Survival UK Forums

Upgrades you can consider for your Bug Out Vehicle.
© 2010 Northern Raider
So you want to either upgrade your present vehicle, or obtain something better suited to your bug out needs, so here is a basic list anyone can add to of items you can consider up grading. After studying the reports coming out of the US after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita towards the end of 2005 one point became dramatically clear to most enlightened survivalists and that was fuel consumption and fuel availability when bugging out during a crisis has been seriously under estimated. In both events thousands of vehicles trying to flee Louisiana and Texas en masse ended up moving along at under 5 mph for up to 18 hours and very many people ran out of fuel….even those who set off with full tanks. Also the majority of fuel stations either ran out of supplies or closed down this also added to the traffic misery. Can your BOV run at 5 mph for 18 hours without running out of fuel? Which leads to the number one upgrade suggested.

Fit Extra fuel tank
Front Bumper, Fit Bull or Roo Bars
Headlights, Fit upgraded white light bulbs
Headlights, fit acrylic lens protectors
Fit larger screen wash bottle
Front Bumper, fit winch
Front Chassis, weld on up rated towing eye
Fit extra driving lights
Grill, fit steel mesh behind plastic grill to protect radiator
Engine sump, fit sump guard
Brakes, fit good ridge steel hoses
Change pads/ discs and shoes if heavily worn
Change Hoses if over 3 yrs old
Change belts (Fan, PS, Alt, etc) if over 3 years old
Fit New Battery for minimum 100 AH one if over three years old
Fit second battery plus split charger.
Fit two way radio systems.
If Gasoline powered keep spare ignition components
Fit inline fuel filter and sedimentary
Fit Synthetic engine oil
Fit New Hose clips if original ones are spring wire type
Fit Heavy Duty dual purpose, reinforced 8 PR tyres on steel rims
Fit up rated springs and shocks
Fit Diesel engine
Fit Water Tank
Reinforce jacking points
Fit Jerry Can Rack on Rear
Fit HD roof rack
Fit Tow Bar
If Diesel powered van fit diesel powered heater
Insulate as much of vehicle as possible (Mainly Vans)
Fit Kitchen unit (mainly Vans and Vehicles with big side opening back doors)
Fit Cassette Toilet System.

Move Spare wheel from Inside the vehicle or underneath the vehicle to bonnet (hood) roof or tailgate, It frees up internal storage space and stops the misery of rummaging under vehicle in the mud trying to pull it out when you had a blow out.
Rather than having to offload supplies in order to sleep if your vehicle is a Station Wagon (Estate car) consider installing a roof tent.

On many vehicles if you look at the exhaust fittings you will notice that there are hooks and hangers for exhaust rubber mountings and rings on both sides of the pipe work, but out of economy needs the manufacturers fit rubbers only one side, by fitting the extra mountings you help support your exhaust system and prolong its life.
Not all of these upgrades are necessary or even possible for many of us, but selecting those that best serve to improve your odds of survival are an option for us all.

Same here as on the other post. Modifying your vehicle requires you to inform your insurance company and they will likely put up the premiums. Failure to notify means you are not insured and they may refuse to pay out after an accident.

NR,

Bull bars:
Please don't post articles that are US centric in the UK unless the facts carry over.
It is illegal to fit bull bars to vehicles in the UK. Bull bars were invented to protect Australia vehicles from bull kangaroos. They greatly increase the probability of killing a pedestrian should you hit one. Since Bull kangaroos aren't a big problem in the UK they were made illegal. (existing bull bars were grandfathered in but new ones are illegal)

Roof tent:
Most UK cars do not have sufficient weight capacity to use a roof tent. Please check the maximum loading of your roof before considering overloading it with people (or things). It would be unfortunate to crush your car roof on the first night of bugging out!

Essential extras:
Few of these are essential for the vehicle (Extra fuel, extra coolant and maps) the rest are not related to the vehicle (which is the point of the thread).

You must spend a huge amount of time trying to pull just about every one of my posts apart. What is your problem with me?

Bull bars have NOT been banned in the UK, only untested and unapproved bars
http://www.vangadgets.co.uk/bull_bars.htm

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BTW I tend to credit preppers with having enough common sense to check loading weight limits etc.

Thanks NR I was unaware that it was possible to get legal Bull Bars in the UK. I thought they had all been banned.

My 'problem' is that you are posting a lot of US stuff on a board that Skean set up specifically to get away from the US stuff. There are loads of US related survival and prepping boards out there that you can post US related stuff on (and UK prepers can read if they want to). Skean created *this* board specifically for the UK.

(2 December 2011, 14:51)Skvez Wrote: [ -> ]Thanks NR I was unaware that it was possible to get legal Bull Bars in the UK. I thought they had all been banned.

My 'problem' is that you are posting a lot of US stuff on a board that Skean set up specifically to get away from the US stuff. There are loads of US related survival and prepping boards out there that you can post US related stuff on (and UK prepers can read if they want to). Skean created *this* board specifically for the UK.

Skvez if anyone is taking away forum this forum it is you, as NR said you have a bad habit of pulling peoples threads apart, it’s not just NR that feels this, if you carry on no one will bother to post. Make some useful posts and contribute in a positive manner.

Guys,

Although Skvez is correct I accept that some things can not be separated and I'm happy with the UK/US split. there isn't too much and we can live with it at this level.

If the article start to get too US centric and become of no relevance to the UK I'll comment and fix it. We are nowhere near this yet. I don't see any reason for us to fall out over this but we can all keep an eye on what we write.

Yup, I'll certainly try to adjust the spelling and location of any more scenarios I write to focus on UK / EU preppers, and I'll also try to retype good quality articles my US friends have written into something more anglicised, I want a happy community

Oye Skvez those Star Wars troopers are American get rid of em