Special award ⚠️

[Basildog]

Customer pulls up for an LPG fill up to their Underslung tank , I noticed the tank looked a bit corroded so took a closer look and informed the customer that there was no way that I will fill their tank.
Our fitter comes out to inspect it and to advise on what’s required as I was wearing clean clothes and didn’t want to lie down under the van ( getting older )
So it’s actually far worse than I saw at first glance, not only is the tank seriously corroded but on closer inspection one of the straps has snapped off and the other is pretty close to snapping too .
Owner was told he shouldn’t continue with their journey but chose to ignore and set off stating that it would be ok and they were going to use the remaining gas up
I won’t post the words that we used but you can imagine.
Unbelievable.

 

[Cush]

Darwin Award

 

[David and Sally]

 

[meanders]

Some people just will not take advice. Probably went off muttering and pulled into the next self service garage that sells lpg. Trouble is tahy could takes someone else out with themselves.

 

[Neil S]

No cure for "stupid"

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[stuartholmes]

There is the law of natural selection, survival of least stupid but there is also the effect on people in range of collateral damage, one thinks there ought to be a means to report the dangerous vehicle & get him pulled off the road by some brave police officer who's willing to get close enough.

 

[Basildog]

There is the law of natural selection, survival of least stupid but there is also the effect on people in range of collateral damage, one thinks there ought to be a means to report the dangerous vehicle & get him pulled off the road by some brave police officer who's willing to get close enough.

Exactly what we said today, an MOT station is one of the few places that can issue a prohibition notice on a vehicle.

 

[Pausim]

Darwin Award

They have to remove their genes from the pool to qualify but they are going the right way to do this. Hopefully they will not remove someone else’s sensible genes whilst exorcising their own stupid ones.

 

[Vanman]

There's probably another thread, here on the forum somewhere, berating the pettiness of garage staff ... !

 

[daveclare]

If in your professional opinion, you felt the vehicle was a danger. Then there's only one course of action. IMHO, tell the police. Hopefully it'll get picked up on anpr and a moving time bomb will be off the road until repaired. In fact i'd tell the police before a forum.

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[dunnah01]

It might just be me but I'd have had a chat about how we could secure it properly until he could get the tank replaced

 

[CazPaul]

That does sound dangerous.

But there’s always the other side of the coin.
Customer pulls in with a tank that looks in lovely condition, professionally fitted by Autogas 2000, customer inspects it every year, sprays it every year, van is kept in a warm garage throughout the year when not used. I’ve just had to tell him he can’t fill it and he needs a new tank because it’s just come upto 10 years old.

 

[stuartholmes]

Just thinking... these tanks aren't listed in th MoT, I presume, so is it anybody's job to check/test them unless the owner decides to ask? & how often should that be?

I've recently(ish) bought our first 'van with underslung LPG, nobody told me it needs checking in any way so this is a good prompt to think about it so thank you Basildog

 

[CazPaul]

Just thinking... these tanks aren't listed in th MoT, I presume, so is it anybody's job to check/test them unless the owner decides to ask? & how often should that be?

I've recently(ish) bought our first 'van with underslung LPG, nobody told me it needs checking in any way so this is a good prompt to think about it so thank you Basildog

It doesn’t matter an apath what condition it’s in, if it’s 10 years old apparently it needs to be chucked away and a new one fitted.

 

[Geistguy]

Just thinking... these tanks aren't listed in th MoT, I presume, so is it anybody's job to check/test them unless the owner decides to ask? & how often should that be?

I've recently(ish) bought our first 'van with underslung LPG, nobody told me it needs checking in any way so this is a good prompt to think about it so thank you Basildog

Wouldn't it be covered by the corrosion or damaged
body-work rules within the test ?

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[steve69]

Exactly what we said today, an MOT station is one of the few places that can issue a prohibition notice on a vehicle.

Exactly. So where is the MOT for this vehicle? Those tanks don't get in that state overnight - it would be a few years of degradation that should easily be picked up at the MOT station. Should have got the number plate and done some research.

 

[nicholsong]

Is an underslung tank on the MOT inspection list, if the LPG is not for propulsion? I don't think gas cylinders are. Neither are likely to CAUSE a road accident.

 

[Basildog]

If in your professional opinion, you felt the vehicle was a danger. Then there's only one course of action. IMHO, tell the police. Hopefully it'll get picked up on anpr and a moving time bomb will be off the road until repaired. In fact i'd tell the police before a forum.

Exactly. So where is the MOT for this vehicle? Those tanks don't get in that state overnight - it would be a few years of degradation that should easily be picked up at the MOT station. Should have got the number plate and done some research.

It was an extremely busy afternoon, we were short staffed and playing catch up all day , there certainly wasn’t time to get involved, in fact we didn’t even realise the vehicle had driven away,
The owner was given the opportunity of having the tank safely removed from the vehicle or leaving it in the carpark to have recovered.

 

[funflair]

Is an underslung tank on the MOT inspection list, if the LPG is not for propulsion? I don't think gas cylinders are. Neither are likely to CAUSE a road accident.

Big accident if the tank falls off and goes under the back wheels before knocking somebody off a motorcycle.

 

[Emmit]

Shame you don't have a hotline to DVSA to slap a Prohibition Notice on the vehicle.

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[Minxy]

Wouldn't it be covered by the corrosion or damaged
body-work rules within the test ?

But it's not part of the original vehicle so why would they check it on an MOT?

 

[gus-lopez]

Then there's only one course of action. IMHO, tell the police.

This^^^^^

so is it anybody's job to check/test them

,regardless of whether it is an mot able item it comes under C&U =dangerous parts.

 

[Stoosal]

But it's not part of the original vehicle so why would they check it on an MOT?

I no longer have my book but I ‘think’……

It would come under parts, insecure, dangerous, defective.

I think it also is now included within mot but only a visual inspection, not a pressure check etc.

If it’s been added to, and forms part of the vehicle, then if it becomes a danger it would be included.

 

[stuartholmes]

It doesn’t matter an apath what condition it’s in, if it’s 10 years old apparently it needs to be chucked away and a new one fitted.

You're quoting that as if it's a legal law. Which I don't dispute but I never heard it before. In the absence of evidence to the contrary I suspect the one on my 'van hadn't been changed in the year before I bought it as an 11yr old (the 'van, not me) so maybe I should raise a complaint against the seller?

 

[meanders]

https://www.liquidgasuk.org/faqs/how-often-should-my-tank-be-tested-and-by-whom

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[PaulC70]

It might just be me but I'd have had a chat about how we could secure it properly until he could get the tank replaced

And then Basildog will be named as "that bloke told me how to secure it properly" after it's fallen off and killed someone.

 

[enark]

And then Basildog will be named as "that bloke told me how to secure it properly" after it's fallen off and killed someone.

But then it wouldn't have fallen off, if the tank had been secured as advised (if that conversation took place?)

 

[Basildog]

But then it wouldn't have fallen off, if the tank had been secured as advised (if that conversation took place?)

The only correct advice is to remove the tank from the vehicle.
I can’t advise to do a temporary fix because I know that the mounting requirement for a tank is that it’s able to withstand 20 G forward impact and 8 G side impact.
We are actually unusual as a company in that regard as customers do get to talk to people with qualifications and experience.

 

[Dave and Jen]

Booked a habitation check on my new(to me) PVC a fortnight ago . When he checked the gas tank he said he couldn't continue as it was too old.....
Going to GAS-IT on Tuesday for a new one.
Can't gamble with safety......
Cheers, Dave

 

[pappajohn]

Just thinking... these tanks aren't listed in th MoT, I presume, so is it anybody's job to check/test them unless the owner decides to ask

The tester informed me of a loose metal strap on my RV underslung tank.

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