Good survivalist / prepper vehicle

[Ura-Ki]

The final solution for an affordable rig is the Army LMTV, I don't know why you guys arn't all over those, you get everything your looking for in a serious off road rig, and with the right box on the back, you really got something! I know a guy with the 6X6 version with a small camper body on the back, and followed him up and over Colorado's famed Black Bear Pass, if that's not challenging enough I don't know what is! Moab wasn't even a challenge for that truck unless you tried some of the super tight spots, and you would have deserved that kind of stuck if you had tried! Seriousl CAT power if you manage to get the later C-7 Cat motor, and you can certainly turn them up for more power and still get something like fuel millage, the automatic will take quite a bit more power and hold up just fine, so it's really not a big deal!

 

[CamoDeafie]

The final solution for an affordable rig is the Army LMTV, I don't know why you guys arn't all over those, you get everything your looking for in a serious off road rig, and with the right box on the back, you really got something! I know a guy with the 6X6 version with a small camper body on the back, and followed him up and over Colorado's famed Black Bear Pass, if that's not challenging enough I don't know what is! Moab wasn't even a challenge for that truck unless you tried some of the super tight spots, and you would have deserved that kind of stuck if you had tried! Seriousl CAT power if you manage to get the later C-7 Cat motor, and you can certainly turn them up for more power and still get something like fuel millage, the automatic will take quite a bit more power and hold up just fine, so it's really not a big deal!

$$$$ and maintenance lol

 

[The Heretic]

The final solution for an affordable rig is the Army LMTV, I don't know why you guys arn't all over those, you get everything your looking for in a serious off road rig, and with the right box on the back, you really got something! I know a guy with the 6X6 version with a small camper body on the back, and followed him up and over Colorado's famed Black Bear Pass, if that's not challenging enough I don't know what is! Moab wasn't even a challenge for that truck unless you tried some of the super tight spots, and you would have deserved that kind of stuck if you had tried! Seriousl CAT power if you manage to get the later C-7 Cat motor, and you can certainly turn them up for more power and still get something like fuel millage, the automatic will take quite a bit more power and hold up just fine, so it's really not a big deal!

I've thought about those.

One problem is that they don't cruise comfortably (or safely for that matter) at highway speeds, even if you have the diffs swapped out. My truck will do 80 MPH with the right gearing, do it safely and comfortably.

The other is the automatic transmissions. They are robust, but you can't pull/push/roll start them - I can with my truck with its manual transmission.

I don't care how macho the big trucks are, the more they weigh, the easier they get stuck in mud/snow/sand. Do not believe that they can't get stuck - plenty of photos & YT vids of them stuck. When you get a heavy vehicle stuck, it is stuck, and you need orders of magnitude more help getting unstuck.

Plus if you go down a tight road, you are committed until you find a turn around wide enough for a large vehicle. Which is another way to get stuck - BTDT.

Finally, the military vehicles are conspicuous. Everybody notices them. They make a good target.

Still, the military vehicles are robust and very capable.

Everything is a compromise. Nothing is magic. They all have their pros and cons and there is nothing that is perfect for everybody.

 

[The Heretic]

Actually, they all start off as a chassis and whatever "box" you want to place on it, is up to whoever is buying is the chassis.

Tell me about it - for 9 years I wrote the software that DTNA dealers, body builders and fleets (E.G., Penske) use to specify what configurations they want for a truck. Includes cab chassis, gliders and complete trucks.

 

[The Heretic]

 

[DeanMk]

View attachment 1446600

Screw the camper, gimmee the truck!
My kingdom for a '69 Chevy/Ford/Dodge 1/2 ton! Long & wide, bench seat, straight six and 3-on-the-tree.
You can fix anything that happens to it and it'll run forever.

 

[Burt Gummer]

I have a work van I sometimes use as a camper, but not really set up for it. Don't want to spend $500+ on a fancy toilet don't have a family to appease, BUT something a little better than a bucket and trash bag. A metal 24oz bottle takes care of pee breaks.

800 lb+ capacity and can be tucked away. Opinions?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BKVX549Y/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A7TA1JB7F4K1O&psc=1

 

[CamoDeafie]

Just looks like a fancy collapsible bucket?

 

[CamoDeafie]

Camco Portable Toilet | Ideal for Camping, RVing, Boating, Road Trips and Other Recreational Activities | 5.3 Gallons, Gray (41541) https://a.co/d/eRty6s9

 

[Burt Gummer]

Thanks, but was looking for something that can be folded up, or collapsed. Just the visual of a full toilet in my work van would make the Beavis in me laugh every time.

 

[CamoDeafie]

If it's gotta be hideable, can't beat the $30 folding camp toilet frame with toilet seat and garbage bags

 

[The Heretic]

Thinking about getting a 10' reefer container.

Maybe $4k and 3000# 2500 kg (oops! misread the specs - entirely too heavy for my truck )

Stainless/aluminum inside. Insulated.

Modify my 12' flatbed with special latches.

Then go from there.

 

[DeanMk]

Camco Portable Toilet | Ideal for Camping, RVing, Boating, Road Trips and Other Recreational Activities | 5.3 Gallons, Gray (41541) https://a.co/d/eRty6s9

BURT,
Listen to Deafie! Get the Camco!...and get it with the 5.3 gallon holding tank.
It'll store away in a cupboard easy enough, and it beats the hell out of that plastic waste paper basket that you showed, and the shovel and a toilet seat on TV tray legs, which is how we did it when I was a kid.

Homemaxs 1PC Foldable Bathroom Toilet Chair Portable Toilet Stool Potty Chair for The Old - Walmart.com

Arrives by Wed, Jul 19 Buy Homemaxs 1PC Foldable Bathroom Toilet Chair Portable Toilet Stool Potty Chair for The Old at Walmart.com

www.walmart.com

 

[CamoDeafie]

You could always do something similar to this

 

[DeanMk]

You could always do something similar to this

View attachment 1447393

That's the bathroom in a lot of smaller camping trailers being made now.

 

[Mono1]

Perhaps I am Late to The Conversation.

But I wish to raise the Issue of FUMES.

A Bucket, or Porta-Potty, inside of an enclosed space, such as a VAN, or a designated TENT,

will, by necessity, trap FUMES of an obnoxious nature.



Got To Plan for that.

 

[The Heretic]

Perhaps I am Late to The Conversation.

But I wish to raise the Issue of FUMES.

A Bucket, or Porta-Potty, inside of an enclosed space, such as a VAN, or a designated TENT,

will, by necessity, trap FUMES of an obnoxious nature.



Got To Plan for that.

That is why people spend the $$$ for the "fancy" toilets in RVs. You are within a much smaller space than a house, often even smaller than my master bedroom & ensuite bathroom.

What some do for the small light (and often DIY) camper setups is have an external "outhouse" made of a tent kind of affair rather than have it inside. Often this is attached to the vehicle, but you can buy standalone setups. I don't know how well those work.

 

[DeanMk]

Perhaps I am Late to The Conversation.

But I wish to raise the Issue of FUMES.

A Bucket, or Porta-Potty, inside of an enclosed space, such as a VAN, or a designated TENT,

will, by necessity, trap FUMES of an obnoxious nature.



Got To Plan for that.

That's the nice thing about the Camco toilet CamoDeafie mentioned. It has a valve that traps the FUMES inside the toilet (just make sure you open it before using it ).

 

[The Heretic]

This is one reason (cost being the main one) why I decided I didn't want a big fancy heavy camper; without spending considerable effort and $ and time to upgrade the suspension/etc., you can't really "overland" with a tall heavy camper - and even if you have the right platform, there is no getting away from the weight and high COG. The weight and wheelbase will get you stuck.

Not that I intend to go "off-road" with such a rig, but still - you get going down some dirt/gravel road to "boondock" camp, and it is not uncommon to find that you are pretty much committed until you find a spot to turn around. Unless you know the road from experience, you may find yourself on a road where you have to follow thru and then find yourself stuck.

 

[Hawaiian]

That is a functioning helicopter motor home. In the late 1970s, Winnebago sold and marketed this RV as the Heli-Home. They teamed up with Orlando Helicopter Airways and received a fleet of Sikorsky S-55s that they converted. These Heli-homes came equipped with everything to make them comfortable, including a bathroom, shower, kitchen, etc. The price was incredibly steep to buy. However, Winnebago offered rentals for ten grand.