Bug Out Vehicle - Must Have Features

[Paul_H]

Hi hamradioop

theres a 2nd battery fitted already in the rear pickup bed that runs 99% of the non factory kit, flashy lights, comms, tablet, phone charger etc done this way as it leaves the main vehicle battery free only things that run from this are the 2 winches and there never used unless the engine is running. Also it was just easier to run a fixed feed from battery 2 into the cab and run everything through a marine grade distrobution block and fuse holder

a 1000w inverter would be nice but I think for me a bit higher than I need but when I come to paying out for that ill get the biggest I can do, solar panel would be really nice to keep the 2nd battery topped up but think the split charger should do a decent job of that as I dont really leave it running stuff for too long at a time the most its going to have to do is run the comms kit and keep the cool box running now and then but its an option I am going to account for so that if I do decide to go for it then I have the stuff fitted ready and its good to go.

Im in the process of replacing the 3 gauges that are fitted to a pod ontop of my dash as I dont use them they currently are compass tilt meter and volt meter, im thinking of fitting 2 digital volt meters one for main battery and one for the 2nd battery so I can see what each is doing

Got a few ideas in the mix infact one of my last jobs last time I worked on truck was to mount the body for my Yaesu 350 behind the rear seats now have full APRS ability and got one mount run through for 2m 70cms also have a 7900 here im thinking of putting in there too that or as its small and remote head would make a nice go box radio

[Slazanger]

I always thought something like a delica or a converted VW T4/T5, although more of a stealth camper, a simple converted white van would work. Thats my long term plan.

[survivor_steve]

delicas are pretty good offroad, just make sure drive one before you buy, we bought one and kids in the back started suffering from car sickness..... got rid and bought a lwb pajero and they was fine seen a few people who dont need the rear seats of a pajero remove seats and put in a false floor so you can grab thangs easier... some used for hunting and under false floor storage for guns with dog crate on top etc

or you could keep seats in and bang a roof box on which is what i did and seats fold down to make a big double bed.... just a few ideas

[Auntystatic]

be careful with those electric coolboxes they can draw 4 Amps or more when on 12v, I only allow mine to run when the engine is running, my second battery is just way too important for radio gear to allow a lowly coolbox to drain it

[Mr.S]

I just have a scooter and I'm building a get home bag (water, caffeine tabs and rations) for under the seat. It's not very snow storm, regular storm or anything proof

[Paul_H]

be careful with those electric coolboxes they can draw 4 Amps or more when on 12v, I only allow mine to run when the engine is running, my second battery is just way too important for radio gear to allow a lowly coolbox to drain it

yeah dont I know it have made the mistake of leaving it on before

I now have a carling switch with illuminated switch for it but am also toying with the idea of putting in a 2nd warning lamp on the dash, I have a little hump on the dash with some gauges in and iv managed to get a 2nd hand one and stripped it down and have an aluminium sheet cut down to go over the front iv just got to grind it down to size its a bit large at moment but is shaped to fit just needs feckling, plan is to have some of the new carling warning lamps go into that 1 for the front and rear winches so that when the the isolater is turned off and they have power I get a warning lamp on the dash think I might do this with the fridge too should be easy enough to do just run a feed from the relay trip to the lamp

Have to ask were did you get the name from guessing your a radio ham too ????

[Paul_H]

With doing a refit on the truck iv had time to step back and have a dam good look at some stuff id like to put in the truck to make it more useful out in the field and also plan is to use it to go camping etc so looking at thinks that would be helpful when out doing that.

I think I have come up with a way to make the fridge a bit easier to use when on the kit rack, also think iv come up with a foldaway table that can be slid out and dropped down when needing to put the cooker somewhere or give extra room to use 2 cookers and put plates out etc.

should be starting the wood work towards the end of this week with luck, just want to get the mile long lists of jobs that need doing to put it back on the road and get it in for MOT hopefully tomorrow if not then Thursday tomorrow would be great as if it does pass then I can take the GF out to the pictures as a thank you for putting up with me

Auntystatic, got the FTM-350 in and all seems ok just waiting on proper mount for the antenna to arrive had to go for a mirror mount in end not my ideal mount but will do for now till I can fab up a better cleaner looking mount. Debating on weather to put the 7900 in there too at what point do you hit the " too many radios" stage lol got a low band mobile, high band mobile, FTM-350, normally a high band h/h for back to back work, low band hand held out of truck use and CB for when in convoy not used often but now and then. I think the 7900 might be a step too far lol ran out of mic hangers a long long time ago hahahaha

[grenfell]

when i get some more cash saved up , im planning on getting a suzuki jimny and kitting it out with flood lights , a winch,and a bigger tank

Rusty

I'm probably more inclined to bug in , but , if I was looking for features on a bug out vehical then Rusty's post has touched upon what I would look for - a big tank. I can't help but think that a BOV needs to have a decent range, it's no good having loads of kit and stuff on the vehical if it runs out of juice after a couple of hundred miles. My choice if I had to would end up being my transit which with a full tank is good for close to 700 miles. Living in central England that could take me almost anywhere in the UK. Or another way of looking at it is that it could keep me mobile for several weeks.
Likewise a decent load capacity would work for me too, carry more food , water and petrol.

[V8Dave]

Unfortunately the ideal vehicle doesn't exist in the UK. I've owned most of them I think! For me, the ideal vehicle should be a 4x4 for decent carrying capacity and go-anywhere ability; a car would be great for town and city E&E and is the reason I own a remapped Skoda Octavia vRS; it's combination of simplicity, tough mechanicals and plenty of power for point-and-squirt maneuvering mean it's unbeatable for the money; but when it comes to getting out into the middle of nowhere, , a real 4x4 is a must.

Sadly, there's not much worth considering in a real SHTF situation (to me anyway). The ideal vehicle should be simple, tough, easy to maintain with an abundance of locally available spares. It must also run reliably on any fuel available in tough situations, from heating oil to sump oil, veg oil to bio diesel or even pump diesel. An old Land Rover would be ideal, but their prices are high, and the Lucas injection pumps really don't take kindly to alternative fuels without excessive meddling with introduces possible external failure nodes. I did own an old Series III with a Perkins Prima fitted from an old Maestro. It had a Bosch VP37 pump and ran on everything from waste engine oil cut with heating fuel to 100% veg oil. It goes to say, anything modern, common rail, electronic, or overly complex is just plain out from the get go.

I can add Mitsubishi to the list of possibles-but-need-work. Shogun ownership introduced me to the 2.8 4M40 engine and the horrors of pump seal failures and cracked heads. The 4D56T 2.5 from my L200 was pretty good but balancer shaft belts and head gasket problems also discount this engine for me.

So, the option is to build something instead, just the way I like it!

The plan is to use a Land Rover 110 station wagon with van sides, and swap out Land Rovers piss poor attempt at a diesel engine with something a bit more reliable like a Nissan 2.8 from an old Patrol. I can then kit this out with extra fuel tanks for long range driving, and years of Australian outback testing has shown it to be pretty tough and capable of running on on anything from chicken p*ss to pump diesel.

[richardivryn]

My BOV is a suzuki GS500 with tank bag, panniers and back box, my girlfriend has a 1991 mini.
The bike is curently stripped for painting NATO GREEN, should be done by the end of the week.
The mini is a rally prepped 998cc city E fitted with a hydrogen fuel cell.