Fuel Theft at Repair Facility

[johnfr80504]

We recently took our motor home to a RV body shop to have it painted and some minor body repairs done to the fiberglass.

I had filled the rig up upon return from a trip at the end of Oct. to prevent condensation in the fuel tank while it was in storage. When I delivered it to the repair facility in mid Dec., I recalled that the fuel gauge was on the full mark. When I picked it up 3 weeks later, I noticed that the fuel gauge was indicating just over half a tank. I dismissed it because the electronic fuel gauge on the motor home tended to be a little strange acting at times. When I got home with it that afternoon I checked my odometer against my fuel log and confirmed that I had filled the tank just 90 miles previous. I still dismissed it thinking the fuel gauge was giving a false reading because it was cold outside

Today, I went to the storage lot where I store the rig to add some fuel additive to prevent algae growth in the fuel tank while it is in long term storage. Wanting to mix the additive with the fuel, I drove to a nearby gas station. Having driven it some 120 miles (according to the odometer) since I had last filled it I was expecting that it would take some 15 gallons of diesel to fill it up. I was shocked when the pump clicked off at 50.6 gallons. It was then that I realized that someone at the body shop had apparently siphoned some 35 gallons, $96 worth of fuel from my tank. The rig has a locking door on the fuel fill up so whomever did it had to have access to the keys.

When I picked up the rig at the body shop the owner had a couple diesel powered Salamander heaters running in his shop. He even complained about how expensive it was to heat his shop with those heaters. It appears that he was supplementing his heating cost at my expense.

So lesson learned, when taking a RV into a repair shop, it is probably a good idea, if you have locking fuel access not to give the shop the key to the fuel access.

[JohnRR]

Do you have a plug on the bottom of your fuel tank? There are many access points on a fuel tank to hook a electric fuel pump to.

It’s been a thing in the past to drive around to closed gas stations with a van flip the filler neck/lid open drop in a hose and suck a few hundred gallons out into 55 gallon drums in a van using a false floor in the van while parking over the fuel filler location.

Their are some very brazen people out there wanting what you have.

[grldst]

Do you have a generator with the auto start feature?

[Spdracr39]

Or leave the aqua hot running?

[Isaac-1]

Yeah, Generator and Aqua Hot were my thoughts as well.

[mokurt]

Write it off as "shop supplies".

[IC2]

Sounds like lessons learned. My diesel pickup never leaves home without that 10 buck Stant locking cap.

I have a battery powered electric fuel pump that I use to fill my little diesel tractor, That pump will run for hours with virtually any 12VDC battery, even the Harbor Freight jump start pack. You don't need much to transfer 50 or so gallons from one source to another.

[johnfr80504]

Originally Posted by Isaac-1

Yeah, Generator and Aqua Hot were my thoughts as well.

No, don't have either of these.



Would love to have Autostart on the Generator.

[Trapper2022]

You may want to share what happened and the shop name to as many web sites as you can. The theft could be done by anyone that had access to the lot. If lot was not fenced and locked the number of potential thieves goes way up. Let other know about the location. Locking gas caps are not worth what they cost. Can be easily remover with screw driver. Sorry for your lose.

Enjoy the journey

[egwilly]

Unfortunately you will never be able to prove the claim they stole the fuel.

It may be they did, but start a fight with them will not benefit you.

Don't ask how I know this.

[mokurt]

The shop had the key !

If it was mine I would have said something knowing i would not be using them again.

[pdxgwj]

I work part time for U-Haul. It’s a nightly occurrence to lose fuel. For the drug addicts and homeless in the area it too much of a temptation to pass on. They will cut the connection hose between the fill and the tank, siphon, drill holes in the tank, they have even cut the hose we use to vent the propane tank and the hose to ring the bell when a car comes on the lot to do it. So it might not be the shop doing it is all I’m saying.

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by Trapperbob11

You may want to share what happened and the shop name to as many web sites as you can. The theft could be done by anyone that had access to the lot. If lot was not fenced and locked the number of potential thieves goes way up. Let other know about the location. Locking gas caps are not worth what they cost. Can be easily remover with screw driver. Sorry for your lose.

Enjoy the journey

I would be quite hesitant to publicly accuse that business of theft, without any form of verification/Proof. You they open yourself to a liable lawsuit, and they will have the proof you provided.

[Hangfive]

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

I would be quite hesitant to publicly accuse that business of theft, without any form of verification/Proof. You they open yourself to a liable lawsuit, and they will have the proof you provided.

Write it all out in an email to yourself, copy it without your name and address and paste it anywhere you like