Stored Bus Question

[spacebiscuit]

My '70 bus is being stored at a friend's yard in a shipping container. When he open teh container periodically he said there is a strong smell of gasoline. I mentioned this to my mechanic when it was recently serviced and he didn't find anything untoward, his opinion was it won't suddenly combust which I think is my friends concern. The fuel lines were changed within 1000 miles and the bus is in good shape and I drove it recently, no noticeable leaks etc.

Take into consideration that those who drive new cars that run silently and a far less polluting tend to be over concerned about things that we might have to live with, or does he have a point?

Any feedback to ease my friend's worries very much welcome?
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1972 Type 2 1600cc
1990 MKII Golf 1.6 CL

[skills@eurocarsplus]

seeing these have zero ventilation and get 150*+ in the summer i'd suspect the vapors are just part of the deal.

with no air movement it's going to stink
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[spacebiscuit]

Location is the UK where the summer is very hit and miss, we only had a couple of days surpass 90 degree this year, but yeah it can get hot in there which is why we opens it up periodically. There is a small vent too so there is a little air-flow...
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1972 Type 2 1600cc
1990 MKII Golf 1.6 CL

[Wildthings]

Your fuel system is not going to be tightly sealed as per a modern car, so some vapors are going to be normal. Maybe add vents to the doors on the shipping container to increase ventilation.

If you haven't done so, inspect and if need be replace all the short piece of rubber how in the tank ventilation system. Also check the fuel filler elbow(s), as they rot with time and can easily leak.

[my59]

I'd also be concerned about condensation, as the container will heat up all day and likely hit dew point at night.
On a construction site in NE US, owners stored household goods for about 18 months ina water proof container. The clothes all washed out ok. The mattresses went onto a dumpster.
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my59: Well son, my grandfather died before I got to drive it, so does that answer your question?
our79: sunroof bus w/camper interior and 2.0 FI
Other:'12 Jetta, '77 Benz 300D, and a 74 MG Midget.

[busdaddy]

I use a number of containers for storage, but every single one gets a couple of 1' x 2' louver vents cut in at the low side of one end and the high side of the other before anything even goes in, those tiny vents that withstand a sea voyage are too small to do any good for long term use. With enough air exchange even a tiny water leak somewhere won't turn the whole box into a sauna.

How long has the bus been stored?, after a year or more ethanol gas turns cheap braided lines into soaker hose, it may be trying to de-fuel itself before it eats out the carb and makes the tank all goopy and rusty inside.
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[SGKent]

one concern I might have is that the carb is overflowing and dumping gasoline into the engine. Also one must question whether the gas tank is vented, or the air cleaner is original.

The easiest solution is to have the fire marshall in the area do an inspection on the container to sniff if the mixture is explosive. Gasoline fumes will only burn at certain concentrations but if that concentration is reached and it goes off, there will be nothing left of the bus or container, not to mention anyone nearby. One gallon of vaporized gasoline is equal to just less than 100 sticks of dynamite. That is a REALLY big explosion.

Err on the side of caution, and you can get the question answered by professionals. The dipstick oil level will tell you if the carb is leaking into the engine.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[aeromech]

Get one of those solar powered vent fans. Cut a hole and move some air through there.

Also,
I’d drain the fuel on a car I wanted to preserve
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