Yep, its that time. Locking gas cap recommendation needed

Whats the recommendation for a good quality locking cap that will at least slow down thieves but allow me to get it off to refuel ?

85 B250 Xplorer Class B, was in storage from October until about April.  Noticed it was low on fuel this weekend but have not gone anywhere other than the back yard to my driveway for some maintenance work a couple times. Was doubting myself on completing the winter storage routine (put in some stabil and wash it down with 10 gallons of gas, and couple mile drive around the neighborhood) figuring I may have been a cheep wad last fall and hoping gas would be cheaper now than it was then.

Being wrong about the cheaper part, and noticing one of the stations near my house was about a dime cheaper than everyone else (must not have got the call to increase the price yesterday). I went to get some gas last night (Monday) shuffled through all vehicles whether they needed it or not.  Site note, the GF asked about what spilled from the gas door on Sunday. I thought it was the typical rain run off marks. Anyway got my gas and went to reset the trip ODO and noticed the last 10 gallons I only averaged 2.3 mpg.  Much lower than my 20 year average of 12 to 13 mpg. It all made sense.....

Looking on amazonie, I see what ever the cap, about 15% of the reviews are 1 star with lots stating it wont lock or unlock.

What are you using ?

Interesting.  I had not considered. In my fleet...

'90 Miata: requires pulling lever in center console - locked.  Holds little gas.
Prius: requires puling lever from driver's floor area - locked. Holds little gas
Grand Caravan: exterior flap just opens - unlocked. Holds a lot of gas, like 20 gal tank
Super Duty: exterior flap just opens - unlocked.  Has a 38 gal factory tank but lets be honest, I can't afford to fill it so its near empty.  

John Welsh said:

Grand Caravan: exterior flap just opens - unlocked. Holds a lot of gas, like 20 gal tank
Super Duty: exterior flap just opens - unlocked.  Has a 38 gal factory tank but lets be honest, I can't afford to fill it so its near empty.  

This is the issue I have. The van holds 35 (might be 36+ as I was able to put in 35 gallons in the past).  I would hate to fill it for a long camping trip the night before leaving and have $200 disapear. 
Will be leaving a note "Smile you are on the internet" (idle threat....) and maybe add a flashing red LED in the rear window near the gas tank. Where I park it its out of range of my CCTV and under cover so no one will see them doing the dirty deed. I do have a cheap driveway motion sensor alert from HF. May put that there too, but it will do little good if I am not home at the time.

Figure slowing them down is a start.

Real cameras have gotten cheap but eleven years ago the real cameras were not cheap.  Though, what I have has remained the same price.  

Zoom in and you'll see one between the garage doors, one at the front door, and one on the courtyard corner positioned to get view of those approaching on the driveway.  

Since your situation is a bit more remote, try one like this.  Don't worry if it's ugly and overbearing.  The intention is for it to get noticed.  A visual deterrent keeping them from ever starting. 

If it's a screw on cap, the thief will have a hammer and nail, which he will drive through the gas cap and screw it off as normal.

Then you are out half a tank of fuel and a gas cap.

Run extension cords to your gas doors and thieves will think they are electric cars.

The last time I had fuel stolen the thieves cut the fuel filler neck hose.  I happened to be changing the bed on my truck and I noticed it when I slid under to take the hose clamp off.  The company truck that was parked next to mine had the same thing done to it.  It wasn't noticed till the CEO tried to put gas in it and created a rather large puddle underneath.

I've seen where they just poke or drill a hole in the bottom of the tank and drain it that way now....battery powered tools are being used in all sorts of criminal ways that couldn't be done before...like sawzalls to remove cats, and grinders to remove padlocks..

MiniDave said:

I've seen where they just poke or drill a hole in the bottom of the tank and drain it that way now....battery powered tools are being used in all sorts of criminal ways that couldn't be done before...like sawzalls to remove cats, and grinders to remove padlocks..

Just another reason not to buy a pick-em-up truck.  Cars are too low to slide under and steal gas. It's going to be quicker to go next door to Bubba's house and slide under to get 30+ gals of gas than get out a jack to steal 12-16 gals from a car.  

Just a note, the prices we are paying now are only just reaching what Europe was paying a decade ago after accounting for exchange rates and real gallons to US gallons.  If you were to factor in inflation, it's more like the turn of the century.  That's why the rest of the world is so appalled at the size and thirst of our cars.

It's not a good point to reference because this was 08, which was another historical spike in gas prices, just before the world economy collapsed. I recall when I picked up my Volvo from the factory I was paying the equivalent of $10 USD per US gallon in Germany / Denmark / UK.  To make it worse, $10 USD adjusted for inflation is $13.43

In reply to JimS :

Yup, they've jumped like the rest of the world based on the increase in demand post covid, plus the issues in Europe.

I'm just pointing out that similar countries to the USA, i.e.first world, free, democratic with a high average standard of living, have had high gas prices for decades yet the population has adapted.  Change is hard, but we need to stop thinking perfection was what we looked like  yesterday.  

In reply to Adrian_Thompson (Forum Supporter) :

Just greed, like everything else. No need for quarterly record breaking profits other than greed. No need for such high prices without trying to break profit records every quarter. 

Never let a good tragedy go to waste.

In reply to JimS :

Has a comment by JimS been removed? I'm not seeing what you are replying too?

Adrian_Thompson (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to JimS :

...we need to stop thinking perfection was what we looked like  yesterday.  

Amen.

Picked one up at Advance seeing I put 100 bucks in last night. Spend about an hour adjusting my security camera for that portion of the yard. No go to far away wont trip to record in that area if they come from the far side.

Through a couple old tire on the ground and spread around a log pile to make an obsticle course. The other thing I did was leave the old cap hanging. Maybe they will see that and think someone beat them to it ????

The guy at advance stated I was lucky to get one, they cant keep them in stock and have also been selling lots of tanks.  That wont be fun, whats the availability on a 35 gallon tank for an 85 B350..... Not sure I want to know.

RevRico said:

In reply to Adrian_Thompson (Forum Supporter) :

Just greed, like everything else. No need for quarterly record breaking profits other than greed. No need for such high prices without trying to break profit records every quarter. 

Never let a good tragedy go to waste.

Gas and oil are global markets.  If US producers reduced thier prices below the global price, other countries (buyers) would rush in to buy it at the lower price, and likely bid it up to just below global price, if that was allowed, and you are right back where you started.  It's not greed, it's just how it works.  It's essentially the same as blaming the consumer of gluttony for creating so much demand.

The only way US producers could sell in the US at a lower price (that I can think of) would be either to nationalize the US oil producers (not likely) or create some sort of law that US producers must sell all their production internally, at below market cost (which is kind of the same thing as nationalizing them).

Now, if you are suggesting, these companies should just volunteer to sell product at below market price in the US. That will likely not fly with stockholders or boards of directors and could likely be sued for that.  A privately held oil company could, out or patriotism(?), but I don't think there are any of those of any size.  It sucks, but it's the reality of the world.

If the US commited to ramping up production, I am sure it would drop prices a bit, but only the "futures" part of the high prices, so it would still be high since there is likely to be pretty good delay from that actually happening, and, it's still a world market and there is still a lot of demand.

If it makes you feel any better, the US (and Canada) producers are making far less profit then the Middle East producers and the US gets most of it's oil from the US and Canada, so at least the money, mostly, stays here, or close.

AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) said:

Keith Tanner said:

Adrian_Thompson (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to JimS :

...we need to stop thinking perfection was what we looked like  yesterday.  

Amen.

We also need to stop pretending none of this is related and pretend no one making decisions is responsible for everything.  The level of mental gymnastics performed here on simple issues is worthy of gold medals.  

Since yesterday wasn't perfect please enlighten me on how everything has improved so much. 

The fact the vocal majority here spends so much of their effort trying to silence any disagreement is very telling.  Groupthink isn't a cogent argument.  It's a recipe for disaster.  
 

Anyone care to take another stab at me for saying our country is becoming dumber, less safe, and people lack decency anymore (again)?  All while complaining about people stealing your stuff?  
 

Yah all of this stuff is just a random accident happening to the helpless.....  I'm sure it will all magically improve. 
 

Okay. I understand that you're mad. Don't take it out on us. 
That's what Facebook is for. 

aircooled said:

RevRico said:

In reply to Adrian_Thompson (Forum Supporter) :

Just greed, like everything else. No need for quarterly record breaking profits other than greed. No need for such high prices without trying to break profit records every quarter. 

Never let a good tragedy go to waste.

Gas and oil are global markets.  If US producers reduced thier prices below the global price, other countries (buyers) would rush in to buy it at the lower price, and likely bid it up to just below global price, if that was allowed, and you are right back where you started.  It's not greed, it's just how it works.  It's essentially the same as blaming the consumer of gluttony for creating so much demand.

The only way US producers could sell in the US at a lower price (that I can think of) would be either to nationalize the US oil producers (not likely) or create some sort of law that US producers must sell all their production internally, at below market cost (which is kind of the same thing as nationalizing them).

Isn't that what Pemex is? The nationalized oil company of Mexico.

Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:

AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) said:

Keith Tanner said:

Adrian_Thompson (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to JimS :

...we need to stop thinking perfection was what we looked like  yesterday.  

Amen.

We also need to stop pretending none of this is related and pretend no one making decisions is responsible for everything.  The level of mental gymnastics performed here on simple issues is worthy of gold medals.  

Since yesterday wasn't perfect please enlighten me on how everything has improved so much. 

The fact the vocal majority here spends so much of their effort trying to silence any disagreement is very telling.  Groupthink isn't a cogent argument.  It's a recipe for disaster.  
 

Anyone care to take another stab at me for saying our country is becoming dumber, less safe, and people lack decency anymore (again)?  All while complaining about people stealing your stuff?  
 

Yah all of this stuff is just a random accident happening to the helpless.....  I'm sure it will all magically improve. 
 

Okay. I understand that you're mad. Don't take it out on us. 
That's what Facebook is for. 

In the Olden Days we would just throw our TVs out the window.




It was perfection, eh?