# Emergency , or bug out RV



## Getting Serious (Jul 16, 2014)

Just a little something I've been considering more and more lately. How many of you currently own or would own hey fully ready and prepared self sustaining solar powered, and water filteringoff grid bug out RV?I have been thinking about having an older non computerized EMP resistant fully stocked and ready to go at a moment's notice smaller class C RV already loaded with bug out bag, medical kit, food, water, etc.. to save on emergency packing time.

I have been considering getting older ones from 1970 to 1989 and modifying them to be off grid and then selling them it'll be something good to supplement my income and one more time I could do since I'm limited now. 

You can still load them with food water emergency supplies right there at the store and then transport and store them as your BOL
are you need to start it is just a little spot of land and there is no need to have place built as well as being able to moving in a situation and anytime

Personally, having something at a moment's notice that I can jumping in that is already fully stocked with food water and etc, that only requires minimal material in time in packing nn crucial emergency where moments count


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## tango (Apr 12, 2013)

How much will it cost to buy/restore/upgrade old units?
How much can you sell them for?


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Not enough roof space on a class C for enough solar panels to be self powered. Big items such as microwave would eat up stored power in a few minutes. Class C also doesn't have the space like a class A to readily add more house batteries.


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## Getting Serious (Jul 16, 2014)

I had not planned on solar power being the primary source natural power electrical. I had planned on integrating a smaller wind powered generator as well as something hooked up along with the alternators or dual alternators, as well as a small deployable and retractable water generator. Pain rainwater catch system that filters rainwater to potable water, also redirecting non filtered rainwater garden reservoir for storage and irrigation, they wouldn't be completely rebuilt but all of the mechanicals would be inspectedd and repaired as needed and additions added for self-sustaining capability as well as water seal for the interior.

I always believe and not relying on one source but having many sources for backup in case one fails.

I.e.. there's more then one way is to Power a boat


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

I don't believe you have done much RVing. Cold areas you get into the trees as a wind break. Hot areas you get into the shade out of the sunlight. Where is the wind coming from to power a wind turbine? With just two 6VDC golf cart batteries for house batteries what good would dual alternators provide?


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

This appears to be a big idea with no thought behind it.


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## Getting Serious (Jul 16, 2014)

I see that you assume alot of things without knowing


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## Deebo (Oct 27, 2012)

I have contemplated an RV, and a box truck, and a bus. So far, I have sold a "gutted out" pull behind camper, becouse it had roof issues, and passed on one box truck becouse it was "pretty much set up" and i want to do it myself.
I have had a job change, so i should have more tinkertime, and one of my many "wish lists" includes scouring some recycling areas and "junk stores".
I also think, that as a "ultimate bug out vehicle" RV's are pretty thin skinned.


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## Getting Serious (Jul 16, 2014)

before things get sour and assumptions run rampant, am going to give you a little bit of my background. I have before lived in a tent in the Woods for 6 months, I have lived in an RV from the 1970 s for over year in my home state of Indiana in the middle of Indianapolis, I lived all four seasons in an RV. I have been a mechanic since I was 18 years old I am now 36, I have done electrical work, I have done plumbing, I have done many different trades. I also had previously worked for demolition company maintaining their heavy equipment tractor trailers and heavy dump trucks by myself I have done this before this is NOT my 1st ballgame. I also worked for a company completely equipping brand new work vans for the cable company from the initial unequipped purchase to fully ready service work. I've been around the block a few times. assumptions are the mother of all ****ups.


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Since retiring from the military have had an Apache popup, 24ft TT, & now an older 34ft HR gasser I'm rebuilding.


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## Hemi45 (May 5, 2014)

I go back and forth when it comes to RV's. On one hand they can be a good, self contained and mobile 'life pod.' On the other hand they're also a really big, clumsy target.


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## Getting Serious (Jul 16, 2014)

although I do completely agree that in a complete collapse SHTF situationit would not be an optimal thing to bug out in if you are trying to do not be detected or seen.but in an storm scenario or quick relocation without knowing if you are going to have an easy roof to relocate to, or if you do happen to going off the beaten path temporarily or long term there is a ready to go shelter that is easier and concealed by brush around you within the woods or a forest etcetera there are many possibilitiesbut either way it goes its still something no matter the situation that can be a sustainable shelterif you happen to successfully stay out of sigh and - it away from the general populace. Would be a fantastic thing to have if you were to purchase land with no home on it as a temporary or long term livable structureon your own land you can drive it to its spot and maintain there. as I have stated before you could drive it to the grocery store initially and load or stock it with Dr for apps and then drive it to its final destination as an easy shelter that's ready to go


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Agreed but class A or C I think you should take advantage of a towed/toad. 4 down, dolly, or trailer is dictated by the vehicle towed behind the RV. And if the towed vehicle is something like a compact SUV, you can add an additional 500lbs plus of gear in it. Dolly is a good choice for a front wheel drive as it requires little storage space when not being used. My thought is mostly 5gal jugs of fuel & water in the towed vehicle. Trailer can add too much tongue weight to the RV.


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## Deebo (Oct 27, 2012)

If, it all went south, and I was loaded into an Rv, i would drop some timbers across the roads I just traveled, with my chainsaw, to slow down, and stop some "bad guys".


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

454 or 460? One thing was always for sure & that was the Chevy would always get less gas mileage. At the time Chevy finally came out with a transmission that would permit it to get as good a gas mileage as the 460 Ford came out with the 6 speed transmission & V10 engine. All new gasser MHs are now Ford. Older class A or C MHs everything being equal, a 454 is worth thousands less then a 460.


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Here is something to consider between a class A & a class C. Lets compare a 30ft gasser of both.

A class A you would basically have 30ft of living space since the engine is between the diver & passenger. A class C you immediately loose 3-4ft for the engine out front. Many of the class C MHs the front seats don't swivel around to become part of the living space so another 2-3ft of living space is lost. And often those seats are lower then the living space floor. So with a class C you basically loose 5-7ft of living space just by design. But for most people a class C is more comfortable to drive.


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## LunaticFringeInc (Nov 20, 2012)

Im a early retired dude at the moment and have been a full time RVer here in North Texas for quite a few years now. At least 9 as of right now. I previously lived on my 37 foot sailboat moored in San Diego too for about 7.5 years. I have played this game a little bit. Here are somethings I have learned between the two...

- They aint very energy efficient to heat or cool if you live in a climate that requires one or the other. Heating is a lot easier of a issue to over come than the cooling part. Youd be hard pressed to put enough solar panels up to provide enough electricity on a RV or Batteries to heat or cool one to a comfortable level. Wind power would help and be a better idea if you get at least 10 miles of wind more times than not. Even then its unlikely to be enough. Using a combination of the two in San Diego I was able to get away with a 403 mast mounted Windmill Genset and 6-8 120 watt solar panels and 4x 8D Batteries, but I could get by there with no AC too. You aint gonna do that in North Texas during the summer, even in the shade!!! While you might be able to supplement a lot of your power with wind and solar your really gonna need a Genset in my area and run it several hours a day 4-5 months out of the year for reliable power.

- RVs especially those that require a tow vehicle can easily be over loaded with gear right fast, especially if your tow vehicle is a 1/2 ton truck or smaller! I have a 22 footer at the moment and I have had a friend who uses a 3/4 ton diesel truck tow my rig partially unloaded a few times and they have complained about it feeling heavier than their fully loaded 30 footer! If your towing as soon as you have to step up to a 3/4 ton or bigger truck, your gas milage will suck big time even compared to a 1/2 ton truck. Not that big of an issue if you only tow with it but if that 3/4 ton is also your daily commuter, you are so screwed it aint even funny! But I guess in a Bug Out situation you aint gonna be driving much after you arrive at your final desination but what do you do in the mean time while you wait for the SHTF?

- Space is at a premium in either platform, trailer or boat! There is a reason why I refer to my 22 footer as a one butt hut! I have a fraction of what I would like to have and my RV is jammed packed!!! I am hoping to upgrade to a 30 ft toy box in the near future and I seriously doubt it will take me more than a couple days to load it up jammed packed too if I empty my small storage unit.

That being said...I am seriously looking at getting a school bus or a grayhound bus that's been retired and turning it into a motor home. I would have a lot more room, wouldn't need a large tow vehicle or to use it as a daily driver while I wait for the SHTF. When I upgrade to a larger Trailer, I could gut the equipment off my 22 foot trailer and use it to out fit the bus making it a pretty cheap, realatively speaking of course, project. Don't know if I will ever get cocky enough to attempt that project though...


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Normally buses are up to 40ft though some special buses up to 45ft. I had previously looked at youtube vids at school bus conversions. The amount of money, time, & labor involved I decided for me more effective to just buy an older class A & modify to fit my needs. Plus do a few upgrades.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

It sounds like this project needs a POC(proof of concept).
You'll need to be willing to lose money on the first prototype.
Work out the issues with generating, storing, and using power.
Improvise a solid method for creating potable water from any source.
Determine safe and meaningful weight restrictions that allow for a good balance of stored gear/sustenance and livable space.

Before jumping into the idea of doing this for profit, build one for yourself to encounter and overcome the initial challenges, with full expectation that it will be costly and difficult.
Only then will you have an idea of how much time, effort, and money this will take to turn into a business venture.

Heck, you could try starting a crowd funded campaign to raise some funds for the first prototype.


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## Lucky Jim (Sep 2, 2012)

Being able to hop in something and get outta town in an emergency makes good sense, I haven't got a BOV myself (sniffle).
If this was mine I'd paint it green or throw a camo net over it and park near a river or lake til things have quietened down back in town..









Oops.. (a "road" in Russia after rain)-









(Below) if I ever buy a BOV I think I'd go for something small and tough like these babies (Baikal area,Siberia).
As long as there's room to stretch out and sleep in the back i'd be happy..


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## whoppo (Nov 9, 2012)

We keep our custom built 24' RV fueled, stocked and ready to go.
A weekend boondock in the wilderness or an extended stay at one of our "special places" requires very little prep... from first thought to rolling out of the driveway can happen in 15-30 minutes.
These pics are a little old, but it now has 200W of solar, with another 200W coming in the spring.
The truck has two Odyssey PC1750 batteries for starting and the "house" has three Odyssey 31MPC2150 batteries. All interior and aux lighting is LED and we're never short of power for the inportant things.
Ham radio on board covering 160 meters through 23cm, all modes.
VHF and UHF public service radios (FM and P25 digital) with pretty much every interop frequency programmed. Several handhelds as well.


































We've done several GTFO of Dodge excercises to various pre-planned "camp sites".. We drill using the RV and this truck as the lead/recon vehicle... also radio-equipped "DC to Daylight"


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## tango (Apr 12, 2013)

Please refer to my first question---
How will it cost to buy an old RV, how much will it cost to do the upgrades-- how much can you sell one for??
These are valid questions if you expect to make a living at this---


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

I looked on RV Trader & class C MHs start at $3,000. But here is the problem: What shape is that $3,000 MH in? How much money & time for repairs just to get it looking & running half decent? And those at that price are from the mid to late 1970s. 
Even if you fixed everything & did upgrades who is going to pay alot of money for a 70s class C?


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

You are going to need a big shop to do modifications effectively. Especially important will be a place to do carpendry work. Maybe even cabinet work.

Here is something to think about. There are different lengths mini & full size school buses. Lay out dimensions with chaulk on concete floor & then do your floor plan. Look at weight distribution when doing it. There are RV salvage yeards you can get some parts including generators. But I would be looking more at new stuff if going to resale the reworked & rebuilt units.

I don't know of a company that does custom RV buses so might be a good nitch. But you would need areas for mechanic work, metal fabrication, painting, carpentry & cabinets. etc. You are going to have to make boxes for the house batteries as well as hangers for water tanks.
And some hard decisions will have to be made.Many MH people are replacing their RV type frig with small house refrigerators. More efficient & holds more. But you have to have the available power to do it & enough recharging. Same with electric on demand hot water. Alot to think about.


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Here are some references to get an idea of cost of various school busses:

Used School Buses For Sale - Better Buses @ Better Prices - We deliver school buses nation wide

<BETTER BUSES-BETTER PRICES> www.floridachurchbus.com


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

There is also purchasing used box trucks like u-haul sales.


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## Getting Serious (Jul 16, 2014)

I have considered many benefactors in the RV's and 1970 and 1980 s up to 1989 is the best case scenario. I know how the RV's were produced in 1996 and how much cheaper they are constructed even now I do not see the benefits of sacrificing reliability over convenience and luxury. If you have time the computer equipment stuff from 1990 and up versus the older stuff from the 1970 S and 80 S the cost of repairing or even buying replacement parts for a computer controlled vehicle could be several hundred for a very tiny part, if the structural collapse was to happen one of the things that would be harder to find immediately if not price gouging would be computer parts for a vehicle at the auto parts industry. 1970 s or a 1980s carbureted vehicle with HEI would be considerably cheaper and easier to repair in an emergency with an abundance of parts available almost everywhere you look. Not only that, the construction in the 19 seventies and eighties was superior in quality compared to the slapped together presswood formaldehyde infused cardboard junk stuff nowadays. There is no way I would ever climb into something from the 1990 S or newer nor would I expect anyone else to if something tragic happened or ever expect a computer dependent vehicle to be reliable if tragedy was to strike especially with an EMP it would be nothing more than an overweight paperweight or boat anchor. As far as reliability after the initial buildI would completely test what I installed and I do have the ability to fix anyproblems that they may have. If the cost or work is too great I would never initially by the RV due to The effect of cost I do not plan on the final price of the RV to exceed eight thousand dollars at the most I'm hoping to keep it within five to six thousand after the independent upgrades are installed including parts. I do not plan on running a full size business with this I only hope to achieve. Afford my own RV and necessities. As I stated in my earlier post this is only 2 supplement my already existing disability which is insufficient at best. In my own personal opinion, to replace an original you quit refrigerator that operates on AC propane and sometimes DC as well with an AC dependent college dorm type refrigeratoris stupid at best


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## StarPD45 (Nov 13, 2012)

The usual problem with the $3000.00 '70s vintage class C's is water damage from leaks. To fix those would require major (re)-construction.
Not economically feasible, especially if you intend to stay within the price range you quoted. 
I've passed up several older motorhomes in the past because of that very issue.

My current RV is a 25' travel trailer towed by a 3/4 ton diesel 4X4 pickup. I have taken it places that even surprised me.
While not as self-contained as I would like, (no solar yet) it is low profile, which I consider an advantage.


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