Lock on fuel door

Tom'sRedwood38GK · March 8, 2018

Hi everyone, I have tried to purchase locking fuel caps for my 1999 Volvo VNL610 but it seems that my tanks are not normal. The cap is around 5 inches across the top OD and a little over 4 inches ID where the threads are. I can't find a locking cap to fit it anywhere so I have been thinking about using a cam barrel style lock on the fuel door to help prevent theft. Does anyone have any ideas of what my options are or ideas that have been used to lock up your fuel? I am going to have to store the rig at our storage yard in the near future and like to keep my tanks full. Hate to lose 500 bucks because it was there for the easy taking.

Thanks in advance for your help.......

hone eagle · March 8, 2018

A thief will not be thwarted , if determined enough they will just puncture the bottom and take what they want and let the rest just run on the ground.

I also park in a yard ,I use a big pair of channel locks to tighten ,it will only make the casual opportunist move on to a easier target- nothing will stop a pro.

Big5er · March 8, 2018

A thief will not be thwarted , if determined enough they will just puncture the bottom and take what they want and let the rest just run on the ground.

I also park in a yard ,I use a big pair of channel locks to tighten ,it will only make the casual opportunist move on to a easier target- nothing will stop a pro.

They want it all....the whole tank full, but they are other truck drivers. In 30+ years I would hazard a guess that 99% of the diesel thefts that I see are pumped out of the top. It is rare to see a tank punctured and fuel caught as it runs out. It is faster and a lot less conspicuous to pump it tank to tank. A professional fuel thief isn't gonna waste his time on a 150 gallon tank anyway. He will park on top of an underground tank and pump it out several hundred gallons at a time.

I have also been getting a LOT more alerts on stolen tractors, particularly the older, pre emissions, trucks. I would imagine that most of the trucks I see stolen around here are heading south of the border but even they don't want DEF trucks. That makes a lot of the trucks here a prime target. I will be putting a ravelco system on my truck.

VegasFlyer · March 9, 2018

6 hours ago, Big5er said:

They want it all....the whole tank full, but they are other truck drivers. In 30+ years I would hazard a guess that 99% of the diesel thefts that I see are pumped out of the top. It is rare to see a tank punctured and fuel caught as it runs out. It is faster and a lot less conspicuous to pump it tank to tank. A professional fuel thief isn't gonna waste his time on a 150 gallon tank anyway. He will park on top of an underground tank and pump it out several hundred gallons at a time.

I have also been getting a LOT more alerts on stolen tractors, particularly the older, pre emissions, trucks. I would imagine that most of the trucks I see stolen around here are heading south of the border but even they don't want DEF trucks. That makes a lot of the trucks here a prime target. I will be putting a ravelco system on my truck.

So maybe instead of putting a decal on the side of the truck saying “Private RV - Not For Hire”. They should put ones that say “ DEF Equipped Truck. - Driver is too Cheap to Fill Fuel Tanks”

Mark and Dale Bruss · March 9, 2018

When I bought my Volvo, it had anti-siphoning devices installed in the fuel tank inlets. It is like a basket that allows fuel to flow but not a hose of any consequence to be inserted. I never worried about fuel theft.

hone eagle · March 9, 2018

In storage mine is full of summer fuel so margarine most of the winter ,they can spoon it out

I suppose leaving it dry as possible is one method ,but that has its own drama.

The commercial yard Iam in is small and I have gotten to know all the drivers ,hope they consider me a friend now .

Other hand strangers cant get in ...... easily

card locked ,cameras,paraniod owner.........

beyerjf · March 10, 2018

Mark's solution is probably the best. It is possible to take something like a steel pipe used for the strap winches on a flat bed and punch right through the anti siphon device. And like Phil said they probably pump it out the top, so that means they need to get side by side. Fooling around with a trash can like Cheech and Chong in "Up in Smoke" probably doesn't cut it. If fuel theft is a possibility so are other types of losses. I would seek other locations to park the unit.

beyerjf · March 10, 2018

Here is the clip from the movie. Language is a little salty.

Tom'sRedwood38GK · March 10, 2018

The idea was for theft prevention and we all know that if a pro is going to be your target there is not much one can do. I contacted Iowa 80 truck parts on the phone and they contacted their supplier of the fuel cap cover when they referenced the fuel cap dimensions it came up a size for a Peterbilt fuel cap. So I ordered them with the coupon code that amounted to free shipping at 125 bucks. My storage yard has given me no problems at all for the 5 years I have been there. I also know I will be using the truck as my transportation to get to and from work when I head up North this late Spring. Anywhere the truck is it can be a target for an opportunist and why make it easy for them if I can make it harder to the point it is not worth the time. When we have as much invested in fuel as we do I feel it is worth the little extra work to make the easy target not so easy.

Big5er · March 11, 2018

Tom, I'm with you 100%. You can't "stop" them from stealing your fuel but you might "prevent" it.
I said it in my previous post but as times changes I am more concerned about them taking the whole truck than a tank full of diesel. Our pre emissions trucks are becoming a high dollar item to someone somewhere.

Steve from SoCal · March 11, 2018

On the thought that pre-emission trucks are targets of theft what do you guys think about a simple hidden valve on the spring brakes? They can start the truck but, not sure about the 'get away'.

Steve

rdickinson · March 11, 2018

I put a battery kill switch above the top step, under the door.

Yarome · March 11, 2018

I'm with rdickinson.

I use the po' man's method. Keyed kill switches on the batteries and another to disable the fuel system. Although the battery kill switch was installed for more practical purposes for use while parked for sometimes a couple weeks at a time and wanting to minimize charge loss. The fuel pump switch is more concealed and with security in mind.

I think the ravelco is certainly a great way to go, but it's quite expensive and I wonder if there might be a few shortcomings in a system like that. It is so integrated that electrical failure diagnosis might be complicated and, if the system itself failed... or the proprietary key was ever lost/damaged, that might be a stopper. With the po' man's method they are eaisily circumvented by the owner.

I am much more concerned about vehicle theft than I am about fuel siphoning.

Seeing as the OP was about fuel theft though....

I think anything you can do to deter a theft of opportunity is a good thing... within reason. My personal take on a locking fuel door is that, in my case, I'm only risking $100 or so of fuel. I would much rather loose a few tanks of fuel then have a more determined thief come prepared, pop my fuel door in half a moment, steal my fuel anyway, but also leave me with $1000+ bill to have the dents they left in my side panel repaired and repainted. Not to mention the trouble and down time to have the repairs completed.

In my mind... a locking fuel cap makes more sense as a mild deterrent to the casual thief, but is fairly easily defeated by the more determined type with a minimal amount of subsequent damage to my rig.