In early September, a caravan was stolen in Langenfeld-Richrath, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, even though several safeguards were in place. The Fendt 495, just under a year old, stood on a fenced commercial site. The entrance was closed with a barrier, and a wheel clamp was fitted to the caravan.
On the morning of 7 September 2026, the vehicle was gone.
According to the Mettmann district police, unknown offenders dismantled the barrier and damaged part of the fence. The caravan was then added to international wanted notices.
The case shows that several mechanical barriers do not rule out theft entirely. It matters especially for caravan owners when the unit is not at home but on a remote storage site.
In Brandenburg, offenders apparently removed a fence panel
A few days later, police in Brandenburg, Germany, reported another caravan theft.
Staff at a caravan dealer in Neustadt (Dosse) found on 15 September 2026 that a Knaus caravan parked on the premises had disappeared. The vehicle had been on site since 22 August.
According to current police findings, unknown offenders apparently removed a section of the perimeter fence. The caravan was then taken away via the neighbouring property.
Police put the damage at around €24,000 and launched a search.
The two cases follow different patterns. What they share is that the caravans were not left unsecured at the roadside. In both cases, existing obstacles had to be overcome first.
Stored motorhomes are targeted too
Caravans are not the only vehicles affected.
In Idar-Oberstein, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, unknown offenders tried during the night of 18–19 September 2026 to break into a motorhome parked on Weierbacher Straße.
According to Trier police directorate, one or more offenders tampered with a door. They apparently did not get inside. Police are investigating and appealing for witnesses.
For owners, that means the risk is not only that the whole vehicle disappears. Even an attempted break-in can damage doors, windows or locks.
These individual police reports do not prove a nationwide rise in caravan or motorhome thefts. They illustrate situations where stored camping vehicles became targets despite existing security.
German police prevention advice: mechanical locks and alarms
In Germany, police crime-prevention guidance recommends several measures for caravan and motorhome owners.
Caravans and motorhomes should be locked whenever you are away. For caravans, German police explicitly recommend a hitch lock to make unauthorised coupling harder. Alarm systems are also listed as an additional option.
A wheel clamp can add another hurdle. The Langenfeld case, however, shows that even that does not offer absolute protection.
It therefore makes sense not to rely on a single measure. The more time and effort a thief needs, the harder access becomes.
Distance from the storage site adds another problem
Many caravans sit on a storage site for weeks or months. In urban areas, that site is often several kilometres from home.
That creates a problem a wheel clamp or hitch lock cannot solve: you cannot see what is happening at the vehicle.
A damaged fence, tampering with a door or movement of the unit can go unnoticed for a long time. Even on a well-secured site, it matters how often the area is checked and whether anything unusual is spotted quickly.
Electronic monitoring can add another layer. It does not prevent theft, but it may help you notice changes sooner.
A smartphone can provide extra monitoring
Monitoring does not have to mean a permanently installed alarm only. A smartphone left in the vehicle can use sensors, camera and mobile data.
CampSecure™, an app developed by the publisher of this magazine, follows that approach. An Android phone in a caravan, motorhome or camper can react to movement, among other things, and send information such as a photo, location and device status. Owners can also receive a daily status with photo, location and battery level.
That does not replace mechanical security. A hitch lock, wheel clamp or protected storage site blocks or delays direct access. Electronic monitoring has a different job: helping you notice changes as early as possible.
Several layers instead of one “perfect” lock
Recent cases in Langenfeld and Brandenburg show how far offenders may go. In one, fence, barrier and wheel clamp were in place. In the other, part of the perimeter appears to have been removed.
That does not mean such measures are useless. They increase the effort required for a theft.
Anyone storing a caravan, motorhome or camper for longer should look at the whole site: Can the vehicle be reached quickly? Is the hitch secured? Is there a wheel clamp or other mechanical lock? Is the site checked? And would you learn in time if someone tampered with the vehicle?
There is no such thing as perfect protection. Several independent measures can still make theft significantly harder.