The rear garage doors of a campervan are the most vulnerable point for theft. The factory locks on most vans are weak, the doors are large (easy to pry open), and they often contain the most valuable gear — bikes, tools, inverters, batteries.
This guide covers how to secure your van's garage area against theft, with specific recommendations for UK van models.
The Problem
Rear barn doors on panel vans have:
- Factory lock strength: The locking mechanism is a single latch on one door, with the other door secured by a secondary latch (the "slave door"). A determined person can pry the slave door open with a screwdriver in 10 seconds.
- Hinge vulnerability: The hinge pins on most vans can be knocked out with a hammer and punch, removing the entire door.
- Handle weakness: The plastic handles on many vans (especially Ford Transits) can be snapped off with leverage.
Solutions
Rear Door Deadlock (Best)
A dedicated rear door deadlock (like the Armaplate rear deadlock or the Vanlock system) adds a separate key-operated bolt to each rear door.
How it works: A steel bolt slides into a reinforced strike plate on the door frame. The bolt is independent of the factory latch — even if the factory mechanism is bypassed, the deadlock holds.
Cost: £80-140 per door (fitted)
Models available:
- Armaplate rear deadlocks: Transit Custom, Sprinter, Ducato, Crafter
- Vanlock rear door locks: Transit Custom, Sprinter
- Thule rear deadlocks: Limited availability (discontinued)
Installation: Moderate DIY (drill through door skin for key barrel, bolt mechanism to door inner panel). Armaplate provides a drilling template.
Slam Locks (Good)
Slam locks replace the factory rear door handles with handles that have an integrated lock. When you slam the door shut, the lock engages automatically. You need the key to open it from the outside.
How they work: The handle has a key barrel that releases the latch mechanism. Inside the van, you can still open from the door handle (push-to-release, no key needed).
Cost: £60-120 for a pair
Models available:
- In-Line Slam Locks: Transit Custom (2013-2023), Sprinter (2018+), Crafter (2017+)
- Sirus Automotive Slam Locks: Transit Custom, Transit (full size)
- Bespoke van converters often fit slam locks as standard
Pros: No separate handle or bolt — the lock is integrated. One key for both doors. Looks professional.
Cons: If the slam lock mechanism fails (spring breaks, key barrel seizes), you can't open the rear doors from outside. The release inside the van still works, but you'd need to climb through the van to open them.
Hinge Pins — Security Welding (Cheap)
The hinges on most van rear doors are held on by removable pins. A thief knocks them out with a hammer and punch, removes the door, and accesses the garage area.
Prevention: Weld a small tack of metal over each hinge pin. This prevents the pin from being knocked out. It's a 20-minute job for a welder (£30-50 at a local garage).
Cost: £30-50
Pros: Cheap, invisible, highly effective against hinge-pin attacks. Doesn't affect the door operation.
Cons: Doesn't protect against other methods (prying, handle snapping). Should be combined with a deadlock or slam lock.
Internal Bolt (DIY, Moderate)
A heavy-duty barrel bolt mounted on the inside of the garage door provides a physical backup to the factory latch.
How it works: Slide a 12mm steel bolt from the door into a reinforced bracket on the door frame. Install one at the top and bottom of each door (or use a longer single bolt at the middle).
Cost: £10-20 per bolt (Screwfix, 12mm barrel bolt)
Installation: Drill through the door frame, mount the bolt, mount the receiving bracket. Use M8 bolts with nyloc nuts (not self-tapping screws). Takes 30 minutes per door.
Pros: Very cheap. Extremely strong (a 12mm steel bolt won't break). No external key to pick.
Cons: You must remember to slide the bolt every time you park. If the power door locks are on, you can't open from the outside even with the key — you have to open from inside. Can be inconvenient for daily access.
Complete Security Setup for Garage Doors
| Layer | What | Cost | Protects Against |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Slam locks or rear deadlocks | £80-140 | Pry attack, handle snapping |
| 2 | Security weld on hinge pins | £30-50 | Door removal via hinge pins |
| 3 | Internal barrel bolt | £10-20 | Backup if layers 1+2 fail |
| Total | £120-210 |
Van-Specific Recommendations
Ford Transit Custom
The rear doors on the Transit Custom have weak handles (the plastic breaks) and the slave door latch is easily pried. The In-Line Slam Locks are the most popular upgrade. Fit them on both rear doors. The factory hinges are fairly strong (hinge pin removal is uncommon on Transits due to the door shape).
Mercedes Sprinter
Sprinter rear doors have the weakest hinge pins — hinge-pin removal is the most common theft method. Security weld the hinge pins as a priority. The factory locks are better than Transit's (less pry-able), so you can skip slam locks if you weld the pins and add an internal bolt.
Fiat Ducato / Peugeot Boxer / Citroen Relay
These vans have the largest rear doors (widest vans) and the weakest hinges. The doors are heavy and the hinge pins are exposed. Slam locks + hinge pin welding is the recommended setup. The slam locks for Ducato/Boxer/Relay are widely available from UK converters.
VW Crafter
Crafter rear doors are similar to Sprinter's (same platform). Hinge pin welding is priority. The factory handles are metal (not plastic) so handle snapping is less of an issue. Add an internal barrel bolt for backup.
The "Not Worth It" Security
Some security products for rear doors are overkill for the risk:
- Reinforced door skins (£300+) — protects against a side-swipe collision, not theft. Overkill.
- GPS trackers on garage doors (£100+) — if your bike is worth £5k, sure. But put a tracker on the bike, not the door.
- Hydraulic door struts with locks (£200+) — these exist but are rarely used in the UK. The struts fail in cold weather.
Quick Daily Habit
- Park. Lock the van with the key fob.
- Walk to the rear and check both door handles are locked (factory latch engaged).
- If you have internal barrel bolts, slide them in.
- If you have slam locks, no check needed (they auto-lock when the door slams).
This takes 15 seconds. The number of vans stolen because the owner assumed the rear door was locked but the slave door hadn't latched properly is surprisingly high.
