Anyone else ever have fuel stolen from their truck?

[jgillott]

Merry Christmas to me I guess... .



When I got out of work today, I noticed fuel spilled all down the side of my bed. Not only have I not purchased fuel in the last few days, I washed my truck last evening, so I know that it wasn't there. I didn't think too much of it until I got in to come home and realized that my fuel gauge was now reading 1/2 tank, down at least a quarter tank since yesterday evening.



I've never even considered having a locking fuel cap or door on my truck. Well, I guess I need to start looking into one now.



Has this ever happened to any of you?



Justin

 

[E7mack96]

Haven't had it stolen outta the Dodge yet. Someone (one of my employees) stole 10 gals of gas out of my Miller Trailblazer welder. It was full, then it wasn't (with no use).



Can't stand a theif. If I caught them red-handed, it would be very bad for them.

 

[fj40charles]

I got a locking fuel cap from Geno's garage. I'm more concerned about someone putting stuff in my tank than just stealing fuel...

 

[barbwire]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. But I hope that the theif did not know he was stealing diesel, and put it in a gas powered vehicle :--)

 

[onstottc]

I had a five gallon gas can stolen out of my truck. I bought a new can and filled it 3/4 w water 1/4 with gas. I was amused to note that it had been stolen a few months later.

 

[Blue2002]

Sorry to hear that: I hope they get caught.



I bought my locking cap from the local Dodge Dealer. I don't remember the exact price but it wasn't too bad considering it would at least discourage most thieves. A secondary reason is that the fuel station manager can't say someone could have have dumped something in your fuel if you ever get a bad load of fuel ( I also save all my fuel receipts) .

 

[Grey Wolf]

Hasn't happened to me, I have a locking cap. But I can tell you a funny story that happened to a friend of mine.



My friend had finished installing a 3208 Cat in a motorhome that was gas powered and during the process he changed the tanks around. One morning he came out to find a hose and puddle of puke laying next to the MH. Can you guess what happened... ... ... . that's right he never got around to re-labeling the new fuel door :-laf He had a new idea for cleaning out the black tank from the outside and well you know the rest. We still get a laugh about that one :-laf :-laf

 

[Eric Lee]

I've not had it happen to me - but I have a locking cap from Geno's also. Just need to drill a little hole in it for the 'leash'.



I love the story about the water/gas can -



- Eric

 

[nickleinonen]

If I caught them red-handed, it would be very bad for them.

same deal for me... although they would get a nice lawyer from the courts and i can't afford one, so guess who would be going to jail??? they'd have 4 broken limbs if i really got into it, and 10 broken fingers if i was feeling a little nice...



my locking fuel cap was on the truck within 30 min of taking delievery...

 

[DKarvwnaris]

I have had this happen a few times in my dodge. I had a locking cap put on it, but someone decided to "teach me a lesson" and fill the key hole with super glue. After having to mutilate the cap to get it off and dropping the tank to make sure no debris ended up in it, I decided that I would just relent to parking within eye sight of my office window at work and try to look for camera's when parking in malls etc.



If you want a real good story about deterrence, a friend of mine I knew years back had his car broken into numberous times and his stereo system ripped out. (bad neighborhood). His solution? rivet single edged razor blades to the back of the stereo slot in his console. Sure enough, one night after a movie, he walked out to his car and found the window smashed out, seats and door covered in blood. Blood droplets trailing all over the snow next to his car, and his radio half pulled from the console. His anger was short lived when he looked under the dash cosole to find pieces of skin. Best part was the cinema's security cameras caught the getaway car on tape and a call to local emergency rooms confirmed a hand injury with missing tips of three fingers when the cops checked around. He keeps a photo of the scene along with the report hung in his game room. Thief was locked up for 5 years for violating probation.

 

[GerryDrake]

Siphoning

Never had it happen, but I recall reading years ago one of the short anecdotes in Reader's Digest about a guy whose neighbor got a new fuel efficient car and was a relentless braggart about his great mileage. The guy resorted to siphoning a gallon out one night and then 10 days or so later adding it back in. He did this a number of times and drove the neighbor up a wall.

 

[DIESELMAN]

I bragged too much at work about my fuel mileage with my '03, these smart a**'s here were putting a gallon or so into my tank every day, they didn't get to the point of taking out fuel as I caught 'em red handed and ended the stunt. Its an old trick but a good one. I was up to 26 mpg, som'tin sure weren't right! I gaurantee they would have had me down to 5mpg if I didn't catch em.

 

[banzaitoyota]

someone was watching too many Gomer Pyle reruns

 

[mbadger]

Locking fuel cap is the way to go. At least that is what I have done in my last 3 trucks. I had a truck vandalized and didn't know if they had put something in my fuel (had to have it tested), this was my first locking cap. I would recomment that everyone lock the access to the fuel tank for this reason and thieft. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.



Mike

 

[jandtjil]

I got a locking fuel cap from Geno's garage. I'm more concerned about someone putting stuff in my tank than just stealing fuel...

Ditto



JJ

 

[guava]

I like to think of this as a sport. Kind of a urban hunting type of thing. The little terds try to get my stuff without getting caught and I try to put THEM in a time-out... in the local full service medical establishment. I find this to be much more challenging than just deer hunting and the season is open all year long.



The cops can't do anything because it's a victimless crime against a piece of property. The insurance doesn't care because they can just pass it on to the premium payers. What is a guy to do.



Over the years, my nightstick has collected a notch or two.

 

[cap-n-cray]

When I bought my truck the fleet lady who sold the truck to me gave me a locking cap as a gift when I picked up the truck. I told her when I order the truck I wanted a locking cap from day one. I worry about the wrong thing going in not fuel coming out. Fuel only comes out as black smoke. :-laf



Cary

 

[DKarvwnaris]

I like to think of this as a sport. Kind of a urban hunting type of thing.

The cops can't do anything because it's a victimless crime against a piece of property. The insurance doesn't care because they can just pass it on to the premium payers. What is a guy to do.



QUOTE]







The wording of a "victimless crime" is a defense attorney's lingo, not the everyday citizen's. I'd like to see anyone whoisn't victimized by this, it causes anger, mistrust and damage to us financially no matter how insignificant the amount is. If someone was to run from the pump's without paying for fuel, the state goes nuts, mainly because they didn't get their precious fuel taxes collected. Think we could put in for a tax refund if our fuel was siphoned out?



Urban hunting is a rising solution to most, mainly for the reasons you stated. Too bad its a "shoot, shovel and shut up" sport. Maybe if a few more victims were shown fighting back, the law breakers would reduce in numbers on their own.

Insurance companies are quickly reaching untouchable status, I wonder who is the bigger crook? the criminal on the street, or the insurance we are all bound by to pay for protection? Capone was at least honest about it.

 

[Blue2002]

"His solution? rivet single edged razor blades to the back of the stereo slot in his console. "

I like that one. The thief got what he deserved.

I just hope that I never buy a used vehicle from your friend.

 

[RJOL]

I got a locking fuel cap from Geno's garage. I'm more concerned about someone putting stuff in my tank than just stealing fuel...

One of the first mods to my truck was a pair of locking gas caps. I use one on the OEM tank and the other one on the bed mounted tank so that when my Roll Top cover is open, the tank cap is still secure. Just makes me a lesser target...