The business has been run by Keith, Alison and Helen Rogers since 2006, and it was awarded with the platinum standard for caravans, motorhomes, 5th wheelers, trailer tents, horse boxes, domestic trailers and cars, and offers storage pitches of the highest standard.

It goes without saying that a high security level is needed to make sure the risk of theft is minimal. Until recently, the Border Caravan Storage firm, in addition to a high fence, used an access control system to control access, but this system had become outdated and no longer met their needs, as they wanted to track which units were on the site at a particular time.

Identification and registration of vehicles

Because it is very important to know which units are on the site, they used a manually operated display board which was prone to errors. That is why they decided to look for a reliable, renewed access control system in which vehicles were identified, but these entrances and exits were also registered.

Together with system integrator BTT Comms, the border management team decided to use an airlock system. Which means that vehicles have to pass through to two separate electronically controlled gates to enter or exit the site. The existing drivers’ access control fobs are used alongside Nedap’s UHF tags, placed in the side window of the caravans for detection by Nedap’s Upass long-range reader.

If a caravan passes through the first gate because the fob is identified and the driver is authorised to enter, the second gate will only open if the Upass tag and the driver’s fob are both detected and provide a valid match. This information is also relayed to a specially designed asset management system that keeps a real-time log of all units on and off the site.

Recognised system

This system is recognised by CaSSOA, the Caravan Storage Site Owners’s Association, who confirm that the highest security level possible is guaranteed. This is also recognised by other entities such as insurance companies. Besides this, three other main benefits have been achieved by implementing this latest access control system:

Firstly it is a simple and reliable means of monitoring the movement of caravans on and off the site; the reliable long-range tag detection avoids manual handling and reduces running costs; and finally, the enhanced security reduces insurance costs for caravan owners.

“We are very pleased with the new system which provides information in real time and we now know which caravans and owners are on site at any time giving us total peace of mind,” said Helen Rogers, Owner Border Caravan Storage.