LP gas thieves

[Burtim]

Well, this is only our second winter storing our 2007 Casita SD at a large RV outdoor storage lot with others. Today, I stopped by to find my LP gas tanks stolen.

How do other people secure their LP gas tanks?

[Dudley]

you can drill a hole in the threaded bolt above the retaining nut for a pad lock. It probably will not stop someone that really wants it but may make them think twice about it, Locks keep honest people honest. The other option is a good cable bike lock but again will not stop anyone that really wants it.

[MyronL]

Might also try removing them to your garage.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by Myron Leski

Might also try removing them to your garage.

Propane tanks are not to be stored in an enclosed area.

[Darwin Maring]

I lock them to the frame with a cable and padlock. Hopefully they will just look at it and then walk to the next camper and take theirs.

[Bob Miller]

I built "Bottom Mount" frames for two of my trailers to at least discourage theft. LP tanks have holes and slots in the bottom ring and I bolted through a piece of angle on two sides to hold them down. Gotta say, they are not easy to remove so they have to be filled in place, but no one will take the time to unbolt and steal them.

[papa-t]

To bad you can't hook the camper to 220 volts. Love to see someone grab that tank then.

[Paul O.]

A cow fence charger running on 12 volts? They are pretty efficient (pulsed) and deliver a wallop.
But, watch out for any gas leaks which could enhance the thief's experience!

A better idea: instead of a wing nut holding the crossbar down use a lock nut (with the nylon insert) so a tool is required to remove. Stealing an LP tank worth a few bucks is pure opportunism which should be easy to discourage.

[Ice-breaker]

Does not sound as if this trailer is stored in a very secure lot. You may want to check around for a secure storage facility that has procedures in place to protect you from these things.

Personally, I am happy that there is room beside my house to store my trailer. Much easier to keep an eye on when it is at home and it is so much more accessible for when I want to do upgrades or go camping.

[Bob Miller]

Except for very expensive "Indoor" storage there is almost nothing secure about RV storage lots.


Just last Monday, while helping a friend move some stuff to their storage unit, I followed a strangers vehicle through the code locked gate and, basically, had full run of about 50 RV's stored thereabouts.


I once had my Mustang convertible stolen out of a locked garage in a "Secure" storage facility. In that example they managed to cut off a "secure" lock, steal the car and relock the door with an identical appearing lock. When the police arrived they had the manager drill out the lock to verify that the car was missing. It took all of 3 minutes, with a battery operated drill, to open the door. They did get a pic of the Mustang leaving through a code locked gate, right behind another customer.

[Bill Nolen]

I know that a full LP tank is heavy...but, why not place it inside your trailer?

Just don't be holding a lighted cigarette when opening the door!

[David Tilston]

I keep all six of my Trilliiums on my property. I have a big yard, 130 x 64, and a small house.

[Darwin Maring]

Inside your trailer makes for a possible very large bomb. Static electricity, turning on a lite or appliance and that would be the end of the story.

Propane leak over a long time loosed its bad smell. Just someone walking buy and flipping a lit object on the ground or opening the door while smoking or walking inside and building up a static charge.

It happen in Louisa County while they were camping when the wife got up in the morning and lit the stove. No smell, just a big bang that burned her, her spouse and son really bad.

[stevebaz]

The bottom ring on a propane bottle has holes in it every quarter. On my double bottle mount I drilled a corresponding hole in the bottom plate mount and use a long shank master padlock going through the bottles base ring into the lower plate mount. Without a bolt cutter or shimming the lock its there to stay. People just don't realize how much money is sitting there with 2 full bottles and how tempting they are in plain view.

[Roger C H]

Tom Young returned to his load of trailers in St. Louis after spending the night in a motel on a delivery run and found all the batteries in the rigs gone.
My Dad and I went out to his company car for him to go to work and drop me off at school one morning and found the battery gone. This was from a 1957 Nash Rambler in the 1950's.
I bought a 3 foot length of chain I place around my battery with a padlock and promptly lost the key. I was surprised how easy it was for the neighbor to grind off the padlock.
Like stated earlier, locks only keep 'honest people' honest.

[coastsignal]

We have a Propane fill station at our Hardware Store, and here's some info about propane that we've been trained to tell our customers:

Even with the new, required OPD valves , which limit the fill to 80%, there is still a relief valve on every tank. So, a full tank could still release propane, especially if it's left in a car (or camper) on a hot day.

Always carry and store consumer type (20,30, 40lb) propane tanks upright. Another relief valve issue. Tanks on their side will put more pressure on that valve and sometimes release propane.

Per DOT reg's , up to 90lbs, or about 21 gallons, (4-20lb tanks, 3-30's, or 2-40's) can be transported inside your vehicle.

So, back to the theft issue. Empty tanks could be stored with the valve closed, inside the trailer at the storage facility.

A good idea might be to store the tanks at home, outside in the yard, or next to the house or garage, or in a vented storage building, or open shed. I use a vented plastic "deck box" to store several 20lb. grille tanks near my house.

Propane sinks, so make sure any storage "cover" or building is vented also at the bottom as well as at top for air circulation.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Roger C H

My Dad and I went out to his company car for him to go to work and drop me off at school one morning and found the battery gone. This was from a 1957 Nash Rambler in the 1950's.

The above reminded me of when I was a child and someone helped themselves to the engine of the next door neighbours new car parked in his carport in the middle of a city one night. No one heard or saw a thing.

A friend lost their motorhome out of a secure facility with card locks, lots of camera's & lights. It was never seen again.

If someone wants to take something it doesnt matter how you secure it, they will try. Best you can do is slow them down.

A chain through the bottom or collar holes of a propane tank and looped around the trailers frame is all I would bother with if I had to leave my trailer parked in any storage facility.

[BruceandMaryJane]

I worked for an auto insurance company and at a training presentation watched a team of mechanics completely disassemble a full sized automobile into man sized carry parts in less than 15 minutes. All that can be done is to slow down or discourage theft of any kind.

[Burtim]

"Does not sound as if this trailer is stored in a very secure lot. You may want to check around for a secure storage facility that has procedures in place to protect you from these things."

Umm. Eight foot fence with razor wire at the top and card access only at night. In the daytime, there is a business associated with the lot, so the gate is open but lots of people around.

Here's the real problem with any RV lot. It makes the most sense that the tanks were taken by another RV'er. I know none of us want to think that's the case, but, there are just too many other, easier to steal tanks there. I am going to request a new site for my trailer. Mine is located in one of the back corners. Other, more accessible trailers have been left undisturbed. It really looks like location of my trailer contributed to the theft. They had to raise my CalMark cover, get into the plastic tank cover and unscrew everything. The trailer next to mine was far easier to steal from but more visible down the lane.

Storing the Casita is supposed to be convenient and my HOA won't allow campers next to my house. I don't want to have to remove the tanks except as a last resort.

I'm going to get new tanks, put a cable bike lock on them as well as a lock on the threaded rod retainer. I think I'll take the opportunity to upgrade my LP lines to that really nice stainless steel shrouded type at the same time. Then I am going to request a new spot to park my trailer in. If you aren't safe in the storage lot, I don't think you are any safer when you leave the trailer in the boonies either. It's not like it was when my grandparents went on a camping trip.

[Bob Miller]

As Alice might have said, "Toto, this isn't the Nebraska we used to live in".
(I know, they were in Kansas, but that didn't fit LOL)