I hear what you're saying about the newer ones.

From 2007 onwards the new defender model has an engine that is very very electronical and makes my TD5 engine look ancient!

I've had no issues with my defender yet and though it has an ECU it is a very basic one at that.

You know I have to point out that while a defender 110 or 90.. the short jeep looking version is the 90 the longer wagon is the 110...
Anyway they command such a high price tag I could buy 10 Willys Jeep overland wagon 4x4 fully restored off ebay and still have enough money left over to some really cool tricks of my own



[edit on 22-7-2009 by DaddyBare]

Schoolbuses are a great option for conversions - they can be found pretty cheaply online, and some people have done fantastic schoolbus - rv conversions.. They're much more solidly and safely constructed than an RV, so for survival purposes, they're clearly better..

I found one for sale on craigslist last week for under a grand...

Originally posted by DaddyBare
You know I have to point out that while a defender 110 or 90.. the short jeep looking version is the 90 the longer wagon is the 110...
Anyway they command such a high price tag I could buy 10 Willys Jeep overland wagon 4x4 fully restored off ebay and still have enough money left over to some really cool tricks of my own

[edit on 22-7-2009 by DaddyBare]

In the states you'll pay through the nose for a defender (90 or 110) due to your draconian import laws but in the UK they aren't that dear.
I paid about $7000 or so for mine (110) and it's only 8 years old and runs brilliantly.
They also hold their value and you can sleep in 'em.
A hilux is ok for wide-open spaces but pretty lame offroad compared to a defender when it gets tight and tricky.

[edit on 24-7-2009 by WatchRider]

Thanks hotrodturbo7

WatchRider...

In the states you'll pay through the nose for a defender (90 or 110) due to your draconian import laws but in the UK they aren't that dear.
I paid about $7000 or so for mine (110) and it's only 8 years old and runs brilliantly.
They also hold their value and you can sleep in 'em.
A hilux is ok for wide-open spaces but pretty lame offroad compared to a defender when it gets tight and tricky.

I agree... the Defender will beat a Hilux for off road ability. I would still go for the Hilux though simply because i want a vehicle that will run with a broken axle and my p!ss in the tank

Don't know about the broken axle but you can run a defender off used engine / hydraulic / vegetable oil
Just filter and add a bit of white spirit / meths to it so it ignites better

The vehicle needs to be diesel flex fuel, so that it can run on bio, peanut oil or virtually anything that burns.

It needs to not be electric ignition, meaning if there is a massive emp event then 99% of the cars out there will not be able to start since they will essentially be short circuited. So what ever you get make sure it survive an emp event.

It should have very rugged off road tires, ideally the truck should be awd/4wd

Then you can get into the custom features of what you are looking for.

Originally posted by Desolate Cancer

The vehicle needs to be diesel flex fuel, so that it can run on bio, peanut oil or virtually anything that burns.

It needs to not be electric ignition, meaning if there is a massive emp event then 99% of the cars out there will not be able to start since they will essentially be short circuited. So what ever you get make sure it survive an emp event.

It should have very rugged off road tires, ideally the truck should be awd/4wd

Then you can get into the custom features of what you are looking for.

Agreed, you can spend $$$$ on conversions or buy a rugged vehicle that runs on diesel fuel.
Old diesel engines are less fussy about what fuel they accept.
Don't forget the innovator of the first diesel engine ran it off peanut oil

Very nice, but if the SHTF, you won't be able to power that vehicle. There will be no gasoline. Whatever gasoline you store (NOT RECOMMENDED) will be consumed quickly.

Besides that, you will likely find the roads impassible. This thing would only be useful if you used it to get out of dangerous areas and into a long-term spot where you could park it and live in it.

What would you do about protecting it? Seems kind of vulnerable to attack.

Originally posted by chiron613
Very nice, but if the SHTF, you won't be able to power that vehicle. There will be no gasoline. Whatever gasoline you store (NOT RECOMMENDED) will be consumed quickly.

Besides that, you will likely find the roads impassible. This thing would only be useful if you used it to get out of dangerous areas and into a long-term spot where you could park it and live in it.

What would you do about protecting it? Seems kind of vulnerable to attack.

If TSHTF then I'll be using it for exactly that and it'll be in a secure location that'll be defended by others of a similar mindset

Originally posted by warrenb
what happens once there's no fuel to power these vehicles?

expensively large paper weights?



cool ideas for the short term civilization exodus

Exactly what I was thinking. Vehicles are in no way a long term solution if worse comes to worse. They might provide decent shelter for a while though.

I think basically any survival vehicle is mostly used to get to a safe place, then as the base for a shelter - eg. if you're looking to hide your shelter, you could dig a large trench for the vehicle, drive it down into there, then cover around it. A trench half the height of the vehicle would be adequate to reduce it's outline. Hide the entrance sufficiently, cover your little "hill", and not only do you have a relatively comfortable shelter, but you have one that is well insulated, hidden, etc. If it's a choice between building my own shelter from scratch, and using a van that's been outfitted as a survival vehicle, I know which I'd prefer. It's more secure, less leaky, more comfortable, a cleaner environment in the case of injured people requiring first aid.. etc.

I've often considered purchasing a cheap used van (business vans can be had for 1-2k) and then turning into a camper, making the most efficient use of the limited available space. A 1 -2 person vehicle like that could definitely make a decent emergency shelter. Yes, covering with earth would need some things like air intake and outlet vents, but that sort of thing could be achieved with rubber hoses, hidden by plants on the outside..

And to the person that posted Jake Von Slatt's bus mod, yeah, I've seen that before.. I'm not sure anything I produce could be that ambitious, but I'm a really good scavenger/cheap item construction kind of person.

Last year we found and purchased 2 relatively low cost vehicles in the military aspects..... a british saracen and a spartan.... both fully loaded and stashed away.


BTW.... I tried to post a photo and it came back as being deleted... used photobucket and it did not work... any ideas as to what I did wrong...