# Bug out vehicle



## shawnk

I am contemplating a bug out vehicle. I thinking about a jeep wrangler because it can pretty much drive over anything and when the shtf you are going to need that capability. I have thought about a 4 wheel drive truck because you can haul your crap to your bug out location fairly easy. Your input is gratefully appreciated.


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## HuntingHawk

Several factors to take into consideration so will give you a few things to think about.

What type roads from point A to B?

Do you have to make it from A to B on one tank of fuel?

Number of people/animals transported?

Total weight to be transported?


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## rickkyw1720pf

I have done a lot of off road riding and even though a Jeep has and advantage in off road ability, in a SHTF I would go with a 4-wheel drive truck with a powerful winch (twice the capacity of the vehicle's weight) and winching hardware. Because of the extra load capacity and the ability to load it faster. You may not be able to get to your location as fast but you will have more supplies when you get there. Of course there is always the option of pulling a trailer with a Jeep.


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## taps50

I would recommend getting a H1 Hummer (or military style), from what ive heard they are damn near impossible to stop. and they can haul a lot of stuff in the cargo bay. But if your dead set on a jeep, id recommend getting a Jeep CJ-7. They are only made around the late 80's or later, but they are built to last. Most have a straight six that doesn't quit, and are made of steel/metal unlike jeep wranglers. Once Chrysler bought out jeeps I think they are all cheap junk IMO. Here is a link for a H1 Hummer I found on ebay:
Hummer H1 H1 Open Top Brush Guard Leather Low Miles | eBay


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## HuntingHawk

We have two homes 400 miles apart so one is our bugout place. Even making the trip on secondary roads there is no need for a 4X4 or even a AWD.

If your plan is just to bug out to the mountains so you need a 4X4 that is poor planning & you'll not survive long. You think the good old boys that already live in those mountains are going to welcome you with open arms when you plan to invade & consume local resources.


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## Dalarast

taps50 said:


> I would recommend getting a H1 Hummer (or military style), from what ive heard they are damn near impossible to stop. and they can haul a lot of stuff in the cargo bay. But if your dead set on a jeep, id recommend getting a Jeep CJ-7. They are only made around the late 80's or later, but they are built to last. Most have a straight six that doesn't quit, and are made of steel/metal unlike jeep wranglers. Once Chrysler bought out jeeps I think they are all cheap junk IMO. Here is a link for a H1 Hummer I found on ebay:
> Hummer H1 H1 Open Top Brush Guard Leather Low Miles | eBay


A whole lot of nope on this. Hummers can drive up some pretty steep terrain and can provide some serious reach out and touch power with its mass... but alot of issues: Weight... things are heavy. Having to drive over a shady bridge will give you a nice pucker factor. Gas.... Unless you plan on pulling a gas trailer behind you expect to be clearing out gas stations as you move. Parts.... breakdown.... your dead stopped. Finding a replacement part outside of a military base... good luck.

Jeep is a good option... but so limited on room. For one person I can see it as a viable option if your bugging out with a BOB. If its soft top though you lose any ability to secure gear though. I would recommend a SUV normally; but I also have kids I got to haul around. As said earlier.. depends on where you are driving to and how far you are driving. My dream BOV - a 75' catamaran. What... its a vehicle


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## Notsoyoung

Mine is a 4 wheel drive Explorer. I don't have that far to go and my main concern is detouring around blocked roads because of broken down/wrecked cars and if in the Winter perhaps a few inches of snow. I do make sure that I have a pair of wire cutters in case I run into a fence in my way.


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## OregonGuy

Those jeeps are great and plentiful (spare parts). They will haul a family of 4 and the dog with minimal gear. Again, as others have stated, it comes down to who and what you need to haul to bug out. If its just the family and some BOB's then you are golden in a jeep with maybe a few spare gas cans. If you have to haul the family and all you survival gear to the BOL then a truck is the correct route. As fare as a jeep with a trailer you lose some of your off road capabilities. A truck loaded down with the family and the gear can still maneuver off road and with a nice winch is just as unstoppable.

Hope this helped.


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## turbo6

I'd like an armored vehicle but that's not really feasible 

I have an older Nissan truck that, instead of trading in, we kept for this purpose. I'd like to maybe throw a brush guard on sometime but for now I just invested in a set of run flat tires for it.

When escaping a life or death situation, the last thing you want is a flat.

For now, I simply drive it one weekend a month to make sure it's running OK.


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## James m

I want a jeep grand Cherokee. Good years are 1999 to about 2004. The upscale limited ones had five speed transmissions and the 4.7 v8 there were even a few hi po 4.7 v8 that made about 265 hp.
The 2005 to 2009 are a better choice or at least the one I want. The upscale limited ones have the 5.7 hemi and im not sure but I think at least five speed transmissions. 
I found a 05 hemi limited for just over 12k includes six disk cd changer.
Yea yea im a mopar fan.... 
I also was looking at the newer durango. 2004 and newer. They are dirt cheap but I would go with the jeep. 
I know my one friend has a 2005 to 2009 jeep grand Cherokee with Kevlar tires. His wife complained about the cost of the tires.
I had a jeep liberty limited with leather and the disk changer along with the 4x4 and a 3.7 I wanted a jeep but I didn't want a four bang or zippers. So it was a liberty. I also didn't want a inline six because I had a Ford 4.9 and I didn't like the low rpm. 

The End.


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## pakrat

I went the Jeep Wrangler ('72 4L YJ) route and wouldn’t do it again. The 4.0L engines are great, but the stock vehicle reliability and ease of maintenance did not impress me at all. The heater fan quit, high beams cut in and out and the Shift-On-The-fly crapped out. Even with aggressive tires, handling on slushy/snowy highways was not good... too much torque and a short wheel-base. I did brake lines, U-joints, springs, bearings, electrical. Parts were accessible, but not cheap by any means. Besides, I struggled with getting all my gear into the wrangler and still have room for people. 

I tried a 4x4 truck ('98 Ford Ranger) because the carry capacity was good without the vehicle being a big tank. That worked out pretty well, but I found that I didn’t like the fact that my gear was not immediately accessible. It seemed like whatever I wanted was out in the bed (had a Lear cap), not in the cab. In nasty weather, it sucked.

Now I have a 2004 Xterra. It has really good off-road capability and way more space than the Wrangler. The rear seats fold flat if I need to put a lot of stuff in and I don’t have to get out in the rain if I need something from the back. I put Toyo Open Country A/T tires on it and highway manners are pretty good. I plan to put a steel basket on top for additional carry space. 

It may not be everyone’s ideal choice, but I think an SUV with actual four-wheel-drive and not AWD (XTerra, Grand Cherikee, Toyota FJ) is a good way to go. I don’t plan on climbing any mountains with the Xterra, but if I have to drive down a rutted grassy highway median to get around dead-locked vehicles or take some snowy back road rather than chance the interstate, "The X” is my choice.


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## Gunner's Mate

I have some thoughts on this after a ton of research I bought a 2000 ford excursion 4wd 7.3 PSD you can realistically expect 17 to 21 mpg based on how fast you drive if you keep the RPM below 2000 it is actually phenominal on the MPG (65mph /21 mpg) (80mph / 17mpg) towing expect 12 mpg-14mpg this is from a vehicle that weighs in at 8000 lbs+/- it has a 45 gal Fuel tank this equals a range of nearly a thosand miles on fill up plenty of room for a family and all their gear the reliability of the 7.3 PSD is legendary short of a deuce and half or a five ton there is no equal to payload ok now for the cons the X short for Excursion has a crappy steering gear box but this can easily be fixed with a Redhead steering box for less than 400.00 the factory gearbox has bushing and the redhead has bearings the leaf springs should be replaced with springs from a an F350 that is not a dually after market bilstien shocks are a good idea along with having the front end checked out the X has Front and Rear Air A roof Rack / Safari Rack and a 7 pin Trailer plug for trailers with brakes and dont buy one with a 6.0 PSD they had issues with the heads and head gaskets and the mileage sucks if you need a jeep you can always pull it with your X with some minor upgrades an X is an awesome BOV


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## Dalarast

pakrat said:


> Now I have a 2004 Xterra. It has really good off-road capability and way more space than the Wrangler. The rear seats fold flat if I need to put a lot of stuff in and I don't have to get out in the rain if I need something from the back. I put Toyo Open Country A/T tires on it and highway manners are pretty good. I plan to put a steel basket on top for additional carry space.
> 
> It may not be everyone's ideal choice, but I think an SUV with actual four-wheel-drive and not AWD (XTerra, Grand Cherikee, Toyota FJ) is a good way to go. I don't plan on climbing any mountains with the Xterra, but if I have to drive down a rutted grassy highway median to get around dead-locked vehicles or take some snowy back road rather than chance the interstate, "The X" is my choice.


Over here we share three different trucks: a newer Nissan Xterra, a foreign model Toyota land cruiser, and a land rover. The xtrerra is the most comfortable and best A/C (kinda of important when it is average heat index of 115 to 135). The foreign model Toyota land cruiser and land rover are the two things if I could I would ship home. The land rover is my dream vehicle.. be it a bug out vehicle, a beach vehicle, or a daily commuter. This thing can drive through walls, mountains, and navigate sand like nothing else. Parts and repair on a US legal one would suck and cost more than perhaps two cars combined... the shop here keeps our vehicles running better than anything I ever experienced (made our HMMWV's from the last deployment look like YUGOs). The foreign land crusiers.. while not as rugged and nice as the land rover makes the US versions look to focused on luxury and not on function.

Point being is... if you want a great BOV don't get blinded by the newer age vehicles which focus so much on the perks and luxurious items. The newer Xterras and Jeeps have AWD.. which is nice for most; but don't even have true 4X4. But I'm sure you can get tvs mounted in them...  The Toyota FJ I think is amazing vehicle that almost would be my next purchase if they put more function into it.

My daily driver back home is a VW Passat Wagon... got it cheap and its good on gas. Can hold surfboards with no problem and the wife, kids, and dogs. My weekend and potential BOV is my 97 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Had that thing since I got it brand new in 97.... its my millennium falcon in that it has issues; but its reliable to me cause I know where the problems are (My VW goes down I'm a caveman in a computer world). Has true 4 wheel drive, its durable, and I don't worry about throwing anything in it or on it for fear of scratching it.... chicks dig scars on us and scratches and knicks on the jeep 

(wow.. sorry long post. I get bored over here on Sundays)


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## RNprepper

I'm thinking more of something like this:

JohnDeere


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## PalmettoTree

I agree with the Hummer except for gas. Just think. A gas operated bug out vehicle will be useless in a week or so after a true SHTF starts.


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## RNprepper

PalmettoTree said:


> I agree with the Hummer except for gas. Just think. A gas operated bug out vehicle will be useless in a week or so after a true SHTF starts.


My point exactly!


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## Chipper

I would say anything 4x4 without an computer controlled engine or trans. Best choice is an older diesel. Mine is a 91 F-250 4x4 5 speed. Mechanical fuel pumps and injection with manual trans, NO COMPUTERS or sensors. 

Can run on filtered waste oil, trans fluid, transformer oil, diesel or any combination. Which lasts and can be stored for more than a few months unlike gas. They run forever with little maintenance. About as EMP proof as I can come up with. 10 ply tires filled with slime. Topper on back for sleeping and storage.


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## SecTec21

I appreciate the point about AWD and shift-on-the-fly vs. true 4WD. What do you think about the Dodge Durango? Does Dodge make a diesel version?


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## HuntingHawk

RNprepper said:


> I'm thinking more of something like this:
> 
> JohnDeere


"Nothing wrong with a good, honest mule".


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## James m

SecTec21 said:


> I appreciate the point about AWD and shift-on-the-fly vs. true 4WD. What do you think about the Dodge Durango? Does Dodge make a diesel version?


No. Check www.allpar.com to be sure. Maybe foreigners. 
I know they did have a diesel liberty or I think they did. 
They may be coming out with things but only brand new Durango's 
But I do see the dodge ram with a Cummins is up to 800 foot pounds of torque. 
The older Durango used the 318 cubic inch engine circa the 1960's and the 360 inch 5.9 liter. The late 90's through 2003 for the body style then they had 4.7's


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## joecherry

This is my new bug out vehicle. I think of it as a jeep on steroids.... It's a British Ferret Scout Car, completely restored... runs on gas, 5 forward and 5 reverse speeds. It's small, agile and armored.


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## DBarry1973

Cool.


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## phrogman

I think any truck/SUV/van that is 4wd drive is the best option, nothing real fancy is needed except for a big gas tank. Diesel would be ideal because of the better gas mileage and payload. You need the payload and room to carry your loved ones and supplies. Everything else that you can do to it is a plus like a brush guard if you have to push a abandoned vehicle out of the way or maybe a locker and better tires for traction when having to take alternate routing.


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## GTGallop

An old Toyota Truck is your bets bet.


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## Gunner's Mate

Ok here it is


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## StarPD45

PalmettoTree said:


> I agree with the Hummer except for gas. Just think. A gas operated bug out vehicle will be useless in a week or so after a true SHTF starts.


The vast majority of the civilian H-1 Hummers, based on the military HUMVEES, are diesel.
They did sell a few gas versions, but they are rare.
And I'm not talking about the H-2 or H-3 models. They aren't even close.


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## shawnk

Awesome info. I have some more research to do. I do have a question though. Which type of fuel would be easier to obtain when the shtf, diesel or unleaded?


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## HuntingHawk

Long term bio diesel would be the choice.


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## PaulS

Anyone who thinks that biodiesel is what will keep their diesel rig running needs to make at least five gallons of biodiesel. I am not sure that I want to store or make lye and alcohol just so I can make biodiesel. I don't mind making alcohol and using it as fuel, drink and medicine but mixing up lye and alcohol to turn it into a waste product to get biodiesel? I think not.


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## Sinkhole

I went with a 2005 Silverado RC/SB 4x4 with a 5.3L. It's great truck and has been super reliable. I get 400-435 miles on one tank (between 20 and 23 gallons, tanks holds 26.5 dry) of highway driving with out pushing it. I'm sure I can squeeze a few more miles out of it. I'm considering investing in a cap instead of the current tonneau cover to give me more dry storage in the rear. the RC/SB sacrifices a little storage capacity but is better off road do it's shorter wheelbase. the Standard length bed also lends to the higher load capacity of 1800+ lbs.


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## DerBiermeister

Toyota 4Runners are the best damn bang for your buck SUVs ever built. IMO of course. The whole line, going all the way back to the time when it WAS the first SUV. Plus their reliability is unmatched. Gas mileage is pretty damn good -- you'll see an avg of 24 mpg. They are a truck body and have fantastic special gears, etc., for getting out of ditches, whatever. The ONLY SUV (except for maybe its big brother -- Toyota Sequoia) where the rear window goes down into the lift gate. 

I think when consider ALL aspects - the 4Runner is the right BOV.


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## Notsoyoung

When considering buying a SUV I looked at the 4runner and went with the Explorer instead. Just my preference.


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## PaulS

The Bronco by Ford has a tailgate window that goes down into the tailgait too. My idea of a BOV is either a lightweight car (I don't need to go off road) that can accelerate fast and corner like it is riding on rails or an armored personnel carrier.

The lightweight car is for getting out before the first twenty-four hours of SHTF and the APC is if you wait until the S has hit the fan and been splattered all over the place.


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## shawnk

I think I have found a couple of choices.


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## Camel923

I have a reasonable location with fruit trees, garden, forest with wild life. Working on a live stock plan. If I have to get out now my wife has the H2 Hummer and I have a 4x4 Dodge Ram. If full tanks we can make it with a fair amount of priority items to a secondary local, a hunting camp with fuel to spare.


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## blackrhino

I have a 1990 GMC JIMMY the full size one, or as almost everyone calls it a k5 blazer. The back window rolls all the way down as well. Plus all of it's parts are interchangeable.


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## StarPD45

shawnk said:


> View attachment 6354
> View attachment 6355
> 
> I think I have found a couple of choices.


That white one looks like the teaser Chrysler showed for a potential Wrangler style pickup a number of years ago.
Too bad they didn't build it.


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## shawnk

The white one is a AEV Brute, with a Hemi.


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## HuntingHawk

You really have to look at the roads to your BOL, distance, number of people, amount of gear, etc.


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## CornerStone

Suburban, 12 valve cummins with a manual trans, 35" mud terrains and a good roof rack with strong bumpers. All mechanical driveline so it will service an EMP, plenty of power and decent fuel milage.


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