Have you ever had your tank dipped?

[mikes47jeep]

Hi,

I don’t have a deuce yet, but I was just reading all the different things people put in their Multi-fuel tanks.

From diesel, off road diesel, home heating oil, kerosene, gasoline, WMO, WVO, tranny fluid, hydraulic oil, and every other concoction you can think of.

Has anyone ever had their tanks dipped by the athorities while driving your deuce around?


I’ve heard that if they come back with any other color than the regular diesel blue they can hit you with a very hefty fine.

Also do you have to enter a weigh station when the "all trucks must enter" sign is lit?

Just wondering what experiences you guys have had

Mike

 

[ETHOS]

i was wondering the same thing also

 

[steelandcanvas]

Unless you have a very good reason for using non-taxed Diesel fuel, I wouldn't be caught with it in my tank. Farming, mining, lumber industry are a few that can leagally use "Red Diesel". As far as truck scales are concerned, unless you are using your vehicle for commercial purposes, don't make the weighmaster angry by stopping. They see you go by the scales and think you're military anyway, and military never goes through scales. And no, I've never had my tank dipped, you would probably need to be under some sort of suspicion before that woud happen.

 

[Crash_AF]

Red diesel can not be used in agriculture if the vehicle is operated on public roads. It can only be used in vehicles that do not leave private property.

State tax officers set up random checkpoints in rural areas to stop all diesel powered vehicles and dip their tanks to determine if they are using red fuel for this reason. I heard of a guy driving a 300 series Mercedes running on WVO that got a fine for running WVO and not paying road taxes on it (his pro-WVO/anti-tax bumper stickers didn't help his case).

As far as weigh stations, don't stop unless you are running for-hire.

Later,
Joe

 

[Westech]

ok boys... the way around the NON tax diesel. I was running a ATF/diesel mix in my Deuce and it looks just like off road and smells like it also. Just keep a 5 gallon bucket of used ATF in the back of the truck and your good to go. I have driven my deuce all over the USA and not one time have I been pulled over, checked, nothing. Now in no way did I ever say I ran Off road or am telling you to do it, but I was just saying....

 

[steelandcanvas]

State tax officers set up random checkpoints in rural areas to stop all diesel powered vehicles and dip their tanks to determine if they are using red fuel for this reason.
Later,
Joe

I did not know this, Thanks for the input Joe!

 

[dabtl]

I represented some nice people who used farm diesel before it was red to drive around in their Mercedes coupe. Only cost about $15000 to get it straightened out. IN 1973! I would pass on using untaxed fuel today, just a friendly observation.

 

[mikes47jeep]

i was just saying that if they find ANY color other than regular diesel blue, your up the creek. (at least thats what i was told)

because you arnt paying tax on any of the WMO or WVO or other fuels you are geting anywhere but the pump.


Mike

 

[papercu]

Check with your state tax office, they may have form/premit for alternative fuel taxes when using for on-road use. Wayne

 

[randyscycle]

Here in VA they do check tanks, but typically it is only commercial vehicles that they bother with. That isn't to say they couldn't or don't check any tank they suspect has something other than regular taxed diesel. Farm vehicles commercial haulers, large equipment that moves on the highway are all the usual enforcement targets.

I just keep my head down and drive sensibly and try not to draw any more attention to myself than a Deuce already does. With standard tags and not hauling a big load all the time, I figure my worst chance of getting checked is at a road check, which I almost never see anymore except to check for inspection stickers and current driver's licenses.

As far as scales, unless you are commercial tags, here in VA they don't require you to weigh at the scales. That said, if a State Trooper feels you are overweight, he can weigh your truck regardless of whether you are commercial or private.

 

[steelandcanvas]

i was just saying that if they find ANY color other than regular diesel blue, your up the creek. (at least thats what i was told)

because you arnt paying tax on any of the WMO or WVO or other fuels you are geting anywhere but the pump.


has anyone ever been pulled over in their deuce for any reason?

Mike

Mike, I think if it came down to this I would demand a chemical analysis to prove my case. I think that would prove ATF is the source of the colorant in the fuel, not red dye. I just can't buy the fact of people getting fined for not using fuel that has been road taxed. We know there are laws prohibiting using red fuel on the road, but I have never heard of using WMO, WVO, etc; and having trouble with the law, because road tax was not paid on these items. I just use straight diesel with an additive to lubricate the IP and don't worry about it. No, in over 1400 miles of Deuce driving, I have never been pulled over. It's simple, if you don't attract negative attention, you won't get pulled over.

 

[reb87]

I got pulled over because I had license plated on my m818 by the IDOT(should be idiot)iowa dept of trans. He saw the plate and thought it was strange on a military truck. I have a cdl and farm plates on my truck. He fined me for no dot number, no drivers log book, no dot inspection, no iowa fuel premit, he checked my fuel for red and all my lights horn wipers etc. He even checked my eyes for contact lenses. I was just driving the tractor with no trailer, going to get a grain trailer in iowa. He said if I was going to a military show I would be exempt. I will be going to visit other military enthusiests (sp) from now on. For the record farm vehicles within 150 miles of farm are exempt from the log book,number and inspection but I was just into iowa from nebraska.

 

[wreckerman893]

I have not been pulled over but when myself and Freightrain were bringing three deuces back from Arkansas we made it all the way back to a small town in Ala. While we were stopped "Barney" and his sidekick wandered up and asked to see the paperwork on the trucks. He said something about having a report on "stolen military vehicles".
I showed him my GL invoices and he seemed satisfied as to what we were doing.
In ref to the fuel issue, if I have to run some red stuff (in a dire emergency only ) I add a few gallons of thick, black WMO. The fuel changes to a murky dark color and I doubt if the dye can be detected by visual means.
As mentioned above I blow by the "chicken coops" like I own the road and have never been chased down by the DOT.

 

[dabtl]

Using WVO is the same as red diesel in Texas. If you are jailed here, call me and we can discuss the fee. It ain't cheap.

 

[randyscycle]

Using WVO is the same as red diesel in Texas. If you are jailed here, call me and we can discuss the fee. It ain't cheap.

Sadly, it appears it ain't about the environment.....just the revenue loss.

 

[emmado22]

"Mike, I think if it came down to this I would demand a chemical analysis to prove my case. "

How long would that take on the side of the road? The police get paid to do their job, you could be there as traffic whizzes by for a long time.....

 

[doghead]

I heard that if you put a penny in the tank, they can't detect the red dye. Also heard that if you bite your lip before you blow into the tube..... Oh nevermind, this was just hear-say, from the guys at the bar.

 

[dabtl]

Sadly, it appears it ain't about the environment.....just the revenue loss.

It is always about the money.

 

[m109guy]

It is the same up here for the red diesel. Unless the vehicle is registered to a farm/quarry/etc you get a ticket. Testing is very rare but it happens. Best to not take a chance. Tickets start at $1,500 and can go up to $20,000, plus other fines. I had a friend driving a gas pickup truck that got stopped for it a few years ago. He kept telling them that the truck was a gaser and that it didn't run on diesel, but they didn't believe him and demanded they let him test the fuel or they would have his truck towed. As you can guess he let them test it and low-and-behold, there was gasoline in the tank.

As for stopping at the scales up here, well that is an iffy one that no one seems to be able to give me a positive answer concerning the deuces. The scales up here are also verification centres too, and will do a general walk around while weighing the truck. Some have told me that you don't have to stop because it is personal vehicle, and since it is not a work vehicle and not owned by a company, that there is no reason to stop to get checked. But I have also been told by others that you must stop because the deuce is a heavy weight vehicle, and regardless of ownership, they want to make sure the truck is not overweight and that it is functioning safely. Luckily, unless I am driving outside the region, there are no scales in my area. But if I were to go out of the region and pass a scale/verification centre, I would just pass by it without stopping. At worst they will send a car after me, I will plead stupdity, and they might get me to do a u-turn and come back if they really want me. Though most of the time I doubt they would go after an army truck when they are busy with the dozen other trucks waiting to get checked out. The military never stops at at the scales/verification centres up here, as they are exempt as well, so I would hope that they think I am a regular military vehicle and not bother with me.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Back to the original question, I've never had an MV dipped.