A campervan tracker protects far more than a vehicle. Inside a converted van is a kitchen, a bed, solar panels, bikes on the back and often thousands of pounds of work you did yourself. That combination makes campervans attractive to thieves, and it is why so many owners now fit a campervan tracker as soon as the conversion is finished. This guide explains how a campervan tracker works, which type suits the way you travel, and what insurers usually ask for.
Campervans are often based on popular panel vans, which means parts are in demand and a stolen van can be broken up quickly. They also spend long spells parked in the same place: on a driveway between trips, in storage over winter, or in a lay-by while you walk the hills. Thieves know that a campervan left at a beauty spot may not be missed for hours.
Many owners also add value as they go: a new heater, a bigger battery, an awning, a roof box. By the time a conversion is finished, it may be worth far more than the base van, and some of that value is hard to insure fully. A campervan tracker is the simplest way to protect the whole package.
A campervan tracker is a small GPS unit fitted out of sight inside the van. It works out its position from satellites and sends it over the 4G mobile network, so you can see the van on a map in an app on your phone or on your computer. The type you choose decides what happens when the van moves unexpectedly:
Start with your insurer. Many campervan policies ask for a Thatcham approved tracker once a van passes a certain value, and some specialist insurers reduce the premium when one is fitted. If your policy names a category, choose an approved campervan tracker in that category so that you receive the insurance certificate you need.
The Campervan Tracker S7 is Thatcham insurance approved and monitored 24/7 by our UK team. It alerts us if the van moves without the ignition on, is towed away, or the tracker is tampered with or loses power. For many policies it is exactly what the insurer asks for.
The Campervan Tracker S5 adds driver recognition. Each driver carries a small tag, and if the van moves without a tag present, the system knows it is not you. That stops a thief driving away with a cloned or stolen key.
The Campervan Tracker S5 Plus goes one step further: without your tag, the engine simply will not start. It turns your tracker into a barrier as well as a recovery tool, and it is the most secure campervan tracker we offer.
If tracking is your own choice rather than an insurance condition, the Campervan Tracker TM701 gives live tracking from the ignition with every trip recorded. The Waterproof Campervan Tracker TM880 is sealed against damp and has just two wires, so it can be hidden almost anywhere. The Campervan Tracker OBD2 plugs straight into the diagnostic port and starts tracking at once, with no wiring at all.
Life on the road is where a campervan tracker really earns its keep. Draw a zone around a campsite or a car park on the map and get an alert the moment the van leaves it while you are off walking or swimming. Check on the van from a café or a pub with a few taps on your phone. If someone at home wants to follow your route, you can give them their own login.
Our trackers use a multi-network SIM that is not tied to one operator. It moves to the strongest signal by itself, which matters in the Highlands, on the Welsh coast and anywhere else where coverage comes and goes. If you are heading abroad, speak to us before you go and we will confirm cover for your route.
Many campervans spend the winter in storage or on a driveway under a cover. That is when thefts are most likely to go unnoticed. A campervan tracker with movement alerts tells you the moment the van moves, even if you have not visited it for weeks. Approved trackers will also alert our team if the power is cut or the tracker is tampered with.
Before you lay the van up, keep the leisure and starter batteries charged with a conditioner or solar panel, and check the tracker is showing in the app. When you collect the van in spring, everything is ready to go.
Many newer base vans have keyless entry and start. It is convenient, but it has opened the door to relay theft, where criminals use electronic equipment to pick up the signal from a key inside your home or pocket and pass it to the van, which then unlocks and starts as if the key were present. The whole process can take less than a minute and makes very little noise.
There are simple ways to reduce the risk. Keep keys in a signal-blocking pouch or metal tin, well away from the front door. Ask your dealer whether the key can be set to sleep when it is not moving. Most importantly, choose security that does not depend on the key alone: the driver tags on an S5 and the engine immobilisation on an S5 Plus mean that even a perfectly relayed key signal is not enough to take the van.
If you are building your own camper, the best time to plan your tracker is before the walls and ceiling go in. Our engineers can then reach the vehicle’s wiring easily and choose a hiding place that a thief would never think to look. Leave a little access behind a panel, and make a note of it, so the tracker can be serviced later without dismantling your hard work.
The same goes for professional conversions. Ask your converter to leave access behind the dashboard and to avoid running new cables through the places a tracker would normally go. A five-minute conversation at the start saves a lot of trim removal later.
It sounds like a lot, but it quickly becomes routine, and every layer makes your van a less attractive target than the one parked next to it.
With a monitored campervan tracker, our UK team is alerted as soon as the van moves without authorisation. They call you to check it is not you. If it has been stolen, report it to the police, give us the crime reference number and our team will track the van and work with the police to recover it.
With a live GPS tracker, you receive the alert directly and can see where the van is heading. Call the police at once and share the location with them rather than following the van yourself.
Approved campervan trackers are fitted free by an approved engineer anywhere in mainland UK, at your home or workplace. A member of our team calls after you order to book a time, and your insurance certificate is issued as soon as the tracker is fitted.
Subscriptions start from £4.99 a month for live GPS tracking on TrackManager Lite. Monitored trackers start at £10.99 a month for the S7 (from £8.72 a month when you pay for several years), £9.99 a month for the S5 and £14.99 a month for the S5 Plus, with lifetime cover available. See all of our campervan trackers for current prices.
Insurers want to know that a stolen van has a real chance of being found. That is why many specify a tracker approved by Thatcham Research, the independent centre that tests vehicle security for UK insurers. An approved campervan tracker comes with a certificate that you send to your insurer once it is fitted. Keep your subscription active, as insurers usually require the tracker to be working for the cover to apply.
If you would like help, call our UK team on 01622 234510, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. We have been in vehicle tracking for 21 years and fit campervan trackers every week.
I Track Direct has been protecting vehicles for 21 years. From our base in Maidstone, Kent, we supply and fit insurance approved trackers, live GPS trackers, immobilisers, dash cameras and tool trackers for drivers, riders and businesses right across the UK.
Every approved tracker we sell is fitted by an approved engineer at your home or workplace, free of charge in mainland UK, and monitored by our UK team around the clock. Our live GPS trackers come with a free app and web login, unlimited logins for family and colleagues, and plans with no contract.
When you call us, you speak to real people who know vehicle security, not a script. We will help you choose the right product for your vehicle and your insurer, book your fitting at a time that suits you, and look after you for as long as you have a tracker with us.
Call 01622 234510, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, or email enquiries@itrackdirect.com. For a stolen vehicle, call the same number at any time and select option 1.
For most owners, yes. A converted van carries the value of the vehicle and everything inside it, and a campervan tracker is the only security that helps you get it back once it has gone.
Some insurers reduce premiums when an approved tracker is fitted, and some require one above a certain value. Ask your insurer which Thatcham category they accept before you choose.
It is hidden behind trim or panels, away from obvious places. Our engineers choose the best location for your van so that it is difficult to find.
No. Trackers are wired to the vehicle’s own supply and use very little power. If the van is stored for long periods, keep the batteries charged as normal.
You can fit our live GPS trackers yourself, and the OBD2 simply plugs in. Insurance approved trackers must be fitted by an approved engineer, which we include free.
Yes. When you change vans, call us and we will arrange for the tracker to be moved and your account and certificate updated, so your cover carries on.
Our multi-network SIM moves to the strongest available signal. In the most remote places the tracker stores its position and sends it as soon as signal returns.
Give us a call on: 01622 234510 or email enquiries@itrackdirect.com
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