Propane tanks stolen :(

[01tundra]

I got bored being in shelter-in-place lock down and needed an excuse to work out in the shop.....yes I could've just drilled a hole through the handle, but I needed a project. Fabricated out of some scrap 3/16" steel I had out in the shop and already had a spare lock, so total cost was $0.

I had already secured the threaded rod with double nuts top and bottom of the mounting plate and red Loctite.

Between this and the cable lock it should at least slow a thief down a little.....

[OutlanderWolfPup]

We are grateful to have our camper in our fenced in backyard at all times. We haven't had any issues with it getting messed with, but our house is watched closely by the local law enforcement, neighbor is a known dealer of illegal substances, we had a vehicle stolen and trashed from in front of our house, and the popo love to stop and give our bullies lovins lol

[oneslacker2]

Looks like a fine job to me, and thanks for the pics detailing you mod. As everyone says, locks only keep honest people honest. It is worth it for a little piece of mind though in my opinion. Thanks for sharing.
John-in SW PA.

[chriscowles]

While I appreciate the work and your interest in having a project, (I've found several this month) was it even necessary to drill a hole in the handle? If you had a lock with a long shackle, could it be threaded around the OEM handle and shaft while unlocked, in a manner that would make it impossible to remove when locked, without drilling a hole?

Originally Posted by 01tundra

I got bored being in shelter-in-place lock down and needed an excuse to work out in the shop.....yes I could've just drilled a hole through the handle, but I needed a project. Fabricated out of some scrap 3/16" steel I had out in the shop and already had a spare lock, so total cost was $0.

I had already secured the threaded rod with double nuts top and bottom of the mounting plate and red Loctite.

Between this and the cable lock it should at least slow a thief down a little.....

[dannyabear]

Welding a chain link to the existing handle and cross bar would have been easier

[chriscowles]

I'd like to protect my brand-new 30# tanks but have neither the materials nor the talent to reproduce 01Tundra's approach, nor to do any welding skills as suggested by dannyabear. What's the easiest way to lock it, with minimum expense and effort?

[KyDan]

Originally Posted by 01tundra

I got bored being in shelter-in-place lock down and needed an excuse to work out in the shop.....yes I could've just drilled a hole through the handle, but I needed a project. Fabricated out of some scrap 3/16" steel I had out in the shop and already had a spare lock, so total cost was $0.

Great JOB and nice to see good quality photos to go with it.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by chriscowles

I'd like to protect my brand-new 30# tanks but have neither the materials nor the talent to reproduce 01Tundra's approach, nor to do any welding skills as suggested by dannyabear. What's the easiest way to lock it, with minimum expense and effort?

A piece of chain long enough to go through the tank handles and the frame and a lock or a long enough cable lock.

As mentioned... all this stuff mentioned in the thread will only stop someone who is walking by and thinking they need that stuff more than you.

None of it will stop thieves.

[KyDan]

Originally Posted by 5picker

...snip...
As mentioned... all this stuff mentioned in the thread will only stop someone who is walking by and thinking they need that stuff more than you.

None of it will stop thieves.

I disagree. Thieves want the easy grab and go and since the vast majority of LP tanks on RVs are not secured with locks this solution would most likely cause the thief to move to the next one in line.

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by 5picker

A piece of chain long enough to go through the tank handles and the frame and a lock or a long enough cable lock.

As mentioned... all this stuff mentioned in the thread will only stop someone who is walking by and thinking they need that stuff more than you.

None of it will stop thieves.

People walking by and thinking they need that stuff more than me are potential thieves. If a simple approach deters them, it worked.

[bondo1954]

Originally Posted by chriscowles

I'd like to protect my brand-new 30# tanks but have neither the materials nor the talent to reproduce 01Tundra's approach, nor to do any welding skills as suggested by dannyabear. What's the easiest way to lock it, with minimum expense and effort?

Myself I drilled a hole on the t handle through the cross bar holding the tanks. Then used a long shank lock in the holes to lock the handle in place.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by KyDan

I disagree. Thieves want the easy grab and go and since the vast majority of LP tanks on RVs are not secured with locks this solution would most likely cause the thief to move to the next one in line.

Originally Posted by chriscowles

People walking by and thinking they need that stuff more than me are potential thieves. If a simple approach deters them, it worked.

I didn't mean to imply it wouldn't stop 'some' folks.
None of it will stop someone who really wants it.

That is what insurance is for.

[chriscowles]

I understand that really motivated people will persist but it doesn't take much effort to deter most of them.

Originally Posted by 5picker

I didn't mean to imply it wouldn't stop 'some' folks.
None of it will stop someone who really wants it.

That is what insurance is for.

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by bondo1954

Myself I drilled a hole on the t handle through the cross bar holding the tanks. Then used a long shank lock in the holes to lock the handle in place.

I'll do that in combination with the double-nut and Loctite methods used by 01Tundra.