Tested: RVSecure X caravan alarm

When all your valuables are contained in a mobile home, it pays to have a security system installed to protect it from thieves.

Even more so when like us, you’ve sold or rented your house, culled and packed your life belongings into a restricted payload, and are ready to hit the open road.

We were put in touch with the team from RVSecure during the custom build process of our new Wonder Roo caravan. The range-topping Platinum X alarm and tracking system (now in Gen2 form), offers a range of protection features to better secure your belongings, and the van itself from theft, so was another no-brainer add-on for us...

What's in the box?

The RVSecure Platinum X Gen2 currently retails online for $699, and for that you get the main control unit, internal motion sensor, door sensors, panic button, security siren, four button remotes and security warning stickers.

We also added a couple of optional extras including GPS/4G tracking ($300) and tilt sensors for external hatches ($40 each).

How does it all work?

The RVSecure system runs from a control panel mounted alongside the battery compartment of our van, and includes a GPS tracking unit – all of which was installed by Wonder Roo when the caravan was built.

On the inside of the van we have an internal motion sensor and a front door sensor – both of which will set off the alarm if activated – as well as a physical ‘panic’ button hidden from the kids at our bedhead. On the outside of the van we have tilt sensors installed on our most important tunnel boot doors.

The system is also connected to the electronic brakes; meaning if the van was ever towed with the alarm on, the brakes would lock-up and live GPS location tracking engaged.

We’d also receive an immediate text message from the GPS system alerting us to the activation of the alarm and the van’s physical location.

What do we like best about the system

Given that we tow an off-road, off-grid van, it will come as no surprise we’re often well off the beaten track with it. This sometimes means the poor van gets parked up at free camps in the middle of nowhere and we leave it unattended to go exploring.

RVSecure offers peace of mind in that we can hit the ‘alarm’ button and know we have that little bit more protection on our main asset.

That said, while an alarm system provides an extra layer of protection, we make sure to never forget to lock all the doors, lockers and tunnel boot (despite how annoying the handful of keys are).

We also have a lock for our Cruisemaster DO-35 hitch which makes it very difficult for anyone to just hook up and drive off.

And yes – if a thief wants it, they can and will find a way to scull drag or tow our precious home. But this is where RVSecure’s GPS tracking comes to the rescue as we can follow our van to wherever it is towed with live updates.

What’s not to love?

If there's a 'con' to the system it’s that the sound of the alarm going off is really ear-piercing. Probably a good thing though, right? Your potential perp is scared off and anyone in the vicinity is alerted to the potential threat.

But this is where ‘night mode’ comes in. The silent alarm will deactivate the internal motion sensors (so you can still wander around inside) but leave the door and tunnel boot sensors active. And if it’s set off, the high-decibel alarm sound doesn’t go off – just the external lights flash and we receive a text message notification.

To date, the only alarm activation we’ve had is our own, forgetting to turn it off when we arrive back to camp!

Should I install an RV security system?

If I haven’t sung the praises of a good alarm system just yet, then a dollar-saving on insurance may get you over the line. While it can’t be guaranteed, it’s absolutely worth mentioning any security alarm system fitted when taking out a policy for any potential saving on your premium.