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A Comprehensive Guide to RV Security Systems & Which One Would I recommend?

A Comprehensive Guide to RV Security Systems & Which One Would I recommend

A lot of people get so psyched to go stand-up paddleboarding. One of the things they often prepare is their paddleboard. While it’s definitely the most important piece of equipment for this sport, you shouldn’t forget to pay enough attention to your clothing. 

Don’t know what to wear for paddleboarding? That’s okay. For a water activity that can be done all throughout the year, you’ll need to know the different kinds of outfits to wear depending on the season. And that doesn’t end there. The clothes you wear will vary based on the SUP style you will using. If this has made your mind even more confused, here is a clothing guide for SUP beginners. 

Why Should You Bother with a Security System

First and foremost, you want to keep your investment in your RV and all of the gear that you put inside of it safe. At the end of the day, the security system must be able to alert you, those around you, and the police that someone has broken into your RV to steal your belongings or even your RV all together!

RVs cost a lot these days. From $50,000 for a low-end class C RV, all the way up to a $200,000 class A RV, they certainly don’t come cheap. In order to ensure that your investment stays in your possession, be sure to spring for a security system.

When choosing a security system, be sure that it has the following characteristics before going ahead with the purchase:

It can be placed in your RV without any issues. 

The last thing that you want to have to hassle with is putting together a ridiculously complicated security system. Not only will that deter you from actually following through with the installation, but it will make the risk of doing something incorrectly go up exponentially.

A great saying in the camping world is “keep is stupid simple,” which basically means take the road of least resistance and consider buying a security system that will result in the most likely chance of you installing it and installing it correctly.

It has several options when it comes to giving you the ability to watch over your RV

Many security systems these days can be used by all sorts of electronic devices. With this in mind, be sure to look over the device features to ensure that you have the most selection of tech from which to monitor your RV.

A lot of RV security systems boast that they have an app that you can download onto your smartphone or tablet. While this is a great feature to have, be sure that the app has received high reviews from the app store. If other people think that the app is trash, you likely will too!

It gives you an alert if anyone attempts to break into your RV

Motion sensors and geo fences are both excellent features to look for in an RV security system. 

Motion sensors give you an alert if there is anyone moving around inside of your RV without you giving someone prior authorization to enter it. If someone does break into your RV, an alert should be sent to your phone and/or computer letting you know that something isn’t right.

Geo fences are really cool, because it allows you to set up a digital fence around your RV. Motorcycles have been using this technology for a while, as they tend to get stolen fairly frequently due to the ease of lifting them into the back of pickup trucks. 

The same technology of setting a fence around your RV will allow you to rest assured that your RV won’t leave a specific place without you getting an alert that it is moving. In addition to you getting an alert, the geo fence can also alert police and give them a GPS location to the RV. This will ensure that the person that drove off with your RV gets caught!

Great RV Security Systems

RV security options

With those things in mind, here are a few suggestions of high-quality RV security systems. For each one, you’ll learn about their features, their pros and cons, and by the end of these descriptions, you’ll feel confident about shopping for one of your own!

Tattletale

The Tattletale security system is an excellent option for securing your RV. It works by connecting to the Verizon cell network, should anyone attempt to break into your RV. This means that the would-be thief can’t cut any hardwired connections that would cause the alarm to stop working! Don’t worry, you won’t be charged by Verizon for the cell coverage at all.

You can choose to use the alarm feature only on this security system, which sets off strobe lights, sirens, and sends you an alert to your electronic device of choice. You can add on security features like automatic fire and law enforcement monitoring without signing up for a contract for less than $30 per month. 

The tricky thing about this security system is that it must be connected to a consistent source of power for it to work full time. While it does have a battery that will allow it to work for up to 20 hours without being plugged into power, this isn’t enough time to keep the security system working if you’re off the grid and boondocking it. If you’re in a campground with electrical hook-ups, you should be fine with the Tattletale security system.

Simplisafe

Another great security solution that offers tons of sensors to place all over your RV is the Simplisafe wireless security system. Like the Tattletale system, it comes with a home unit that needs to be plugged in for it to work, but instead of only 20 hours, the Simplisafe system has up to 24 hours of battery powered security available.

The Simplisafe system is amazing because it comes with 8 sensors that you can place anywhere inside of your RV. There are 4 sensors that you can place at easy access points like vents, windows, and doors, giving you peace of mind that anywhere a thief could break it is covered by a sensor. There is also a motion sensor that covers the entire RV, so you’ll know if someone has defeated the entry sensors and made it inside. And the panic button that it comes with allows you to set off your Simplisafe system at the press of a button.

When you push the panic button, it sets off the main unit, which has a 95-decibel siren that will be sure to alert those nearby to something going on in your RV. 

What’s also incredibly convenient is that the Simplisafe system also comes with a free month of their premium monitoring service when you buy one of their systems. It allows you to try out the professional monitoring system that you can control from your app. After you have had your free month, the service is based on a month to month subscription, without a long-term contract, and is less than $30 a month to continue to subscribe to. 

The subscription service gives you access to 24/7 response from the Simplisafe security team, which will be alerted when your security system goes off. They’re there to contact police and fire should anything trip the sensors and you don’t respond, which should give you a lot of comfort!

Guardian Systems

The Guardian Systems RV security alarm is one of the most progressive, sophisticated, yet easy to use systems available. It comes with a base model of the main control unit and two door/window sensors, and one more additional motion sensor for inside of the unit. 

If that isn’t enough, you can add up to 48 more sensors for a total of 51 sensors that completely cover your RV for maximum protection! The other sensors are able to guard against things like:

Glass breaking

This is incredibly important as many thieves break into RVs through breaking glass like on the side of the passenger or driver’s windows. 

Extreme temperature change

If your RV is parked outside for the winter, you can get a notification that temperatures are getting dangerously low inside of your RV. This gives you the opportunity to go start it up so that you avoid potential burst pipes from freezing weather.

Additionally, you also get notified when temperatures get too high. This can be helpful information to have in case you need to step away from your RV but leave your pet inside while you’re gone. That way you have peace of mind that your furry companion will stay nice and safe while you’re gone.

Outdoor motion

Get the jump on potential unwanted visitors by placing a motion sensor outside. That way you’ll be aware if someone or something is lurking around outside before you leave your RV for the day.

Smoke

Accidents happen, but it shouldn’t result in you losing your life over! Smoke sensors warn users of potential fire danger in the event a fire accidentally starts while you’re asleep.

CO2

Sleep soundly knowing that you’ll be awoken should CO2 begin leaking into your RV during the night.

And additional motion sensors

This is a great addition to have, as the motion sensors that you get with the base model of the Guardian System only comes with 2 motion sensors.

What’s even better about the Guardian System is that the main unit is programable for up to 31 different people to be recognized by the security system with their own unique code. That means that you can program it so that you can lend your RV to friends and family if you’d like or even rent it out on RV rental websites like outdoorsy.com. 

It can help you earn money when you’re not using your RV and you could even charge extra for the fact that your RV comes with a security system to give renters their own peace of mind while renting from you!

Guardzilla

The Guardzilla security system is a great option for those who want to include video monitoring in their RV security. The Guardzilla unit is just that, one singular unit that provides RVers with 360° of motion activated video monitoring, giving you the ability to see what is going on inside of your RV when you’re not around.

Like the Simplisafe system, it comes with a siren that goes off in the event an intruder makes it into your RV. The siren in the Guardzilla system is a bit louder than the Simplisafe siren at 100 decibels. 

Another unique feature to the Guardzilla system is that the camera also works well at night. You get automatic night vision that you don’t need to preprogram into your security system as the camera is smart enough to detect when there is low light. That way you’re able to get a clear image of what is going on inside of your RV at all times of the day.

The Guardzilla also comes with a speaker and microphone, so you can talk to anyone who is inside of your RV through the Guardzilla app on your phone. This can be really handy for scaring off intruders or helping someone who is borrowing your RV find something that they are looking for. 

And finally, this system comes with geo fencing, which allows you to set a digital fence around your RV. That helps you know if someone has taken off with your RV as well as the police, so that whoever is taking your RV for a joyride will be caught and your RV will be returned to you.

GPS and Track

This is one of the best security systems for RVs on the market. Designed specifically to be paired with RVs of all sizes, the GPS and Track gives you two options for installing a base unit into your RV. 

The hardwired unit can be professionally installed so that you don’t have to worry about messing up installation. This is preferable because the hardwired model will draw power from your RV’s battery, making it so that it will stay powered as long as your RV’s battery is charged, or you’re connected to electrical hook-ups.

If you’re not interested in paying a professional to install your security system, no problem! You can get the Asset Tracker that comes with a 2.5 yearlong battery life, which is longer than any other battery life on this list!

What is great about this system is that you have the ability to disable the starter on your RV. So if you got a notification that your RV is moving without you driving it, you can disable the engine safely from your phone and wait for police to show up and check on your RV! 

You’ll also get an alert if someone tries to disable the security system, which should give you peace of mind should someone try to defeat your security system. 

Like the Guardzilla, the GPS and Track security system comes with the ability to set up a geo fence, which helps you know if someone has moved your RV out of a specific range. It will alert police to this issue as well and help them track your RV down before thieves get too far down the road.

The service that you get with the GPS and Track is the most affordable on this list as well. For less than $5 per month, you get professional monitoring 24/7 of your RV when you purchase a GPS and Track system!

Final Thoughts

RV security systems are a great idea to use for protecting yourself and your RV from potential danger. You paid a lot for your RV, so you should invest in a system that will keep it safe from all sorts of calamities that can happen to it.

Remember to purchase the system that is right for you. Consider where you spend most of your time camping. If you spend a lot of time at campgrounds with electrical hook-ups, you’ll likely be able to purchase a security system that has a shorter battery life, but more advanced features and motion sensors. If you camp outside of areas that have access to electrical hook-ups, consider buying a security system that has extended battery life to ensure the safety of your RV.

At the end of the day, no matter what you choose to secure your RV with, it’s important to keep a watchful eye on your RV as you worked hard to earn it! With so many options for protecting it, there really isn’t a good enough reason why you shouldn’t have some sort of security system for your RV.

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Picture of Lisa Hayden-Matthews

Lisa Hayden-Matthews

An avid Skier, bike rider, triathlon enthusiast, amateurish beach volleyball player and nature lover who has never lost a dare! I manage the overall Editorial section for the magazine here and occasionally chip in with my own nature photographs, when required.
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