What should you do if your campervan is stolen?

Having your campervan stolen is a distressing experience. After all, it's not just the financial value of your vehicle that you have lost – it's all the memories and stories you built up in the vehicle over the years, and the freedom that it gave you to go wherever you wanted.

However, the good news is that losing your van to theft doesn't have to be as devastating as it might seem. If you’ve taken out a suitable level of insurance for your campervan, you may be eligible for some compensation, which can help you towards the cost of a replacement. There is even a chance – if you inform the police soon enough, and give sufficient details about the vehicle – that your campervan might be recovered.

If you do become the victim of campervan theft, there are several simple steps you need to go through. The essentials include contacting the police and your cover provider.

Obviously, this will be an upsetting time but hopefully by using these steps as a guide, you can report the theft quickly and maximise your chances of getting your camper back.

First things first: are you sure the vehicle has been stolen?

Of course your first reaction, on seeing that your campervan has vanished from where (you're sure) you parked it, will be shock and distress. However, even though your emotions will be running high, it's worth taking a moment to make absolutely sure that you aren't mistaken about your vehicle being missing.

Have you perhaps been out for the day and simply forgotten where you parked? Or did you inadvertently park illegally, and have now had your campervan towed away? Even though you may feel absolutely certain that your vehicle has been stolen, it's worth just making sure – as this will help to determine what you should do next.

If you do realise that your vehicle has been towed away, your priority is now to find out where it's been taken. If you dial 101, or call in at your local police station, they will have records of your vehicle, and which pound it may have been taken to. Alternatively look around for parking signs, as these may give you details about the towing company and what to do next.

If it has been taken to a pound, you'll need to pay a release fee to get the campervan back – as well as, possibly, an additional penalty if you were parked illegally.

Inform the police of the theft

Once you're sure that your vehicle has indeed been stolen, you must tell the police. Dial 101 and ask to be put through to your local police station.

You will need to give the police your vehicle’s make, model, registration number and colour. When you've done this, you will be given a crime reference number. Keep this number safe: you will need it when you contact your insurance company (see further down).

The police will then inform the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) about the theft.

It's worth noting that it doesn't necessarily have to be the campervan's registered keeper who informs the police about the theft. Anyone can make the call, as long as they can provide details of where the theft has taken place, plus the details above – make, model, registration number and colour.

So, for example, if you go on holiday without your campervan and might be unreachable for a period of time, it's a good idea to leave your contact details, vehicle details, and photocopies of your insurance documents with relatives or neighbours in the event of a theft while you are away.

Provide as much detail as possible

As well as those basic questions about the vehicle that we mentioned above, the police will probably ask some supplementary questions as well. These will provide them with more information about the vehicle – information that could prove crucial in tracking it down.

You may be asked if the campervan had any distinctive features – particularly on the outside, as these will obviously be most clearly discernible. It's therefore a good idea to familiarise yourself with any distinguishing features on your campervan – these could be travel stickers, aftermarket additions, or even scuffs or minor damage.

The police will also want to know when you think the vehicle was stolen. Obviously there will be quite a lot of assumptions involved here – it may be a day before you realise the vehicle is not where you parked it, or you may notice it out the window and then see that it's gone 30 minutes later.

As a general rule, though, it's a good idea to make frequent checks on your vehicle, especially if you have to park it some distance from your home.

The police will also want to know if any other vehicles have been stolen from the same neighbourhood at roughly the same time. Ask around the neighbourhood (via a street WhatsApp group, for example) whether anyone else has been the victim of vehicle theft.
Knowing of other vehicles stolen in the same circumstances can help the police form a picture of the thief's behaviour. Plus, looking for two or more vehicles can be easier than hunting for one.

Lastly, the police will want to know if your campervan was taken from a secure location. For example, they will ask whether the vehicle was parked on the street, on a private drive or in a garage; what, if any, security features were in place and so on. You may be familiar with these security questions, as you were probably asked them when you first arranged campervan insurance – and indeed, you may have stepped up your security arrangements in order to bring down those campervan insurance premiums.

What the police do next

As soon as the police have gathered all the information they need about both the vehicle and the theft, they will start to search for your campervan. The police carry out year-round road checks, to try to locate stolen vehicles. They will also be collating any information provided by the public, which might provide clues to your campervan's whereabouts.

Stolen vehicles will be listed on various databases including the Police National Computer and insurance company lists.

Next: inform your campervan insurance provider about the theft

Once you've informed the police and been given a crime reference number, your next step is to contact your insurance company, and begin the process of making a claim.

It will be helpful here if you can remember, in as much detail as possible, what was in your vehicle when it was stolen, as your insurer may ask for this kind of detail.

Here are the details of how to contact Lancaster Insurance after a theft.

Will your insurance provider pay out for the theft?

Here's the crucial question: will your insurance policy compensate you for your loss?

This will depend on what level of campervan insurance you took out for the vehicle – so, when you do come to take out campervan insurance, think carefully about what level of cover best suits your needs and budget.

The most basic level of cover (and a legal requirement) is third-party only insurance. This won't, however, cover you for theft. You will need to add the third-party, fire and theft level to be covered here. You'll find some more detail on the various levels of cover elsewhere on our site.

If you have the correct level of insurance and your insurer agrees to pay out for your claim, they will pay you your vehicle's market value – the sum that the campervan would have fetched had it been sold on that day.

Given this, we'd recommend doing some research into the current market value of your vehicle.

If your insurer does pay out: next steps

If your insurance company does decide to reimburse you for your stolen vehicle, the latter has now been sold to the insurer – and you must notify the DVLA of this fact, as you would with any vehicle sale.

You have the option of informing the DVLA online, via a form on their website; or you can complete the section of your V5 vehicle log book entitled ‘Sell, transfer or part-exchange your vehicle to the motor trade’.

You must then post this part to the DVLA, accompanied by a letter giving the details of your campervan insurance provider and the date that you sold the vehicle to them. You should then pass the remainder of your vehicle log book to the insurer, as the vehicle's new owner.

If the insurer has paid out and you are no longer the registered keeper of the vehicle, you can now contact the DVLA again to get your vehicle tax cancelled. Note that, if you pay your vehicle tax by Direct Debit, these payments will be cancelled automatically once the DVLA receives notice of the change of ownership.

What to do if your campervan is found

In the happy event that your campervan is recovered by the police, there are still steps that you should take.

Your first responsibility is to inform your insurer straight away. You should also check whether the vehicle has been damaged, may be unsafe to drive, or has been used to commit another crime. The police will be able to provide you with all of this information.

You will then be given details, by the police, on how and where to recover your vehicle. There will likely be a charge here – but you may be able to claim back this fee from your campervan insurance policy.

If it is damaged, the insurance provider will inspect the vehicle and make a decision on whether it should be repaired or written off. You can find more information on write-offs in our post, 10 things you need to know about your classic insurance policy.

How to safeguard your campervan against theft

If it does happen one day, the theft of your campervan will be a distressing experience. However, there are things you can do to bring down the risk of it being stolen.

Park carefully

Where you park your vehicle can have a big impact on its chances of being stolen. Well-lit areas (beneath street lights, for instance) will deter thieves from trying to break in.

Elsewhere, if you are parking at your home, near a friend's house, or outside a shop, try to get as close to the building and/or other vehicles as you possibly can. Thieves tend to target vehicles that are parked a little away from other cars or buildings, where they will have less chance of being observed.

Hide your valuables

It's not just the vehicle itself that can tempt a thief – it can also be the valuables left inside. If an opportunistic thief is checking out your campervan, they will be more tempted to break in by the sight of valuables such as a phone, wallet, sat nav or expensive camping or surfing equipment.

Try to empty your vehicle as much as you can between trips. If you can't remove these things from the vehicle, at least keep them well hidden.

Check, check… and check again

Wherever you park the vehicle, check at least twice that you have locked the vehicle properly. Older campervans probably won’t have immobiliers but you could invest in traditional steering wheel locks which serve as a good visual deterrent.

Keeping your camper safe from thieves

We hope you get many years of trouble-free motoring and memorable road trips from your campervan. However, like all vehicles, campervans can fall prey to damage and theft.

Classic VW campers are highly desirable and may not have the sophisticated level of security of newer models. That’s why it’s good to have specialist campervan insurance from Lancaster in place to complement any security measures you already have.

A policy from us can also help protect your campervan contents, including camping equipment.

Read all about our various levels of classic campervan insurance and get a quick quote today.