Your 4X4 Vehicle

I haven't seen much on vehicles discussed. So,if you are capable and lucky enough to have a 4X4 when the SHTF,what vehicle would choose and what extras would or do you have currently?


I always liked shorter wheel based 4X4's,they seem to perform easier and get better traction.
The Jeep has been a proven go to 4X4 and is very rugged



As you can see,this Jeep is equipped with an electric winch,which can come in handy to pull yourself out fairly easily if you get stuck. The biggest drawback is its small size.
For those with a limited budget, a come along hand winch will do the same job and can be bought for $50 or less.

I myself prefer something a little more roomier as the Ford Bronco,Blazer, Scout, or Jimmy.
They have much more room that you can sleep in and haul more and still have a fairly short wheel base.
You can pick one of these up at a fairly decent price. They also have a height decent clearance.




If you can afford a little more, how about putting a lift on your 4X4.
A lift will allow you to travel in more areas that have a deeper ruts or in higher water.



If you can afford more, flood lights can really make a difference with night driving.Can't afford the flood lights?
Most camping stores carry rechargeable spot lights that plug into your lighter and can be bought at a reasonable price.


I prefer 4X4's with lockouts and floor shifter. Why? Most reliable system and rarely fails and the linkage arm is easily fixed compared to the push button 4x4's and the lockouts save the front shaft.
If you go with a pick up truck,I would consider an extended cab for more room and a cap or cover for the bed.
You can haul more with the cap and use it as shelter.

What other extras might you consider? A 1 ton floor jack, full size spare tire, tow strap or chain. Tire chains,extra gas can.I even have a power inverter which plugs into the lighter, there are many sizes and great use for electrical needs. Compact air compressor which I've used many times.

Other extras, a CB for communication, basic medical kit, fire extinguisher,shovel.

If you can afford the likes of a Hummer with a snorkle,great.I am just trying to keep this more limited to what most people can afford.

I figure I have it covered

Jeep
Mountain Bike
Experience
Training

Yeah.. I'll make it

Honestly I don't plan on doing too much driving in a shtf scenario waste of fuel, and other resources besides makes a target for others to take what you have.

4x4's are ok for those who live in rural areas, and suburbia most city folks don't even own cars and with fuel being a precious resource that is finite.

My plan is to hunker down, and pop my head out when absolutely necessary.

reply to post by mugger

EarthRoamer makes some pretty badass 4x4s

They make a jeep model that folds out with living space, tons of extras.
www.earthroamer.com...

Also Ford now makes a Ford Raptor that I've heard good things about.


Lambroghini makes a 4x4 too! At least they used to.


I made this one out of a retired ambulance. Not 4x4 though, still a great camper.

"The Bowler Wildcat is an off-road vehicle originally made by Bowler Offroad, it is an evolution of the Bowler Tomcat using some components from the Land Rover Defender."

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by neo96


True for many city folk. Many of the items I posted could be used for everyday emergencies or even just in general.
I use the air compressor often for bike tires, rafts,and tubes. It has gotten me out of trouble also. I went hunting and parked in a fairly muddy area and got a flat and to dangerous to use the jack. Got enough air in it to get to a safe place to change it. Saved me walking many miles out and get a tow truck.

Every year,I always read about someone getting stuck in a snow drift for 3 to 5 days. If they had a simple shovel,come along or CB to call out, they sure wouldn't be stuck for 5 days.
My tow chain has had much use over the years pulling stuck cars out of snow banks too.


tanda7> Some nice units there,but most likely to pricey for many people's budgets
Great job with the ambulance conversion

I want a Lada Niva, i can't afford a big 4x4 because of the taxes here.

where's all the gas going to be available at?

reply to post by passit

where's all the gas going to be available at?

I'm not planning on going cross country, I keep my tank fairly full, so one tank will get me to were I want to be.

Originally posted by laurentius
I want a Lada Niva, i can't afford a big 4x4 because of the taxes here.

a superb and cheap (well it used to be) workhorse.

Originally posted by passit
where's all the gas going to be available at?

too true, i think alot of survivalists(fruitcake's) are just fantazising with their OTT gas guzzlers.
if the shtf (i'll eat my short's if it ever does) gas/petrol will be like gold, why would anyone drive one of those american embaressments to engineering?
my vehicle will be either my two legs or a bicycle.

reply to post by Rikku
One tank of diesel will get me pretty far from the city I live in now, plus it's big enough to live in if necessary.
One good solar panel would keep the two batteries charged.
I only have to make it to the family farm 150 miles away.
Naysayers gonna naysay I guess

I love Jeep people. They know it's a classic, will never go out of style (no matter what year), you can redneck and pimp it out any way you want and it's still a Jeep. Just bought my third 4x4 Jeep two weeks ago.

dont forget to paint a big target on the sides so that all the hungry dispirit people can take your shiny 4x4, all your supplies and your life.

I think as long as you drive in the direction of a decreasing concentration gradient, there will be less and less cause for confrontation. After a dozen miles or so outside of a suburb, most people out there who are passing through will just want to keep going. As long as they stick to the interstate, I bet that local posse types will avoid a confrontation when that is possible.

It will get sticky when the vagrants stop, and want to trade or beg. That's when local 'defense teams' will get protective--they'll naturally assume that when vagrants cant get what they want by being nice, they'll try being bad.

The trouble comes when you enter a more populated area. It's the urban centers that lie in your path where the confrontations will take place. Much better to plan a route that ALWAYS goes from higher population towards lower, and never the other direction.

That being said, my plans don't involve driving anything that looks as useful as those machines.


just sayin'

You’d want to be physic and leave a week before sh!t heaps with long range fuel tanks that hold 180L and a few jerry cans full of diesel and water. And a quality trailer. You’d probably want something to throw over the car and trailer to camouflage it from the sky.

As for cars, it’s very tough to go past a Toyota Landcruiser (wagon or ute) with a bull bar, winch, snorkel, spotties. roof racks, high quality all terrain tyres like Cooper, a lift kit and top range shocks and struts. Must be turbo diesel as well. Maybe tune it when you get it to improve it’s performance and economy.

Petrol engines may have more power in a sense, but putting a snorkel on a petrol 4x4 is useless because the engines can’t handle any moisture so if you’re crossing a river by the time your snorkel would be of any use your engine has stalled and you are stuffed. Diesels don’t like water but they can tolerate a bit of wetness every now and again. Petrols can’t. Diesel are better for towing as diesel requires a bigger bang than petrol does, so the engines are built stronger to handle the less volatile and harder to ignite fuel. The diesel engine ends up being between 10 and 20% heavier, but much stronger. Their economy is much better too, particularly these modern cars. Only problem is modern 4x4’s (and cars in general) rely very heavily on electronics and throw away parts... Older models do not, but are much older and most probably fairly worn out and somewhat unreliable.

Other good 4x4’s are the Mitsubishi Pajero, Nissan Patrol, some Jeeps and Landrovers. Other excellent utes are the new Ford Ranger XLT and Wildtrak and Toyota Hilux. I’d be wary of relying on the Nissan D-22, VW and the Triton. The Nissan Navara is an absolute no go.

Unless you left well early or already live in a remote location, you could have any 4x4 but it probably wouldn’t be much good if all the roads out are either packed, blocked, destroyed or closed/guarded. So perhaps you should sharpen up on your mixed martial arts and your fitness if you’re genuinely concerned because you probably won’t be spending much time in a car.

reply to post by mugger



I just bought a Chevy Colorado Crew Cab Z71 4x4 - I think its pretty damn sweet. Its a pick up truck (small bed) so its good for general work things, and can comfortably seat 4, so the family can fit in it.. and I can keep any tools or meters for work locked inside the cab when I need to.

Land rover defender 200tdi and thats that, question answered.

Lada niva lads? Seriously?

reply to post by mugger


Personally I don't think about bug out vehicles that much, I just love trucks and campers.

As a youngster off-road vehicles were a way of life so I've always appreciated a good 4 wheel drive, but in my haste to reply, I totally missed ;

If you can afford the likes of a Hummer with a snorkle,great.I am just trying to keep this more limited to what most people can afford.

Sorry bout that, I was just jumping on an opportunity to share photos of some of my dream machines.

This is my idea of a great 4x4 when a BOB is needed..