Seen on the streets of Salt Lake City (someone is gonna get killed at this rate)

[John Mitton]

NFPA-52?
What is that all about?

Edited to add:
The name of the conversion shop was on the vehicle, I cropped it off the photos for this public forum. If law enforcement would like to contact me I will be happy to give the details.

Edited to add:
The license plate is A988C but I don't think I will post the name of his illegal conversion shop should some reader here decide 86 cent fuel is more important than life and limb and contact them to do another conversion. The window sticker reads "We can convert anything"

[CNGLO]

Re: Seen on the streets of Salt Lake City (someone is gonna get killed at this rate)

Did you get the plate number and report it to anyone who might have the authority to do anything about it? This is not only a danger to the driver, it is a danger to the public. This guy and the installer need to be stopped immediately.

[larrycng]

Re: Seen on the streets of Salt Lake City (someone is gonna get killed at this rate)

NFPA-52?
What is that all about?

From a personal prespective, the cylinder appears to be a CNG cylinder corp. unit, probably from the mid '90's. The company has been out of business for many year. A type 2 cylinder possibly with a DOT Exemption.

There is banding in the hoop direction, to quote one individual who knows, that not a structural problem.

There appears to UV damage probably level 2, but since the company is out of business you can not contact them about possible repairs. Under CGA 6.4 secgion 7.5.6 this could be level 3 damage (loose or broke fibers).

Under CGA 6.4 section 7.11.2 level 2 damage needs to be checked by the manufacturer for final disposition. In any even the cylinder can not be returned to service until a decision has been made to repair or condem.

As for mountings, they do not appear to be the brackets that were sold by CNG cylinder Corp. for their cylinders. CGA 6.4 (7.4.1.3) does not clearly indicate the type of bracket to be used. I would guess that there is some looseness in the straps that "hold" the tank in place. And I didn't notice if the mounting bolts were present and tight (rrright)

According to NFPA 52, the installation does not appear to meet the requirements of 6.3.4; movement in 6 principal directions to a force 8 times the weight of a fully loaded tank. Or does it appear to meet the maximum movement limit or 1/2 inch (6.3.5)

Of course I haven't commented on compliance with 6.3.2.1, protected from damange from sunlight, loading and unloading cargo, or cargo leakage (fiber glass is easily damaged by battery acid).

That's all I can tell from a quick glance, but as cylinder inspector of long standing, this vehicle is flat ass dangerous and there is the posibility of an "accident" such as the last 2 situations in Calif -- or even worse.

Basically John its an disaster waiting to happen!

Whoever took the picture -- nice job, send it to motor carrier safety or the local fire marshalls.

later

Larrycng

[John Mitton]

Another conversion from this guy

Some of the old timers on this forum will recognize these photos. Same conversion shop. We deleted his posts for promoting the illegal activity but I thought it would be instructive in context of this new thread to bring the photos out again.

[afvman]

Re: Seen on the streets of Salt Lake City (someone is gonna get killed at this rate)

Well, Larry pretty well covered it. All I can add is that the strap may be there to keep the cylinder from rising up out of the bed since CNG is lighter than air...there doesn't appear to be any other hold down!

If you see this vehicle run!...preferably perpendicular to the direction of the cylinder.

afvman

[Timon]

Re: Seen on the streets of Salt Lake City (someone is gonna get killed at this rate)

NFPA-52?
What is that all about?

Edited to add:
The name of the conversion shop was on the vehicle, I cropped it off the photos for this public forum. If law enforcement would like to contact me I will be happy to give the details.

Had I posted it I'd left the name visible but that's me. The vehicle was on the public streets so why cutoff the name since there is no expectation of privacy. The courts have upheld this over and over again.

Even if that was not the case the public's right to know about a public safety issue over shadows any right to privacy that person would have on the open road.

[CNG MOTORS]

Re: Seen on the streets of Salt Lake City (someone is gonna get killed at this rate)

Wow! Are you kidding me. Holy ............

[rocketmanpete]

Re: Seen on the streets of Salt Lake City (someone is gonna get killed at this rate)

OK anyone remember the LPG tanker crash in WY about 5 or 6 yrs ago, i forgot where it was but the semi trailer traveled about 1 mile across the valley where the wreck occured.The trailer only weighs about 24-K lbs empty.Nice shuttle launch, somone needs to report this to the UHP as in now with the tag #

[MrComment]

Re: Seen on the streets of Salt Lake City (someone is gonna get killed at this rate)

Actually how do we know that a "conversion" shop did this install, it looks more like the truck owners "own" handywork to me. We have all seen tanks like that for sale on ebay all the time. Maybe Im just assuming that within the diamond plate "toolbox" there is another CNG cylinder that might have been professionally installed.

I cant imagine any business owner would put there name to that workmanship.

[MrComment]

Re: Another conversion from this guy

Some of the old timers on this forum will recognize these photos. Same conversion shop. We deleted his posts for promoting the illegal activity but I thought it would be instructive in context of this new thread to bring the photos out again.

I wonder what sort of mileage he was getting and the cost for the install? One things for sure, the money sure didnt go into the paint job.

[John Mitton]

Two ratchet tie downs now

As luck would have it I saw this truck again on I-15 the other day. This time there are two ratchet tie downs holding the tank. Perhaps we are making some progress here.

[Yroc]

Re: Two ratchet tie downs now

The thing that's lame is that these people don't have anyone enforcing anything, so they will keep doing it the cheap way. I've seen dozens of crap tank installs, none are ever covered, most are secured better than that one, but not good enough.

[Curtis]

Re: Seen on the streets of Salt Lake City (someone is gonna get killed at this rate)

NFPA-52?
What is that all about?

Edited to add:
The window sticker reads "We can convert anything"

More accurately, the sign should have read, "We can convert anything... into a ticking time-bomb".

[smartineau]

Re: Seen on the streets of Salt Lake City (someone is gonna get killed at this rate)

Come on guys -- where are the 1200 responses saying that you should be able to install ***** kits from wherever is the cheapest!
Many have stated emphatically that you reserve the rights to use non-EPA kits, used tanks, have them installed at the cheapest place & resent any agency or group checking our work.
Stand up for your rights! Why just this morning there were 20,158 responses to "EPA certified kits" on this site!
Stan

[karlhafen]

Re: Seen on the streets of Salt Lake City (someone is gonna get killed at this rate)

Come on guys -- where are the 1200 responses saying that you should be able to install ***** kits from wherever is the cheapest!
Many have stated emphatically that you reserve the rights to use non-EPA kits, used tanks, have them installed at the cheapest place & resent any agency or group checking our work.
Stand up for your rights! Why just this morning there were 20,158 responses to "EPA certified kits" on this site!
Stan

Epa certified and safe are two different things. The photo above looks like a f150 thats probably got a factory epa approved system on it.