Ideal Vehicle..

[CBR Shadow 53]

What would you say the ideal vehicle for SHTF is? I did several searches to see if this has been brought up before but found nothing exactly like this.. So what criteria would be needed for a SHTF car/truck/suv?

I'm thinking:

1) 4WD or AWD

2) Large capacity gas tank and or high MPG

3) Has storage space for supplies & people

4) Reliable and somewhat easy to work on

5) Available Parts

 

Any vehicles hit all of these points? Maybe a Jeep Cherokee sport (the older boxy type) with a roof rack?

[Donkeyshins 87]

If you're truly talking SHTF, then make sure you have some medium-sized crossover/trail bikes on a trailer - the older and simpler, the better (say 1970s-vintage) with panniers. They'll be able to get through where a larger vehicle will not, sip fuel compared to an SUV and are better suited, in general, for extreme duty. Just make sure that anyone coming with you knows how to ride and ride well and knows how to travel relatively lightly. If need be, you can always cache your supplies and find a larger vehicle later (like a diesel school bus).

Edited December 7, 2011 by Donkeyshins

[YOT 3,743]

I'll just say it's easier to haul material in a truck.

[Sergii 142]

Here's a special car:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDoRmT0iRic

 

But he must stand in the parking lot about this anti-zombie at home:

http://sergii-guns-r....com/75796.html

[schultze13 354]

For a SHTF vehicle euthe make sure you have a new GM or a pre-eletronic controled vehicle The best is a mechcanical desiel 70's or early 80's desiel pickup, tractor trailer, or a 6X6 or convert a computer controlled truck to points. Some private contractors friend told me that when GM got goverment contracts for SUV and trucks that one of the specs was a harden computer that can with stand a EMP and GM found that it was easier once they got the contracts to install hardened CPU's in all the SUV's and trucks rather than having to switch out computers it that truck went to the goverment. I was told anything after 05 or 06 was hardened.

[YARP 300]

Easy to work on, cheap to build and runs like an AK-47=Sand rail with a light skin on it or a rock crawler. I'd take the sand rail over the rock crawler for my area. A good winch will get you out of anywhere.

[yakdung 2,926]

I vote for one of these:

Yakdung

[YARP 300]

sergii and yakdung-please have those shipped to my house I will pay when I hit the lottery! LOL!

 

Maybe I should start playing the lottery?!

 

Anyone mention the older Toyotas?

[Dudethebagman 222]

My vote is for gas mileage. It doesn't matter how much of a tough guy truck you have if you have nothing to feed it and need to cover some ground. I'd think you'd be stuck with whatever gas you already had or whatever small amount you could obtain. I'd take something that gets 30 MPG over a jacked up Jeep or pickup that gets 10.

 

High ground clearance and 4WD are handy like 1% of the time, but the other 99% of the time front wheel drive will suffice. How often does 6" vs. a foot of ground clearance really make a difference? 4WD just gives you false invincibility and encourages people to drive places in a vehicle they maybe shouldn't be driving. If the world is ending, do you really want to take a chance getting stuck and test fate? Is it really a good idea to drive through that blizzard, over that down tree, or try to drive through that washout? Or should you use your brain and consider other options (like waiting, chopping or moving the tree, or finding another way around)? What would you do if you happened to blow two of your tires or get hopelessly buried in a snow drift? You'd be walking, which is why you shouldn't drive there if you value the continued use of your vehicle. Honestly, when I'm driving forest service roads I'd rather have a Corolla and an axe than an F-250 and a winch. Smaller vehicles can fit through tighter squeezes and avoid some obstacles. They can also turn around more easily. Plenty of big trucks get stuck driving places they shouldn't have even attempted.

 

Depending on the situation, I'm not sure how valuable longevity would really be. If there's no fuel, or if fuel is scarce and prohibitively expensive, will you be doing a lot of driving? My vote is for a Subaru wagon if you don't have a ton of shit to haul (decent fuel economy, decent ground clearance, nimble enough to negotiate obstacles that might stop a bigger vehicle, decent cargo and people capacity), or a diesel extra cab pickup if you do have a ton of shit to haul (respectable fuel economy for the size, good ground clearance, large cargo capacity). Or whatever you have at the time if you just have to leave ASAP. Don't forget to wave at all the H2 drivers who are out of gas or stuck on barriers you were smart enough to avoid.

[YARP 300]

Saving gas is great until your stuck in traffic. Get some extra gas cans load'em up and put some stabalizer in there,or if your fortunate to have a pickup truck get a tank for the bed. Some hook up directly to your trucks current gas lines.

Where I live ground clearance will be an issue the minute you get off road in the spring, fall and winter. Your Suburau will simply not make it, heck my ranger has clearance issues in alot of places and it's got ridiculous redneck tires on it.

A good winch with your truck in neutral and the skills to employ spikes can get you out of a swamp (again, another dumb thing I've done this year.), up rocks or a ridiculous hill side.

I do agree that smaller pickups are better in the woods then super monster trucks where space is an issue.

 

Truthfully there are very few stock trucks out there that couldn't do with some good aftermarket parts, I'll still take one over a car.

[CBR Shadow 53]

What about a minivan? Before you laugh and ban me lol think about it.. Minivans have tons of cargo space, room for passengers, good gas mileage, and front wheel drive. Another thing to consider is that women will immediately be attracted to someone driving a minivan. j/k.. but if offroading isn't happening it might not be a terrible idea...?

[Dudethebagman 222]

Saving gas is great until your stuck in traffic.

 

The same thing applies to a truck. 4WD won't get you out of a traffic jam. A car would be better for that scenario, but a motorcycle would be even better. Of course, you lose cargo capacity for maneuverability. There's no free lunch, so I'd take something that does a lot of things marginally well (hence the un-sexy compromise Subaru).

 

Where I live ground clearance will be an issue the minute you get off road in the spring, fall and winter. Your Suburau will simply not make it, heck my ranger has clearance issues in alot of places and it's got ridiculous redneck tires on it.

 

Obviously a person's needs depend on their locale. Where I live, there isn't much off-road driving. It's too steep and too forested almost everywhere there aren't already highways and paved roads. If you can't drive on paved roads or Forest service roads, you're not going to get far in any car or truck.

 

In the winter, it doesn't matter how big your truck is because you aren't going to get far through the snow. Granted, a truck would be better if you HAD to drive through a foot of fresh snow ASAP, but how realistic is that? We can't control the weather, but if you live in an area that snows like that, you'd be better off planning around the weather and being prepared to bug in if necessary. And even if that truck would be better in a foot of snow, it's be as worthless as a Mini Cooper in 3+ feet of snow. My old man lives on top of a hill bordering the National Forest, and there are times every year he can't get his 4WD F-150 up his driveway even with chains. Sometimes you just have to park at the bottom and walk.

 

Of course, if a person lived in the desert or the plains their needs might be different.

Edited December 7, 2011 by Dudethebagman

[Dudethebagman 222]

What about a minivan? Before you laugh and ban me lol think about it.. Minivans have tons of cargo space, room for passengers, good gas mileage, and front wheel drive. Another thing to consider is that women will immediately be attracted to someone driving a minivan. j/k.. but if offroading isn't happening it might not be a terrible idea...?

 

I actually considered that. But they SUCK in the snow, and they don't really get much better gas mileage than a diesel pickup - 20ish MPG, maybe a little better.

[RobRez 1,895]

So much depends on factors such as, your personal environment / terrain/ weather, driving abilities, mechanical skills, personal supplies stockpiled, and if you are Bugging out or Hunkering down. You would be amazed at the crazy mountain roads I used to drive my Toyota Tercel up all of the time. Most folks would never think it possible without a big 4x4 truck. If you are easy on your equipment it can do a lot more than folks would think.

Maybe just consider what is a popular vehicle in your area. Plenty of post-event parts. Get a repair manual for it now. ???

[YARP 300]

dudethebagman-Makes sense for your area. RobRez put it best of all though.

 

Really I think a 4 wheeler or ROKON is probably the best choice for any area, but are we sticking to cars in this topic?

[patriot 7,197]

A jet with intercontinental range.

[Fallschirmjager667 729]

 

does this count? lol

[Dudethebagman 222]

You would be amazed at the crazy mountain roads I used to drive my Toyota Tercel up all of the time. Most folks would never think it possible without a big 4x4 truck. If you are easy on your equipment it can do a lot more than folks would think.

 

I wouldn't be, but I used to live in your neighborhood and drove an Integra at the time. It was no jeep, but it could bob and weave.

 

Really I think a 4 wheeler or ROKON is probably the best choice for any area, but are we sticking to cars in this topic?

 

Agreed. If you're talking about strictly getting from point A to point B and escaping, some kind of ATV would get you a lot of places nothing else would. How much stuff you're taking along is another factor that'll probably vary with circumstances.

[MT Predator 2,294]

If you want a truly capable and versatile vehicle then you do need a 4x4. It can go on the pavement and other places those Subarus and Tercels cannot go. I've been on Forest Service roads that were so bogged down and rutted, an AWD car was not going through it. Also been up and down snow covered Forest Service roads in the mountains in Rob's turf that would be the same case. Here in FL, our main Forestry roads are clay and the secondary roads are sugar sand for the most part. Every hunting season, I pull someone in a 4x4 with factory street tires out of a sand bed, never fails.

Up front, I'm a Jeep guy. I've owned a CJ, YJ, TJ, and now a JK. I've also owned fullsized 4x4 pickups, an old 4Runner, and even a S-10 Blazer with a 350 from an IROC Z and 35" tires, but I have always returned to my Jeeps. You mentioned the Jeep Cherokee which is a very tough and capable SUV. Get the 4.0 liter! That six cylinder is one of the best engines made for a vehicle that size. Plenty of HP and torque and a shitload of aftermarket parts for it and the rest of the truck and they keep running. If that doesn't suit you and you opt for a YJ or TJ Wrangler, same thing, get the 4.0. If you need more room than a standard YJ, TJ, JK, look at the LJ which is a TJ Unlimited (longer ass end, more cargo room), or a JK Unlimited which is the four door. Bottom line is there are more aftermarket parts and accessories available for Jeeps than anything else. I am currently running a modified JK Unlimited and will probably not part with it.

[RED333 1,025]

 

does this count? lol

The one I would choose.

If you have to go with gas, get one with a carb, points, in other words, one that is easy to work on.

[MT Predator 2,294]

 

does this count? lol

The one I would choose.

Sadly, that one can break down as well.

[MT Predator 2,294]

You would be amazed at the crazy mountain roads I used to drive my Toyota Tercel up all of the time. Most folks would never think it possible without a big 4x4 truck. If you are easy on your equipment it can do a lot more than folks would think.

 

I wouldn't be, but I used to live in your neighborhood and drove an Integra at the time. It was no jeep, but it could bob and weave.

 

Really I think a 4 wheeler or ROKON is probably the best choice for any area, but are we sticking to cars in this topic?

 

Agreed. If you're talking about strictly getting from point A to point B and escaping, some kind of ATV would get you a lot of places nothing else would. How much stuff you're taking along is another factor that'll probably vary with circumstances.

When SHTF are you escaping or just trying to live day to day? Lots of scenerios to throw on the table.

I've been through a few Hurricane Evacuations here which was mandatory for us when I was still Active Duty so in essence, we were escaping. At the time during all of these evacs, I had a Dodge Ram 4x4 with the Offroad Package, lifted, aftermarket tires, and a cap/topper on the bed. We just loaded up the back with all the weapons and other important gear, threw the kids in the back seat and headed out. Evacuation traffic around here causes massive traffic jams, anyone with a 4x4 hits the ditch to bypass that crap because they can.

I was actually on the road during a Permanent Change of Station move to Florida when Hurricane Ivan hit this area. I was in Mississippi when it hit and the next morning pressed on to NWFL dragging a trailer with three quads behind the same truck through the aftermath, dodging trees, powerlines and poles, boats, you name it, in the road. I would have been fucked in a car.

[Fallschirmjager667 729]

 

does this count? lol

The one I would choose.

Sadly, that one can break down as well.

 

you can always take a few backups, so you have more room to carry your stuff too

[Snoofer 138]

Peterbilt 387

[Deadeye 325]

I will never get one but they look like they would do the trick. Till then I will stick with my fj80 landcruiser

[MT Predator 2,294]

 

does this count? lol

The one I would choose.

Sadly, that one can break down as well.

 

you can always take a few backups, so you have more room to carry your stuff too

True.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uf5m2cKu0IU

I will never get one but they look like they would do the trick. Till then I will stick with my fj80 landcruiser

You are truly fucked with this one if you enter a body of water with a leaking tire!

[jmzzl 146]

 

does this count? lol

 

Might as well drive this

 

 

About the same capacity for supplies. You can go up hills, but I can go faster

 

I've been trying to trade it for a damn truck for about 5 months. If it has a bed, and drives on all 4 wheels, it might as well be made of solid gold...around my neck of the woods anyways.

[Deadeye 325]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-QmpF4eGDQ&feature=relatedhere is a nother cool one

[Nailbomb 10,221]

Ideal? A D-30 contact truck lifted 6 inches(all spring) Converted from the mechanical fuel pump to a dual electric pump setup and a second tank with electric heater for multi fuel capabilities. Add a winch and/or a Plow depending on area. TH-400 and NP205 combo with a D-60 front and 14B HD rear.

 

500+ miles between fill up, with a DC welder, Generator, and air compressor. Plenty of room for supplies. Will run on diesel, WOG, kerosene, corn oil...

 

Heres a example of a good starter project...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Military-M1031-4x4-CUCV-Maintenance-diesel-truck-generator-air-compressor-/250903338112?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a6b011c80

[jmzzl 146]

http://crittergitters.net/

 

Those are neat ^.

 

In all seriousness, if we are talking about something practical, tactical, and readily available, I'd get a midsize 4x4 SWB SUV or Pickup. Better gas mileage, for the most part, than a LWB vehicle, still with plenty of room for cargo. You can fill it with any other tools or doo-dads that you need when SHTF. Think Ranger, Dakota, Colorado, Tundra, Sport Trac, etc for trucks. Explorer, 4-Runner, Blazer, Jeep, Nitro, etc for SUVs. Midsize SWB 4x4s are usually lighter, and have a better climbing capability. There are a few exceptions to this, I know. Ford's new EcoBoost V6 is pretty snazzy.