Good survivalist / prepper vehicle

[The Heretic]

A truck and two dirt bikes is like prepping by taking three rifles. You can't drive all three.

I can haul both bikes in the cargo area of either my pickup of my truck. I do not need to operate them simultaneously. It is good to have backup transportation, and there are other good reasons to bring along alternative forms of transport.

One is none, two is one, three is two.

 

[The Heretic]

All this prepper stuff is fantasy football of gun lovers.

Then why do you engage in it?

The concepts make sense on a micro level, but the overall idea is ludicrous: Millions of well armed people migrating to no particular destination to get away from some nebulous disaster. All that's going to happen is several million people are going to put themselves out of range of any sort of organized assistance, leading to them running out of gas and shooting each other for food and water.

I have my AWD SUV as a daily driver - it is needed because where I live a 2WD vehicle isn't practical much of the time.

I have my truck and pickup to haul things that my SUV can't, and to go places my SUV cannot - e.g., my back acreage to get firewood.

If SHTF, the only place I would be going would be to get my kids and bring them to my home where it will be safer than where they are (suburbia). Hell, my home is safer now than where they are (they are planning to move).

I don't plan to "bug out" because I already live in the boonies - as much for my own sanity as for avoiding the problems of living in the city.

As for assistance - a good part of prepping is being as self-reliant as possible. OTOH, there are three nurses, one surgeon and three engineers (besides myself) on my private road, so I am not totally alone.

 

[RX-79G]

Then why do you engage in it?

All we do on this forum is have pointless debates between people who won't change their minds. It is at least entertaining to frame a good objection.

Survival, self defense and protection of rights are all concepts that are so inbred in their discussion that they deserve an injection of contrarian perspective. It's an echo chamber with people recycling the same old unquestioned concepts to authorize their purchase of more paramilitary gear. But real life isn't going to look like Red Dawn or the Walking Dead.



Ultimate survival vehicle: Mountain bike. 100 miles a day, zero fuel, 20 pounds.

 

[CamoDeafie]

100 miles a day, zero fuel, 20 pounds.

Gotta feed yourself and be fit enough to ride 100 miles a day in the Cascades, edit and that's assuming absolutely nothing else on the bicycle except your dying body

 

[The Heretic]

Ultimate survival vehicle: Mountain bike. 100 miles a day, zero fuel, 20 pounds.

No such thing as "ultimate" or "best". Everything has its pros and cons.

If you are injured or sick, something that requires human power to move it might not be usable.

I am almost 70, have a heart condition that is due to age (someday I may need a pacemaker), and I can't ride a bicycle like I used to due to my injured spine. A powered bicycle maybe.

FYI - I rode my first century 50+ years ago. Not everybody can put in 100 miles in a day, especially those who are not in shape. A bicycle is a decent alternative/backup form of transport that has its pros & cons, but it is not an "ultimate".

 

[DeanMk]

Why go off road? To get to the hidden banana forests in the Rockies?


The whole survivalist thing seems to revolve around the belief that North America is full of food, like the Amazon. But many Native American tribes barely scraped by when the whole continent was wild.

It's more realistic to realize that transport in a dystopia is about getting from one community to the next, not hiding in the woods. And fuel efficiency is a lot more critical than off road capability in a country with 4 million miles of pavement and however much gravel.

Given that, a better choice would be a diesel powered VW vanagon.
It holds more goods and you can stretch out easier in it. It goes farther between fill-ups because the engine gets better fuel mileage and the fuel tank is larger, compared to the CRV, and there's less maintenance with the diesel powerplant.

 

[DeanMk]

Oh, and you can eat pine.... of which the PNW has in abundance

How to Eat a Pine Tree (and other Conifers)

A while back I took a winter foraging course at our local herbal school, and I was truly amazed at how many ways you can eat a pine tree. Most conifers are not only edible,

practicalselfreliance.com

Among other wild edibles.

That reminds me of a story I recorded off the radio one year, many moons ago.
All I remember, off hand, is that it ended with, "...and it was the best Christmas tree they ever ate."

 

[Jay Walk]

The absolute best vehicle is the one you own.
Use your money for actual prepping, not making payments of any kind.

 

[The Heretic]

Given that, a better choice would be a diesel powered VW vanagon.
It holds more goods and you can stretch out easier in it. It goes farther between fillups because the engine gets better fuel mileage and the fuel tank is larger, compared to the CRV, and there's less maintenance with the diesel powerplant.

My diesel 4x4 flatbed truck gets 10-20 MPG depending on terrain, driving conditions and cargo weight.

With the stock tank that is a range of 370 to 720 miles.

With the 106 gallon aux tank I bought last year (but have not installed yet), the range would be1400 to 2800 miles - enough to get me to Alaska if I was careful, certainly enough to S. Dakota or Montana. If I brought along my spare Jerry cans I could add another 300-600 miles. None of this would be hard for me to do; it would take about an hour to rig up and I would still have room to put a 10' long camper on the 12' flatbed.

I also have a 250+ gallon storage tank for diesel, but that would take some time to securely rig up - maybe a couple of hours - but it would not be optimum.

I don't plan to do any long distance bugging out - the aux tank is for when I convert the truck to an RV; I want to have enough fuel so when I go into the back-country I have plenty to get back out, and to run a heater and genset.

If SHTF, I plan to "bug in" and have enough fuel to go into a small town every 3-6 months (if necessary/possible) to replenish certain supplies. Otherwise, I would just stay home. That said, it would be nice to have a rig that I could use as a backup shelter somewhere else if it became necessary.

 

[DeanMk]

The absolute best vehicle is the one you own.
Use your money for actual prepping, not making payments of any kind.

Not necessarily. I'd hate to think my '98 Ford Ranger is the vehicle I'm going to have to depend on if/when SHTF.

 

[Jay Walk]

Not necessarily. I'd hate to think my '98 Ford Ranger is the vehicle I'm going to have to depend on if/when SHTF.

One of the most dependable and longest lasting vehicles known to man.

No cup holders?

 

[DeanMk]

One of the most dependable and longest lasting vehicles known to man.

No cup holders?

Crappy clutch for one thing (hydraulic clutch that can't be bled? WTF?!).which is slowly grinding the transmission to dust, too many electronics, 5 foot long starter wire? WTF?! Gigantic blind spot in rear quarter of cab....that's just the stuff off the top of my head.
When it all works, its ok, but God forbid something happen and you need a million dollars and 14 scanners just to diagnois the problem.
If you get a Ranger, get an older model, or better yet, make sure its an F100.

 

[Burt Gummer]

When you really want to escape the clown world and get far, far away ........

1987 Mercedes-Benz Unimog U1300L Camper Conversion

Bid for the chance to own a 1987 Mercedes-Benz Unimog U1300L Camper Conversion at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #106,565.

bringatrailer.com

 

[Nosferatu]

 

[The Heretic]

When you really want to escape the clown world and get far, far away ........

1987 Mercedes-Benz Unimog U1300L Camper Conversion

Bid for the chance to own a 1987 Mercedes-Benz Unimog U1300L Camper Conversion at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #106,565.

bringatrailer.com

Tempted.

But I would have to cash out some retirement funds.

I know my Dodge isn't as off-road capable as a Unimog, but it is much more comfortable and speedy on the road; Unimogs typically have a top speed of 50-60 MPH unless you swap out the diffs (some can do that, some cannot?). Whereas my Dodge can do 70 MPH now, and more when I put 19.5" or 22" wheels on it.

I don't intend to do the kind of off-roading where a Unimog would be worth the slow speed on the highways. My plan is to get to an area I want to explore, setup base camp and use a smaller machine (ATV, dirt/e bike, my Toy pickup) to go exploring. I don't think off-roading with a 6-8 ton vehicle with a high COG is wise or fun - I would stick to easy roads with it.

 

[Burt Gummer]

That thing is very cool, but the Beavis in me was expecting an explosion and death.

 

[The Heretic]

 

[Burt Gummer]

Outside of the Richie Rich crowd that can lay down $200k for some Uber Sprinter, people that have skills and innovation really are impressive. Wish I had more welding and mechanic skills to do something like this. On a scale on 1-10 on work like this am probably a 6 though. Most people I know can't change a tire these days.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Might be best place to ask this.

Is it possible to acquire a decent sized RV that hasn't had any furnishing on the inside? Basically just a running vehicle with RV shell body and slide-out modules but absolutely no furniture, cabinetry, carpeting, or even a bathroom installed; basically a clean sheet interior with coated metal and 120v outlets already in place but nothing else? Or am I gonna have to do the elbow grease and a dumpster and strip everything out by myself or with a group of friends burly enough to help out?

Thinking it'd be slightly cheaper long term to convert such a vehicle into a mobile sewing shop for my industrial sewing machine and room enough for a large table and another industrial sewing machine; a bar tacker is what I want in addition to what I already own.. the industrial sewing machine tables have holes in their legs for bolting down on a suitable surface (wood floor with insulation and load bearing beams to bolt the machines down on)

Edit, as opposed to renting shop space when all the spaces available are 2,000sq ft+ and lease terms apparently are $3+ per square ft per month

 

[DeanMk]

Might be best place to ask this.

Is it possible to acquire a decent sized RV that hasn't had any furnishing on the inside? Basically just a running vehicle with RV shell body and slide-out modules but absolutely no furniture, cabinetry, carpeting, or even a bathroom installed; basically a clean sheet interior with coated metal and 120v outlets already in place but nothing else? Or am I gonna have to do the elbow grease and a dumpster and strip everything out by myself or with a group of friends burly enough to help out?

Thinking it'd be slightly cheaper long term to convert such a vehicle into a mobile sewing shop for my industrial sewing machine and room enough for a large table and another industrial sewing machine; a bar tacker is what I want in addition to what I already own.. the industrial sewing machine tables have holes in their legs for bolting down on a suitable surface (wood floor with insulation and load bearing beams to bolt the machines down on)

Edit, as opposed to renting shop space when all the spaces available are 2,000sq ft+ and lease terms apparently are $3+ per square ft per month

Any van would fit that descriptive.

...otherwise, if you want to start NEW, you could order a "Cab Chassis" from any of the American car makers (possibly import makers, too).
It will looks like a truck without a bed or a box.
After that, start building your survivalist / prepper vehicle.

This is JUST AN EXAMPLE of what I mean by a "Cab Chassis"...