fuel storage - sorry for rehash of an old topic

hi rosco
carrying fuel on any roof rack is just something i would never do
but others do it and thats your choice
if they leak down well basicly your driving in a mobile bomb
as far as filling any container you should definetly never put any more than the containers measured amount in it
as petroland or diesel expands in the heat and if you have filled it to the brim there is no expansion room and it will burst or blow the seal

having several jerrys on the roof rack also put a lot of weight high up and could make your vehicles stability a problem and also put extreme pressure on the roofrack frame work and anchorage points when braking or on corregations
that my honest opinion in respect to your question and you will no doubt get many varied opinions on this
cheers

Jerries are extra weight and drag. Unless you need them because of range I would not bother. If you are doing it to avoid expensive fill ups also not a good reason. By the tiime you factor in the price of the jerries and decreased fuel economy it won't really help that much and you are not supporting the people in the region you are visiting.

Jerries should be filled as per manufacturers specifications. Empty them asap to reduce roof weight. Leaking is a dependent on correct fill level and how good the jerries are. Petrol is very flamable and there is obviously some risk using jerries. You need to assess it based on your reasons for using them. There is a maximium amount that it is permissable to carry also. Not sure what it is as I use deisel.

Steve

fuel VAPOUR is very volitile and does go bang very easily but the vapour is lighter then air so it will float away and as long as u dont light up near it you should be right. does the bus have underfloor storage? Marlin boats have these turtle tanks i think they called and they just a big bladder that holds fuel/water and they work well. have a look on an agi sight for a 200L poly tank with hand pump even.

Well weight and drag on the roof is not too much of a concern on the bus (it's big and slow anyway). My main concern is just with the jerry's themselves sitting in the full sun. Should they be covered with something instead?

Always felt safest way is to carry inside the car if you have no extra tanks - this way the body protects against small acidents that could rupture a jerry on the rear.

Above assumes you have have good non leaking plastic jerries and its also wise to put a plastic garbage bag over each one and seal. If your like us the internal jerries are usually into the main tanks in the first day or two anyway.

Never on roof , to many of our 4wds have marginal stabilty without this trying to tip them.

P.S. Don't know yours but many buses have lond rear overhang and hence should have minimum weight past their axle line.

If you're going to use the roof, an Outboard tank could work well.

Jim.