I bought one have kitted it out as a camper i have a range of over a 1000 miles with the xtra jerry cans ( thats a damn site more than my 4x4 can do with the same ammount ) can sleep 3 and carry loads of xtra food water etc
what do you guys use for bug out vehicles etc
bd
Don't really need one since I live on the homestead full time. What you are intending to carry around I have on the shelves and in the sheds.
I do have a Ford Escape 4x4 SUV. I don't know what you call the model over there.
I also have an older Cherokee 4L 4wd and rigged as an off road vehicle, and I assure you either of my rigs will take me to places you might get too in your van, but you will never come back from them.
If I leave the security of this place I fully intend to come back with more than I took out, so my vehicles are geared to that purpose.
Their use in a SHTF situation would be minimal, so range is not a real concern. I keep them topped up and use my vehicles as gas storage. I would probably wind up draining them for use in the garden tractor over the months/years.
I have discovered that as a pensioner I do not drive 500 miles a month even now when things are normal. If things go bad I will have no place to drive too, and probably neither will you.
My situation is similar to MB, daily driver is an AWD hatchback Toyota Matrix, which is similar in size to a VW Golf or Polo, equipped with 256 channel, 50w VHF molbile radio having both 2m ham as well as Sheriff's posse, SAR, fire dept and EMS local use and statewide mutual aid channels. I also have a Jeep Cherokee 4WD SUV with the 4L engine, kittted up for offroad with PTO, winch, roof rack, dual batteries with isolator and Perko switches, with same VHF as the Toyota, plus 100 channel, 100w HF-SSB radio 14 ft. whip antenna and antenna coupler which has ham, SHARES and MARS networks programmed.
Most probable BOV is surprisingly our little Renault Euro-box. Range over 600 miles on its standard tank and over 1000 miles with a couple of jerry cans. Its simple, reliable, anonymous, and with 15" wheels is quite capable on unmade tracks.
We also have a Land Rover Discovery. On the face of it a better BOV, but its a gas guzzler. Range on normal tank 400 miles on a good day, and 600 with a couple of jerry cans. Really this car only comes int our plans if we need to travel when there's snow/ ice to be dealt with.
In a situation where we needed a BOV we'd either be running a long way, in which case the euro-box, or heading into the hills close to us, in which case it'd depend on weather conditions which vehicle we took.
Lightspeed, curious as to whether you keep mobile 2m or HF ham radio in your vehicles? Presume you have good country-wide and wide-area 2m repeater coverage, EchoLink, etc. because we talk across the pond via EchoLink here with some regularity.
We are not planning to bug out either - we live in the UK - where would we go?? We have 2 4x4s - my baby is a Landy Defender 2.5TDi. It has all terrain tyres and various roll bars etc. It will take me just about anywhere.
(4 August 2016, 18:43)CharlesHarris Wrote: [ -> ]Lightspeed, curious as to whether you keep mobile 2m or HF ham radio in your vehicles? Presume you have good country-wide and wide-area 2m repeater coverage, EchoLink, etc. because we talk across the pond via EchoLink here with some regularity.
CH:
I don't keep any Ham gear permanently in any of the cars, but all of the cars have antenna mounts and Anderson powerpole connectors to hook up with the gear.
For the most part PMR446 units are uses for car to car stuff if travelling in convoy, and normal FM CB gets used a good deal while I'm out and about in the local area. The main reason for this is that I am the only licensed Ham in my little group, so we have to operate with what's legal for all of us.
Re Echolink, yes I am active on it from time to time. I'll PM you details.
Where to go out of tge cities for sure i also have a 4x4 that is ready to go if need be but what i will be looking in to is a 4x4 van for the same purpose
bd
I am at a loss as to why you fellows consider such long range capabilities important when 1000 miles from anywhere in England will put you deep into Spain, France or Belgium!
Chances are you are going to have to abandon your rigs due to clogged highways and if you do make it out of the congested areas a single tank will get you almost anywhere on your island without the need for 4wd unless you are driving through someone's garden.
Fact is, my own use of 4wd in a crisis would be to get off the main motorways, cut across a field or two and get to a secondary paved road. I even carry fence cutters for that express purpose. Our highways generally have parallel secondary roads but long distances between the access points where one can sit in traffic for hours without moving while watching cars fly past on the secondary roads.
The SIL once sat on a motorway where she could see her house for 6 hours. Her kids abandoned the van and walked home, cooked dinner, and brought her hot food while she sat motionless.
The only time I worry about range is when I am traveling on holiday and get to a place here in the States where it would take me more than a single tank to get back to the homestead. With any of my rigs that is a 300-400 mile drive.
We also have the added concern over here of being able to drive 5000 miles from the house and still be inside the country, which has been a concern for me on several occasions. You people in GB are closer to me than some of my friends on the U.S. west coast and Alaska!
A lot of what MB points out is very true here in the UK, but as NR has pointed out many times is alternative routes and the advantages of seeking out such alternatives to where you live and WHERE you want to bug out too ...and marking out these routes and places of interest for a prepper on the move....you may well have plans for all four cardinal directions.( Get a map)
All in all i doubt no matter where you are on the planet you will not be going far especially on main highways or motor ways, but i would say Bow,s odds are good in anything that can carry more prepps, but the best advantage we all could hope for is reading the every day events leading to tshtf and get going ahead of the masses before they have time to realize whats happening.