Van Security

How Secure is your Van?

Issue

In recent weeks there has been a crime spree of thieves targeting Ford Transit Vans in the South of England. Local news has reported this and identified the special locksmith tool that is available online for £25. These tools should never be sold online but as they have been there are people out there with the means to open any standard Ford Transit Lock.

These are the most popular vans for tradesmen and they all use the same type of lock the Ford Tibbe which is normally a very secure lock operation. However recently it has come to light that places have been selling a lock pick set for these that effectively works as a masterkey which means they can open the Van in under 20 seconds and open the front door and then the rear door.

Thousands of pounds worth of tools and equipment have already been stolen and they are still being sold online to anyone who wants these.

Lock picks and specialist locksmith tooling should only be supplied to registered locksmiths and individuals in the locksmith profession but as they have been sold online anyone can practice picking at home and then use these skills to break in without damage or detection. This is a huge concern as it has effectively made every Ford Transit Van without additional security a high risk target.

There is a solution for this, although there is nothing you can do about the Ford Van lock you have on the door you can add additional security to your Van doors to protect them overnight.

Additional Security for Van Doors

We have listed a few options for additional security that you can add to the door to protect against forced entry. These all need to be installed in addition to the current lock to give you an extra layer of security if the main door lock is compromised. 

Saturn EVO – from £90+VAT each lock

This would be the securest lock for the Van doors. The locks come in keyed alike set, 1 door, 2 doors or 3 doors. You will get 2 x keys per lock,

The locks used to have the Thatcham approval rating which is an independent testing firm which gives its seal of approval to the best most secure locks. They don’t have this anymore because Thatcham has pulled the ratings for all Van locks but the security of the locks is the same.

They are simple to install and come with a drilling template. They have a high security key that protects against drilling and picking and have been tested for over 4 minutes physical abuse testing.

These come in 1, 2 or 3 door sets and cannot be keyed alike in greater numbers. You need to know how many doors you want to lock before you order as you can not add to the same key at a later date.

2) Bulldog VA Series – £66+VAT each

Rear Door Lock – VA101

Sliding Door Lock – VA102

VA50 – Pair of VA101 and VA102 locks keyed alike

The Bulldog VA series is suitable for the rear doors and the sliding side doors. The operation involves sliding a large bar across the door and locking it in place with Bulldogs high security Radial Pin lock. The key is protected from drilling and picking and these can be purchased in multiple sets keyed alike. They offer a fantastic visual deterrent so thieves can see them and know to leave the Van alone.

These are extremely tough against forced attack and are a solid steel construction.

They are available in 3 types, the VA101 is for the Rear door, the VA102 is for the sliding side door and the VA50 is a pair of 1 x VA101 and 1 x VA102 but both keyed alike.

They can be keyed alike in greater numbers and you will get 2 keys per lock, these need to be made by Bulldog and this can take 10-14 days.

3) Kasp Van Hasp and Staple complete with padlock 

These are a simple design hasp and staple which bolts through the door with dome headed fixings. When the doors are closed the 2 halves of the hasp line up and you then lock them together using the round concealed shackle padlock. These are a very popular item as they are low cost but extremely secure.

They are resistant to picking and drilling but not so much as the 2 versions above. The padlock is fully removed from the hasp so it is possible to lose so this is why I have rated it 3rd in the list.

Cost-effectiveness versus security there really isn’t any better option.
We can key the padlocks alike in house so the lead time for these is 1-2 days.

These locks are all additional locks to your normal Ford door locks. These can be used all the time or you can just lock them up overnight. These locks will add to your security, they are not infallible and can be opened if enough time and effort are spent on them but they certainly will slow the thieves down and hopefully, they will see the additional locks and move on.