i'm a die hard ford man. i was raised on them. i'm in love with the 73-79 f series pick-up truck. i have two of them and i think they would work just fine for a bov. easy to work on, solid, well built truck. my 76 f-350 has a 390 that has over 200,000 miles and i could pull just about any type of camper or whatever i need. my 79 f-150 has a 351 mod and it dos'nt lack for power either. i also have an 80 e-150 cargo van with 275,000 miles that i drive almost daily. it has a 300 straight 6 motor in it. for some reason ford really had there stuff together back then. just my opinion.

 

LOL, me too, but try swapping rear ends from a 75 3/4 ton 4x4 to a 75 1/2 ton 4x4....ones frame is 4 inches wider. On the ford subject. I have two 75 4x4's both with 390's (the gasoline desiel), one 68 2wd and a 2001 dodge....Dont ask.

 

Unimog. Hands down #1.

 

Ever work on a 404, or drive one for more than 10 miles?

 

Urban survival vehicles should blend in well. I wouldn't recommend anything that would look out of place parked on the side of the street. Silver is the most produced color for all cars/trucks. If I remember right, the Ford Explorer was the the most produced 4x4.

I opted for a 2000 Ford Explorer but in the Eddie Bauer green and tan scheme. Figured it would still blend in around town but also gave some degree of camo if I had to hit the woods with it. I went with a 2000 for two reasons. First, I could pay all cash for it. Second, I used to be a Ford technician and became super familiar with this truck.

 

There really is no best of anything as every situation adds qualifiers as to what is needed at that time. But there are general rules. First off it has to run dependably, secondly see the first rule. Everything else depends on rule two and what is going on at the time you need it. If you live in the snow belt 4wd is a good bet. Fuel economy is a consideration but you may nee horsepower and torque... how many people are going to use it? Where do you plan to bug out to? Vehicles are the least universal item on the survival list... your choice needs to be made based on your initial plans and the practicality of executing those plans. Next you need to consider how to outfit your choice of vehicle and how to keep it in absolutely dependable condition... this will reflect back to your choice of vehicle... anything exotic and after the fall are you going to be able to scavange parts? Questions like this are very important to what you decide on, and finally you need to make sure you have the skill set to keep it running or your planning can end up a waste of time.

 

H1 Hummer diesel conversion

 

I would say an suv 4x4. Can carry alot of gear and people, keeps everything out of the weather. Offers better security for gear than the back of a pick up. Sleepes better than cars and trucks. Many get decent gas milage. Bikes or other gear can mount on top with ease. Can pull a trailers,boats, ect.

 

i pick a 05 civic reason cheap on gas plain and simple goes further with less fuel.. now if the shtf chances are gas runs out.. or roads cramed with other cars ive driven my car up acess roads that what most people say you need a 4x4 to go up ive been off road with my car i know what it can do and how to avoid geting stuck like staying on solid ground once you off solid ground 4x4 or not you can get stuck easy

way i look at it if its long term problems might not be able to get gas at all then what good is a 4x4 with no gas to run it

 

The best survival vehicle? The one that doesnt look like one.
With that said, I have a Jeep Cherokee. I am also looking at buying a Toyota Tundra CrewCab with a camper shell on the back.

 

if I had the funds this would be my idea of the ultimate survival vehicle

 

 

Mine is a 2005 4X4 Durmax. I figure if gas becomes a problem I could use bio fuels

 

where i am there is one road in, so an evacuation would be through some seriously rough and heavily wooded terrain ---- so--- 4 legged

 

This company makes some really neat stuff designed for wilderness treking. They will custom build what you want. It's called Earth Roamer. They're not far from where I live.

http://www.earthroamer.com/index.html





















http://www.earthroamer.com/galleries/rubicon_trail/index.htm

 

If I had a 100 grand it would be A Hummer H1

 

An up-armored M998 HMMWV would be ideal. You could have a guy up in the hatch working the M2 or Mk19 (if only!).

 

no doubt, nissan titan

 

i build sportsmobile vans i like these http://www.sportsmobile.com/
we just sent 17 to iraq they say for seach and rescue but the stuff we put inside them is not for that

 

I guess I just have to be different. I think it's a pretty safe assumption that if things get bad enough that you're using a "survival vehicle", then you probably won't be able to pull into your neighborhood gas station and fill up the tank. You will also probably want to save the fuel that you have stored (you do have fuel stored, don't you?) for only the most urgent transportation or for running your generator.

I'll cast my vote for this:

This is my "get around the area when there is no fuel available" vehicle.

Bicycle - Montague folding Paratrooper
Trailer - Beast of Burden Ibix

ConfederateColonel

 

Colonel, what is the capacity on that trailer and how easy is it to balance a load? It looks pretty functional?

 

As I recall, the sticker on it says that the max load is 70 pounds.

Balancing the load really isn't a factor. Unless you intentionally tried to load a lot of heavy stuff on one side, with nothing on the other side, you don't notice any difference in handling. I have never really paid any attention to balancing, and never had even a hint of problem with it.

The fact that it is a single-wheel design means that it tracks the bicycle - when you lean, it leans. If you can fit your bicycle with you riding it through a space, then the trailer is almost certainly going to fit through that space also. I looked at the "two wheels with axle" design, but this easily beats them for what we're discussing here. If you are looking for a baby carrier, then maybe the two wheel design makes sense. If you want load-carrying, rough terrain performance though, this is the design.

They aren't cheap, but I got mine as they were introducing a new model, so I got a good deal on it. You can also find them on eBay, but be careful - I watched some folks pay a higher price for a used trailer than I paid for mine new.

Confederate Colonel

 

For long term Bike or Motorcycle with saddle bags and a trailer not the hogs or crotch rockets the street legal ones with knobby tires.(till the gas runs out) Snowmobile in winter until the gas runs out then Cross country skis and a Toboggan to tow behind you.
Might want to practice with the bike and the skis though. Both are far cheaper to buy then the above.

 

Colonel,

When i first saw this post I was thinking, my bike, of course!! For me, with my BoB Yak, all my touring stuff, pretty well set up and a 'no brainer' because I can ride. But, the early postings were all piston head oriented. My brother is one o' those and has stashed a few "surefire standby ignition systems" NIB. I searched it before posting this, and found no mention of these things. This little box has eight plug wires, hooks up between the negative gnd. and coil, can substitute for the distributor and operate 4-6-8 cylinder engines that might have been otherwise ruined by an e bomb / nuke issue. I'll keep one of these things with me.... on my bike.

 

got a source on those?

 

I've always wanted a Korean war era jeep, but that is just for kicks.

A really great survival vehicle is an early (1985-1993 or so) S10 long box pickup truck in 4x4, with the 4.3L V6. The 4.3 liter is 4/6ths of a 327 chevy - same bore and stroke, just 6 cylinders instead of 8. A gazillion of these engines were made so parts will be plentiful for a long time. They make good power but can get great mileage on the highway. The long box version (7.5 foot x 4ft wide box) can take an after market 40 gallon fuel tank. At 25mpg highway that is 1,000 miles before refueling. The 4x4 is activated by a manual lever on the floor, so no electronics or cables to fail. These trucks are also narrower than a full size pickup and have a lower roofline, while retaining excellent ground clearance - so they can get through tight places. The pickup box is rated for a half ton and it is rated to tow 3,500lbs. I have had two of these in the past and I still think they are great trucks!

 

Don't mean to burst your bubble, but there are two mistakes in this line of thinking. First, while the s-10 does use a manual transfercase lever, the front axle is actuated by a vacuum system. The hoses that operate it are prone to rotting. I know this because I owned one. 1 leaking hose = no 4wd. Second, getting a 20 year old s-10 (4.3) to get 24mpg ain't gonna happen, especially loaded with survivalist gear on decent tires. Do yourself a favor and buy a Toyota 4x4. There is a reason they hold thier value. Don''t get me wrong, the 4.3 is a great motor, they are perfect for transplanting into Toyotas. The problem is the rest of the truck around it. After spending thousands building an s-10 for offroading, I still had a pile of garbage.

 

plus one on th 4x4 van concept

 

I'd pick something that runs reliably, I know how to operate and maintain and for which spare parts and fuel are available, and goes a long distance on a little fuel. It should also blend in to the surroundings or at least not be an eye-catcher, and have a moderate payload and passenger space, and should have good cross-country ability. I suppose that narrows it down to ox or horse drawn wagon.

 

My vote, the Toyota Hilux (Tacoma) diesel pickup in 4x4.

 

My vote, the Toyota Hylux (Tacoma) diesel pickup in 4x4.
YouTube - Top Gear: Killing a Toyota Part 1

YouTube - Top Gear: Killing a Toyota Part 2 (a)

YouTube - Top Gear: Killing a Toyota Part 2 (b)

For some reason, your vids aren't working. Toyota does make quality stuff though.