Top caravan theft hotspots in Victoria revealed amid surge in thefts

A suburb in Melbourne’s north has emerged as a Victorian hot spot for caravan thefts, and brazen thieves are taking off with the “highly valuable” vehicles in minutes.

A suburb in Melbourne’s north has emerged as the state’s caravan theft hotspot, with owners urged to secure their “highly valuable” vehicles ahead of the busy Christmas holiday period.

Data from the Crime Statistics Agency shows Campbellfield – home to many caravan manufacturers – recorded the most caravan thefts over the past five years, with 26 vans stolen from the northern suburb between April 2019 and March 2024.

It comes as the RACV warns overall caravan thefts or attempted thefts have reached their highest level in 10 years.

Other caravan theft hotspots over the past five years include Somerton (25), Epping (16), Pakenham, (15), and Dingley Village (12).

There were 174 caravans stolen across the state in the 12 months to June 2024, up almost 67 per cent since 2022.

Among the victims was Phil Pegg whose $25,000 Spaceline Odyssey 2000 was stolen in the early hours of May 18 while it was being kept in a storage facility in Hoppers Crossing.

“There is a gateway near where the caravan was parked and (the thieves) broke through the gateway, hooked up the van, and were gone in a matter of minutes,” he said.

Phil Pegg's van was stolen from Hoppers Crossing in May.

Thieves broke into a storage facility where the van was being kept outside.

He reported the theft to police but the van hasn’t been tracked down.

“All they have to do is change the number plate, and unless you are actually looking for that particular van and pull it over and check the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) it could be out there for years.”

Mr Pegg was preparing to sell the van but luckily had it insured.

He described the thieves as “lowlifes”

“Apparently the vehicle they used to remove it was stolen as well – people work hard for what they’ve got, and then it can be taken away in seconds.”

In a separate incident a man recently became unstuck after he was discovered in an allegedly stolen caravan in Pakenham.

Police charged a man and arrested a woman after they were found in an allegedly stolen caravan in Pakenham in August. Picture: Victoria Police

Police had been searching for the man after he allegedly evaded police in Seaford before crashing into the door of a police car on August 14.

Investigators went a caravan park on Racecourse Rd and allegedly found the man inside a stolen caravan about 9.20am.

It was alleged to have been stolen from an address in Berwick.

And a group of men allegedly used to angle grinder to steal a $65,000 caravan from the driveway of a family home in Moorabbin during a New Year’s Eve heist last year.

Victorians are also using the Stolen Caravan Registry website to appeal for information on their vans, with 68 currently listed as stolen in Victoria, the highest of any state in Australia.

The vans have been nicked from locations including Ringwood, Cranbourne, Ravenhall and Frankston North.

RACV general manager of motoring Jeff Ames said the rise in thefts was a timely reminder for Victorians to ensure their caravans were secure before a making a trip this summer.

“While vans may not seem as appealing an item to steal due to their size, the data is showing that thefts of these usually highly valuable assets are still occurring and, in fact, they are on the rise,” Mr Ames said.

Owners are being urged to keep their vans secure.

But Daniel Sahlberg, chief executive officer of Caravan Industry Victoria, said the rise in thefts was quite small when compared to the huge growth in the caravan industry post Covid.

“It has gone from about 80 or 90 odd thefts up to 170 (thefts) but in Victoria alone you’re looking at probably an extra 20-25,000 (caravan) registrations in one year,” he said.

“So in terms of the volume, and the growth, in the last two years there's been 100,000 new caravans and RVs going to the market across the country.

“So when you’re talking about it as a percentage, it’s a smaller percentage of thefts based on the products that are out there on the market.”

But Mr Sahlberg said it was still important for owners to keep their vans secure.

“There’s locking systems now that you can put on wheels, and also coupling locks that hook onto the car, and yes you need to have your vans insured but for more reasons than theft – for accidents, and protection around hail damage and things like that, that’s the bigger thing I see more than theft.”

It comes after a boom in the caravan industry during Covid.

The number of vans being built surged, jumping 41 per cent to a record 23,931 in 2021.

Mr Sahlberg said the popularity of caravanning during Covid was “astronomical” and despite the industry now coming down from that wave, it remained a popular option for families during the cost of living crisis.

“Caravans provide an affordable option for family trips – once you’ve got that asset it provides families with a good return on investment, and the chance to take holidays more regularly at an affordable price.”

Originally published as Top caravan theft hotspots in Victoria revealed amid surge in thefts