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Original Sussex Installations video

Extended version - Van security options explained - Locks, alarms, OBD protection and more

Apr 5, 2017 · 81,322 recorded views

Video ID: b221rX0yMbsAlarm and electronic securityApr 5, 2017 · 81,322 recorded views

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Jeff Scott’s retrospective context — 2026

This video was all about showing van owners most of the different types of security products that were available at the time, laid out on the desk in front of me, and explaining the pros and cons of the different options so van owners could understand what would be most suitable for their needs, and so they could have a realistic expectation of what they would actually get for their money.

The deadlock versus surface-mounted lock question is a good example of that. The deadlock is cheaper and more discreet, and its strength is taken up on the inside of the door rather than the thin metal on the outside, so you're unlikely to get any panel distortion. A surface-mounted lock like the Ultimate itself may be more robust lock in itself, but the actual security of it in terms of resisting an attack may not be any more secure than a deadlock because of the way they are connected to the outside bodywork of the van which may only give a higher expectation of being more secure, without necessarily being more secure. Considerations are that an surface mounted lock typically costs more, it's more visible, and fixing it to the outside panel will likely cause some distortion over time. Neither is the "right" answer, it depends what the owner is prioritising.

I also used it to clear up a few misunderstandings, like the idea that a microwave sensor gives your whole van a protective "bubble". On a car with glass all round that's roughly true, but on a van the rear body is solid metal, so in reality it only really detects movement outside the driver's and passenger's windows. I'd rather tell owners that honestly than let them buy something expecting more than it can actually do.

You're obviously not going to need all of these things for your vehicle, but it might be useful for you to have some of them depending on what make and model vehicle you've got.

Original description

Please share with any van owners that you know!
Lots of different van security options explained, deadlocks, surface mounted locks, OBD locks, alarms, alarm sensors and more.

This is a comprehensive overview of many products that are on the market, that you can use to secure your van from tool theft or theft of your entire van.

Please contact us via our website if you would like to find out about a security option that will suit your needs https://www.sussexinstallations.co.uk

Music by bensound.com

Subscribe to both our YouTube channel and website newsletter to keep up to date with van security products and advice; as things are constantly changing as we respond and adapt to new attack techniques as we see them.

Note: Whilst we take great care in selecting products and techniques that we believe are effective to increase your van's security, we can never guarantee that any van is safe from a break in, please see our website for full terms and conditions.
Jeff Scott from Sussex Installations details various physical and electronic security measures tailored for different van makes and models. The overview covers differences between deadlocks and surface-mounted locks, and explains how to prevent theft via OBD port manipulation or catalytic converter removal.

Historical context: This video records the advice, products and attack methods relevant when it was published. Current recommendations may have changed as vehicles, products and criminal methods evolved.

Common questions

What's the trade-off between a surface-mounted lock and a deadlock?

A deadlock is cheaper, more discreet, and takes its strength from the inside of the door so it won't distort the outer panel, whereas a surface-mounted lock like the Ultimate Lock are less common on vans, so thieves are less practised at attacking them, but they typically cost more, are more visible and will likely cause some panel distortion over time.

Does a microwave sensor really protect a "bubble" all around the van?

Not really — on a van the rear body is solid metal, so a microwave sensor mainly detects movement outside the driver's and passenger's windows rather than in all directions the way people often assume.

What's the point of an OBD port lock?

It stops thieves plugging into the OBD port — the same port a garage uses for servicing or coding legitimate keys — to code a new key to the van. The port gets rerouted into a small locked box so it's only accessible with its own key.

Transcript

Show transcript
0:00 -hi I'm Jeff Scott from Sussex
0:01 -Installations this video is just the I
0:03 -got the opportunity I've got a few
0:05 -different security products that we
0:06 -offer laid out on the desk here so I'm
0:08 -just going to take the opportunity to
0:09 -show you a few of these things and just
0:10 -have a little bit of a talk through some
0:12 -different types of options of f security
0:14 -which you have for your vehicle um some
0:17 -of the security products that are here
0:19 -are just for uh certain makes and models
0:22 -and some are Universal to fit kind of
0:24 -more or less anything um if we start
0:27 -here with the locks so these locks you
0:29 -might be familiar with already these are
0:30 -for the Ford range of vehicles so this
0:33 -lock will replace the older shaped Ford
0:36 -transits and Transit connects this is
0:38 -from like the year 2000 through to 2013
0:41 -shape one if you've got more locks than
0:43 -just the driver's door then you need to
0:45 -have Blanks on the other doors this one
0:47 -is for the for the transit custom the
0:49 -newer shaped Transit custom the smaller
0:50 -one and then we've got one here for the
0:52 -big Transit the newer shape one and then
0:55 -for the Transit Connect is a small
0:56 -Barrel cuz it's inside the handle so
0:59 -these the point of the these barrels is
1:00 -if you've got that factory Barrel which
1:02 -is vulnerable to the twis in or the pick
1:04 -in then it's best to change that over
1:06 -secondary we have deadlock so this is
1:09 -the deadlock this is the type of
1:10 -Deadlock which we fit to a lot of Vans
1:13 -and we have done for some years so it's
1:15 -just an extra small um hole in the door
1:18 -all you see on the outside of the body
1:19 -is like this um Euro cylinder type of
1:21 -look and then once the key is turned the
1:24 -bolt goes through from one door to
1:26 -another or from one door to the body of
1:28 -the vehicle and it just means if someone
1:29 -gets past your factory security the
1:32 -doors open just a little bit and then
1:33 -they're stopped by the deadlock what you
1:36 -might then have is obviously if we're
1:38 -looking now at higher levels of
1:40 -Destruction attack such as like the door
1:42 -folding type of attacks it might be that
1:44 -we can offer the same type of lock
1:46 -sometimes it's like this with the long
1:48 -throw bolt on the side doors sometimes
1:50 -it's the hook type of Bolt and what we
1:52 -can do actually on some Vehicles is put
1:53 -them up high now so some Vehicles we've
1:55 -got high positions some we got low
1:57 -positions and some we can fit both low
1:59 -and high uh and the high position would
2:01 -be helpful in terms of that door folding
2:04 -to help to try and prevent it uh the
2:06 -next thing is which is probably more
2:08 -secure in terms of the door folding is
2:11 -something like a surface mounted lock
2:13 -like this ultimate lock here from locks
2:15 -for vans so that's a large surface
2:17 -mounted lock that can go on the door
2:19 -sometimes it has to go low down on the
2:21 -door and sometimes we can put it up high
2:23 -it just depends on your make and model
2:24 -vehicle and really it's the dimensions
2:27 -where the screw holes go and whether
2:28 -it's compatible or not for your vehicle
2:30 -to fit it up high on that on that
2:32 -vehicle or not or on that door sometimes
2:34 -we fit them high on the side door low on
2:36 -the back door it just depends for each
2:38 -Mak a model van this one is the armor
2:40 -plate stronghold lock so this is a lock
2:43 -which you've only really seen coming
2:45 -through in the last 6 months or so this
2:47 -is a surface mounted lock very similar
2:49 -to the locks of Van's ultimate lock the
2:52 -way that it fits on the the measurements
2:54 -of it mean that sometimes we can fit
2:55 -this in a position we can't fit the
2:57 -ultimate lock and vice versa so it it
3:00 -can be pretty handy these um stronghold
3:02 -locks by armor plate we only have
3:04 -they're only available as an automatic
3:06 -type Lock And what I mean by that is as
3:08 -soon as you close the
3:09 -door it's locked so that's the
3:12 -difference between a manual and an
3:13 -automatic with a manual like these
3:16 -Deadlocks would be a manual you turn
3:17 -them on as and when you want them the
3:20 -automatic is close the door it's locked
3:22 -the ultimate lock if you specify time of
3:24 -ordering we can actually set them up as
3:26 -a manual or an or an automatic so you've
3:28 -got some Choice there
3:30 -uh if just carry on looking at these
3:31 -physical security products that I've got
3:33 -on the desk here's a loom guard so
3:35 -that's like for the transit 200000 shape
3:38 -onwards for the back barn door where
3:40 -people going in with a hack or blades on
3:42 -that so this is an old school type of um
3:45 -way of securing that which is very
3:47 -effective and simple and we're perhaps
3:49 -seeing that type of attack now on other
3:51 -doors on the cab doors as well on some
3:54 -Vehicles so that's something to to watch
3:56 -out for and there'll be other perhaps
3:58 -other way of addressing those where
3:59 -whether it's wrapping the Looms in some
4:01 -metal whether it's having a specific
4:04 -Loom guard for that make a model vehicle
4:06 -or whether it's an electronic
4:07 -modification to stop that from unlocking
4:10 -the load area of your van or whether the
4:12 -strategy is just to make it that you've
4:13 -got you know like the extra locks on the
4:15 -van should they get it open uh like the
4:17 -surface mounted locks here or the the
4:20 -Deadlocks that it doesn't really matter
4:22 -but extra security in whichever way is
4:24 -is good um something between I get asked
4:27 -a lot about surface mounted locks or
4:29 -dead loocks
4:30 -the surface mounted locks versus a dead
4:32 -Lock that's a good question so basically
4:36 -this these surface mounted locks here
4:38 -versus the deadlock the Deadlock's going
4:40 -to be cheaper so that's good the
4:42 -deadlock is more SEC more discrete on
4:44 -the door so you don't really see much of
4:46 -it which is good the deadlock secures um
4:50 -on the actual inside of the door really
4:52 -rather than on the thin metal of the
4:54 -outside of the door so the strength is
4:56 -taken up by the inside of the door which
4:59 -is the part you don't really see which
5:01 -is good from a point of view like
5:04 -perhaps with these surface mounted locks
5:06 -cuz they are fixed to the to the metal
5:08 -on the outside of the door you're
5:10 -probably going to end up with some sort
5:11 -of small Distortion to the actual panel
5:14 -where they sit whether that's at time of
5:15 -installation or after the vehicle being
5:17 -used the van doors being opened quite a
5:19 -lot but at some point you're probably
5:21 -going to have to accept that you will
5:23 -end up with some panel Distortion with
5:25 -that surface type lock whereas a
5:27 -deadlock you're probably not going to
5:28 -get any panel Distortion so um that's
5:31 -that's kind of a trade-off these would
5:33 -be more expensive as well but then again
5:36 -these are probably more secure than the
5:37 -deadlock so if you can accept the fact
5:39 -that perhaps these block your sign
5:41 -writing on your van if they're on Prime
5:43 -position up high on the side load door
5:45 -if you may get the panel Distortion and
5:47 -you're going to spend a bit more but if
5:49 -your priority is security of your van
5:51 -and that's the best lock to put on the
5:53 -van and we can put it up high on that
5:55 -type of door then perhaps that's just
5:56 -the way to go you know um otherwise if
5:59 -You' got other concerns you don't want
6:01 -anything blocking your sign right and
6:02 -you don't want a big lock hanging off of
6:03 -your van you don't want to spend that
6:06 -much money you worried about the panel
6:07 -Distortion the Deadlocks are then your
6:10 -choice but sometimes we we we multiply
6:13 -these strategies so we might do one type
6:16 -of lock the Deadlocks plus like a barrel
6:19 -change plus an alarm upgrade you know so
6:23 -extra like different types of strategies
6:26 -while we're talking about physical
6:27 -security products I'm just going to show
6:29 -you a couple more so what we have here
6:31 -is this is a cat lock so there's cat
6:33 -locks and Cat Shields if you had your
6:35 -cat converter stolen that would be a
6:37 -massive inconvenience for you and it's
6:39 -probably really expensive you know some
6:41 -Vehicles you're looking 22 3,000 and
6:43 -we've had the point where they've been
6:45 -out of stock for months on end I don't
6:47 -think it's Prime cap season right at the
6:49 -moment perhaps because the value of the
6:51 -scrap metal but they are still getting
6:53 -stolen and is a massive expense so
6:55 -that's not a bad thing to have on your
6:57 -van um and another product which we have
7:00 -here is an ECU Shield so this ECU Shield
7:03 -would be from a Mercedes Sprinter and
7:05 -that just seems to be that's the
7:06 -vulnerability with with the Mercedes
7:08 -perhaps if they're getting stolen is
7:10 -that people comeing with a
7:11 -pre-programmed ECU and they've just got
7:14 -the the the keys are the same physical
7:16 -size anyway so it's um one key fits all
7:20 -so if they just change that fit their
7:22 -ECU under the Bonnet plug it into your
7:24 -van and then um basically the van's
7:26 -theirs they just unlock it with their
7:27 -own remote start it up in a way they go
7:30 -with some of the other Vans perhaps the
7:31 -Ford range for example it might be that
7:34 -they're actually using the OBD port to
7:36 -to code in a new key to steal your van
7:39 -so in that case we have some OBD locks
7:42 -and what this would do is the OBD lock
7:46 -the OPD Port which is what theot testers
7:49 -would use to to to measure your vehicle
7:51 -while they're doing emissions or when
7:52 -you vehicle goes in for service that
7:54 -they reset your service light or when it
7:56 -goes to the main dealer to recoe keys
7:58 -but the the fees can use it to code key
8:00 -so if you can keep that locked up we can
8:03 -reroot that and put it into a locked box
8:05 -in some cases um or it stays in the same
8:08 -place and we put it inside the lock box
8:10 -so the port will be inside the
8:12 -box when your vehicle is just being used
8:16 -every day you put the lock over you lock
8:18 -it up and you'll take away the key and
8:20 -that just means that a feed can't just
8:22 -break a window lean in and plug into
8:24 -your Port but they can't just easily
8:26 -access that Port so that's keeping that
8:28 -ban more secure from from from theft um
8:32 -of course there's other products as well
8:33 -from theft trackers pedal boxes you know
8:37 -it's horses for courses so it's whatever
8:39 -suits you for your for your needs now I
8:41 -try not to go on too much more because I
8:43 -know this is a long video already but
8:45 -there is a few more things here and this
8:47 -is uh in the electrical security range
8:50 -so this is the alarm system type thing
8:52 -so alarm system it might be that we will
8:54 -work with your original remote control
8:56 -or it might be that we Supply an extra
8:58 -remote control for the alarm
9:00 -again the convenience of having it
9:01 -working off of your own remote control
9:03 -is good but maybe it's more secure if
9:05 -it's separate it it's up to you you've
9:08 -got to choose the right choice for you
9:10 -we have um different detectors
9:12 -ultrasonic Set uh detectors which would
9:15 -be typically using the cab of the van if
9:16 -someone breaks a window and leans in to
9:18 -remove contents this will pick up the
9:20 -change in the um air the the movement
9:24 -that it takes the ultrasonic frequencies
9:26 -to go around the cab it'll be
9:28 -interrupted there'll be difference and
9:29 -that means it will set off the alarm so
9:31 -this is a good reliable type of sensor
9:33 -for the cab AA of a van what we also
9:36 -have is a p sensor so this is what I'm
9:39 -typically suggesting for the load area
9:41 -of a van if you have a PR in the load
9:42 -area if someone gets in your van through
9:44 -a high level of Destruction attack they
9:46 -climb through the roof they climb
9:47 -through the side of the door they bend
9:49 -the door down however they get in then
9:51 -let have a p that's going to set off
9:52 -your alarms so some of the factory
9:54 -alarms and some other alarms without
9:56 -this additional security are just they
9:58 -don't even know someone's gone in the
9:59 -load area and the alarm doesn't go off
10:01 -so load area protection if you are
10:02 -having an alarm system is important and
10:06 -if that if you are worried about the
10:07 -door folding which we see particularly
10:09 -on the side load doors quite often
10:10 -having an extra switch fitted up high on
10:13 -the top of the side load door will mean
10:15 -that if we can get an early alert so if
10:16 -they start to pull the door open if the
10:18 -switch can go and then set off the alarm
10:20 -just after few mm the door being pulled
10:24 -a lot of damage being done to your door
10:26 -so that would be good too this is just
10:29 -siren this is an alarm brain and a
10:32 -flashing LED this one's actually a
10:34 -really bright blue flashing LED when
10:35 -it's
10:36 -fitted good awareness that you've got an
10:39 -alarm on your on your vehicle some extra
10:41 -switches here magnetic contacts
10:43 -typically this would be used motor homes
10:46 -habitation doors Locker doors but there
10:47 -are some uh uses which we might use
10:50 -these on commercial vehicles too and
10:52 -then there's some additional sensors
10:54 -here um these additional sensors would
10:57 -be more I would say on the less reliable
10:59 -side of things so um what I mean by that
11:02 -is it could actually go off falsely the
11:05 -other sensors aren't likely to go off
11:06 -unless someone actually gets in your van
11:08 -these sensors might actually go off so
11:11 -to get them to go reliably is not so
11:14 -easy so um you can have sensors that
11:16 -will set your alarm off in a full alarm
11:17 -reaction Bo or perhaps there's another
11:20 -input that would just give like a little
11:22 -wand away like a beep or a beep beep so
11:25 -someone's getting close up near to your
11:26 -van that can give some warning that you
11:28 -got something
11:29 -something fitted to it and this type of
11:31 -sensor I don't think is bad to be used
11:34 -in A Worn away kind of capacity this one
11:37 -is a a microwave sensor so this can see
11:39 -beyond glass it can see through the
11:41 -glass to the outside of your vehicle you
11:44 -know people this is the one people talk
11:46 -about when they think a bubble around my
11:48 -my vehicle which in a car if it can see
11:50 -out the glass in all directions you kind
11:52 -of in effect do get a bubble but with a
11:54 -van that's not the case because the the
11:56 -the rear of it is metal so you actually
11:58 -only really outside of the driver and
12:00 -the passenger window so it will protrude
12:03 -and give some detection outside the
12:05 -driver and passenger window but really
12:07 -the bubble around your van that's not
12:08 -happening unfortunately I wish I could
12:10 -offer you a product where it did but it
12:12 -doesn't so this isn't necessarily a bad
12:14 -thing cuz they might get up close to the
12:16 -driver's door or the passenger door to
12:18 -have a look in your van before breaking
12:20 -into the rear of it but not
12:22 -necessarily um actually a tilt sensor
12:25 -this I wouldn't class in the unreliable
12:27 -category cuz this is a good tilt sensor
12:29 -it's not done just for by a quick
12:30 -movement it needs to see that a vehicle
12:32 -goes up a certain amount of angle for a
12:35 -certain amount of time like for a second
12:37 -so it's not like going off with rocking
12:39 -or with the wind it's only actually
12:41 -going off if someone Jacks the vehicle
12:43 -up this would be if someone was going to
12:45 -steal your vehicle by putting it onto a
12:46 -low loader or if they're going to jack
12:48 -your vehicle up to steal your wheels so
12:50 -this is the type of detector that is
12:52 -useful for going back to the other
12:54 -detectors the early warning style ones
12:57 -this would be a shock sensor so this
12:58 -it's a dual stage so shock sensor you
13:01 -could use it so a really high impact
13:03 -could set the alarm off on a full
13:04 -reaction but you wouldn't want that set
13:07 -anywhere sensitive or but you could also
13:09 -have a warn away so the outer zone could
13:11 -be a little bit more sensitive where
13:13 -it's just going to beep beep is not
13:15 -going to really inconvenience that much
13:17 -because it will go off um with this type
13:20 -of sensor trying to protect it outside
13:21 -your van as a nightmare you know you
13:23 -can't really get it to a point where
13:25 -it's never going to fce alarm and it's
13:26 -only going to activate when people are
13:28 -trying to get up close to breaking into
13:29 -ja van you know it will go off it will
13:32 -go off periodically when cars are
13:34 -passing by particularly in in a high
13:36 -traffic type of area so it's just trying
13:38 -to get that balance between convenience
13:42 -and um just being a nuisance really you
13:44 -know you want it to be effective but you
13:45 -don't want just to annoy everyone that's
13:48 -around you um I remember the nights
13:50 -trying to sleep through the night time
13:51 -all them alarms going off and it just a
13:53 -nightmare every time a car with a Lou
13:56 -down the road and you got five six cars
13:58 -going off woo woo woo yeah no one really
14:00 -wants that but um I understand the level
14:03 -of Destruction that's happening to some
14:04 -of these Vans yeah maybe we got to
14:06 -accept that there's going to be a little
14:07 -bit of nuisance noise and by having this
14:10 -type of detector fit in so I hope this
14:12 -isn't too much boring I hope this is a
14:16 -an informative is showing some different
14:18 -types of security products if you get in
14:20 -touch by the website it's www.sex
14:22 -installations doco and we can talk you
14:25 -through um perhaps what is going to be
14:27 -suitable for you your vehicle on your
14:29 -needs so you're obviously not going to
14:30 -need all of these things for your for
14:32 -your vehicles but it might be useful for
14:34 -you to have some of them depending on
14:36 -what make a model vehicle you've got
14:40 -thanks for watching I'll speak to you in
14:41 -the next video
14:42 -[Music]
14:50 -[Music]
14:57 -cheers
15:00 -[Music]
15:04 -yeah

Transcript source: the YouTube transcript supplied for this project with minor corrections. Automated transcripts can contain recognition errors and should be checked against the original video.

Page details

Author
Jeff Scott
Publisher
Sussex Installation Team Ltd
Updated
2026-08-27
Primary focus
Alarm and electronic security
Jeff Scott, founder of Sussex Installation Team Ltd
About the author

Jeff Scott — Van Security Specialist and Industry Educator

Jeff Scott is the founder of Sussex Installation Team Ltd (Sussex Installations). He has fitted vehicle-security systems since 1997, started Sussex Installations in 2003 and has specialised in van security since 2008. His work combines installation, vulnerability research, product design, UK manufacturing and long-term public education.

In 2009, Jeff published the first known YouTube video explaining mechanical key-operated van deadlocks. He has continued documenting van-security products, installation standards, vehicle vulnerabilities and changing attack methods ever since – earning his description as "The OG Van Security YouTuber."

Jeff has supported thousands of professional vehicle aftermarket technicians across the UK and beyond with access to technical information, while actively promoting higher quality installation standards through his trade community ifitstuff.com since 2006.