Locking gas cap (non partisan, please) Don’t ban me.

[Living the dream]

There are a lot of good options out there. And believe it or not, it's easier to drown yourself in dash cam options than it is in Jeep options. I spun my wheels for a few weeks over-analyzing the crap out of everything, and eventually I started to see some similar trends emerge:

- Parking mode is a must (which means hardwiring), and make sure the camera has a voltage cutoff so it doesn't drain your battery. Be prepared to buy a hardwiring kit if one isn't included.
- Decide for yourself how much resolution and special camera features (like compensation for low light, lens flare, etc) matter to you. That will narrow down your options significantly.
- Having a screen on the back is kind of pointless unless you REALLY want to be able to just watch footage straight from the tiny camera vs. opening it on your phone app via wifi (what I recommend).
- There are a lot of extra bells and whistles that I really don't care about that will drive up cost and drive down performance: 4k resolution, huge memory card capacity, cloud storage, GPS features with alerts, traffic notifications, etc. Again, up to you how much that stuff matters, but I wanted to keep it simple. I have GPS on my phone, I don't need another effing device telling me how to drive, and as long as my camera can catch the color and rough make/model of a vehicle, I don't need it to be able to read the expiration date of the tag on the license plate.

My wife and I ended up deciding on this for her Wrangler: F200 PRO Front + Rear Dash Cam Bundle - Dash Cam | Thinkware USA

It's high definition, cuts off if the battery gets low, small and lightweight, easy to set up, and has an app with a ton of ways for me to customize what it does.

We're still figuring out how to tweak the sensitivity to it doesn't detect us getting into the vehicle as a Parking Mode incident, but that's just something we'll figure out in time. So far, it's worked just fine, but there are plenty of other good options out there too. Lots of folks here say they have good luck with Blackvue, but they are a bit pricier for similar features. There's a $99 camera by Rove on Amazon that has a ton of great features and reviews too - I just didn't get it because it's kinda bulky and has the screen on the back.

Hope that helps!

Dash cams are great and can save you $ when it comes to hit and run or a “he said she said” situation, particularly in a no fault state such as FL. However, if someone is going to steal your fuel then the footage may prove useless.

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[Geoarch]

I remember the price hike in 2008. Most gas thieves back then were not going through the fill tube, they were drilling holes in the polymer plastic gas tanks and letting gravity do the work.

It's creative anyway. I'm not sure the hoods in New Mexico are that bright.

 

[Geoarch]

youve got a great big steel skid from the factory, we all do

It wouldn't stop them, but slow them down and make a lot of noise.

 

[Rattydude77]

If this makes you feel any better
There are actually two devices that can prevent you from siphoning gas from a car. The first is an anti-siphon screen. It is a mesh screen that prevents you from putting anything solid into the gas tank. This is typically located higher up in the fuel filler pipe.

The second device is a “rollover valve” located at the tank inlet. This valve is actually meant to keep gas from escaping the car in event of a rollover but it also prevents you from sticking a siphon hose in the tank – hence why it is often called the anti-siphon valve.

 

[dawghauler]

they better bring a long hose filler is on the drivers side and the tank is on the passenger side awfully long way to siphon gas

 

[ecidiego]

With the price of fuel climbing and no end in sight, who is investing in a locking gas cap? I had a MOPAR “keyed alike” on my JL and it was a little inconvenient, but gas was only $2-ish/gallon then. I feel that people may become desperate/greedy and fuel theft my become an issue. Thank you.

Don't do it. If someone wants to steal your gas, let them. If you put a lock on it, they'll just cut the fill tube or use a crowbar. That's more expensive than a lost tank of gas.

 

[FREEZE451]

Don't do it. If someone wants to steal your gas, let them.

Is this real? Out of curiosity, at what point does that statement NOT work?

Your entire vehicle?
Your belongings?
Your house?
Your tool box?

Just a curious question, as I can't comprehend the "let them." idea of stealing your property, that you paid for with your money, that you earned with your time which you can't buy back.

Maybe it's the early morning delusional mindset I have right now from no sleep, but I'm really struggling with this statement.

To each their own I suppose.

I mean I won't attack someone for a $100 tank full of gas but sure as hell won't just let them take it.

 

[redrider]

I have a 12 gauge perimeter alarm from Fifth Ops. 128dB flash bang. Just remember to disable it before approaching. I have also heard of a fluorescent light ballast being wired up. Get an Atticus and let him sleep in the cab, window down.

 

[Living the dream]

I shall construct a false tank with a few gallons to se

I have a 12 gauge perimeter alarm from Fifth Ops. 128dB flash bang. Just remember to disable it before approaching. I have also heard of a fluorescent light ballast being wired up. Get an Atticus and let him sleep in the cab, window down.

all viable options for sure. ?

 

[cafecito]

Dash cams are great and can save you $ when it comes to hit and run or a “he said she said” situation, particularly in a no fault state such as FL. However, if someone is going to steal your fuel then the footage may prove useless.

I mean, maybe? If you get a two-channel unit (front + rear), and have motion detection on, it's extremely unlikely that the cameras won't pick up someone approaching your vehicle.

They may still get away with the gas, but you would almost assuredly have them on video for a police report.

 

[PhantomChameleon]

I ordered the Mopar locking gas cap that lets you key it for your fob key.

My thoughts are, I probably won't use it right now...but if gas gets to $10 or more, I imagine locking gas caps will probably be pretty hard to come by, as lots of people will start buying them at that point. I would rather grab one now that I can decide to use later if I want to.

It's definitely true that if someone wants to steal something, they'll steal it. A locking cap or steel plate won't stop someone who's determined and well prepared with tools to get your gas.

However, I do think that the higher gas prices get, the more it'll be random people with hoses trying to siphon gas in parking lots, driveways, etc. These won't be organized gas thieves (although that will probably increase as well), but just regular people who aren't going to huck around drills and other tools and probably aren't educated enough on stealing gas to know that you could drill safely into the tank from below, or to even know where the gas tank is.

So basically, I want to have the option of the locking cap and I do think it could be very useful in deterring the new slew of wannabe gas thieves that will emerge as gas prices increase. If someone is going through a parking lot and there are 200 vehicles with regular caps and yours has a locking cap, they are gonna leave your car alone and go for one of the many others...that's just human nature and even organized thieves operate off of opportunity and choose the easiest target.

If I find the locking cap annoying or unnecessary, I will just put the old one back on - its a quick and easy swap.

 

[Terry]

To add insult, most of the thieves only come prepared for a few gallons recover and if you had a full tank, the majority of the fuel is drained onto the ground.

I understand that if one is soaked in gasoline and gets tased, marshmallows and a coat hanger should be available...

 

[Living the dream]

I understand that if one is soaked in gasoline and gets tased, marshmallows and a coat hanger should be available...

The smell of burning flesh stays with you forever.

 

[Terry]

The smell of burning flesh stays with forever.

Like burning sh*t, yes it does stick in the nose.

 

[JohnFinx]

You would be better off putting a post-it note on your drivers window that says:
"Sorry, dad! I used up almost ALL your gas! I'll pay you back later!"

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