How/where to store a Disklok ?

  • Thread starter Gliderbee California 6.1
  • Start date
Well I asked the Big G myself and it referred me back to the California Club Owners Forum so here I am.
130 leisure vehicles in total stolen in 2025. How many were Californias ? Probably not a lot, maybe none.
I’m going to continue hiding my keys, might be in the house, might not, no one will never know. It’ll be fine.
Rather than ask AI I ended up doing some analysis on the spreadsheet I got from the Met. It looks like it is UK numbers and they come out as 52 “ Motor Caravans” stolen in 2023 (Jan - Jan) of which 10 were Volkswagens. Of those 10 2 were recovered and 8 not and 2 of the 10 were Caravelles. Likely not recovered at owner request :)

Data below. I can’t find a detailed sheet for 2024 or 5 but could do a freedom of info request (I won’t).

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Many senior members can no longer drive their Californias as they hid their van keys to prevent theft and now they cannot remember where they hid them.

Don’t be caught out like this !

Always leave a note at your front door along the lines of THE VAN KEYS ARE IN THE CUTLERY DRAWER.
 
Either way, the smart advice is secure your key, hide your valuables and lock your car. Everything else is tinfoil.

What I will say, given it happened to one of my team last year, is that Ghost saved his car. The thieves swiped his keys through the letterbox (yes, he stored at the front door) and then tried to drive it away. The Ghost saved him.
I have an Autowatch Ghost 2 on my MY19 Range Rover. I'd say that if you have keyless it is essential. The car simply will not turn on without first going through whatever sequence of switches and buttons you've chosen.
I will say though, that Landrover did a security software update in 2024 in which (amongst other things) was the ability to turn off keyless entry. That stopped the key signal relay thefts. I don't know if VW followed suit.
Two other things to do is: 1) keep your keyless fobs in a Faraday box/pouch. 2) don't keep them anywhere visible, especially next to your front door.
 
I have an Autowatch Ghost 2 on my MY19 Range Rover. I'd say that if you have keyless it is essential. The car simply will not turn on without first going through whatever sequence of switches and buttons you've chosen.
I will say though, that Landrover did a security software update in 2024 in which (amongst other things) was the ability to turn off keyless entry. That stopped the key signal relay thefts. I don't know if VW followed suit.
Two other things to do is: 1) keep your keyless fobs in a Faraday box/pouch. 2) don't keep them anywhere visible, especially next to your front door.
I have a 25 Defender. The key now sleeps after the update, you have guardian mode and a double lock also locks the inside doors. I secure the keys inside in a faraday box well away from any obvious scally check place, although it’s more for completeness as it’s technically not needed now.

My 1962 Series 2 has a key. I remove the HT lead!
 
I’m not sure the validity, but found this. VW only report sales globally it seems. I also have a sneaky suspicion the data I found was London only, although it did not overtly say, but that jives with my previous analysis of 9 across the UK. It’s also worth noting that a lot of stats for “theft” include from, not just of, cos that gives a bigger number for headlines, tabloids, innit.When you look at of and from thefts from unlocked cars are staggeringly high, shown but the amount of reprobates we see around my estate trying door handles at 2am to grab something to sell for weed.

Either way, the smart advice is secure your key, hide your valuables and lock your car. Everything else is tinfoil.

What I will say, given it happened to one of my team last year, is that Ghost saved his car. The thieves swiped his keys through the letterbox (yes, he stored at the front door) and then tried to drive it away. The Ghost saved him. So if you are dim enough to not secure your keys inside as well as outside. We hide all our keys inside the house and have nothing that is either in arms reach or obvious (hanging by the door, in a bowl, etc).

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I agree with everything dspuk has said. But would add

Always leave your keys where thieves who break into your house can find them. The last thing you need is to be woken up at 2am, that’ll stay with you for a while!!! Obviously secure your house well and only euro locks with a sacrificial breaking point.

The best piece of mind you can get is an insurance policy that fully replaces your piece of tin should anything bad happen. With that in mind you’re free of worries
 
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