Good SHTF Vehicles

[The Heretic]

Was this before the ethynal was put in the gas ? I don't see good mileage since they started that garbage.

Not sure if ethanol is state wide - there are places you can buy ethanol free gas, but it costs more. I believe that the ethanol percentage goes down during the summer.

 

[The Heretic]

Is long as your running points and carb you should be good to go. Mabey have a spare coil points ect .for back up .I trust the old stuff . The new stuff if it stops running your done.

Condensor is probably the most vulnerable in a points setup. Then maybe the coil since it is a long coil of wire and is an inductor - but it is made to handle high voltage so I am not sure.

It is possible that anything that is an inductor, like an ignition coil, starter, alternator or generator might see a lot of voltage in an EMP. Of those, the starter is probably the least vulnerable as it is built to take a lot of amperage.

 

[Argonaut]

Not sure if ethanol is state wide - there are places you can buy ethanol free gas, but it costs more. I believe that the ethanol percentage goes down during the summer.

We have lots of ethanol free gas. Generally no more expensive but sometimes only in high octane. I hate the 10% stuff but in truth 80% of the fuel we buy is Diesel so no issue there. Even our lawnmower is Diesel. I put 30 gallons of alcohol free in the jet boat a couple of weeks ago. Diesel also stores better.

 

[41mag]

The inevitable appearance of such as small slides and other debris on roadways would further impact any notion of longer distance travel.

Just as example, who here is familiar with such routes as the famed 'Santiam Pass'? (Hwy 20). While from the top of the pass there are 3 routes (20-22-26) they all meet with I-5 either Eugene-Albany-Salem. With SHTF scenario, just how many bears would want to see the other side of the mountain?

Just one of its sections is 11 miles of twisties @ 5% grade. There are areas of pretty much what-is-it-TODAY repairs on unstable sections. Engineers have commented about such a route with today's standards, would be rejected outright...yet there it is in all its glory---pasted uneasily to the side of a mountain that is continually sliding downdowndown into the gorge below. These challenges are independent of 'weather events'. The history of 'the Santiam Wagon Road' represents most of the engineering obstacles whether you have points or electronic ignition.

And while there may be more recent projects less vulnerable, they represent natural choke-points with difficulties of access for areas not abutting their geographic location.

I recently finished reading the history of the 101 Coastal Highway. Even in the last couple years, selected local sections either fall into the sea or are blocked by
parts of various mountain sides sliding into the right of way.

Point I'm making, is the absolutely huge requirement of social cooperation and organization, just to keep the right-of-way OPEN to traffic. If we're down to the wonders of helicopters to service population needs, there's considerable complication on fuel availability for my wonderful SHTF rig.

Harvesting 'the precious' from the tanks of herds of other stranded rigs presents its own challenges. And then when you have a couple gallons, around the corner is a bridge no longer serviceable, or a survival gang looking to harvest something good from YOU.

 

[Argonaut]

The inevitable appearance of such as small slides and other debris on roadways would further impact any notion of longer distance travel.

Just as example, who here is familiar with such routes as the famed 'Santiam Pass'? (Hwy 20). While from the top of the pass there are 3 routes (20-22-26) they all meet with I-5 either Eugene-Albany-Salem. With SHTF scenario, just how many bears would want to see the other side of the mountain?

Just one of its sections is 11 miles of twisties @ 5% grade. There are areas of pretty much what-is-it-TODAY repairs on unstable sections. Engineers have commented about such a route with today's standards, would be rejected outright...yet there it is in all its glory---pasted uneasily to the side of a mountain that is continually sliding downdowndown into the gorge below. These challenges are independent of 'weather events'. The history of 'the Santiam Wagon Road' represents most of the engineering obstacles whether you have points or electronic ignition.

And while there may be more recent projects less vulnerable, they represent natural choke-points with difficulties of access for areas not abutting their geographic location.

I recently finished reading the history of the 101 Coastal Highway. Even in the last couple years, selected local sections either fall into the sea or are blocked by
parts of various mountain sides sliding into the right of way.

Point I'm making, is the absolutely huge requirement of social cooperation and organization, just to keep the right-of-way OPEN to traffic. If we're down to the wonders of helicopters to service population needs, there's considerable complication on fuel availability for my wonderful SHTF rig.

Harvesting 'the precious' from the tanks of herds of other stranded rigs presents its own challenges. And then when you have a couple gallons, around the corner is a bridge no longer serviceable, or a survival gang looking to harvest something good from YOU.

While your examples are valid, in my opinion a relatively minor issue compared with the overall situation. The other issue that comes to mind is the unstable roadways might add a small protection to me from ridiculous city hoards coming my direction. There will be bottlenecks in unstable areas but I believe the problem of broken down out of fuel equipment abandoned in the middle of roadways by selfish unthinking urbanites will be a much more serious issue. Most roadways are designed to take advantage of the landscape that has been naturally stabilizing over the last billons of years. Not nessisarily because they are smart but because that is the least expensive way to build highways.

 

[The Heretic]

The inevitable appearance of such as small slides and other debris on roadways would further impact any notion of longer distance travel.

Yup - I am MUCH more concerned about road conditions than I am about EMP. EMP is a common trope in PAW fiction but its impact would not be near as severe as always portrayed (essentially the end of all mechanized travel at least, and often as the end of civilization altogether).

Whereas you rarely see any portrayal of the fact that without active and constant intervention and maintenance on the part of the highway dept., roads would just shut down left and right. Besides slides and washouts and other problems, there are at least a few passes in most of the PNW where if the DOTs of the states did not remove snow then the pass would remain closed year round, instead of just for the winter. The Mt. Baker pass would be impassable all year round - it usually doesn't open until June.

My father used to work for the highway dept. (my brother still does) and I remember as a kid having my father get called out for this slide or washout or another thing all the time in the winter, especially on roads out to the coast.

In the event of a severe earthquake, most roads would probably be impassable for any common commute distance - say more than a few miles if that.

 

[41mag]

I'm still running my dad's original 73 Cheyenne 454. It reallyREALLY likes the 100 octane stuff....

but that's not on the diet often...

I do fuel only with ethanol-free gas, which has yielded considerable benefits over the years.

 

[johnny bob]

Not sure if ethanol is state wide - there are places you can buy ethanol free gas, but it costs more. I believe that the ethanol percentage goes down during the summer.

I use ethanol free gas in my motorcycles, boat, hot rod and small motors. I copied pages from the website "Puregas.org". It lists places state by state that have ethanol free fuel. I keep a copy in the hot rod and the motorcycle when I travel. I have not found any carburator corrosion and I get better mpg with ethanol free fuel. I usually buy the 92 octane and it is a few cents more per gallon than premium with ethanol.

 

[thefrontsight]

More or less - yes. That is what I plan to do - once my family gets to my home. My SHTF vehicles are for that purpose; getting home and getting my family to my home. Beyond that, I would only go into town maybe once a month if I could. I won't be commuting daily because I won't have a job at that point. So I am not worried about tires wearing out, other parts wearing out, fuel/etc.

I agree. My thought is not to go adventuring around when the shtf but rather to get home. My hurdle is that I work in Oregon and live in Washington. No matter what, I am going to get home. That means I will likely plan on a swim if the bridges fall. There is no substitute for good physical condition.

 

[41mag]

I will likely plan on a swim if the bridges fall. There is no substitute for good physical condition.

that's a plan that would mean I wouldn't have any further worries in this vale of tears....

 

[CamoDeafie]

Whose wife/daughter/sister is this?? nice Kaiser Jeep truck!

 

[41mag]

somehow I keep running across the Roosian version of SHTF vehicles...here's one version

 

[Pandaz3]

I agree. My thought is not to go adventuring around when the shtf but rather to get home. My hurdle is that I work in Oregon and live in Washington. No matter what, I am going to get home. That means I will likely plan on a swim if the bridges fall. There is no substitute for good physical condition.

Throw a rubber raft and paddle in your work rig.

 

[tac]

This always worked well for me........



Gas mileage is pretty good, to, considering it has the cd of a forward-facing bucket. 7-8 mpg cruising is not bad for something that weighs 26 tons and can hit 55 mph, although you didn't hear that from me, OK?

Parking?

Meh, wherever you like.

However, to get the best out of it you really need to take a few pals along to operate the nasty stuff.

Nine will do just fine.

tac

 

[308]

I wouldn't mind having one of these

 

[The Heretic]

I wouldn't mind having one of these
View attachment 476106

what is it?

 

[308]

what is it?

 

[MrMillspecer]

 

[The Heretic]

View attachment 476127 View attachment 476128

You can get these kind of kits, license them as a moped in some locales, then bump the engine up to almost 150cc - just don't get caught going over the max speed for a moped (usually 30 MPH), using it on a highway, or any other restricted use.

An electric Trials motorcycle would be about as good and almost as light.

 

[MrMillspecer]

You can get these kind of kits, license them as a moped in some locales, then bump the engine up to almost 150cc - just don't get caught going over the max speed for a moped (usually 30 MPH), using it on a highway, or any other restricted use.

An electric Trials motorcycle would be about as good and almost as light.

I put this one together with craigslist parts. Its low geared and will climb a steep grade.