Trail cams

[Richbirdhunter]

Over the past 3 weeks I believe that my wife’s car has had its gas siphoned. She usually goes about 10 days in between fill ups and now I’m filling up her car twice a week. 3 times over the last 3 weeks I’ve found her fuel door open. This has only happened when she parks in front of the house and when the fuel door is on the street side. We haven’t found the fuel door open any other time and we only find it open in the mornings.

I’d like to put up a couple of motion sensor cameras. One in the neighbors tree across the street and one in my yard.

My question is, what works best? Since it’s at night do they have a flash? That can cause problems.

I need some input.

[rotor]

I personally like Stealth cams as the batteries last forever, the nightime pictures should have an invisible flash but I wouldn't count on any of these picking up license plates or accurate facial markings unless very close especially at night. Daytime pix are color and better. Don't they make locking gas caps anymore? Deterrence might be more effective than the expense of the cameras and police that probably won't do anything.
If you do go game camera though I have tried only 2 brands, Browning which were worthless and Stealth which were great.

[Soccerdad1995]

If it's a cool enough night, you might want to let your dog sleep in the car (with the window cracked of course). That would be a fairly good deterrent.

[carlson1]

A locking gas cap is cheaper.

[Keith B]

I have several different trail cameras and will tell you I like the Bushnell brand better than any for the money. Clear video at night, and if you get the No-Glow version the infra-red LED's are virtually impossible to see lighting up at night. I would stay clear of the Moultrie cameras as I have had bad luck with them failing, and the video is not near as clear and the trigger time for video to start capturing is slow.

[der Teufel]

Another option is a Driveway Alert.
Harbor Freight sells some cheap ones that have a range of maybe 100 feet. How far away from the house is the car parked?
It's a battery operated motion detector that sounds an alert on a companion device inside the house.
I've used them for hog hunting sometimes when I want to sleep in my truck near a feeder and wish to be awakened if something shows up.

https://www.harborfreight.com/catalogse ... q=driveway

They frequently have coupons that sell them for $10-12.

[relocker]

I hate to take this conversion way outside the realm of this forum, but I experienced something similar on my wife's SUV last year.

She found herself having to fill up frequently, and even after filling up the gauge would only read about 3/4 full. Then by the end of the day, she was on empty again.

It turns out she had a faulty canister purge valve that was allowing the evap system to intermittently pull a vacuum on the tank. The poly tank would partially collapse, affecting both the volume of the tank, and the accuracy of the gas gauge. A $30 part and some scraped knuckles later, everything was back to normal.

Maybe relevant, maybe not. Just saying that I don't think fuel siphoning is as prevalent as it used to be. Modern vehicle have devices that prevent siphoning, and quite frankly I don't have enough faith that kids today have the know-how or the stomach for such things.

Kevin

[Grundy1133]

Dont they sell a device that looks like a tapered spring that you drop down into your gas tank that wont allow a hose to be put down into it but still allows fuel to be dispensed into it? i forget what theyre called... or you could always sit on your front porch with a pellet gun. out in the country where i live we have these kids (teenagers) who ride around on 4 wheelers all over the countryside and drive up into our yard and leave big ruts and they've even ran over and BROKE our water meter twice. I placed some home made spike strips at the end of our yard, and guess who hasn't been back? If they're in the right away thats all fine and dandy but as soon as they cross where my property starts, they're trespassing and they're fair game! lol. But seriously, I'd put up motion sensor trail cams inside the car. if it's dark they probably wouldnt notice them. they typically have IR cameras on them so you can get pictures at night without fear of a flash scaring the target away. However if it were ME, I'm a bit old school and live out in the country so i'd load up a .410 with some rocksalt rounds and have a stake out and as soon as i catch em, i'd shoot em in the bohiney. wont do any serious damage but they'll definitely remember it and think twice before they try to siphon out of anyone elses tank!

[Grundy1133]

I don't think fuel siphoning is as prevalent as it used to be. Modern vehicle have devices that prevent siphoning, and quite frankly I don't have enough faith that kids today have the know-how or the stomach for such things.

Kevin

but since OP said they've found her gas cap door open a few times, I'd probably go with siphoning. and it might not be a kid. could be an older fellow who's down on his luck and decided to steal gas.

[Richbirdhunter]

Another option is a Driveway Alert.
Harbor Freight sells some cheap ones that have a range of maybe 100 feet. How far away from the house is the car parked?
It's a battery operated motion detector that sounds an alert on a companion device inside the house.
I've used them for hog hunting sometimes when I want to sleep in my truck near a feeder and wish to be awakened if something shows up.

https://www.harborfreight.com/catalogse ... q=driveway

They frequently have coupons that sell them for $10-12.

I was kind of thinking along these lines as well, but since the car is parked on the street I think I’d be falsely alerted a lot. I was thinking of some sort of alarm on the fuel door.

[mcscanner]

...snip...
I'd put up motion sensor trail cams inside the car. if it's dark they probably wouldnt notice them. they typically have IR cameras on them so you can get pictures at night without fear of a flash scaring the target away.
...snip...

The IR reflection off the glass when inside the car will blind the camera. Don't ask how I know...

Mike

[Abraham]

"could be an older fellow who's down on his luck"

Tough - Done on your luck doesn't give anyone a pass to steal...