I Guess I Have the Stupid Question of The Day!

[DesertMax]

I'm shopping for a Thomas HDX and it occurred to me that I did not have the answer to this question. How do you lock a big bus? Those emergency doors are surely not for egress and ingress so that leaves those flappy front doors. Do those doors lock somehow??? How do you get in???

[brokedown]

Some buses (like mine) have a lock mechanism on the folding door. On a few of them, that lock actually works!

It's pretty common to see a skoolie with an added clasp and lock. Some people even replace the entire door.

[Robin97396]

The back and lift doors can be locked with a deadbolt lock.

For those that like to retain the look of the front folding doors but don't like the air leaks, some have welded the folding doors into one solid door then using normal door hardware to latch and lock it.

[Twigg]

The emergency doors lock with bolts, but you can't drive with them locked. Mine will start, but each lock has a buzzer that doesn't stop until you slide the bolt back.

My front door is air-powered. It has a deadbolt with an lockable outside handle. Many have nothing to lock them, but they are difficult to force open while there is air pressure.

The benefits of a trip bus, I guess, is that they are left for periods unattended with valuable musical instruments aboard ... so they equipped them with locks.

[DesertMax]

Thanks Guys, ok now on the EM doors, they have a deadbolt inside correct?
So is that deadbolt a keyed exterior lock or just a safety lock for the passengers when under steam? And I'm pretty sure I want to change the front door..

Any info on actually doing the flap doors replacement would be greatly appreciated...

[Twigg]

Originally Posted by DesertMax

Thanks Guys, ok now on the EM doors, they have a deadbolt inside correct?
So is that deadbolt a keyed exterior lock or just a safety lock for the passengers when under steam? And I'm pretty sure I want to change the front door..

Any info on actually doing the flap doors replacement would be greatly appreciated...

On my bus, the bolt is just a regular slide bolt for the side door and the rear emergency exit. The back part of the bolt hits a microswitch when the bolt is in the open position.

I'm guessing that it's a "normally open" switch which activates a buzzer when it is closed.

[Robin97396]

The deadbolts do not come installed. You have to purchase them to either install yourself or have a locksmith do the work.

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f13/de...door-6795.html

My bus also has a locking service door, which seems to be common on newer buses. This same thread shows how people have set up locks on the service door as well as rear and lift doors.