Just bought me a bubububus 😊

[hapicampr]

Hi all,

So my first point of curiosity is....how do you all lock your buses?
I bought mine to move to Guatemala and having 3 doors with no locks is a big "no bueno".

I'd also like to increase my fuel capasity...at least for the drive south.
I was pondering the safety...or lack there of, of carrying (2) 55 gallon drums of deisel with me...in the bus. Thinking I could use the drums once in guatemala to begin collecting used oils for a WVO,WMO system.

So,please share all your thoughts...comments....wisdom with me.
Also looking for some tips on how to begin tooling up for the road...seems buses don't come with spare tires, Jacks or the standard for a personal vehicle. So what do y'all do?

I know I jumped into this blindly...simply due to a romanticized vision. I've driven to mejico and guate 6 times in smaller vehicles so I at least have years of cumulative experience for a road trip down there...but I've never owned a bus, or worked on a diesel...or recycled my own fuel. (Thinking I can source it easy enough...with the hope that others are not clued into doing so down there?)

[cowlitzcoach]

Simple fixes are strap latches with padlocks for the back and side doors.

For the service door, it sort of depends on how the door open and closes (accordion, both opening out, one open out the other open in, both open in). Most of them can be secured with an eye bolt through both door leaves with a long hasp padlock or attaching short lengths of chain to the eye bolts and connecting the chain ends with another padlock.

As far as transporting fuel inside the bus, diesel/WVO/WMO is not very flammable but it sure stinks to high heaven. It gets particularly malodorous when it gets hot.

You may find it a better idea to find another bus or truck with a chassis made by the same company that made your bus chassis. Use the other bus/truck's fuel tank to double the range you have currently. You may even find a third tank you could use. Starting in the mid- to late-'90s or so, most buses started locating their fuel tanks between the frame rails. On most Type 'C' and Type 'D' FE buses they were located behind the rear axle. On earlier buses the fuel tanks were mounted on the side of the frame rail and were basically the identical tank used on medium duty trucks.

[Versatile]

In Costa Rica a gringo get's no good deal. Do you have you veggie oil suply lined out? No engine experience would stop me unless i took a very god diesel mechanic along. I don't know about Guat but i see in Costa Rica they have repair companies that come out when you brake down and they can rebuild anything alongside the road. Surely expensive. You should have all knew belts and hoses and take extra Alternator or starter , fuel and water filters etc.

[Versatile]

Originally Posted by cowlitzcoach

Simple fixes are strap latches with padlocks for the back and side doors.

For the service door, it sort of depends on how the door open and closes (accordion, both opening out, one open out the other open in, both open in). Most of them can be secured with an eye bolt through both door leaves with a long hasp padlock or attaching short lengths of chain to the eye bolts and connecting the chain ends with another padlock.

As far as transporting fuel inside the bus, diesel/WVO/WMO is not very flammable but it sure stinks to high heaven. It gets particularly malodorous when it gets hot.

You may find it a better idea to find another bus or truck with a chassis made by the same company that made your bus chassis. Use the other bus/truck's fuel tank to double the range you have currently. You may even find a third tank you could use. Starting in the mid- to late-'90s or so, most buses started locating their fuel tanks between the frame rails. On most Type 'C' and Type 'D' FE buses they were located behind the rear axle. On earlier buses the fuel tanks were mounted on the side of the frame rail and were basically the identical tank used on medium duty trucks.

I have been eyeing the fuel tank on my bus. Long tank maybe 100 gallons and the massive support brackets unbolt and is outside the frame rails.

[cowlitzcoach]

For many years starting in the '70's the most common fuel tanks on Type 'C' buses were 40-60 gallons.

Today optional tanks are as many as 100-120 gallons.