Two campers stolen - Kent

[Pillock]

Guys, I know these vehicles tend to generate a bit of heated discussion but I'd just like to get this out there.

 

Two campers belonging to a friend's family have been nicked from a locked garage in Ivychurch, Kent One is a beige/putty-coloured '64 split screen, one is an orange LHD 73 Bay. They went together so hopefully they'll be recognisable if they're still travelling together! The family is gutted, the splitty is the dad's and the bay belongs to my friends brother.

 

 

 

Keep 'em peeled, any spottings then Kent Police are your people.

[Mr Lobster]

Doesn't matter what the vehicle in question is, its always unpleasant to hear of stuff like this.

[FredTransit]

have posted it to my forum. Hope they get found, some moneysworth there!

[stuboy]

wasnt there a show recently in kent?

[RedSparrow]

Someone's taking a big risk trying to ring these. Massive community of enthusiasts.

Despite what I think of them, I hope they're found.

[Cavcraft]

I hope they get them back and the thieving wanker/s who took them get/s the shoeing of a lifetime.

[retrogeezer]

Hope they get found...

 

I guess it is pretty easy to ring one of these though and there are so many about unless it was your van, who would know one from another?

[Partridge]

Worth and bomb and easy to steal...

I’ll keep my eyes open.

[Spiny Norman]

Whether they're your 'thing' or not, they're someone's pride & joy and the thieving scumbags who took them should be relieved of their human rights up a dark alley.

Being taken from Kent suggests they may not even still be in the country but there's always hope.

[dollywobbler]

Someone's taking a big risk trying to ring these. Massive community of enthusiasts.

Despite what I think of them, I hope they're found.

 

Given how many of these are stolen, if anything the community is too big. Very, very sad.

 

I've seen stats from one of the major classic insurance companies showing that 13 Volkswagen Campers were stolen in 2011 and 11 more in 2012. That's just one generic classic car insurer. The only things stolen more frequently are Minis and Land Rovers. Sickening that people consider this a justifiable way of life.

[Lankytim]

I think alot of these stolen campers are broken for spares and the bare shell sold on as an "unregistered Austrailian import" or similar

[Pillock]

There's been a slight update, although not found yet.

They've possibly been spotted in Cambridgeshire and the police seem to think they're on the way to docks - Felixstowe or Harwich. Yeah, I know that's an odd way to get there from Kent but I'm just passing this on.

 

Trigsy, don't you work at Felixstowe? Anyone you can make aware of this or do you not deal in anything but big square boxes?

[trigger]

All i can do is post the details on Facebook, I don't have any contact with the outside shipping agencies and the containers are sealed so i have no idea what's in them.

 

I hope they are found safe and well.

[Pillock]

Well thanks anyway, that's fab given that you don't know any of the owners. I just read Felixstowe and thought of you!

[wackywacerwill]

We were off in the caravan near Tonbridge in Kent over the weekend, saw a few VW campers though nothing matching these. I guess the south coast docks are too obvious a choice hey?

 

Hope they get found, the theft of these kind of buses is just one of the reasons I've be trying to steer my father away from getting one. They seem to go missing o so regular it's beyond the pale. The only hope is that unlike most of the old chod us lot pedal they're unlikely to get damaged or torched so hopefully will be returned safe and well.

 

Good luck and I'll keep them peeled.

[Pillock]

They do go missing a lot it's true - anyone familiar with elderly VWs (or even Retro stuff up to the mid 90s) will know exactly how secure their keys are. I've seen campers being started with spoon handles, screwdrivers or just the key from a different camper. My Polo key worked most of the locks on my ex's Polo.

 

These pair however were taken from a locked workshop - the owner of the splitty has had a VW resto business for decades and runs from proper premises so I think they've been picked out specifically. If someone wants your car that badly, they're going to take it whether they break in or just wave a knife around till you hand keys over - remember a good splitty is fetching more than a three year old M5 in some cases.

[RedSparrow]

Surprised. I thought these were so distinctive that thieves would steer clear.

[FredTransit]

Any update on this?