What is your definition of a SHTF vehicle?

[churchmouse]

TERRIBLE choice. For what reason? The civilian Hummer series is nothing like the military HMMWV. Its just made to somewhat look like a HMMWV. And if you're just wishing for a military vehicle their are several other great military vehicles I'd probably choose over the HMMWV.

Hummers nowaday are just trophy vehicles, kinda like driving an Escalade. Just showing you can afford to drive a blingy 11 mpg vehicle in this $4/g atmosphere.

Really, think about whats going on in your SHTF world.

In my SHTF world, the following conditions are probably in effect, after things get out of hand:

1- Its become too dangerous to go to your own job, no wages paid
2- No more trucks are deliverying their supplies
3- Grociery out of stock
4- Gas stations have been abandoned (except the thugs with the hand pump)
5- Electricity no longer beeing supplied
6- Law enforcement diminished (some quit, some go rogue, some hold true)
7- People are starving and out looking for supplies

I could go on, but you get the idea. Now this might be the time to have that BOV. You better already have your stock of fuel in place. Depends on if you plan to bug in and hold down the fort or bug out and search for safer areas to survive. 4x4 will be nice, but a big honkin v8 is gonna run out of fuel real quick. The streets and highways will still be there to drive on.

If you've got a family, a V6 will probably be the way to go in order to have enough room for your survival cargo. If its just you and a mate, you'll be well off in a little 4x4 4 cyl like an old suzuki samurai. They get up to 29 mpg and are used on trails all the time. Throw a roof rack on it, add jerry can racks for your fuel. Now the problem with fuel is that it cant be stored for very long. So having what you need all filled up and ready to go might be a problem, especially since there'll be a panic run to the pumps once things start going south.

Get knowledgable NOW. Create a survival library of essential books you'll need to rebuild a life without grocery stores, fuel stations, and power companies. Engineering knowledge, farming, maps, land nav, you name it.

If you're on the road in the aftermath running low on fuel, there are ways to get gas at an old station. Regardless of the fact that pumps run on electricity, either have a hand pump and siphon tubes or there are ways to hack the pumps. Supply power to the pump motor from an onboard inverter and get the gas flowing. There's a little more to knowing how to do it, but starting asking the right questions and the information is out there.

Good luck

all good ideas except....

The pumps at modern stations are 220 volts. Be very careful with this as the end result could be epic fail. Just saying.

Diaphragm style pumps can lift fuel up to 50 ft with hand operation.
We have hand /electric/pneumatic and gas pumps for this and other needs.
A simple 12 volt racing fuel pump with 3/8ths rubber hose, jumper wires and a few gas cans are a good asset as well. Get a decent high volume pump.

Main Paved roads will be clogged or totally blocked with cars and trucks. These will also become prime targets for looters and thugs. Find
Alternative routes away from the city. They exist...be creative.
We have mapped out several alternative routes out to our BOL's and maintain enough fuel reserves to get there.

Modern civilian Hummers are built on Suburban SUV chassis. Tough enough but by no means Mil-Spec. Better off with a 4WD truck. All of ours are V-8's just because we tow with them and there are 2 single axle trailers in our BO planes so V-6 might come up short for us. To each their own.

 

[Waveraider]

Late '90's Cherokee is very dependable and I drove mine to over 250,000 miles before selling it. Gas mileage sucked! Only about 17 MPG on a good day, but could climb a tree, turn around at the top and stop at the trunk. Probably one of my favorite daily drivers ever.

Forgot. I'm talking about the basic Cherokee with the 4.0 straight six and not the junk ass Grand Cherokee.

 

[Sgtusmc]

all good ideas except....

The pumps at modern stations are 220 volts. Be very careful with this as the end result could be epic fail. Just saying.

Diaphragm style pumps can lift fuel up to 50 ft with hand operation.
We have hand /electric/pneumatic and gas pumps for this and other needs.
A simple 12 volt racing fuel pump with 3/8ths rubber hose, jumper wires and a few gas cans are a good asset as well. Get a decent high volume pump.

Main Paved roads will be clogged or totally blocked with cars and trucks. These will also become prime targets for looters and thugs. Find
Alternative routes away from the city. They exist...be creative.
We have mapped out several alternative routes out to our BOL's and maintain enough fuel reserves to get there.

Modern civilian Hummers are built on Suburban SUV chassis. Tough enough but by no means Mil-Spec. Better off with a 4WD truck. All of ours are V-8's just because we tow with them and there are 2 single axle trailers in our BO planes so V-6 might come up short for us. To each their own.

Here's your 12VDC to 220 VAC inverter

50 ft is questionable since most hosing will crush under the vacuum. Most fuel tanks are no more than 15 ft deep. Fuel at the bottom is the best, fuel off the top is not so good.

Roads may or may not be clogged. If there's an EMP, yeah maybe. I doubt it's going to look like in the movies. And traveling up or down I65...I doubt thugs and looters will be lying in wait for the next vehicle to come their way. 4x4 comes in handy when it's time to get off the road and head into the woods or down a trail where you can set up a temporary camp before you hit the road again.

Take the hints and do your own research.

 

[Mosinguy]

12 valve?????? I assume he has a budget and they are getting pretty salty

What's salty to you? I see them around for about $3k.

 

[TiminMishawaka]

For right now it's my Ford Escape. 4WD, 6 cylinder. It carries everything I need and has a full tank range over 300 miles. I take it into and out of disasters as my line of work. The next vehicle will be a diesel F250.

The reality of SHTF that you are most likely to face is a weather event, localized power outage, or a localized riot. Brooklyn, NY is a warzone right now but all you have to get is 25 miles away to be a world away from it. When Hurricane Sandy hit, for NY it was SHTF. For West Pennsylvania, a half day's drive away, it was a manageable windstorm.

So for me, a SHTF vehicle means:
1. One that has a full tank of gas.
2. One that I bought used and paid cash for and don't have a car payment coming up and putting me in financial stress each month. No sense in spending so much money on preps that you create a financial SHTF for yourself while anticipating a possible future SHTF.
3. 4 wheel drive because I might hit a snow storm and 4WD is very handy in snow
4. Over 20 mpg because I'm going to actually drive this thing.
5. Can carry a week's worth of groceries, my luggage and guns.
6. A credit card to book a motel room in an area where the S hasn't HTF.
7. Space in back for gas cans and a generator or kerosene heater in case I need to go buy one and bring it back to the house.
8. A place to plug in the cell phone to call the insurance comany.

The only reason I'm thinking an F250 diesel is to have all the above and haul a camper.

 

[churchmouse]

Here's your 12VDC to 220 VAC inverter

50 ft is questionable since most hosing will crush under the vacuum. Most fuel tanks are no more than 15 ft deep. Fuel at the bottom is the best, fuel off the top is not so good.

Roads may or may not be clogged. If there's an EMP, yeah maybe. I doubt it's going to look like in the movies. And traveling up or down I65...I doubt thugs and looters will be lying in wait for the next vehicle to come their way. 4x4 comes in handy when it's time to get off the road and head into the woods or down a trail where you can set up a temporary camp before you hit the road again.

Take the hints and do your own research.

Not knocking your ideas. Just stating what I know from our own research and experiences. My trade has exposed me to a lot in these areas. Pumps/electrical and mechanical.

We have the proper fiber hose for lifting. 1" ID and 25' lengths. It stores poorly as it is stiff walled and coils up with difficulty but it works and is impervious to cuts and abrasion.
We have lifted 50 ft with our hand pump using this set up. It was just a number.
Yes, fuel tanks are not that deep.

Be careful pulling from the bottom. Water and other crap stays on the bottom. Gas/diesel floats on top of water. The lift pipes are raised off the bottom of the in-ground tanks a bit for this reason.
Try to pull above 6 to 8 inches from the bottom to get good clean fuel.

We have a good 220 v inverter but how many others (beginners/common folks) actually have the equipment to convert DC to AC reliably. 3000 VA is not a lot of currant and that rating depends on how much DC is available on the supply side. 1 battery will not run that very long at full draw.
Some of my buddy's would blow themselves up trying this....just saying.

The roads being passable would depend on what you would be dealing with as in quake, flood, terrorist attack etc. If the city was evacuating then yes...total grid lock. People running out of fuel, breakdowns, road rage and so on.

We have mapped out other escape routes. Like you say, do the research.


As to the thug factor...that too would depend on situation and length of time the "S" was flying into the fan. Here in Indy it would start almost immediately.

 

[Sgtusmc]

BOV mods:

-Run flat tire inserts

-Ultraseal tire sealant
Seals 1/4" holes instantly

-Bullet resistant window film

-Laminated polycarbonate window armor

-Doors lined with kevlar cloth (several layers)

Etc, use your imagination.

 

[Armed]

My dad has a '67 army ambulance I thought about making one into a bov. his is an off road toy (lifted with 44in tires and a built 500ci caddy along with suspension, dana 60 axles turbo 400trans etc...) Any way I thought about getting one and putting a 12v cummins in it, comes factory with several exterior lights, (fogs, black outs, spot lights) comes factory with a hefty electrical system, tons of room in the back with fold down beds for 4 people. But definitely not a vehicle that wouldn't attract attention lol

 

[CathyInBlue]

Was that one the huge all terrain diesel guzzling truck/over sized SUV/camper??

It was a Toyota Camry on a lifted F-150 drivetrain. Exo-skeleton roll-cage. Electric fence wrapped around it. Fruit-a-pult mounted on the roof and hood.

 

[churchmouse]

It was a Toyota Camry on a lifted F-150 drivetrain. Exo-skeleton roll-cage. Electric fence wrapped around it. Fruit-a-pult mounted on the roof and hood.

I like the fruit-a-pult idea..........................

Not the one I was thinking of.

 

[OiRadio47]

My dad has a '67 army ambulance I thought about making one into a bov. his is an off road toy (lifted with 44in tires and a built 500ci caddy along with suspension, dana 60 axles turbo 400trans etc...) Any way I thought about getting one and putting a 12v cummins in it, comes factory with several exterior lights, (fogs, black outs, spot lights) comes factory with a hefty electrical system, tons of room in the back with fold down beds for 4 people. But definitely not a vehicle that wouldn't attract attention lol

Is your dad Mr Bill "Willy Bad" L. ??

 

[Sgtusmc]

Additional BOV or home protection mod:

Ultrasonic pain devices

 

[CathyInBlue]

I like the fruit-a-pult idea..........................

The capability to make watermelon-sized objects disappear from the top of my vehicle to reappear 50 feet away could come in handy after the apocalypse.

 

[Bennettjh]

4x4 with plenty of gearing. Not AWD. I have 2 Jeeps with lifts and mud tires and solid axles all around, they can go anywhere. Depending on the SHTF scenario, also have a souped up Harley. It provides the ability to get into small places and move quickly. Obviously with plenty of fuel and guns no matter what you take.

 

[churchmouse]

This is our first SHTF bug out vehicle.
1964 Chevy Suburban Custom 100 2 door. We bought it as a runner in 1980. 283 ci. 3 on the tree 4WD. It was a mess.
Knowing folks that own a wrecker service/junk yard is a huge plus.
Swapped out both axles for Dana 44's with 4.10's....posi's on both with lock outs up front. Steel 15" wheels and 44" mudders.

Made a 2" body lift and 2" in suspension. Pics are with this package. We put 4" in the suspension eventually.

Trans (manual) out of an old wrecker with power take off. Picks were taken before the PTO winch was installed.
Stroked 350 4 bolt (383) with good chevy heads. 750 holley, headers and a chevy solid lifter cam. Made good power.
I re-wired the entire truck with dual batts, ambulance alternator and an inverter.
We used an A/C pump from a ford and ran it as a Compressor with a tank and hose.
The area behind the seats was a camper with storage and ample room to sleep.
Long gun rack on the ceiling..
I never found much of anything it would not traverse with in reason. In water over the wheels more than a few times.
Great fun and it was used to push snow as well. Paid for itself.

1st pic the wife was wheeling it somewhere in Kentucky. 2nd was southern Indiana. Polaroid pics....suck.

Traded it for a much newer K-5 and did about the same to it.

 

[Armed]

Is your dad Mr Bill "Willy Bad" L. ??

Yes sir! Its funny how famous he is any forum where I mention him or his vehicles somebody knows him lol

 

[IndyDave1776]

OK, here's my idea of a SHTF (literally) vehicle!

 

[churchmouse]

OK, here's my idea of a SHTF (literally) vehicle!

Winner.......................................

 

[Vic_Mackey]

I posted mine in a similar thread a while back, I'll post it again.

2005 Ford Escape.They are excellent little gray man BOV's. Based on the Taurus platform, it handles like a car. Couple that with the well made handbrake and the 200HP v6, it's a sleeper. I did an exhaust job and ran a Spectre cold air intake, I think I'm running around 220HP, the 0-60 is around 5-6 seconds (I have to let off the gas because it will burn em to at least 40mph, but it jumps off the line at 20 lol).

I've taken it through ATV trails in Kentucky, and a few autocross tracks, and it's a very nimble SUV. Perfect for urban work, and tough enough for offroad.

Mine gets around 330 miles to a tank on the highway, around 220 city. They have a lot of hidey holes, and they have an optional tent that extends off the liftgate, rear seats down and it can fit a double size mattress.

My next modification is stuffing the door panels with kevlar and installing skid plates and metal bumpers.

 

[Joq867]

OK, here's my idea of a SHTF (literally) vehicle!

But that's a trailer.