• If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership  The benefits pay for the membership many times over.

SHTF Vehicle of Choice?

Varmint said:
My Dad has one, still drives it. He just had to replace the engine to the tune of like $4000. That would be awkward if SHTF.
Click to expand...
how many miles did it have when it stb. did you autopsy it to figure out what happenned. i have four motors, one at 100k, 138k, 160 something and 187k, starting to smoke. most failures with these motors are man made unfortunately. if you change the oil and do the timing belt every 70k, they do well to 200k
 
rudiewhitebwoy said:
I don't consider this my "Bug-Out Vehicle", it's more for building my Bug-Out location. I bought it on e-bay from Michigan. Landed at my buddy's house on the South Shore today. He's going to go all through it for me and then we'll discuss some upgrades. The Generator & Compressor were the main reason I bought it. I'd never heard of this before but the front axle has Warn locking hubs with positraction. My buddy drove it around his back 40 today and said he couldn't believe what it could do.
Click to expand...

This Rokon fits nicely in the back of my K-30, I bought this back in November, my buddy replaced the carb and went through it. Now I can truly go just about anywhere.
 
I'd have to go with my daily driver: 2009 F150 FX4. Crew Cab, 6.5' bed, off road optimized suspension and skid plates, tonneau. I'd say the best SHTF features are the following:
1. 5.4L naturally aspirated V8. Fewer working parts than an ecoboost, reducing the likelihood of a break down and less trouble to repair.
2. 36 gallon extended range fuel tank, gets me over 500 miles per tank. I've road tripped from Haverhill to Buffalo, NY on a single tank with plenty of fuel to spare. Could make it from coast to coast on only six fill-ups.
 
JayMcB said:
How many people with SHTF vehicles - who are planning to bug out - have a place they either own or are welcome at - to bug out to?

Because my guess is, with finite resources, you may not be as welcome as you think.

You're actually just a refugee with a camper/truck, or a trespasser. It may sound inhospitable, but neither are going to be welcome on my property for any period of time.
Click to expand...

What I have is a set of skills. Skills that make me very valuable to those in a SHTF scenario. Skills valuable enough to provide myself and family with room in a safe place belonging to a friend.

Semper Fi.
 
Liam_Neeson_pointing.jpg
 
hv55maxx said:
not being sarcastic, but where you guys getting your fuel from after your supply runs out? might want to consider putting a bike rack on your bug out vehicle and maintaining some semblence of fitness. food for thought
Click to expand...

Diesel truck here, so I am going to render the fat of my enemies after I lay waste to what ever town I roll into.
 
hv55maxx said:
not being sarcastic, but where you guys getting your fuel from after your supply runs out? might want to consider putting a bike rack on your bug out vehicle and maintaining some semblance of fitness. food for thought
Click to expand...

Those that have a diesel would just siphon heating oil from any suburban home's tank. How long will your warm air furnace run once the power goes out?

Of course that's illegal, both to "steal" it and to run a vehicle on the road, but chances are the DOT won't dipstick test your fuel tanks...
 
namedpipes said:
Those that have a diesel would just siphon heating oil from any suburban home's tank. How long will your warm air furnace run once the power goes out?

Of course that's illegal, both to "steal" it and to run a vehicle on the road, but chances are the DOT won't dipstick test your fuel tanks...
Click to expand...

So, slightly stupid question... I know in the Northeast it's pretty common to have home heating "oil", what about the rest of the country?
 
hv55maxx said:
not being sarcastic, but where you guys getting your fuel from after your supply runs out? might want to consider putting a bike rack on your bug out vehicle and maintaining some semblence of fitness. food for thought
Click to expand...
I think there are safe areas within 100 miles of most places people live. Once you get there you don't joyride but hunker down and burn wood. As a matter of fact I might work on a wood gas system strapped to a pallet to load into my truck and prep some piping under the cab. Wood love to run on wood gas just for the hell of it.
 
With very little work you can even cut the diesel fuel with waste oil or even clean oil. Yes it will jell faster in cold weather, but can be stretched out.

Even cooking oil found in food stores or restaurant can be cut and run in older 6.2 or gen 2 and down Cummings 6by.
Plus look around at how many HD Eqp you pass every day. All loaded with good off road fuel.

Jason.
 
I want a small diesel truck. Something like the new Colorado w/ the diesel option. Diesel is preferable because you have some options for fuel if/when refineries shut down. I want a small vehicle as opposed to a full size truck though. I want something nimble.
 
CTpatriot said:
I think there are safe areas within 100 miles of most places people live. Once you get there you don't joyride but hunker down and burn wood. As a matter of fact I might work on a wood gas system strapped to a pallet to load into my truck and prep some piping under the cab. Wood love to run on wood gas just for the hell of it.
Click to expand...

Firing up the woodgas truck

of course, you need to cut a lot of wood to run your truck.

"Chainsaw", Powered on Fire Wood!
 
hv55maxx said:
not being sarcastic, but where you guys getting your fuel from after your supply runs out? might want to consider putting a bike rack on your bug out vehicle and maintaining some semblence of fitness. food for thought
Click to expand...

Funny you mention this. My idea of a SHTF vehicle is a "VC truck", also known as a bicycle. We don't bug out here, we bug-in.
 
noxin said:
So, slightly stupid question... I know in the Northeast it's pretty common to have home heating "oil", what about the rest of the country?
Click to expand...

Do you LIVE in the rest of the country?

They'd absolutely have different conditions and have different needs.

*I* would heat a cabin with a wood stove in this corner of the country, but stashing a wood stove in a bug out retreat in Nevada might be a little silly. As silly as worrying overmuch about water around here.

That probably sounds like I'm being a wiseass, but I mean it literally. You HAVE to consider your own circumstances and the conditions in your area when picking supplies and equipment.

A dirt bike or an ultralight might be a perfect vehicle for a single man, but utterly wrong for a man with a wife and three kids. A Suburban with 4x4 might be a good choice for him.
 
namedpipes said:
Do you LIVE in the rest of the country?

They'd absolutely have different conditions and have different needs.

*I* would heat a cabin with a wood stove in this corner of the country, but stashing a wood stove in a bug out retreat in Nevada might be a little silly. As silly as worrying overmuch about water around here.

That probably sounds like I'm being a wiseass, but I mean it literally. You HAVE to consider your own circumstances and the conditions in your area when picking supplies and equipment.

A dirt bike or an ultralight might be a perfect vehicle for a single man, but utterly wrong for a man with a wife and three kids. A Suburban with 4x4 might be a good choice for him.
Click to expand...

Household heating fuels vary across the country

Very enlightening article, I had no idea Oil Heat was really only used in the Northeast. Seems to me many Sub-Urban and Rural Homes in New England that aren't on a main street use Oil Heat. I live between two main roads in Beverly that have gas lines, but no gas line up my cut through street. As far as I know everyone on my street heats with Oil, that's just fine with me.
 
ThePreBanMan said:
I want a small diesel truck. Something like the new Colorado w/ the diesel option. Diesel is preferable because you have some options for fuel if/when refineries shut down. I want a small vehicle as opposed to a full size truck though. I want something nimble.
Click to expand...
Don't know how these would handle older dirtier fuels. An old 4bt or Detroit diesel will run almost anything.
 
My 1 ton 7.3 Powerstroke Bronco would be the likely go to for my family. As has been stated, there are tons of alternative CLEAN fuel sources available if you know where to look. The 33 gallon tank at 21MPG will do me well too.
 
OK So I know this thread was started a while ago but the perfect vehicle for a get out of town in the SHTF situation is a HORSE. It can go anywhere, only needs food and water to run, can haul heavy loads and is a lot more quiet through the woods than any motorized vehicle. If Horses are not an option I would go with a great Trail Bike. Trucks lose their use once you get deeper in the woods...
 
AMERICANS FIRST said:
OK So I know this thread was started a while ago but the perfect vehicle for a get out of town in the SHTF situation is a HORSE. It can go anywhere, only needs food and water to run, can haul heavy loads and is a lot more quiet through the woods than any motorized vehicle. If Horses are not an option I would go with a great Trail Bike. Trucks lose their use once you get deeper in the woods...
Click to expand...

Plus, if you get hungry enough...

Actually a great point and I think you're the first to mention horses.

Anyone that has ever been in a blizzard while driving a serious 4x4, properly equipped with aggressive studded snows, full tank, supplies, etc., but stuck on a road absolutely CLOGGED with other cars that can't move, will appreciate something that can simply go around, through fields, between trees... and essentially unlimited gas, consuming vegetation that we can't eat anyway.
 

Similar threads

Water Bath Canning Tip of the Day
Replies
0
Views
266
Uzi2
U
Survival Rifles of the USAF...
Replies
4
Views
693
Tnkrclwn
T
What are YOU spending YOUR hard earned dollars on to prep for the inevitable eventual collapse of the U.S. Dollar?
3 4 5
Replies
126
Views
6K
Varmint
Varmint
Dangerous Things are Dangerous: The Importance of Medical Training
Replies
11
Views
970
CTtrapper
C
Encyclopedia of Country Living
Replies
5
Views
531
Marty McFly
Marty McFly
Back
Top Bottom