I know someone who parked his truck and went in a store. Upon returning to truck he noticed fuel on the ground. Looking under the truck he found a drill bit sticking out of his tank. It seeme likely the thief was looking for gasoline and too stupid to know the truck was a diesel. Epoxy and duct tape got him home. Fuel theft is very easy with plastic tanks plus no sparks so no Kaboom.

That really bits, but this has been happening for some time. Just wait till some yahoodie attempts to drill a hole in the DEF tank on the newer trucks, thinking that's the gas tank! Too bad those DEF tanks don't have filling spouts outside, so if they tried to syphen with a hose, they'd get a mouthful of a GREAT BIG surprise. if they can't even figure out the difference between diesel and gas, DEF will really be an eye opener .. maybe even an eye-soarer if it splashes in the wrong place! This world has really gone to pieces, hasn't it?

Many stories about that abound, It is a common practice to steal fuel that way.Of course there is the urban myth of the thief who siphoned the wrong tank on the motor home (I know it is a myth because the only opening into that tank from outside is on the roof, not on the side of the coach.. You can guess which tank)Back to your story.. I am surprised he left the drill bit.There are products that you can use to plug the hole that will actually work, Even with fuel in the tank at the time... Alas, i can not recommend a specific product without more research though. The one I use is for pinholes only.

Yeah I know it is not a new thing but I posted just to keep the issue alive for those who might be aware of it. Plastic tanks make it so easy. I have had holes in the past but not from theft. Robber stoppers from a lab supply are good to stop a leak. I have also used a stick whittled to a taper.

DutchmenSport wrote:That really bits, but this has been happening for some time. Just wait till some yahoodie attempts to drill a hole in the DEF tank on the newer trucks, thinking that's the gas tank! Too bad those DEF tanks don't have filling spouts outside, so if they tried to syphen with a hose, they'd get a mouthful of a GREAT BIG surprise. if they can't even figure out the difference between diesel and gas, DEF will really be an eye opener .. maybe even an eye-soarer if it splashes in the wrong place! This world has really gone to pieces, hasn't it?2014 Dodge def fill is outside, right next to the fuel fill. They dont make locking caps but you can buy a locking fuel door for $90.00. Aluminum billet looking door, I think that's what they call it.

Glad I have a metal tank. But I also have gas not diesel....Now I am gonna have to sit outside with my guard cat who is on catnip....Yes It was meant to give you a chuckle. the catnip guard cat part..

Attempted Fuel Theft | Good Sam Community

Harvey51
Explorer
Aug 26, 2014
Too bad you can't just siphon the gas out of the fill port. No damage. And easy to get some gas out for the snowblower.
pnichols
Explorer II
Aug 26, 2014
Reading this thread sure would provide a lot of great instructions for a thief on how to steal fuel! :E
Bobbo
Explorer II
Aug 26, 2014
Raften wrote:
JaxDad wrote:
Raften wrote:
I know someone who parked his truck and went in a store. Upon returning to truck he noticed fuel on the ground.

Fuel theft is very easy with plastic tanks plus no sparks so no Kaboom.

Sounds like one of those poorly thought out urban legends to me.

DC motors (like those found in cordless drills) are notorious for big healthy sparks. Further, if it's a plastic fuel tank, and you want the fuel fast, a piece of steel tubing cut on a sharp angle would go through much faster, with no chance of spark and the hollow center would flow FAR faster than a drill bit.

BTW, the drill bit was still in the hole? Wonder how the chuck was tight enough to drill a hole, but loose enough for the bit to get pulled out by a bit of plastic?

Not sure what you mean by urban legend, it happened. Not sure if a dc drill would cause a fire with diesel. I run BD and no way a spark is going to light that off.

I also wonder who'd be dumb enough to lay a under a truck that could be started and driven over them any second, and what they carried to drain it into, then pour it into?

This little piggy stole no gas, this little piggy knew to read the badge on the side of the truck that said diesel.

If you said the sun came up yesterday morning, there are some on here who would say that was an urban legend and try to debunk it. Pay no mind.

(And for the record, I know the sun doesn't come up. The earth rotates giving the illusion the sun comes up.)
D___M
Explorer
Aug 26, 2014
pnichols wrote:
Reading this thread sure would provide a lot of great instructions for a thief on how to steal fuel! :E

I'm pretty sure they already know how to do it. :S
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Aug 26, 2014
JaxDad wrote:
BTW, the drill bit was still in the hole? Wonder how the chuck was tight enough to drill a hole, but loose enough for the bit to get pulled out by a bit of plastic?

That one I can answer and you should be smacking forehead with heal of hand when I'm done cause it really is very very very very simple.

I just purchased a replacement battery drill/screwdriver

This type of drill does not have a 3-fingered chuck like my big hammer drill does.. It has a 1/4" Hex socket.. The drill is mounted in a 1/4" Hex shank that fits in the drill.. I can also drop in a screw driver bit (Assorted flaveors) or assorted sizes of hex key bits, and I also have a 3-jaw compression chuck for standard drill bits that goes in it.

But if you are using one of these drills (Some of them run on AA cells, mine on rechargeable) it is not uncommon for the bit to remain in whatever stock you are drilling when you pull the thing back.. Happens all the time... EPICALLY if the bit's hex shank is non-ferrous

And this is the type of drill MOST LIKELY to be used for this since they are cheap and work well.

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