@Carpy Chris, Would be nice if car manufacturers put some kind of shield on all of their new cars and trucks from now on! Make it so that only the owner could open the shield with a key that is given to the owner when they buy the car or truck. Now, that would stop a lot of the thefts that are going on like wild fire! Got mine stolen three weeks ago and let me tell ya it wrecked my life for over a week because I was out of transportation for 1.5 weeks! My car still hasn't pass the emission test since then and I will have to replace the sensors because those bastards messed up my sensors as well!
@@grandwonder5858 Hey how are you all the shields are basically the same I believe it’s made of stainless steel I think and pretty thick ......the shield is in my garage I would have to go look For the model or the brand name, it is stainless steel and there’s about 4-5 feet wide in about 4-5 feet long as well And it has several bolts going around the three sides of it. I mean a lot of bolts...like 20 or more... it took a lot of time For me to get it off. I just know they went up and around the front wheel and unbolted where the cat attaches and then they cut where the resonator Is, bent the shield down a little bit probably by pulling on it with a little bit of weight, Probably with their arms just pulling or crowbar then just Shimmied and wiggled it out through the space so I was left with a slightly hanging resonator tube and no cat. I found a couple bolts and springs on the ground by where my car was parked. I just took my car to the dealership and they have seen a shield being cut as well. You’re just gonna have to garage the best you can or get a sensor alarm that goes underneath it with several different horns that go off even one inside your house so they can’t disconnect it and it will go off inside so you’ll hear it even in your side your house when you’re sleeping no crackhead wants to hear an alarm going off and they can’t Make stop. Also they don’t know where it’s coming from it will piss them off you’ll definitely be out there within 30 seconds if you have an alarm going off by your bed you can add horns to alarms which makes it pretty cool because I was asleep when it happened to me and I didn’t hear until it’s too late. Metal won’t protect your Cat converter as long as there’s tools to cut through metal you’re never gonna be safe From theft it slows them down but not enough garage it or make it super loud with a horn To where they can’t even get under your car look! so everybody comes out of their houses To see what’s going on like wtf they’re not gonna like that no matter What time of day it is this means you have to modify an alarm by the way not just a simple car alarm. Good luck if you’re in California you have my sympathy.
or maybe these recycling places that take these should only take them if you can prove that it came off your vehicle. them just taking from random people is what is giving excuse for them to steal them
Got to be part of a van build, could use exhaust clamps to put 3 bars in place where they cut, then use a grinder to round the nuts on the clamps ( or buy shear nuts of ebay)...👍..Tooo hard for them then to mess with it for sure...In London, there were around 3,000 catalytic converter thefts reported in the first six months of this year..They are even doing it during the day, even using small hydraulic jacks....Good vid Mel, people need to be aware....
I gave a cat lock on mine, I've not owned it long , so still getting to know the underside. Being a welder fabricator by trade, I would say this sounds like the best deterrent if you get enough metal around it it will take too long to cut. The idea is to be in and out quick. I bought mine from London and the vehicle always lived on a quiet drive. The lock seemed to gave been enough of a deterrent. There was a few spicy looking estates nearby. It's bloody noisy though, rattles on low revs. I'm going to try and cushion it somehow, maybe wrapping a long narrow spring round it.
They just took mine out of my 2008 GMC Savanna 1 ton van last week They use Sawzalls here in Northern California. I ordered a length of exhaust pipe, two band clamps and one of those chain tools to make a pipe fix to get me going while I dealt with insurance and found a good exhaust shop that welded a new cat right on in about twenty minutes for $ 1,100 USD total. The insurance paid me a bit over $ 2000 so I got a bit extra to cover my stress and loss of use of the truck for almost a week and now I am working on some deterrents.
unfortunately in the US ,these insurance companies will find a way to increase your premiums in the mid distant future, even tho it was not your fault. They are as slimy as they come! they get paid monthly premiums and You put in a claim, get a payout, and they nail you to the cross for several years. But to look on the bright side, you got it fixed and you got some money for it TODAY.😅
Nice one Mel, just thought I'd have a look under my Sprinter and noticed its already got a Catlock fitted...just as I was about to buy one, thanks for the heads up.
As long as they haven't got boltcroppers you'll be OK. Looks a sturdy bit of kit Mel. Hopefully find something similar for my van when I return from the Falklands. Keep Safe.
I have a cat lock on my sprinter. A different style. My first welding job was with Eminox, commercial vehicle shiny show exhaust and cat manufacturers. A word of caution. Be careful when tightening up a sleeve around a cat body. We torqued them up very carefully. The interior is a ceramic honeycomb, steeped in precious metals. If you apply too much pressure to any part, it will crumble. Follow the instructions carefully.
*We had exactly those cutters in the Shop to - tah-dah! - cut rusty exhaust pipes & mufflers off cars to replace them.* *They're sold everywhere.* *(plumbers have smaller versions for pipe-cutting as well)*
Catalytic converter theft here in Chicago is very worrisome so I'm on the hunt for an anti-theft device. FYI, for those cables, they'll just switch to a hand-powered rotary saw and cut through a approx 60 seconds.
Seems more like you have three cats and one of them was very hungry. I like my old van even more now after watching this. Just an old van nice and simple.
Hi Mel, luckily you was in the van when the little S@*t tried to whip the cat off. I had my renault fitted with one from Sussex installations, great bunch of guys. Reason being i work in CCTV and I've seen how quick these can be stolen from all vehicles, but they love Van's because of the easier access. Great vid 👍
Talk about if it’s not tied down they’ll take it! Glad you caught it in time mate. Shame you had to go to the trouble but I love how you’ve just made it another part of your channel an kinda have the last laugh an now educated others on how to deter it happening to them. 👍🚐
spongebob smellypants there not that smart are they being thieves just waiting to be locked up. An it’s not to guarantee it can’t happen it’s another added deterrent an now you’d have to spend more time doing that before getting to use cut tool on the cat.
Unfortunately it is a common problem for both Van's, 4x4 and cars where some little oxygen thief decides to have a go. The cutters are used in many different businesses so not practical to ban them. Nice way to stop them Mel. Anything you can do to deter them is good.
Hi Mel the problem is the huge range of cordless power tools available now, anything can be cut including that thick cable you have just fitted. The only advantage you have is power tools make noise.
Unbelievable!!! The cheek of them!!!! Crazy that you have to do things like that!! You would have got a shock when you started the van the next day if you had slept through!! Nice piece of kit that shield!! Great vid as always!👍
I had no idea this was something to worry about. Stuff like this is probably why I could never quite get my head round the idea of living full time in a van.
Hey Mel, I’m so sorry to hear that happened to you. What a good thing you were quick enough to catch him in the act. What are people like - esp now! Life is hard enough without having that happening. All the best for the new anti-theft install x
Mel’s Van World So lush to see you’ve completed your van. I’ve been awol on here for a while but am catching up on your videos now. Plus I’ve just had my stove fitted and finished so will send you some photos 👍🏻. My van has a long way to go!
Great, except most will have a battery powered grinder. It might confuse them enough not to figure it out. Your lucky to be in UK, in the US they would not run away when they packin heat - no not sterno food heaters.
I've had people trying to break into the van many times at night but never had anybody underneath the van it looks like your Sprinter van has a lot of ground clearance easy to slide underneath a lot of vehicles you can't get underneath without jacking it up all putting on ramps so they probably target Sprinter vans. I think getting a garage to weld a strip of metal along the pipe would be the best deterrent. Happy travels.
I have such a tool. It's great when I work with old exhaust pipes. to remove them. (on old cars) I've never even had the thought of walking around stealing catalysts. But maybe it's because I'm not a thief
It’s march 2023 and a car thief went j to our 35 cars at the apartment development ONLY opening the driver side door. So now we have tk worry anout Blank Key Fobs unlocking our cars as well as Ground Floor Thieves.!
Mel, see the actual pipe from the cat that the chain cutter was on, could you put a similar cover over it to stop them from cutting through the pipe in the first place ?? Just a thought 🤔
They won't walk around with bolt cutters and an exhaust cutter. If they were stopped and searched that would be an instant charge. I imagine they work by first looking undedneath a likely target but would simply move on if there is no Cat or its locked.
Seen a recent American video where the guy used a load of exhaust clamps, all close together, wherever there was an area susceptible to cutting. Then spot welded the nuts on them. A quick and very effective way of deterring these vermin who can cost cars to be an insurance write-off.
Hi Mel and thank you for the info. I'm a bit security conscious and having the cat stolen has never crossed my mind. It's not just the cost but the fact your totally immobilized until you've had the repair. Imagen your traveling through Europe and the Hassel you'd have sorting it out. Thanks again Mel and stay safe 😉
Then again, considering Dave2D tries to make money off UA-cam essentially parasitizing vanlifers’ hard work and content by “roasting” them... I’d call karma on that particular dude 🤔😏
What would stop them from using bolt cutters to cut that steel braded cable? Is it a reinforced harder steel to prevent it from being cut ? Or is this something that would just give them a bit of a harder time of getting it in hopes that they won't attempt to do it.
Keep a plastic food grade spray bottle around with olive oil. You could always use it for cooking. Make sure you test it on Long squirt setting, then squirt the next thief who goes under your van or whip out your gun.
Even better is wasp spray. Totally legit to have in a camper, won’t get everywhere like bear spray, aims well, shoots far... and burns like hell. He he. Take that, 🐱 thief! 😭🤪😛
I would have called the police. Bagged the tool and hope there were fingerprints. Im going to order one just can work out what the right one is as my van euro 5 and there seems to be two on the link you shared.
Good Vid Mel but hey a 18 or 20v angle grinder with a slitting disk will see that lot off in a very short time. Got a similar dilemma with our bike locks.
if he heard the pipe cutter an angle grinder would be deafening.sawzlall maybe even louder.this guy was trying to be smart,but if he had any kind of brains he would wait until there was no one in or around.
That’s bad news not heard of anything like that here in Tasmania there Mel, good job you were in the van at the time. Thanks for the video and all the best.
Hey up Mel hope your well. Love you jolly look on life mate. Thanks for putting a smile on my face every time u load something up. I’ve got a 64 plate LWB sprinter and looking at your video my Cat is located further up towards the engine, how could I find out what euro 4 or 5 my van is ? And if the Cat you put on will fit on mine ? Pls help x thanks in advance
You Tube's auto CC translator says "Catholic converter" instead of Catalytic Converter and "Vein" instead of Van ! Hilarious! Maybe they could etch an image of Jesus or the Virgin Mary on it for extra luck.
Technically that contraption may not work at all. They will still just cut both pipes on either side of the cat and simply slide it out that contraption without even damaging the guard you installed
Good job Mel 👍 I was almost shouting at my monitor, "YOU FORGOT THE SHEAR NUT COVER PLATE" lol 🤣 You need a big red emergency button you can hit to set of a siren sound. I think Brett ( The Urban Stealth Campervan Man ) has one fitted. 👍👍👍
Nice 3k repair bill from Merc if that had gone.... last 3 I dealt with at work they weren’t as neat and ended up cutting sensors and wiring looms. When we ordered the new loom it had to be built by Merc, in the factory with a build time of approx 12 weeks....! Even then once received the van had to go back to a main dealer for repairs
We have them stolen regularly - for a full system with temp sensors etc there is something like 24 individual items...... one Christmas we had maybe 20 stolen!
I’m in the process of doing this to my cats as well. Unfortunately, I have 4 on my truck! I’m also rigging a trip wire to the cats so if they do manage to get it cut then as soon as they try to pull it away it sets off a blank 12 gauge shot shell and will at least scare the living shit out of em!
My son had his cats stolen off his ford raptor, in his employer's truck yard while he was on the road as a truck driver. His insurance company, Allstate, said he was 99% at fault and raised his rate. He immediately cancelled them.
They use battery grinders with cutting discs round my way . Be through that cable in seconds. But a deterrent is better than nothing 👍 Hopefully they won't be back after the shock of Mel in his under pants 😂
good call Mel.. i'm going online to get one now ! thanks for the tip and warning.. i have been hearing about this and was going to build something similar !
I'm not sure about those wrap around cat-locks as a pair of bolt croppers will get through that wire easily. I would've thought a big sheet of metal over the area with something like a spline drive bolt fixing method into rivnuts would be better.
May I suggest an upgrade to chain? I work with rigging cable… it’s not that tough with the right tool. The Felco C7 cutter will go cleanly through 8mm wire rope in one bite; Bigger rope parts in a few nibbles, just leaves a ragged end…
Not keen on that product Mel,a thief would just cut through the cable with a battery angle grinder,i'd prefer to design a much bigger plate that could be fitted to the chassis.Hope you upgraded the vans security as loads are getting broken into or just stolen.
2 things, 1 battery angle grinder make a hell of a noise, especially if someone's trying to remain quite and stealthy, and 2nd, Yes they could just cut though the wire, but if they weren't expecting it to be there, hopefully they wouldn't be carrying said battery angle grinder/bolt cutters in there back pocket, and they take one look at it and move on to the next unsuspecting owners vehicle leaving this one untouched.
Little scrouts! Iv has my van messed around with and it’s a horrible feeling, glad you disturbed them mate! Is That cut out in the shield where the bolts go through what that the “pipe” (pressure sensor) on top slots into? Now the armacat is on it ain’t going nowhere! Good work
You couldn’t get the police to dust that tool for fingerprints, before you touched it? Or taken it off with gloves and take it to police dept, in a bag?
think in layers like a onion. one item will not stop a crook. but using a number of items will make the job hard and take much longer, they tend to go away to another car.
People get beaten up for confronting these thieves. Best defense (if you’re in the van) is to start the van. Imagine how quickly you’d get out from under a van if you think it might try to drive off (up on a jack or not)!
hahahah hopefully they get caught up in the drive shaft for a while ,spit out ran over by you and then everyone behind you.that would be sweet justice right there lol!
Should of reported it to the police and gave them the tool, they prob wouldn’t do anything though, I saw a YT video were a mechanic welded a few of them steel cables to the cat and chassis, said a grinder wouldn’t cut through
Hi mel good vid now plz show me how to stop the scrotes knicking me diesel ,plastic tank drilled a hole in bottom of it ruined the tank and 90 quids worth diesel ,I hate the scumbags who knick diesel
Little gets nicked the the 2 off my sprinter cost me over a grand to replace I bet they had one of those cutters the dogs didn't hear a thing I've welded a cage around mine now I'd like to have it connected to the battery give them a little shock 😲👀👍👌
@@BigVanSmallWorld I was well gutted this is a big problem were I live and probably all over the country I'd like to now just who is buying all these stolen cats 🙀😾😹😼
Great work, thanks for sharing. Here in the US they use the little cordless grinders with cutoff wheels. one quick cut straight down the where the holes in the wrap around your cat are and then the pipe each end, all the hard work for nothing. Hopefully they won't notice.
You’re absolutely welcome. I have no doubt they use them grinders here in the UK too! The best thing we can do is make it harder for them in the hope they will just not bother and go find an easy target 👍😳👍
@timthemechanix when living in trucks in the 80's we had similar issues, ie certain gearboxes for instance had a great export value. It wasn't uncommon to weld these onto the Bell housing, with some operators paying someone to sleep in trucks overnight in the yard, to watch out for theives. Funny story, one of the known gearbox theives came out of the supermarket, jumped in his truck, fired up the engine, went to grab the gear stick, and it dropped through the floor, yep, someone had his gearbox, whilst he was shopping. Lol.
Those 18v lithium ion power tools are a godsend. Unfortunately they're universally useful. To wrong uns as well as trades. A freind of mine list the keys to his bike lock, his bike was locked to the train station railings. He grabbed his 18v grinder and went to cut his lock off. When he arrived there was some Herbert trying to remove it. Being a big imposing guy, my freind strolled over announcing "this is how you do it" and cut the lock off, knife through butter style, showering the would be theif in sparks.
Hi Mel, I have a Ring B2B like yours and I would like to know if I can connect a battery charger to my battery to charge my battery on dull days without the need to disconnect my B2B from the battery to protect it. Hope you can help. Cheers in advance. Chris.
good vlog Mel but I think for the price of that cat protector I would weld up a steel cover plate to cover all access points of the exhaust and cat pity u did not get hold of the scumbag I would have given him a good beating years ago 2 scumbags broke into my work van at night and were about to steal my tools luckily for me I heard them outside and me and a neighbour ran after them one got away but the other one got a good beating
its a chain pipe cutter, Good score buddy that's a 100 Quid there mate , get some pipe guards they are extra thick pipe that wraps before and after the cat so they move to an easier target it its the only way , They are full of silver and the bloody pikies steal them for the precious metals , we sell them at the breakers for $60 worn out they still make money from them ,,,,,, Or a 12 gauge hottie brother ,,,,, I hate people that steal ! , R.J.T in hospital in Kiama NSW with A new Left Knee ,,, soon on the road again Mel , Great vid mate
We had the cat stolen from the Mrs Golf GTi back in Feb, wondered what tool they used for the silent steel, literally gone in 45s seconds, little shits!!
I'm thinking that the 6 carriage bolts should be installed with the heads on the "ground side" of the shield. This would provide another layer of protection, as the rounded heads would give would-be thieves nothing to easily grab onto. The snap-off nuts are already protected by channels, and by pointing those nuts and channels Away from thieves' tools, it would make is even More unlikely to allow theft. Just my opinion. Thanks.
@@Whoo_Boyyes unfortunately there's a lot of tech that helps legit trades and theives equally. Most theives are chancers and drug dependants. You'll deter most of them, most of the time. Take as many precautions as you can. The pro theives will always succeed. They're ingenious, if some had offered them the right training and job opportunitys they'd be bloody successful in a legit trade. Lol.
Mel this is actually called a DPF. Diesel particulate filter. Some have a monolith block catalytic converter built in. This is always at the front. Your vehicle may have a separate box entirely further up front. That will be the catalytic converter. Anyhow. Great video. It’s important to bring this thieving act to the attention of drivers who do not have a clue. There are many videos about this subject. The guy deserves the removal of fingers.
They are only ment to be sold to mechanics. For removing old damaged exhaust. I as a mechanic I could remove that cat lock. Won't say how so nobody can copy it
Hey Mel, get yourself a high voltage, electric fence setup and connect it to the chassis of your van! But remember to turn it off if you step out of the van! lol What are you doing sleeping in a supermarket car park anyway? Are you on a trip or just testing stealth parking?
Those are pipe cutters... Usually not used to steal cats tho 🙄....for diesel, the name of those are DPF..Diesel Particulate Filter. Abt double sometimes 3x the price of a gasoline catalytic converters. Lots being stolen off dealer lots off brand new vehicles.
@@BigVanSmallWorld Hi Mel. OK, but this would have been a legitimate insurance claim on your behalf if the scrote had completed his mission. I think that insurance companies would be only too pleased to reward their customers who fit these anti-theft devices; especially given the large number of converter thefts. just a thought.
The auto factory should install CAT protection when manufactured.
Just wrap it in concertina wire. Heatproof and looks like something from MadMax.
Haha 😂 brilliant
Maybe the manufacturers should have something built into the design build to prevent this happening
Amen because mine is gone! And I had a shield over it.
@@ladyfame1430 Even with the shield? Damn! May I ask which shield did you use?
@Carpy Chris, Would be nice if car manufacturers put some kind of shield on all of their new cars and trucks from now on! Make it so that only the owner could open the shield with a key that is given to the owner when they buy the car or truck. Now, that would stop a lot of the thefts that are going on like wild fire! Got mine stolen three weeks ago and let me tell ya it wrecked my life for over a week because I was out of transportation for 1.5 weeks! My car still hasn't pass the emission test since then and I will have to replace the sensors because those bastards messed up my sensors as well!
@@grandwonder5858 Hey how are you all the shields are basically the same I believe it’s made of stainless steel I think and pretty thick ......the shield is in my garage I would have to go look For the model or the brand name, it is stainless steel and there’s about 4-5 feet wide in about 4-5 feet long as well And it has several bolts going around the three sides of it. I mean a lot of bolts...like 20 or more... it took a lot of time For me to get it off. I just know they went up and around the front wheel and unbolted where the cat attaches and then they cut where the resonator Is, bent the shield down a little bit probably by pulling on it with a little bit of weight, Probably with their arms just pulling or crowbar then just Shimmied and wiggled it out through the space so I was left with a slightly hanging resonator tube and no cat. I found a couple bolts and springs on the ground by where my car was parked. I just took my car to the dealership and they have seen a shield being cut as well. You’re just gonna have to garage the best you can or get a sensor alarm that goes underneath it with several different horns that go off even one inside your house so they can’t disconnect it and it will go off inside so you’ll hear it even in your side your house when you’re sleeping no crackhead wants to hear an alarm going off and they can’t Make stop. Also they don’t know where it’s coming from it will piss them off you’ll definitely be out there within 30 seconds if you have an alarm going off by your bed you can add horns to alarms which makes it pretty cool because I was asleep when it happened to me and I didn’t hear until it’s too late. Metal won’t protect your Cat converter as long as there’s tools to cut through metal you’re never gonna be safe From theft it slows them down but not enough garage it or make it super loud with a horn To where they can’t even get under your car look! so everybody comes out of their houses To see what’s going on like wtf they’re not gonna like that no matter What time of day it is this means you have to modify an alarm by the way not just a simple car alarm. Good luck if you’re in California you have my sympathy.
or maybe these recycling places that take these should only take them if you can prove that it came off your vehicle. them just taking from random people is what is giving excuse for them to steal them
Got to be part of a van build, could use exhaust clamps to put 3 bars in place where they cut, then use a grinder to round the nuts on the clamps ( or buy shear nuts of ebay)...👍..Tooo hard for them then to mess with it for sure...In London, there were around 3,000 catalytic converter thefts reported in the first six months of this year..They are even doing it during the day, even using small hydraulic jacks....Good vid Mel, people need to be aware....
That’s frightening 👍🤓👍
I like that idea about the exhaust clamps 👍 That's nuts, around 3,000 catalytic converter thefts in the six months, shocking!
Catloc installed in so many cars now thankfully
They have battery saw saw too
I gave a cat lock on mine, I've not owned it long , so still getting to know the underside. Being a welder fabricator by trade, I would say this sounds like the best deterrent if you get enough metal around it it will take too long to cut. The idea is to be in and out quick. I bought mine from London and the vehicle always lived on a quiet drive. The lock seemed to gave been enough of a deterrent. There was a few spicy looking estates nearby. It's bloody noisy though, rattles on low revs. I'm going to try and cushion it somehow, maybe wrapping a long narrow spring round it.
They just took mine out of my 2008 GMC Savanna 1 ton van last week They use Sawzalls here in Northern California. I ordered a length of exhaust pipe, two band clamps and one of those chain tools to make a pipe fix to get me going while I dealt with insurance and found a good exhaust shop that welded a new cat right on in about twenty minutes for $ 1,100 USD total. The insurance paid me a bit over $ 2000 so I got a bit extra to cover my stress and loss of use of the truck for almost a week and now I am working on some deterrents.
OMG 😳
This cat issue is extortion
unfortunately in the US ,these insurance companies will find a way to increase your premiums in the mid distant future, even tho it was not your fault. They are as slimy as they come! they get paid monthly premiums and You put in a claim, get a payout, and they nail you to the cross for several years. But to look on the bright side, you got it fixed and you got some money for it TODAY.😅
Nice one Mel, just thought I'd have a look under my Sprinter and noticed its already got a Catlock fitted...just as I was about to buy one, thanks for the heads up.
Oh my goodness me good job you looked 👍🤓👍
As long as they haven't got boltcroppers you'll be OK. Looks a sturdy bit of kit Mel.
Hopefully find something similar for my van when I return from the Falklands. Keep Safe.
Thank you and you have a safe trip home 👍🤓👍
I have a cat lock on my sprinter. A different style. My first welding job was with Eminox, commercial vehicle shiny show exhaust and cat manufacturers. A word of caution. Be careful when tightening up a sleeve around a cat body. We torqued them up very carefully. The interior is a ceramic honeycomb, steeped in precious metals. If you apply too much pressure to any part, it will crumble. Follow the instructions carefully.
Thanks for sharing
*We had exactly those cutters in the Shop to - tah-dah! - cut rusty exhaust pipes & mufflers off cars to replace them.*
*They're sold everywhere.*
*(plumbers have smaller versions for pipe-cutting as well)*
I’ve never seen them before 👍
Catalytic converter theft here in Chicago is very worrisome so I'm on the hunt for an anti-theft device.
FYI, for those cables, they'll just switch to a hand-powered rotary saw and cut through a approx 60 seconds.
Good luck 🤓
What did you go with?
I would check with supermarket to see if they have CCTV of car park entrance to see reg no of Thief's vehicle.
Yep 👍 did that there not allowed to show us and the police haven’t got the time
Good idea Mel but round where I live they are using battery angle grinders couple a minutes there gone
Seems more like you have three cats and one of them was very hungry.
I like my old van even more now after watching this. Just an old van nice and simple.
Nice one 🤓👍
Hi Mel, luckily you was in the van when the little S@*t tried to whip the cat off. I had my renault fitted with one from Sussex installations, great bunch of guys. Reason being i work in CCTV and I've seen how quick these can be stolen from all vehicles, but they love Van's because of the easier access. Great vid 👍
Thank you Mark 👍🤓👍
Talk about if it’s not tied down they’ll take it! Glad you caught it in time mate. Shame you had to go to the trouble but I love how you’ve just made it another part of your channel an kinda have the last laugh an now educated others on how to deter it happening to them. 👍🚐
Thank you that’s really appreciated and yes that’s the message I want to get across from this experience you need to protect yourself 👍🤓👍
Bolt Croppers away in 30 seconds £130 down the drain these people are smart
spongebob smellypants there not that smart are they being thieves just waiting to be locked up. An it’s not to guarantee it can’t happen it’s another added deterrent an now you’d have to spend more time doing that before getting to use cut tool on the cat.
Couldn't they just take a bolt-cutter to the cable?
I Had my cat stolen off my Ford Ranger when parked on our drive they used the same tool it makes a really straight cut.
Oh that’s crap I’m sorry to hear that 😬
Unfortunately it is a common problem for both Van's, 4x4 and cars where some little oxygen thief decides to have a go. The cutters are used in many different businesses so not practical to ban them. Nice way to stop them Mel. Anything you can do to deter them is good.
Thank you 👍🤓👍🍻
😂little oxygen toe rag 😂😂
Hi Mel the problem is the huge range of cordless power tools available now, anything can be cut including that thick cable you have just fitted. The only advantage you have is power tools make noise.
So true 👍🤓👍
I'm glad you caught that dirt bag and I'm glad you got his tool. It's a real shame a person has to go to these lengths to protect their own property.
Thank you Bruce 👍🤓👍
Unbelievable!!! The cheek of them!!!! Crazy that you have to do things like that!! You would have got a shock when you started the van the next day if you had slept through!! Nice piece of kit that shield!! Great vid as always!👍
Thank you I really appreciate your positive feedback 👍🤓👍
I had no idea this was something to worry about. Stuff like this is probably why I could never quite get my head round the idea of living full time in a van.
I didn’t think about it until then and almost to late 👍🤓👍
Hey Mel, I’m so sorry to hear that happened to you. What a good thing you were quick enough to catch him in the act. What are people like - esp now! Life is hard enough without having that happening. All the best for the new anti-theft install x
Thank you that’s really kind of you 👍🤓👍
Mel’s Van World So lush to see you’ve completed your van.
I’ve been awol on here for a while but am catching up on your videos now. Plus I’ve just had my stove fitted and finished so will send you some photos 👍🏻. My van has a long way to go!
Great, except most will have a battery powered grinder. It might confuse them enough not to figure it out. Your lucky to be in UK, in the US they would not run away when they packin heat - no not sterno food heaters.
I've had people trying to break into the van many times at night but never had anybody underneath the van it looks like your Sprinter van has a lot of ground clearance easy to slide underneath a lot of vehicles you can't get underneath without jacking it up all putting on ramps so they probably target Sprinter vans. I think getting a garage to weld a strip of metal along the pipe would be the best deterrent. Happy travels.
Thank you and yes some people do that 👍😂👍
The pipe cutter tool has legitimate uses. In USA they use rechargeable reciprocating saws.
I have such a tool. It's great when I work with old exhaust pipes. to remove them. (on old cars) I've never even had the thought of walking around stealing catalysts. But maybe it's because I'm not a thief
I didn’t even know such a thing was invited 😂👍
It’s march 2023 and a car thief went j to our 35 cars at the apartment development ONLY opening the driver side door. So now we have tk worry anout Blank Key Fobs unlocking our cars as well as Ground Floor Thieves.!
Blimey! I didn't even know that was a thing! Glad you stopped them
Thanks me too 👍🤓👍
Mel, see the actual pipe from the cat that the chain cutter was on, could you put a similar cover over it to stop them from cutting through the pipe in the first place ?? Just a thought 🤔
Yes some people weld hard rods to the pipe 👍🤓👍
They won't walk around with bolt cutters and an exhaust cutter. If they were stopped and searched that would be an instant charge.
I imagine they work by first looking undedneath a likely target but would simply move on if there is no Cat or its locked.
A pipe cutter we used to call them a cat cutter when I was a scrap man
Seen a recent American video where the guy used a load of exhaust clamps, all close together, wherever there was an area susceptible to cutting. Then spot welded the nuts on them. A quick and very effective way of deterring these vermin who can cost cars to be an insurance write-off.
Sounds like a great idea 👍
The name of the YT channel is: The Switz... He has two videos called: How I Keep My Catalytic Converter From Being Stolen, Part 1 & 2
Wow that scary didnt realise they can get them that quick! Thanks for sharing
It’s frightening how simple it is for them to be nicked 😬
They did that to my Toyota Prius, they drove off in a blue ford fiesta !
Theses guys had a red Audi 😬
Hi Mel and thank you for the info. I'm a bit security conscious and having the cat stolen has never crossed my mind. It's not just the cost but the fact your totally immobilized until you've had the repair. Imagen your traveling through Europe and the Hassel you'd have sorting it out.
Thanks again Mel and stay safe 😉
You’re absolutely welcome thank you 👍🤓👍
They have catholic converters in Ireland.
Lol 😂
What a coincidence Mel, today I was watching the same story from US vanlifer Dave2D. He was unlucky and they had his one away while he was waking up!
Yes someone else has told me about him I’ll have to have a look 🤓👍
They shopped his one-off with an electric saw when he was in the van )-:
Then again, considering Dave2D tries to make money off UA-cam essentially parasitizing vanlifers’ hard work and content by “roasting” them... I’d call karma on that particular dude 🤔😏
Excellent advice mate. Makes sense to get one. Van looks great as well.
Thank you 👍🤓👍
How do you get the cat off if it goes bad and needs replacing? A torch?
What would stop them from using bolt cutters to cut that steel braded cable? Is it a reinforced harder steel to prevent it from being cut ? Or is this something that would just give them a bit of a harder time of getting it in hopes that they won't attempt to do it.
Keep a plastic food grade spray bottle around with olive oil. You could always use it for cooking. Make sure you test it on Long squirt setting, then squirt the next thief who goes under your van or whip out your gun.
I like the gun idea 👍😂👍
Even better is wasp spray. Totally legit to have in a camper, won’t get everywhere like bear spray, aims well, shoots far... and burns like hell. He he. Take that, 🐱 thief! 😭🤪😛
wtf is olive oil going to do?wouldnt that make him harder to catch?you spray olive oil on me im going to work you over!
I would have called the police. Bagged the tool and hope there were fingerprints. Im going to order one just can work out what the right one is as my van euro 5 and there seems to be two on the link you shared.
The police was called all they did was issue a crime number
Good Vid Mel but hey a 18 or 20v angle grinder with a slitting disk will see that lot off in a very short time. Got a similar dilemma with our bike locks.
Thank you I’ll make sure I wake up with a bat in hand if they try again 👍
if he heard the pipe cutter an angle grinder would be deafening.sawzlall maybe even louder.this guy was trying to be smart,but if he had any kind of brains he would wait until there was no one in or around.
What a nice chap. Great video well done 👍
Thanks 👍
Now all they come armed with is heavy duty cable cutters and the chain pipe cutter.
And if they do I’ll definitely wake up 👍🤓👍
That’s bad news not heard of anything like that here in Tasmania there Mel, good job you were in the van at the time. Thanks for the video and all the best.
Thank you and you stay safe 👍🤓👍
Very good info mele thanks a lot 👏👏👏🇬🇧🇬🇧
Thank you that’s really appreciated 👍
Hey up Mel hope your well. Love you jolly look on life mate. Thanks for putting a smile on my face every time u load something up. I’ve got a 64 plate LWB sprinter and looking at your video my Cat is located further up towards the engine, how could I find out what euro 4 or 5 my van is ? And if the Cat you put on will fit on mine ? Pls help x thanks in advance
Hi ya euro 4 or euro 5 will be on your log book V5 good my van has a cat and a Dpf good luck 👍🤓👍
Make sure if your little friend comes back for his little friend that YOU HAVE A LITTLE FRIEND TOO.
Don’t worry I got a big friend waiting for them 😂👍
You Tube's auto CC translator says "Catholic converter" instead of Catalytic Converter and "Vein" instead of Van ! Hilarious! Maybe they could etch an image of Jesus or the Virgin Mary on it for extra luck.
Technically that contraption may not work at all. They will still just cut both pipes on either side of the cat and simply slide it out that contraption without even damaging the guard you installed
They'll steal the bloody sleep out of your eyes... nice video Mel. I'll put that on the build list for the guys doing my new van conversion
Thank you for the positive comment good luck with your build 👍🤓👍
I wish you could have reached in and broken that a-holes ankle . good luck ~ JDS/CT
Thank you 🙏
Good job Mel 👍 I was almost shouting at my monitor, "YOU FORGOT THE SHEAR NUT COVER PLATE" lol 🤣 You need a big red emergency button you can hit to set of a siren sound.
I think Brett ( The Urban Stealth Campervan Man ) has one fitted.
👍👍👍
Haha brilliant thanks for helping me out 👍🤓👍
Quick mate get on your toes in your timpsons lol.... Great video.
I have no idea what ya mean lol 😂
Nice 3k repair bill from Merc if that had gone.... last 3 I dealt with at work they weren’t as neat and ended up cutting sensors and wiring looms. When we ordered the new loom it had to be built by Merc, in the factory with a build time of approx 12 weeks....! Even then once received the van had to go back to a main dealer for repairs
Oh my goodness me I couldn’t deal with that I’d be devastated
We have them stolen regularly - for a full system with temp sensors etc there is something like 24 individual items...... one Christmas we had maybe 20 stolen!
hi mel, lucky you were in your van at the time, great video and some great info.rob from the toon
Thank you rob 👍🤓👍
I’m in the process of doing this to my cats as well. Unfortunately, I have 4 on my truck! I’m also rigging a trip wire to the cats so if they do manage to get it cut then as soon as they try to pull it away it sets off a blank 12 gauge shot shell and will at least scare the living shit out of em!
Haha brilliant idea
As soon as i saw 12 gauge”, i envisioned a BLOWN OFF head underneath your vehicle. 😮😬
Cheeky little bugger! I never knew this. Thank you for this. I'll get one as soon as I can spare come cash.
Get one Bex I’d hate to see you get robbed ☹️
It might slow them down ,but won't stop them..
My son had his cats stolen off his ford raptor, in his employer's truck yard while he was on the road as a truck driver. His insurance company, Allstate, said he was 99% at fault and raised his rate. He immediately cancelled them.
Oh my goddess me how on earth can they say he was at fault? That’s incredible makes me so angry when insurance companies do that
Ca'aly'ic conve'er - just got to love that accent! =)
Greetings from Sweden
Haha thank you 😊
They use battery grinders with cutting discs round my way . Be through that cable in seconds. But a deterrent is better than nothing 👍
Hopefully they won't be back after the shock of Mel in his under pants 😂
Me in my underwear is frightening lol
Jeez. It looks like some sort of homemade thing. Pliers and a bike chain. You asked why it always seems to rain. Well you are in the uk 😋
Hahah thanks for reminding me 👍😂👍🍻
good call Mel.. i'm going online to get one now ! thanks for the tip and warning.. i have been hearing about this and was going to build something similar !
Your absolutely welcome good luck 🤓👍
That pipe cutter is $35 Aud here, so keep an eye on your catalytic converters!
I'm not sure about those wrap around cat-locks as a pair of bolt croppers will get through that wire easily. I would've thought a big sheet of metal over the area with something like a spline drive bolt fixing method into rivnuts would be better.
Did you see how thick that was ? But yes your absolutely rite the thing is to slow them down or just simply put them off 👍🤓👍
Yes hopefully any future scumbags would be put off! Hoping no more issues for you!
Cheers Kipper!
May I suggest an upgrade to chain? I work with rigging cable… it’s not that tough with the right tool. The Felco C7 cutter will go cleanly through 8mm wire rope in one bite; Bigger rope parts in a few nibbles, just leaves a ragged end…
@@nautamaran so what do you recommend?
Not keen on that product Mel,a thief would just cut through the cable with a battery angle grinder,i'd prefer to design a much bigger plate that could be fitted to the chassis.Hope you upgraded the vans security as loads are getting broken into or just stolen.
2 things, 1 battery angle grinder make a hell of a noise, especially if someone's trying to remain quite and stealthy, and 2nd, Yes they could just cut though the wire, but if they weren't expecting it to be there, hopefully they wouldn't be carrying said battery angle grinder/bolt cutters in there back pocket, and they take one look at it and move on to the next unsuspecting owners vehicle leaving this one untouched.
"Can't believe they are allowed to be sold."
Dude, it's a pipecutter. It has other uses besides stealing from you.
Little scrouts! Iv has my van messed around with and it’s a horrible feeling, glad you disturbed them mate!
Is That cut out in the shield where the bolts go through what that the “pipe” (pressure sensor) on top slots into? Now the armacat is on it ain’t going nowhere! Good work
Thank you 👍🤓👍
You couldn’t get the police to dust that tool for fingerprints, before you touched it? Or taken it off with gloves and take it to police dept, in a bag?
We called the police department and all they did was issue a crime number didn’t even bother to come out
think in layers like a onion. one item will not stop a crook. but using a number of items will make the job hard and take much longer, they tend to go away to another car.
Exactly that most crocks are lazy bastards
Now that you have fitted Armorguard fitted, you should receive a discount on you vehicle insurance. might defray the cost of fitting this protection.
I doubt it will affect my insurance
People get beaten up for confronting these thieves. Best defense (if you’re in the van) is to start the van. Imagine how quickly you’d get out from under a van if you think it might try to drive off (up on a jack or not)!
Lucky for me they were cowards 👍🤓👍
hahahah hopefully they get caught up in the drive shaft for a while ,spit out ran over by you and then everyone behind you.that would be sweet justice right there lol!
Should of reported it to the police and gave them the tool, they prob wouldn’t do anything though, I saw a YT video were a mechanic welded a few of them steel cables to the cat and chassis, said a grinder wouldn’t cut through
It was reported because they got the one off the jeep
Yeah there using a battery saw saw down here 31sec and gone
Only takes me 10 seconds to get out of bed and jump on the fkrs legs and arms 😂🤣😂👍
Hahaha
Hi mel good vid now plz show me how to stop the scrotes knicking me diesel ,plastic tank drilled a hole in bottom of it ruined the tank and 90 quids worth diesel ,I hate the scumbags who knick diesel
Oh no that’s just a scummy thing to do I’m sorry you had to experience that
Little gets nicked the the 2 off my sprinter cost me over a grand to replace I bet they had one of those cutters the dogs didn't hear a thing I've welded a cage around mine now I'd like to have it connected to the battery give them a little shock 😲👀👍👌
I’m sorry to hear that you had yours nicked must have been gutted 😬
@@BigVanSmallWorld I was well gutted this is a big problem were I live and probably all over the country I'd like to now just who is buying all these stolen cats 🙀😾😹😼
Great work, thanks for sharing. Here in the US they use the little cordless grinders with cutoff wheels. one quick cut straight down the where the holes in the wrap around your cat are and then the pipe each end, all the hard work for nothing. Hopefully they won't notice.
You’re absolutely welcome. I have no doubt they use them grinders here in the UK too! The best thing we can do is make it harder for them in the hope they will just not bother and go find an easy target 👍😳👍
@@BigVanSmallWorld I would tack cable to the cat where the holes exposed by wrap with a welder.
@timthemechanix when living in trucks in the 80's we had similar issues, ie certain gearboxes for instance had a great export value. It wasn't uncommon to weld these onto the Bell housing, with some operators paying someone to sleep in trucks overnight in the yard, to watch out for theives.
Funny story, one of the known gearbox theives came out of the supermarket, jumped in his truck, fired up the engine, went to grab the gear stick, and it dropped through the floor, yep, someone had his gearbox, whilst he was shopping. Lol.
Those 18v lithium ion power tools are a godsend. Unfortunately they're universally useful. To wrong uns as well as trades.
A freind of mine list the keys to his bike lock, his bike was locked to the train station railings. He grabbed his 18v grinder and went to cut his lock off. When he arrived there was some Herbert trying to remove it. Being a big imposing guy, my freind strolled over announcing "this is how you do it" and cut the lock off, knife through butter style, showering the would be theif in sparks.
Hi Mel,
I have a Ring B2B like yours and I would like to know if I can connect a battery charger to my battery to charge my battery on dull days without the need to disconnect my B2B from the battery to protect it. Hope you can help.
Cheers in advance. Chris.
Hi Chris I’ve done that in the winter I used a battery booster and had no issues 👍🤓👍
Great thanks!
Well mate, now thanks to you, You have just educated other thief's exactly how to quickly steal another person's property.
That's an ignorant thing to say.
good vlog Mel but I think for the price of that cat protector I would weld up a steel cover plate to cover all access points of the exhaust and cat pity u did not get hold of the scumbag I would have given him a good beating years ago 2 scumbags broke into my work van at night and were about to steal my tools luckily for me I heard them outside and me and a neighbour ran after them one got away but the other one got a good beating
Haha well done 👍
its a chain pipe cutter, Good score buddy that's a 100 Quid there mate , get some pipe guards they are extra thick pipe that wraps before and after the cat so they move to an easier target it its the only way ,
They are full of silver and the bloody pikies steal them for the precious metals , we sell them at the breakers for $60 worn out they still make money from them ,,,,,, Or a 12 gauge hottie brother ,,,,, I hate people that steal ! ,
R.J.T in hospital in Kiama NSW with A new Left Knee ,,, soon on the road again Mel ,
Great vid mate
Good to know you got your knee surgery done speedy recovery mate 👍🤓👍
Still think an alarm is a better deterrent, thief's hate them.
We had the cat stolen from the Mrs Golf GTi back in Feb, wondered what tool they used for the silent steel, literally gone in 45s seconds, little shits!!
Oh mate that’s just horrible I’m sorry to hear that 😬
Is it available in the US?
That’s a great question but I’m sorry i really don’t know
A local garage might build you a guard for your exhaust hiding your cat out of sight might be better . But remember a cat can run up to700°c
Good idea 👍🤓👍
@@BigVanSmallWorld might even cost about the same as your cat guard.
Actually came here to say the same thing, as experienced thieves carry a few fast tools and will snap cut that cable in seconds... 😞
I'm thinking that the 6 carriage bolts should be installed with the heads on the "ground side" of the shield. This would provide another layer of protection, as the rounded heads would give would-be thieves nothing to easily grab onto. The snap-off nuts are already protected by channels, and by pointing those nuts and channels Away from thieves' tools, it would make is even More unlikely to allow theft. Just my opinion. Thanks.
This would still be an easy steel by simply doing what thieves to do remove steering wheel locks: liquid nitrogen. Easy peasy unfortunately.
@@Whoo_Boytrue, but most thieves don't carry it on them
@@Whoo_Boyyes unfortunately there's a lot of tech that helps legit trades and theives equally. Most theives are chancers and drug dependants. You'll deter most of them, most of the time. Take as many precautions as you can. The pro theives will always succeed. They're ingenious, if some had offered them the right training and job opportunitys they'd be bloody successful in a legit trade. Lol.
An excavator works well for the ones that are caught WITH YOUR PRODUCT . UM from what I hear :) They Won't be missed from all our neighbors
Mel this is actually called a DPF. Diesel particulate filter. Some have a monolith block catalytic converter built in. This is always at the front. Your vehicle may have a separate box entirely further up front. That will be the catalytic converter.
Anyhow. Great video. It’s important to bring this thieving act to the attention of drivers who do not have a clue. There are many videos about this subject. The guy deserves the removal of fingers.
They are only ment to be sold to mechanics. For removing old damaged exhaust. I as a mechanic I could remove that cat lock. Won't say how so nobody can copy it
Thank you 🤓👍
You should have left it in place and called the police.. they would have been able to take prints from it.. clearly there’s lots being stolen locally
The police was called and they didn’t even come round fat chance they would bother trying to take prints
When did catalytic converters come in? I've just looked under my van and I can't see one, which is good. My van is a 09 plate.
You probably got one coming rite out your manifold 👍🤓👍
Ur might be all ready gone
Hey Mel, get yourself a high voltage, electric fence setup and connect it to the chassis of your van! But remember to turn it off if you step out of the van! lol
What are you doing sleeping in a supermarket car park anyway? Are you on a trip or just testing stealth parking?
I wasn’t in the super market car park I was in the mortuary car park next to Asda 👍
@@BigVanSmallWorld Stealthing in the mortuary car park?!! What you practicing for there?
They will use the same tool to cut the cable in two places.
I hope not
Me too pal. Just a thought, as it was a lot of money for the guard. 👍👍
Those are pipe cutters... Usually not used to steal cats tho 🙄....for diesel, the name of those are DPF..Diesel Particulate Filter. Abt double sometimes 3x the price of a gasoline catalytic converters. Lots being stolen off dealer lots off brand new vehicles.
Well maybe the manufactures will wake up and do something to stop them 👍🤓👍🍻
where do they sell this guard?
it looks like the one i have is no longer available but here's one that's almost the same ebay.us/aeEKF3
Since when were catalytic converters fitted to diesel engines. I thought they only applied to petrol engines?
My van has a DPF and A Cat all up would cost over £1500 to replace 😬
@@BigVanSmallWorld Hi Mel. OK, but this would have been a legitimate insurance claim on your behalf if the scrote had completed his mission. I think that insurance companies would be only too pleased to reward their customers who fit these anti-theft devices; especially given the large number of converter thefts. just a thought.
Daft question but what are you going to do if you need to replace your cat?
It’s a new cat and Dpf 👍🤓👍
Sorry to hear about your van buddy
They would take the sugar out your tea nowadays
Good job you were in the van 👍
Thank you 👍🤓👍
i can honestly say iv never heard anyone stealing a cat , and I'm from Liverpool, hopefully you got the car reg
Never had I until that night 👍😂👍
@Urban Explorer to be fair they dont steal cats in Liverpool, they just take the whole van