By Stone
In the last few years I have seen a rise in the development of bugout vehicles, or I’m just getting more paranoid in my old age. Either way it is a topic that has been bouncing around in my head for some time. During this quest for enlightenment, I ended raising more questions than answering so I have decided to put the rubber to the road and build up my own bugout vehicle. But in the spirit of Ranger Hall of Fame inductee MSG(ret) Mad Max Mullen, we will take it to the TacoMAX!
WHY?
Well the first question I asked myself seems to have an obvious answer, however, it sparked a seemly endless array of questions. In order to answer this simple question of why, I needed to consider what situations I could find myself in. So how could my vehicle be used to benefit me in say a natural disaster, civil unrest, economic depression or collapse. These are what I would refer to as Tier 1 situations that we will hopefully never find ourselves in. So I started thinking about smaller situations that most of us have been in:
- Traffic accident – Hopefully not yours
- Road rage – Again hopefully not yours
- Coworker injury – That you did not cause
- Friend with broken down car – Not because you worked on it
- A daughter with broken down car – Because she worked on it
- Two daughters with broken down cars – I may have experience here
In short, just about any vehicle, when properly equipped can help you on a daily basis. So you don’t have to wait to get that brand new Tesla powered Ford 16×16 Tyrannosaurus Raptor equipped with Binfords finest assortment of gadgets. Work with what you have and come up with your own solutions. There is no one right answer, but there are a lot of wrong ones.
The Driver
Now before we get to deep into this subject we need to talk briefly about you. Who you are when the it hits the fan will set some limits on your success. So I’m going to skip right to the point. If you can’t fix anything, stop reading this and go back to your Call of Duty. The more skills and knowledge you have will have a direct affect on your success in any given situation. You must be as capable, as durable, as adaptable, and as efficient as any equipment you carry. Its great that you can push the button for 4×4, but can you judge the situation to stay within the abilities of your vehicle? Can you replace a u-joint or CV joint when it wears out? Why carry what you can’t repair. Now I admit I’m being a bit hard on the point, but Your skills are just as important as your gear. Am I an expert on all things wheeled? No, but I can rebuild an engine in the middle of a desert. So strive to be as versatile and capable as your worst situation demands.
The Vehicle
Now that you have as many questions as I have, we can get started. One you are ready to look for a vehicle there are several things to consider:
- Capability – Will it go over that?
- Durability – Will it survive if I go over that?
- Serviceability – Can I fix it because I tried going over that?
- Profile – Can I squeeze through there because I shouldn’t try to go over that again?
- Economy – How much gas am I burning while I think about going over that?
- Visibility – How much attention do you really want to bring to your vehicle when everything is going south?
These are just a few questions to get you started. An all wheel drive or 4×4 will make a good basis because it will open up routes that others will not be able to follow. A vehicle that is built to last is of course a no brainer, but are there plenty of affordable mods for it that increase its durability and capability? If it does break can you get parts locally at an affordable price. Is it big enough to carry what you need but small enough to get around obstacles. A Humvee is a capable vehicle but in Afghanistan, the Toyota Hilux (Tacoma cousin) runs rings around it. What and how much fuel does it burn. Many bugout rigs are diesel because they run cooler, idle forever, built to outlive the roaches, and can be configured to run on the beer you left outside last summer. However, parts for them can be a bit pricey in the US because the demand for diesel is lower. Either way, find something that get decent gas mileage. Lastly, depending on the situation your massive shiny rig may draw unwanted affections so think confident in your modifications not arrogant. You probably don’t need the 12: lift and 40″ tires. Sometimes it is better to blend in.
The Project
Now full disclosure, I started with a 1980 Jeep Full Size Wagoneer, I’m sure their are many good reasons for this, if you know of any please tell me. I wasn’t looking for a bugout vehicle at the time but rather a fun, cool, bad ass overland vehicle. I ended up putting a 700r4 HD transmission with a Chevy 350 engine I built up in it. It was this project that got me thinking more about a bugout vehicle. I still have the Wagoneer and will continue to play with it but it probably will not be my bug out vehicle. But never say never.
I recently purchased a Dark Grey 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport 4×2. I chose a 4×2 because I want to add the 4×4 capability myself. That is for another article. She has a Double Cab and a short bed. This rig will be set up to support 2.2 people (no your not invited, its for my wife and her Chihuahua). I only said yes to the Chihuahua because I hear they taste like chicken.
So far I like her capabilites and size. The average gas mileage is about 22mpg if you drive like mummy (no seriously like an Egyptian mummy). But the get up & go is there when you need it. The 4×4 would be better for most people but I like a more manual control over my offroad driving so I will be putting in a 4×4 system with shifters. So as for the name Raven, this is because my wife said I have too many vehicles so nevermore she said… nevermore.
So follow along and let me know your thoughts as we explore cargo racks, bumpers, DIY ideas, WTF moments, some off road living, and build Raven into a Tacomax bugout rig.