Stolen camper van (January 15)

[joskat]

My friend's campervan was stolen last night from Pepys Road (Telegraph Hill area). Its probably long gone by now but if everyone could please keep a look out for it. The van is white and the registration number is UNH 375K. Thanks.

[KidKruger]

So it's a VW (Type II) combi then is it ?

[joskat]

Yes. Bay window, pop up roof. Very lovely. The summer won't be the same without it!

[Polly D]

Hey, ours too...last Friday night. From Upland Road, not that far away in SE22. Ours was yellow and white, also a pop up. Think it was either towed away or put on to a truck 'cos doubt it would have started in that big freeze. Watch out fellow campers, perhaps there's something going on here.

[ontheRye]

Sorry to hear - probably seen the yellow/white one on upland rd - very nice too

have you thought about putting a post up on VW camper websites eg

http://www.justkampers.com/?ph1=1

http://www.earlybay.com/

http://www.latebay.co.uk/

here's hoping they turn up

[lauradavis]

Hi,

I was on my travels and spotted a pale green VW campervan heading over Dog Kennel Hill, just past Sainsurys, in the direction of Denmark Hill Station. Hope that helps and I'm sorry to hear about your loss, Campervans are immense.

[SamY]

Hi Everyone, I live in Brockley and our beloved orange and white VW campervan has been stolen on Saturday lunchtime. Dolly as she was called was like a member of the family so we are absolutely gutted at the theft. Fellow Campers, please be extra security conscious and hopefully you can stop this happening to yourselves, I wouldn`t wish this on anybody! I`ve been in contact with the local paper today and they are going to run a story on this so maybe someone will spot our van or at the least we can stop it happening to others.

[Huggers]

what year is your camper Sam, so we can keep an eye out if its parked in any of our streets- part of the reg ?

[SamY]

Hi there, the year of our bus is 1972, its orange and white and in really good condition with a full camping interior and a pop top roof (also has purple tinted side and rear windows). The Reg ends 895M and the spare wheel cover on the front has a cartoon camper on it and has the slogan, just kampers. Thanks for looking and fingers crossed!

[mumra]

Awful to hear another one go. Have great sympathy for you, SamY - we have one which is named as well and although not owned for long, it would be terrible to lose. Any thoughts from anyone how to make them more secure? Thinking wheel lock/clamp maybe?

[JW]

Hey, I've just got back from a run and spotted four VW campervans so let me jot down the details before I forget:

ED

1. Yellow - Reg XMD

2. Orange - Reg WOV

3. Beige - Reg LLA

4. Green - Reg OUW

I never realised they were so prevalent. Fingers crossed that this is of use?

Edited to remove location of vans. Just realised that I shouldn't be giving away too much information.

[SamY]

The reg numbers unfortunately aren`t for our van but thanks so much for looking out for her, I still have a bit of hope that our Dolly will be found!

Mumra, its great to hear that you have recently got a camper, you will have so much fun especially through the summer, its fab getting away for weekends, they really are a joy to own! I would say the best thing to buy security wise would be a wheel clamp and put that on the back wheel so that it can`t be dragged onto a flat bed trailer. We had a crook lock on the steering wheel and had been meaning to buy a wheel clamp and hadn`t got round to it yet, how badly do I wish we could turn back the clock but thats the way it goes isn`t it?!

[tomandlaura]

Hi everyone, as a fellow SE15 resident and bus owner I'm really saddened to hear about these thefts. I am a member of the London & Thames Valley owners club so will put a shout out there and hope that something turns up.

In the meantime I will be following your advice and purchasing a wheel lock asap...

[Barry Rhode]

Not the one with the Ferrari sticker????

:(

[Huguenot]

I'm wondering why they target camper vans, and I'm thinking that a big market is that international student/gap year type who wants to do a Europe run.

The thieves may be right in guessing they are unlikely to do many checks on the vans provenance.

Perhaps it might be worth sticking something up on Oz/Kiwi/Saffer traveller sites?

[Huggers]

on the peckham rye to london bridge train, as it pulls out of one of the stations- Queens Road I think- if you look down you see a whole road of campervans and I often wonder what they are doing there. Maybe a garage?maybe a campervan hideout?

[Jeremy]

I think you're over-analysing it, Huguenot. They're in high demand, fetch good money, and are easy to steal.

[lpool]

I would imagine the majority get broken up immediately as spare parts are in high demand and a lot harder to trace than the entire van.

[Huguenot]

Don't most buyers in the UK check the DVLA when they make a purchase? We're not all crims are we?

[kafren]

First up I'm sorry to hear that so many of you in the area have had your vans stolen.

Unfortunately, our VW Westfalia was also stolen some time today/night from Handforth Rd (between Brixton/Claham rd) SW9.

We are totally gutted - it is like you have all described like losing one of the family. Scooby was blue and white. He was stolen from where he has been parked for about the last week and a half, and there was no broken glass, paint chippings or anything around the spot where he had been parked - he's simply vanished. The end of Handforth Rd is currently closed due to roadworks so the road is a lot quieter than usual. If anyone sees or hears anything please get in touch - the license starts SDA.

And anyone else around here (south london) with a VW camper please watch out and I hope you don't suffer the same fate. I hadn't heard about these other vans being stolen til today - it seems like maybe this is someone specifically targeting 70's vw campers. :(

gutted :(((

[HueyM]

I too am sorry to hear of all these thefts.

I had a camper stolen from my street in Nunhead the year before last - a rare Toyota Hiace diesel pop top that I'd had only just won in a nerve wracking ebay snipe 2 weeks previously. At the time a social worker friend was told by a police guy she knew that 5 old toyotas were stolen that week and that they were being broken up and shipped to West Africa. This seemed a plausible story (though did beg the question how they knew this!) - toyota diesel engines effectively power much of the developing world . . .

If I had to guess I'd say the same thing is happening here, but with the final destination being somewhere VWs are big - Mexico springs to mind.

my condolences.

Huey

[Huggers]

They still make them in Mexico Huey.

[KidKruger]

Yes in Mexico they make the wagosn still and also the Beetles, which you can (or used to be able to) import via Volkspares (Sydenham) and probably other importers. Imported models are I believe upgraded with catalytic converters etc to meet Euro zone stipulations. The Wagons (Type II's) have a slightly different roofline, kind of stretched upwards, adidng a few inches inside, if you're a purist it sort of spoils the shape a bit.

[njc97]

It seems like a lot of effort to steal them and shit them halfway across the world. Are we sure there aren't just being sold on Market Road each sunday ? (is there still the big sale there?)

[Amysdad]

That would be a big effort, or effluent?