Good survivalist / prepper vehicle

[CamoDeafie]

Yup - I have gotten tracked machines stuck more than once, not buried, but they could not move.

Weight is the Great Satan off-road. Tracks help, but nothing is impervious to bottomless mud.

Except a hovercraft

 

[TTSX]

Except a hovercraft

*James Bond music intensifies*

 

[The Heretic]

Except a hovercraft

Inclines defeat hovercraft, as do significant barriers.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Inclines defeat hovercraft, as do significant barriers.

There's the Ekranoplans/similar "Wings in ground effecr" vehicles, some which are classed as "hovercraft". Low altitude and usually water based

 

[The Heretic]

 

[CamoDeafie]

View attachment 1850631

Too easy to high center.

View: https://youtu.be/_2axtL1u_Nc?si=K4BAvuqOyVP5tsJ3


This seems to be a fairly decent vehicle within its limitations

 

[The Heretic]

Too easy to high center.

Ai or Photoshop

 

[P7M13]

Take it from someone who has done diesel swaps on many rigs, the 4BT is WAY too heavy for your Toyota, the MBZ OM-617 would be the better swap over all, plenty of power once you do all the pump upgrades and turbo, or if you want stupid wheel spinning power, the OM-606 is your huckleberry, that engine will pin a grin on your face from the moment you put it in gear till you shut it off! I swapped a OM-606 into my Sprinter when the stock 3L V-6 went tits up, it was NOT an easy swap, but Holy Hell, what a difference, like night and day! We went from about 198 HP to over 380 HP and fuel milage actually increased, ( As long as I keep my right foot out of the Loud Pedal) and towing power went through the roof! In Hindsight, the OM-617 would have likely been the better swap, it sure would have been easier to get it to fit, and the power would have been more then adequate for the Sprinter, quite a bit more then the stock engine would ever have made, Bonus, is no computers to get all janked up, and sensors to fail, and the GM 4L80 trans worked out perfectly! Go on the Land Rover forums if you want to know all about Diesel Swaps, and what to look for and what to avoid! For small size Jeeps and the like, the Kubota V2203 and V2403 series engines are getting super popular, and I know it's only a matter of time before folks start to figure out the Yanmar 4 bangers are even better, going to be attempting a Yanmar swap into a CJ-3B here this summer!

The Cummins has it's place, and when you need THAT kind of power, there are only a couple other options, usually painted Cat Yellow and costing at least TWICE as much, but,.........................if you want to play in that league, you gotta be willing to spend the coin!

Have you ever retrofitted a NA OM617 with a turbo?

 

[Ura-Ki]

Have you ever retrofitted a NA OM617 with a turbo?

No, the compression ratio is different and so are the rods! Had a MBZ expert tell me it wouldn't last under boost!

 

[The Heretic]

Take it from someone who has done diesel swaps on many rigs, the 4BT is WAY too heavy for your Toyota,

And the power band is not optimum for a light vehicle either, especially one with gearing meant for an engine with a much wider powerband.

 

[The Heretic]

Have you ever retrofitted a NA OM617 with a turbo?

Mercedes-Benz OM617 engine - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[P7M13]

Mercedes-Benz OM617 engine - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Yeah, likely picking up a turbo OM617 this weekend.

 

[Burt Gummer]

I guess the vehicle I eventually want is called a Gear Hauler vs a Camper.

Don't care about cooking in it or crapping in it. Just a warm/cool space to sleep, power/solar. Haul toys, a small dual purpose bike, etc.

The prices though. Ugh. Saw this one, not so bad. https://www.ebay.com/itm/2763705037...a=1&pg=2351460&_trksid=p2351460.c100667.m2042

Would like to build one myself but you start off with a $50-$75k vehicle and in no time you spend the same just in parts building one. Unless you do a hack job.

This one is decent, don't need extra seats. Solar, decent gas or diesel heater, nice bed, media, mobile or Starlink.
The Transit 144 tall roof is my current fav and should do the trick until I leave the planet but $74k ouch.

 

[The Heretic]

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1999 Daimler-Benz Mercedes Unimog 419 Gun Truck · Truck · Driven 3,500 milesDaimler-Benz Mercedes Unimog 419 gun truck. Runs great, ready for work! I am a fully licensed defense contractor/dealer so it can be fully outfitted/armed. Located in Tulsa OK, I will split cost and handle shipping anywhere stateside. Getting details on exact model/year/original contract requirements. It is sterile of any markings. Believe it is late 90's. Rear turret not included at asking. $75,000 USD, available now. Not street legal currently but can be I would assume. Can also be outfitted with MG's/CS/etc or have a CROWs system fit for additional cost (80k, free install). Can supplement with M60E6 on Form 4 or FN 240/MAG58, crowd control/deterrent munitions, etc.

 

[gearhead]

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View attachment 1857670

There's always a place in my heart for The Pig, but given the choice, I'll take a 240 any day. With that said, I'll be damned if I'm sitting in that gunner's seat with a TOW rig right behind me. Still a beast of a truck either way.

 

[Czechsix]

I guess the vehicle I eventually want is called a Gear Hauler vs a Camper.

Don't care about cooking in it or crapping in it. Just a warm/cool space to sleep, power/solar. Haul toys, a small dual purpose bike, etc.

The prices though. Ugh. Saw this one, not so bad. https://www.ebay.com/itm/276370503719?_trkparms=amclksrc=ITM&aid=111001&algo=REC.SEED&ao=1&asc=20160811114145&meid=e431752d62724bb2bda05b41c27c33dc&pid=100667&rk=1&rkt=8&sd=276370503719&itm=276370503719&pmt=0&noa=1&pg=2351460&_trksid=p2351460.c100667.m2042

Would like to build one myself but you start off with a $50-$75k vehicle and in no time you spend the same just in parts building one. Unless you do a hack job.

This one is decent, don't need extra seats. Solar, decent gas or diesel heater, nice bed, media, mobile or Starlink.
The Transit 144 tall roof is my current fav and should do the trick until I leave the planet but $74k ouch.

I have a friend that is a very experienced mechanic on Ma Benz, BMW and other euro vehicles. He's worked on literally hundred of Sprinters. Does lots of SCORE off road racing, primarily bikes, so he configured a very clean 4x4 Sprinter as a hauler to get his bikes and support gear down to Baja. That one was an expensive maintenance headache, so he dumped it and got a 4x2 Sprinter. Slightly less expensive maintenance headache.

He now uses a Ram ProMaster van. Nowhere near the same amount of issues as the Mercedes product.

I used to have a medium duty FUSO 4x4 as a camper. 2012 model. Biggest piece of crap I've ever owned, and I've owned lots of pieces of crap. That was a FUSO/Mercedes joint project.

I'd personally just go with a light/medium duty commercial van that's domestic made, if I had to have a van. If I didn't have to have a van, I'd go looking for a used 4x4 school bus, short or long version depending on what you need space-wise. Then do a mild build on that.

 

[Burt Gummer]

Have a low roof Promaster now. Got it in 2014 and only minor issues. If I 'go van' again it will be a PM or Transit, not a Mercedes. The local dealers in PDX and Wilsonville used to be super people and great to work with then years back they were bought out by less desirable corp foreign folks. I'll pass on them. When the Rasmussens left so did the good people.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Have a low roof Promaster now. Got it in 2014 and only minor issues. If I 'go van' again it will be a PM or Transit, not a Mercedes. The local dealers in PDX and Wilsonville used to be super people and great to work with then years back they were bought out by less desirable corp foreign folks. I'll pass on them. When the Rasmussens left so did the good people.

Your gotta go to Salem to the Dodge dealers to get a Sprinter worked on now, Freightliner is a No-Go now, and the PDX dealers all suck, so your only choice for anything really is Salem or further south, or North, which ain't worth the headaches! Ford is NO better in the PDX area, don't fool yourself thinking your dodging a bullet by going with Ford, your NOT! North Side Ford Absolutely SUCKS, Damorow Ford SUCKS, and pretty much all the others that used to be good, now totally SUCK!

 

[CamoDeafie]

I'm still thinking an old box truck could be great for a mobile gear repair/sewing shop for me... as well as a place to put survival/go bags and equipment.. maybe have roof hatches and hidden pintle mounts behind windows on the sides for when I need to go full gun truck mode

On a serious note, I highly doubt the flimsy box's wall can stop anything bigger than a 10mm

 

[CamoDeafie]

Ooh. Apparently a company down in Texas offers armored 3 axle trucks and armored cargo vans (hey @Burt Gummer , here's an idea for your next high roof company van! Armored! )

Armored Cash-in-Transit Vehicles | Armored Money Transport Bank Trucks

Texas Armoring offers various Cash-in-Transit Trucks for hauling hard money like Traditional Route Trucks, Cutaway Y-Vans, Cargo Vans & FED Trucks.

www.texasarmoring.com

The big ones might be easier to convert the interior into a survival mobile bunker for urban survival