Alarm Systems

[swebster]

Does anyone have a suggestion for an alarm system for a MH? I'll be storing it my office shortly and while it will be used frequently it will be unprotected on weeknights. We are on the police circuit, in fact a few patrol cars are usually "hanging out" in our lot at night but there are a lot of kids around here looking for something fun to do at night.

I'd like something to discourage the "casual criminal" from gaining entry or worse - breaking an expensive window.

[uwe]

While Alarm systems often chase away vandals or thieves, they typically do not prevent damages to the vehicle.
Vandals might welcome the fact that the thing makes a racket once they start messing with it, or breaking the windows. Also, most alarms don't respond to a kids idea of decorating your Motorhome with spray paint.
I was recently checking ito an alarm system for my van, to protect the contents when it is parked during business trips. I cam e across several automotive style alarms with glass breakage detectors and all kinds or ambiance triggered gizmos. Most large electronic chains with installation dept. can help you with those. My best advice is to keep it lit and move it often so that it looks like it is used frequently. If you can keep some interior lights on, even the better.
Good luck!

[swebster]

good points. I was also thinking about some kind of exterior motion sensor that turned on lights (porch, door, interior)....thoughts

[uwe]

Yeah, they did have these ambiance sensors, that go off when someone steps too close to the vehicle. Not sure about the motorhome, though, because of it's sheer size.
Most sensors can trigger a simple 12V relay, which in turn can turn on anything you want. Like a digital doberman sound, or a clip from the Texas chainsaw massacre, or worst, one of the speeches of our governor.
Once I parked next to a Mustang at the mall, and the darn thing was trying to tell me that I was getting too close, it would call the police etc.etc.
Also, many alarms can be programmed to activate a pager. I am unsure of the pager's range, though.

[59toaster]

Alpine by far makes one of the best systems and the price reflects it. proximity sensors are available and can be ganged. Problem is yoou typicaly mount them in the headliner the sensativity is adjusted till it can pick up movement outside the vehicle through a window. They can be set to blink the lights and chirp the siren as a warning the alarm does see them. If it keeps sensing movment then the alarm would go off without the vehicle being touched.

Shock sensors can also be added and ganged. That would sense anything banging on the outside.

A system like that with 2 proximity sensors, 4 shock sensors would probably be in the $450 range plus installation. A pager can be added that will have about a 2 mile range that goes off if the system is tripped.

[swebster]

I moved the MH to the office tonight. I've parked it alongside the building so I'm thinking I'll look into both a car alarm and two proximity lights for the side of the building.

My networking guy suggested running a wireless web cam so at least I can check on it. I'm only five minute away, but it would be nice to virtually check on it from time to time.

[CanoeStream]

The attached pic of a Silver Streak shows an additional possibility by using a strobe. The associated website (here) doesn't comment further on security issues. The bottom of the home page has an email link if you wish to find out more about the system involved (the owners are now PO's, but you know...).

[SebastianD]

OK, this is the charpest one of all... I had my excella broken into in san francisco, so I went to radio shack, baught two blinking led's with holders, and wired them into the dash and rear window areas with a switch. This may not be the end all in alarms, but it cost me under five dollars and I think it would make people think twice about breaking in.

Sebastian