He also gave us the good sense to be cautious. We are aware that there are both good & evil constantly battling in this world. May God always keep you in His loving care🙏🏼👩🏻🙏🏼
Some cracking advice, the only bit to be aware of is that you no longer change your vehicle to a campervan - I checked when I bought mine, and they are happy for it to remain a white panel van - even though it has windows, a pop top and full kitchen etc inside.
Yes that's right, you can leave it as a panel van and insure it as a DIY camper or change the type of van officially with the DVLA from panel to motorhome. If you meet the requirements. In my experience I believe if you change it to a motorhome your insurance is cheaper. Thank you so much for watching 🤗
Hi Nic, great stuff again. Just a point that I have had regarding a van like yours, I've had a issue where I couldn't get a gear to drive off. It was the link on top of the gear box, easy to see with the bonnet up on the RHS , it just pops off but will need a proper fix. You may have come across this already. Great Vlog
I love your videos!! I really want to get into van life, I’m also in the U.K. have you got a full van tour? And recommendations on the van for a solo traveller? Also do you know what is it like to work full-time in a face to face job whilst living in a van?
Hey, I have a full van tour here ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LMcWNd6Pi18.html. I've only lived in this van as a solo traveller and couldn't fault it part from the fact I can't stand up. However I have really liked how incognito my van has been and that it fits under all barriers. In regards to working full time whilst in a van, until last week I had a 3 day office job and then content created on the side. It's great security and one way to earn income to have a weekend where you can go where you want. But in all honesty all of these questions will be answered differently by everyone as it really depends what you want out of life :)
All good stuff.....knowing how you go into depth researching etc, have you looked into phone signal and or WiFi booster gadgets and widgets, I am at the beginning of a journey setting myself up with a camper of sorts....🤔
I haven't recently. In my last van I had a mifi device from EE which has stronger signal than your phone however in Scotland there wasn't much signal in rural locations. I did try out a signal booster that you stick on to the side of the van but it did nothing. I guess there was just no signal at all in those spots. I currently just use my phone's hotspot but if I was to get another WiFi/mifi device I'd get it with a different network that way if your provider has no signal then you may have a chance getting some with another 🤗
Nic great video and you have given us two usefull tips so thank you. Just to confirm in Scotland you cant just "CAMP" in your motorhome anywhere this rule " right to roam " just applies to Tent Camping and Nic please feel free to check this point searching google for "Right to Roam"for yourself. Having said that it seems in Scotland they are (or were Pre Covid19) very tolerant of "Motorhome Wild Campers" but not sure what their attitude would be these days after covid19 eases because as from 12th April in theory (not us) everyone will be driving all over filling campsites all over UK and some chancing wilding. keep safe and get back travelling and vlogging please. atb Mike Skegness
Great tips, two more, keep can of bug spray handy a squirt in someone eyes should deter someone and a little less radical than an axe in the head! Second, mans cap on dash to indicate a man is also in van, in case someone has seen and thinks your alone in the van.
Ohhh like the idea of bug spray as here we can't have pepper spray etc. So this is a good alternative, thank you! The axe is actually for chopping wood haha but I'm sure if someone saw me wielding the axe they'd think twice about robbing my van which is just an added bonus 😄
Please don't pull a knife out as a form of defence. Good chance a mental case would disarm you in seconds. If the cops show up it will be you that ends up in bother. Love yer videos. Stay safe
Funny you say about motorhome vs white van. I know a lot of vans get broken into for tools. But not sure how many saleable items you get out of a motorhome? A laptop...
Hey, I made a custom curtain. To be honest I don't even use them, I have thermal blinds on the front windows that give me privacy and keep the heat in. If it wasn't for it being cold I'd just keep it all open as I like the light breaking through in the morning 😄
I used to be a trade plater delivering vehicles all over the uk if we stopped out for the night we got a set amount and many a time I used to sleep in the driver's seat to save on an hotel bill but I must say I wouldn't have parked next to a fire 😊🖖
Thanks for the tips, some I definitely hadn't thought of. I'm a bit concerned that I can't get to my cab without getting out of the van 😟 but it's not something I can change so 🤷♀ anyway lots of great advice thank you. I like your videos and attitude ☺✌ x
Thank you! Aw noo, these are all just tips and it's impossible to do all of them. I'm sure if you absolutely need to exit your van to get to your cab there will be a way! Play police sirens on your phone 😁
@@nicroams Evil ! Escaped murderers, lunatics, werewolves, vampires, monsters, you know, just your run of the mill stuff that likes single females. I'm teasing you, your much braver than me, that's what I'd be thinking at every noise. I'd end up 💩ing myself and going home 😘
Although I think the bill is a huge detriment to the travelling community I don't believe it effects me personally as it applies to those in encampments of 2 vehicles or more. So I will carry on as normal 🤗
It is fun, these are just tips 😄. Once you stay in your van regularly, you'll be surprised how quickly you assess all of these things. Usually before you even turn the engine off when parking up 🤗