Can you track your caravan with an Apple AirTag?

If you own a caravan, you‘re probably already aware of the risk of theft that comes with doing so. In fact, more than 500 caravan thefts are recorded each year in the UK alone.

If you’re unfortunate enough to have your caravan stolen, having a tracker installed could help you find it. In this blog, we'll look at whether tracking your caravan with an Apple AirTag is possible.

Two billion people around the world now use Apple products, but the Apple AirTag, in particular, has been around since 2021, helping people find frequently lost items like keys—and some people even use them to track their pets!

How do AirTags work?

AirTags are easy to set up. All you have to do is pull out the tab to activate the battery and hold it near your iPhone. Your phone will then show you a set up screen to name the AirTag and start tracking.

As soon as you can’t find your tagged item, open the Find My app, and you’ll be able to see the tracker’s location on the map. If you’re still struggling to find your tagged item, you can trigger a sound from the AirTag to help you locate it.

If you’ve lost your tagged item away from home, you can put your AirTag in ‘lost mode’. This means that if an Apple or Android user holds their phone near your AirTag, they‘ll see a message (inputted by you) so they can help return the item. That’s why including your contact details in your ‘lost mode’ message is a good idea.

If you have an iPhone 11 or newer, you can also use your phone as a compass to direct you straight to your tag, with the direction and distance displayed on your screen.

Related: Apple AirTags: Everything you need to know

Do AirTags work on caravans?

In the context of caravans, an AirTag should only be used as a backup option to a specialist tracker approved by your insurer. Otherwise, your insurance may not be valid in the event of a theft claim.  Now, we'll go through the pros and cons of using an AirTag to track your caravan, so you can make the decision for yourself.

The advantages of using an AirTag to track your caravan

1.      Long battery life

The first advantage to using an Apple AirTag to track your caravan is its battery life. AirTag batteries are designed to last more than a year and will send a notification to your phone when they need replacing.

The battery is also very easy to replace as you twist off the back of the AirTag and place the new battery inside.

2.      Water-resistant

Apple AirTags are water resistant up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes. So, if you were to hide the AirTag somewhere on the outside of your caravan, it should be able to withstand splashes of water from the road and rainy weather to a certain point.

3.      Small and easy to hide

AirTags are primarily designed to attach to your keys as a keyring so they're small in size. This means they should be easy to hide in a secure spot within your caravan.

4.      Great for finding lost or stolen caravan keys

Not only can AirTags be used to track your vehicle, but you could also attach them to your car or caravan keys in case these are also lost or stolen. According to a survey, 1.8 million people already own AirTags, with 42% using them to track their keys.

5.      Thieves will be warned they’re being tracked

If someone does manage to steal your caravan and they begin driving off with it, their phone should get a notification that they’re being tracked, and an alarm will sound. Hopefully this will encourage the thief to leave the caravan and you’ll be able to locate it and get it back.

The disadvantages of using an AirTag to track your caravan

1.      Thieves will be warned they’re being tracked, and their phone might lead them straight to it

AirTags are designed to find small lost items, such as keys or bags, and they have in-built features to also help other nearby iPhone users locate them, too. If an AirTag is away from its owner for a prolonged period and picks up that it is travelling with another iPhone user, it will notify other nearby iPhones and sound an alarm.

Although this could potentially work as a theft deterrent, thieves with an iPhone 11 or newer could be led right to it, and they could just dispose of the AirTag themselves.

2.      Easy to dispose of or take out the battery

Although the size of AirTags makes them easier to hide, it also makes them easy to remove from your caravan should a thief be able to locate it. It would also be very easy for them to twist off the back and take out the battery. It’ll all depend on how well you’re able to hide it and how quickly you’re able to notice your caravan is missing to track the AirTag before it gets found.

3.      Relies on Apple devices for connection

Unlike some of the more common GPS tracking systems, AirTags rely on other apple devices being nearby to share their location. AirTags use Bluetooth to communicate with other Apple devices by sharing locations which then appear in the Find My app on your phone. All of this information is encrypted to protect your privacy.

This means that if you live or store your caravan in a remote area, you may not receive frequent location updates if your caravan doesn't pass anyone with an iPhone for a period of time.

AirTag alternatives: Tile and SmartTag

If you aren’t an iPhone user and you’re still interested in getting a tracker like the Apple AirTag, there are other options out there, such as the Tile and Samsung SmartTag, designed for Android devices.

These have very similar features to Apple's AirTag—however, make sure you assess the different features to find what works best for you before making a decision. The Tile tracker also comes in a range of different sizes for various uses should you want to tag and track more items in your caravan.

Specialist caravan insurance through Ripe

Installing anti-theft and tracking devices to your caravan is a crucial step in protecting your caravan against theft and gives you a much better chance of getting your caravan back should you be unfortunate enough to have it stolen.

However, to ensure that your caravan insurance remains valid in the event of a claim, you should always check your insurance to see whether you need a specialist tracker installed and you might also want to consider using an Apple AirTag as a backup.

With specialist caravan insurance through Ripe, you can get cover for your caravan and its contents to protect you in the event of theft, loss, or damage, should the worst happen.

Learn more about specialist caravan insurance through Ripe and get an instant online quote today.