Losers stole my catalytic converter

[Tex1961]

Got a call from the uhaul storage yard today. Some lowlifes broke into the lot and stole a bunch of catalytic converters from several RV’s. Mine was one of them. Of course uhaul won’t cover anything so it’s off to finding someone to replace it. Hopefully the gecko will cover it past my $500.00 deductible. We have plans to camp over Christmas. I hope I can get it replaced before then. If not then there goes our holiday plans.

[OneGun]

Maybe I'm missing something, but why would someone want to steal part of the exhaust system? Is there a huge black market for catalytic converters? What do people do with stolen catalytic converters?

[ScottDLS]

Maybe I'm missing something, but why would someone want to steal part of the exhaust system? Is there a huge black market for catalytic converters? What do people do with stolen catalytic converters?

20 years ago it was airbags. Catalytic converters are high dollar items, even used. They also contain rare metals like platinum for the catalyst. I’m sure there’s a thriving black market.

[Rafe]

Maybe I'm missing something, but why would someone want to steal part of the exhaust system? Is there a huge black market for catalytic converters? What do people do with stolen catalytic converters?

20 years ago it was airbags. Catalytic converters are high dollar items, even used. They also contain rare metals like platinum for the catalyst. I’m sure there’s a thriving black market.

Yep. It's been a thing for some years, but has seemed to be spiking again...maybe due to a combination of prices for some of the metals going up while COVID is applying financial pressures. Don't know. But catalytic converter theft has even been up in the UK and Europe, too.

Here's a new article from The Daily News in Galveston. GPD's Tommy Hansen said, "We have a lot of crooks sitting around with nothing to do and a lot of cars sitting around that would normally be on the road somewhere; you’ve got business vehicles sitting around." He makes a great point. And evidently if you know what you're doing and have the right battery-powered tools, it takes only a little over one minute to remove a catalytic converter.

I'd remembered an email about it from Allstate; had to go find it, from 2018: https://www.allstate.com/blog/catalytic ... ter-theft/. Other than keeping a vehicle inside a closed garage, doesn't seem to be much you can do to guard against the theft except spot-weld the converter to the car or truck's frame.

[Scott B.]

Maybe I'm missing something, but why would someone want to steal part of the exhaust system? Is there a huge black market for catalytic converters? What do people do with stolen catalytic converters?

Get a quote to replace the cats on your vehicles and you'll quickly see why people steal them.

Had a customer who left his office one evening and caught a guy under his truck in mid-theft. He'd already gotten one off and was going for the second. They work pretty quick.

[Tex1961]

Maybe I'm missing something, but why would someone want to steal part of the exhaust system? Is there a huge black market for catalytic converters? What do people do with stolen catalytic converters?

Get a quote to replace the cats on your vehicles and you'll quickly see why people steal them.

Had a customer who left his office one evening and caught a guy under his truck in mid-theft. He'd already gotten one off and was going for the second. They work pretty quick.

Oh I know.... I'm about to start making calls.... I'll post back what the total damages are when I find someone....

[striker55]

Friend of mine had his exhaust upgraded and put his stock exhaust for sale on Craigslist, a guy bought his catalytic converters for the metal inside.

[ELB]

Just google "catalytic converter theft" and you will get many articles on it. McLennan county had a rash of them (150? I think) awhile back, as well as many other places in Texas and across the nation. Platinum and palladium are used in them, very valuable metals.

About 2115 on 4 Dec someone stole on of the UHaul trucks from in front of the storage facility I manage, which I reported to the Seguin police. The next day I got a call from the Sheriff's office saying they found a damaged UHaul truck along a county road and were having trouble contacting UHaul corporate, wanted to know if I could help them ID the truck. HAH! But turned out to be a different truck, stolen out of New Braunfels (along with two others that week). It was missing its catalytic converter.

A few days later I got a call from the local UHaul rep, his boss had spotted my UHaul truck in field along I-10 between Seguin and San Antonio. The ignition switch was wrecked, the battery was missing...and the catalytic converter was gone. I will get the truck back after it has been repaired but it might be awhile, because UHaul already has dozens of trucks awaiting delivery of replacement catalytic converters, so mine is at the end of the line.

UHaul puts cages of rebar around their catalytic converters, so I assume the thieves steal the entire truck so they can take it some place private to cut off the cage, then the catalytic converter. Then they ditch the truck.

[Tex1961]

So I made a few calls and found a muffler shop about a mile away from where my Motorhome is kept... They said I was the 3rd already and they had parts in stock... If the Catalytic converter only my cost is $649.00 + tax, if the took the O2 sensor then it will be $805 +tax... My deductible is $500.00 and I am waiting for my insurance to call me back so that I can find out if filing a claim will result in my rates going up... If so then I'm just not going to worry about it and pay myself...

I am going to ask the muffler shop to see if they can weld the CC to the frame somehow to make it harder to steal...

[ELB]

viewtopic.php?f=136&t=99888#p1300481

[Tex1961]

YIKES!
When did cats become so expensive? They used to cost $50 new. $650?
Another reason to have a diesel in the motorhome. Better mileage and no need for silly cats.
I feel your pain.
Check your contract. Does it say that the storage place is not liable for any nefarious activity?

Pretty much first question I asked the Uhaul guy.... I vaguely remember reading the contract and yea, they take no responsibility..... While I was there meeting the Deputy, the guy 2 slots down from me who actually owns the same model as me had his taken as well. He has been there for over 3 years and this is the first time he has had any problems... My insurance is going to pay out the difference so I'm stuck with a $500.00 bill... Oh well.... there goes that 1k rounds of 9mm I wanted (kidding).... My frame is on a Ford E450 V-10 gas engine so probably why it's a bit more than a regular car....

One small silver lining, he and his wife wants their LTC, so I have scheduled them for a class next week.... Will reduce the sting a little bit anyway...

[ELB]

...
Check your contract. Does it say that the storage place is not liable for any nefarious activity?

I manage a storage facility (independent, not UHaul or other big name). We have a place in the lease, a standard Texas Self-Storage Association contract, with a big block of text where the tenant initials that he understands that the storage facility has no liability for bad things happening. I point out that homeowners and renters insurance sometimes cover storage units (or if a vehicle, the vehicle insurance), and we can also add insurance to the contract from a company that specializes in storage tenants. UHaul is a big corp with their own lawyers, probably write their own leases (versus the TxSSA lease), but I would bet it has the same clause on (no) liability. Vehicle storage contracts would be similar as to liability. Some storage facilities require the tenant to have insurance, which can be a money-maker for the storage facility.

[The Annoyed Man]

YIKES!
When did cats become so expensive? They used to cost $50 new. $650?
Another reason to have a diesel in the motorhome. Better mileage and no need for silly cats.
I feel your pain.
Check your contract. Does it say that the storage place is not liable for any nefarious activity?

Mandated by law, so naturally the price went up. What used to be a feature, is now a single point of failure. THANK you big gov’t!

[cheezit]

YIKES!
When did cats become so expensive? They used to cost $50 new. $650?
Another reason to have a diesel in the motorhome. Better mileage and no need for silly cats.
I feel your pain.
Check your contract. Does it say that the storage place is not liable for any nefarious activity?

I'm guessing you've not priced out a dpf and src pipe, $650 is cheap