Securing jerry cans from theft?

[daveIT]

Do you guys secure your jerry cans to your rig? How about a locking cap? I'm wondering what solutions are out there? We've had some cars broken into and stuff stolen in our neighborhood in the past...seems like a jerry can on the back of my rtuck would be easy pickins' and free gas!

I was thinking something like a cable bike lock or something to that effect, just to make it take some effort to steal it. I currently just have a ratchet strap on it.

Maybe I should fill it with something that could harm the thief's engine and put a giant "Steal Me" sticker on it...

 

[Mark W]

If the vehicle is not doing anything that calls for the extra fuel. Leave the cans in the garage. And/or empty.

I leave the fuel cans in the rack of my rigs that have racks. But theft of this nature is not an issue here.

If you are traveling and are concerned... then a bike cable sounds like as good a method as any other to keep the cans in place.

If you have the Specter plastic can and the tops are on tight it will be difficult for the average thief of opportunity to get them open to siphon the fuel out in place. And harder to punch a hole to drain the fuel than is the case with a metal can too.


Mark...

 

[Woodsman]

I bought a 6' cable lock from Home Depot or Lowes and I weave it through the handles of my Scepters when they are up om the rack. I only put them up there for trips.

 

[DrivingMissRosey]

I made a cable lock out of some cable and collapsable crimps. These made two loops, one on each end. These are then locked with a combo lock to the roofrack. I went this way because I couldn't find the right length.

 

[Southeast Overland]

I made a cable lock out of some cable and collapsable crimps. These made two loops, one on each end. These are then locked with a combo lock to the roofrack. I went this way because I couldn't find the right length.

I did the same thing for my Hi-Lift when I wanted a very short cable. The lock seized shut and I was surprised at how little force it took to pull the cable out of the crimps with a metal bar and I crimped them down pretty good - but it would still keep a lazy crook from scoring.

 

[Mark W]

Several years ago I made a gas can rack for a friend/customer that used a cross bar through the handles to secure the cans in place. It was also lockable to secure them against theft, not just bouncing loose.


Mark...

 

[daveIT]

The local community college teaches welding classes. I think I'm going to take one or two and then buy a welder so I can do all this cool s*** to my rig...

 

[Bogo]

Maybe I should fill it with something that could harm the thief's engine and put a giant "Steal Me" sticker on it...

When I liven in an appartment in Minneapolis, I used to keep my used motor oil in a cheap gas can in the back of the pickup. It used to disappear about yearly. I wonder how many cars got filled up with dirty motor oil?

 

[daveIT]

LOL...when I lived in Italy, I always wanted to fill a bag (like a laptop bag) full of mousetraps and razorblades, and other implements of destruction, leave the top unbuckled and walk around like a lost tourist and wait for the first pickpocket to try it. I had 3 friends (despite warning them!) get pickpocketed while they visited us.

 

[rusty_tlc]

This is what Dr Smash came up with after my cans got stolen

Edit: I got a PM asking for the latch Manf. and part number. I don't know for sure but I think its
this National Mfg. N211003 Draw Hasp With Key Lock<----LINK

 

[80t0ylc]

I can understand securing the containers and what locks will do is help keep them from being stolen. But if the thieves use a drill to drain your cans, the locks won't have done much good. I'm going out on a limb here and predict with gas going up over $5 per gallon, jerry cans will be too much of a gamble to use, unless there is someone around the vehicle at all times. Hell, when you have thieves in cities, bypassing the fuel door locks by hacking into the filler tubes, emptying a jerry can is a piece of cake. My daughter had her Camary fuel filler tube hacked into in Eugene, OR when she was a student at U of O. Some places are worse than others, but if gas prices do what they predict, things are gonna change - and not for the better.

 

[Bogo]

If you are worried about that, watch out for the fuel tank it's self. Many modern vehicles have plastic tanks. Very easy to drill into by hand. I've heard of a few that got their tanks drilled.

 

[Mark W]

All depends on where you live I guess... around here I can leave full gas cans in the rack, unsecured, high lift and other tools mounted on the rig... unsecured... and drive it every day around town if I want and never have to worry about it being messed with.


If we are going to worry about gas tanks being drilled into to steel gas, we are moving into an entirely different discussion

Mark...

 

[crushers]

similar idea i did a couple decades back was a flat bar that would hook on one side and a lock tab on the other. we had a rash of fuel thefts in the city so i pointed the spouts towards the truck and locked the cans down.
(i also filled one with gas and the other two with diesel, if the sucked did succeed in siphoning out the fuel they would contaminate the whole lot ... or so i thought at the time)

bike cable would work just as good.

Several years ago I made a gas can rack for a friend/customer that used a cross bar through the handles to secure the cans in place. It was also lockable to secure them against theft, not just bouncing loose.


Mark...

 

[80t0ylc]

..........If we are going to worry about gas tanks being drilled into to steel gas, we are moving into an entirely different discussion...

That is exactly my point. What's the sense of locking them down? The thieves are after the fuel, not the containers. The more the price of fuel goes up, the more they will be motivated to extract it any way they can. And why jerry cans will be targeted initially is - they are more accessible. And yes, I believe the bastards will eventually get around to drilling our large capacity tanks, both standard and aux. The ones of us that live out in rural areas won't have quite as much of a problem.

IMHO, if you need to extend your range, install an aux tank. For those that have toys on trailers, maybe a lockable compartment to haul your fuel cans. Make it as hard on these thieves as possible. Trying to sabotoge these jerks is humorous, but chances are it'll backfire on you or a friend.

 

[daveIT]

I just want to secure the cans...thanks for the ideas so far. I have security lights, a dog and a shotgun. I'm not worried about someone drilling the tank and draining it...that would take awhile. However, cutting a ratchet strap an ganking my can could be done in like 2 seconds...just trying to prevent that.

 

[Mark W]

All the concerns about cans and gas being stolen in town brings us back to... leave them empty and or in the garage. When you are actually gonna need to have them on the rig while traveling or heading out on long trails.... you will not need to worry about them being stolen. If there is significant risk of someone ripping you off at your house or parking lots around town.... then is it worth carrying then cans "just 'cause"?

It is simple to secure them. It is simpler to not have them there if you are stuck in an area where you have to worry about it.


Mark...

 

[Mark W]

That is exactly my point. What's the sense of locking them down? The thieves are after the fuel, not the containers. The more the price of fuel goes up, the more they will be motivated to extract it any way they can. And why jerry cans will be targeted initially is - they are more accessible. And yes, I believe the bastards will eventually get around to drilling our large capacity tanks, both standard and aux. The ones of us that live out in rural areas won't have quite as much of a problem.

IMHO, if you need to extend your range, install an aux tank. For those that have toys on trailers, maybe a lockable compartment to haul your fuel cans. Make it as hard on these thieves as possible. Trying to sabotoge these jerks is humorous, but chances are it'll backfire on you or a friend.

By this logic, what is the sense of even locking the rig. They will just bust the window with a brick. What's the sense of locking your front door, they will just kick it in.

We take reasonable precautions where we can and hop for the best. it is what reasonable people do.


Or we get carried away in internet discussions about carrying wasted oil and water in our gas cans, putting claymores under our trucks, attack dogs chained to bumpers and, and, and...


Mark...

 

[daveIT]

That is exactly my point. What's the sense of locking them down? The thieves are after the fuel, not the containers.

Maybe...some jerk-off might think...ah that's a cool jerry can, I should steal that and put it on my truck. I've had stuff stolen before that wasn't full of gas.

IMHO, if you need to extend your range, install an aux tank.

I'm not rich nor do I have the need to double my range...just want some extra frickin' gas in case I (or a fellow trail member) need it. $500-$1000 aux tank install or a couple jerry cans...

Many times I pack the truck, let it sit while I'm at work and the head out from there for the weekend. I'm just going to buy a cable lock and unsubscribe myself from this thread...

 

[rusty_tlc]

All the concerns about cans and gas being stolen in town brings us back to... leave them empty and or in the garage. .....

Mark...

This is what I do, the locks are for when I leave the truck to go into a store or overnight in a hotel parking lot. On a lot of our trips we will stay a night in hotels en-route to our "jumping off" point.

FWIW empty was not a deterrent to the miscreants who stole my first set of cans.

If as many people carried guns in the lower 48 as where you live we might just have a more polite and respectful society.