Motorhome trackers

The need for a motorhome tracker

Motorhome trackers have developed rapidly over the last couple of years with the most sophisticated not only allowing the vehicle to be continually tracked and monitored but also to prevent it being stolen.

This is a huge step forward as motorhome trackers were already one of the most effective ways to ensure a stolen motorhome or campervan is recovered. But now they also are able to prevent a theft in the first place, which makes them a must-have for all leisure vehicle owners.

Tony Rook from Meta Trak, one of the industry’s leading suppliers of vehicle tracking systems, explains,

And, should the worst still happen – for example the motorhome is lifted onto a low-loader – the tracker will be activated by the vehicle’s movement and the control centre and owner alerted. Once this happens, owners can expect their vehicle will be found and recovered – the industry reports recovery rates for vehicles fitted with an insurance-approved tracker are as high as 95%.

Motorhomes are high-value vehicles and, as such, are the target of thieves. The popularity of motorhomes and campervans remains exceptionally strong and, with demand currently outweighing supply, prices have risen, making them even more attractive to criminals. But trackers are playing an increasingly important part in preventing motorhome thieves from benefiting from their crimes.

In 2022, Global Telemetrics, which is the supplier of the SmarTrack tracker system, helped in the recovery of £38.6m-worth of stolen vehicles. Fiat Ducato-based motorhomes (the Fiat Ducato remains the most popular motorhome base vehicle) were the third-highest recovered vehicle last year, making up over £1m of recoveries.

So far in 2023, Global Telemetrics has recovered £270k-worth of motorhomes and caravans, thanks to its SmarTrack tracker devices.

And, it's not just newer vehicles being stolen, either, as the limited availability and high cost of spares mean that older motorhomes are also being stolen to be broken down. So, when people ask whether motorhomes with trackers get stolen, sadly some still do, but, with the latest systems, it is becoming harder for thieves to even start the vehicle, let alone steal it.

Gavin Hennessy, Operations Manager, SmarTrack Global Telemetrics, explains,

Geofences can also be created using many advanced tracking system apps, which send a notification if your vehicle enters or exits the area.

Aftermarket alarm systems can also be wired to the tracker to create an alert if the alarm should sound, meaning you can continue to monitor your vehicle, even from afar, including full European coverage.

Further advances include not just immobilisation deadlocks but also on-board diagnostic (OBD) port locks, which prevent key cloning.

Further advances include new driver detection cards and tags, which are used for driver recognition or immobilisation.

If these tags or cards are used, the tracker system’s control centre will contact the owner if the vehicle is moved without the card or tag being present and, if the immobilisation system is set, the vehicle will not start without the card or tag being present and switched on.

Tony says,

How does a motorhome tracker work?

Tracking devices work in a similar way to a sat-nav system, utilising satellites for location information along with a GPRS/GSM connection (via a mobile phone network) to be able to send data back through to a control centre.

The tracker is a permanently powered transmitter with a SIM card hidden inside a motorhome. This sends the location and movement data to the control centre, which then tracks the vehicle. This data is also sent to the user, normally via an app on their smartphone so they can have a real-time view of their motorhome’s location.

Depending on the system, you can get either a passive motorhome tracking device – ie, the control centre sends you a message via text, email or phone – or an actively monitored system.

All these latter systems will alert you via phone, email or text (depending on how you’ve set it up) that a potential theft has occurred and, once you’ve alerted the police and have a crime number, will act on your behalf to track the vehicle.

Insurers usually insist on a 24-hour actively monitored system and this can be a great benefit if you’re sleeping, remote from your phone, in a signal black spot, or have simply forgotten to charge your phone.

Most trackers work on the 2G mobile phone network and some on the 4G network. The 2G and 3G networks will be phased out by 2033 at the latest, with 3G being switched off first, but there has been no timescale agreed yet for the switch off of the 2G network.

"4G will be next progression, and this is starting, but this is really to cater for the exceptional countries like Switzerland where 2G was switched off earlier this year. As for the main European countries, there are no such plans for quite some time," explains Andy Archibald, Head of Product and Services at Meta Trak. "Given 2G and 4G continued operation, 5G is irrelevant for telematics as communication bandwidth and speed are not a necessity."

So ask your tracking system supplier what network your SIM is using and what is supported to see if you can upgrade ahead of this. If the original tracking system unit is not 4G-compatible, you will likely have to change to a newer device.

The key benefit to all trackers, though, is their speed of response – thieves will usually move the vehicle first before dealing with the tracker and it’s this speed of response that can make all the difference to recovering a stolen motorhome. It takes time and skill to detect a tracking system, so speed is everything.

Do motorhomes have GPS trackers pre-installed?

Some new motorhomes do now come with a tracker already installed. For example, Auto-Trail offers a tracking facility via its pre-installed My Auto-Trail system, while Auto-Sleepers’ pre-installed Harmony Utility Management System features Sargent’s CAT 6 vehicle tracker, which can be monitored remotely using Auto-Sleepers Locate app.

If your new motorhome does not have a tracker pre-installed, then some dealers will offer a service whereby the tracker will be installed into the new motorhome before it is collected by its new owner.

If neither of these options are available, there are suppliers throughout the UK who will install a motorhome tracker for you.

"The benefit of a retrofitted system is that generally installers have their own installation methods, which means no two installers do the same installation. Whereas, pre-installed systems are all in the same location, which is a weakness," says Andy. "In such a case, it might be worth considering a battery-powered device like our Pulsar or, indeed, the Mi01 for greater peace of mind."

Having an approved tracker is now essential on many motorhomes, as an increasing number of insurance companies will only offer cover if an approved tracker is installed.

If you own an older motorhome, but which is still under 25 years old, it may not have had a tracker installed from new but a previous owner may have installed one, so check your records. What it will have is some form of immobiliser and possibly an alarm. If your motorhome does not have a tracker, we recommend one is installed.

How to fit a motorhome tracker

In general, there are two types of tracker: a hardwired system and portable battery-powered tracker.

If your insurance company requires a tracker, it is likely that it will insist on a Thatcham-approved, hardwired tracker that is permanently linked to your vehicle’s electrics. This means that there is no need to charge the tracker. Once installed, your vehicle will be monitored 24/7 with geofence, vehicle movement and battery disconnect alerts and nationwide support from UK police forces.

Portable battery-operated trackers have advanced a lot and, as with their hardwired counterparts, are concealed in a vehicle. With a battery life that can last up to six months a time, these trackers will remain active whilst the vehicle is in storage or not in use. One of the advantages of these portable systems is that they come ready to use straight out of the box – all you need to do is place it inside the vehicle where it can’t be found.

One of the latest standalone systems is the Mi01 from Moving Intelligence, which took over Phantom in 2021.

Nick Stapleton at Moving Intelligence says,

You do still need to check with your motorhome insurance provider that it will accept this as an approved tracking device.

The Mi01, which is Thatcham S7 rated, is deliberately compact (14.5cm by 3.5cm by 2.2cm) to allow plenty of choice for where you put it, and the maker claims a 97% recovery rate across Europe. It uses GPS/GSM satellite technology for its tracking, with backup from LoRa radio communication.

Nick explains,

One drawback of a device like the Mi01 is that, due to its sleep/wake cycle, it can't offer an instant alert of movement or disturbance like a conventional hardwired proactive tracking system but there’s much less chance of a thief becoming aware of its presence in the motorhome.

However, as mentioned, insurance companies will often insist on a hardwired system and, because of the need for the tracker to be hidden within the motorhome and have a 12V supply, as well as its own battery backup, it is advised that only a professional installs it.

This is where Moving Intelligence says its latest Sentinel system comes in. There are three versions available, which are all Thatcham approved and all feature an alarm combined with either an S7 tracker, an S5 tracker (S7 plus driver recognition) or the 'ultimate' (driver recognition plus immobilisation).

"The Sentinel is a combined Cat 1 alarm and Thatcham-accredited tracking system," explains Moving Intelligence. "It is designed to provide you and your motorhome with the highest level of security possible."

Motorhome trackers and insurance

Professionally installed motorhome trackers can save on insurance costs even if they are not mandated by your insurance provider.

Thatcham is the insurance industry-funded body that tests the efficacy of security products. It rates trackers as the advanced S5 or S7 models. An S7 tracker must use GPS features and is deemed an asset location system by insurers. An S5 system adds a driver ID tag (also known as ADR – automatic driver recognition) to the system and may also include an immobilisation system, often referred to as S5 Plus. Both S5 and S7 systems are proactive and can monitor a motorhome vehicle remotely via a control centre that’s manned 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Many tracker makers suggest that you’ll get between 10 and 25% discount on your motorhome insurance premium with the fitment of an approved tracker.

Non-insurance-approved trackers are only as good as their installation and many may not be backed up with a large control centre. The other issue is their accuracy and whether or not the police will recover your vehicle if it does get stolen.

How to find the best motorhome tracker for you

The decision on which motorhome or campervan tracker to use is increasingly being taken out of the user’s hands as a system will already be pre-installed. If a tracker has not been installed, then, as mentioned, the insurance provider will often insist only an approved tracker is used.

Tony says,

However, among the approved trackers, there is a choice as to what functions you want from a system. These are:

#1 Apps

#2 Geofencing

#3 Battery life

With a tracker that is not insurance-approved, look at the capacity of the battery.

#4 Monitoring

With battery backups and 24-hour monitoring, a tracker can help a vehicle be recovered rapidly and the best will even remotely immobilise the vehicle. Like all security devices, they are not infallible to the professional thief, but they’re definitely a big help.

#5 GPS

The majority of trackers use GPS to pinpoint the vehicle’s location. They transmit data to a satellite and this information is then fed back to you via the phone network. Just as a sat-nav system goes off when you enter a tunnel, so does the tracker’s GPS system. It is common for thieves to steal a vehicle and then leave it for several days to see if it has a tracker fitted. Equally, for a GPS tracker to alert you of an issue, it must send a signal via the mobile phone network – so this relies on a good mobile signal near the tracker and near your phone.

Having active remote monitoring solves the issue with the user’s smartphone reception, but not with the tracker reception. However, tracker firms can usually work out where the vehicle is from when it lost reception. Professional thieves can use radio frequency detection devices to check for the location of a tracker and can use radio and GPS blocking devices to prevent them broadcasting the location. However, some trackers have anti-jamming software that can deal with this and some also broadcast VHF radio signals at various random frequencies to get around these issues.

Some ping a signal at irregular long intervals (with a gap of several hours between them) to try and prevent the tracker’s signal being detected. Some of the newest systems actually use the user’s smartphone Bluetooth system as the tag, adding an additional layer of security.

#6 Immobilisers

One of the downsides to the previous generation of tracker was that they only activate after something has happened to the vehicle. Now the best models feature active immobilisation to prevent the vehicle being started, even with the keys. They also feature remote immobilisation, which can prevent the vehicle being started/restarted when the user or control centre activates it.

Motorhome tracker prices – can you get a tracker without a subscription?

All trackers rely on the mobile phone network and so will require a subscription to work. Most also have a manned 24-hour operations centre, which is also funded via the annual or monthly subscription.

Gavin explains,

Indeed, many pre-installed trackers will come with a subscription package already included. For example, Auto-Trail provides three years’ subscription, as does Auto-Sleepers. After that it is down to the owner to continue to pay an annual data-only subscription for the SIM inside the tracker to remain active, which can cost between £100 and £200 a year depending on the level of service.

Some tracker systems also offer lifetime subscriptions – typically costing several hundred pounds – but these are not always transferable, so, if you sell your motorhome, you’ll have to renew the package or even buy another unit. If you plan to keep your motorhome a long time – as most of us do – then these lifetime subscriptions can work out cheaper. Many also offer discounts for buying two to five-year subscriptions.

Some systems allow you to use your own SIM card, but make sure you use a network approved by the tracker manufacturer and that it is regularly topped up (a monthly plan is preferable), and has all roaming blocks removed (so it will work abroad). However, it remains preferable to use a system with a built-in SIM.

The tracking system itself also has a significant cost but it is a one-off cost. Prices for insurance-approved models start from around £299 fitted, but this often doesn’t include the subscription costs, so check what this is before deciding.

As a guide, expect to pay upwards of £299 plus subscription and fitting for a Thatcham-approved S7 tracking system and upwards of £499 for a more advanced S5 tracking system.