[Pengyou]

On your bug out vehicle, would you go as far to add armor to the sides? bullet proof glass? solid rubber tires?

 

[JPARIZ]

No, I'd rather focus on being invisible.

 

[rickkyw1720pf]

I would rather stay lighter, faster, more fuel efficient, and much better off road capabilities. If it ever came down to needing a armored vehicle to travel the roads I wouldn't go on the roads. Any armored vehicle can be ambushed.

 

[Inor]

I want to be the "gray man", so I would not advertise with any kind of armor.

 

[Montana Rancher]

Since some are planning on bugging out via vehicles here are a couple tips.

Put that Green Goo stuff for flats in your tires, not too expensive but viable.

Keep extra rim mounted tires available.

Soft armor is telephone books stuffed in the doors and plate metal in front of the radiator (but far enough out that it doesn't restrict air flow)

A big friggen ass bumper mounted to the frame that extends out past the wheel wells. remember if you ram a roadblock hit the blocking cars in the trunk area as that is the lightest part of a vehicle and easiest to push aside.

A plate of metal on the tailgate or trunk to deflect retreating fire.

Crash helmet with visor to deflect glass

The poor mans bug out vehicle

 

[internationale trip]

Plexy glass layered in doors.

 

[PaulS]

Plexiglass is almost worthless - I think you are talking about Lexan - the "bullet-proof" plastic. It has to be a half inch thich to stop small arms pistols and an inch thick to stop some magnum pistol rounds. At three inches thick it will stop some low velocity rifle rounds and all the magnum pistols. At six inches thick it will stop most non-magnum rifles with expanding type bullets and shotgun slugs. If you think you are going to stop a metal piercing round from a 3006 or a solid or FMJ bullet from any magnum guess again. If you armor your BOV you can add about 50 pounds per square foot of armor just to defeat small arms pistol to medium powered magnum pistols. Unless you have access to ceramic or reactive armor technology forget the term "bullet proof".

 

[internationale trip]

Plexiglass is almost worthless - I think you are talking about Lexan - the "bullet-proof" plastic. It has to be a half inch thich to stop small arms pistols and an inch thick to stop some magnum pistol rounds. At three inches thick it will stop some low velocity rifle rounds and all the magnum pistols. At six inches thick it will stop most non-magnum rifles with expanding type bullets and shotgun slugs. If you think you are going to stop a metal piercing round from a 3006 or a solid or FMJ bullet from any magnum guess again. If you armor your BOV you can add about 50 pounds per square foot of armor just to defeat small arms pistol to medium powered magnum pistols. Unless you have access to ceramic or reactive armor technology forget the term "bullet proof".

Yes your right I ment lexan...
But a inch or 2 of lexan might just help.
Tell me how to better armer the door without adding say no more 25lbs and under $40.00 pr sq ft. Stay with in reality lol

 

[Fuzzee]

Having lots of time in armored vehicles I'll opt for fast and tough. As said it takes alot of plating to stop just pistol rounds and the weight added is huge. Even with big engines it doesn't make for a fast, agile vehicle that won't get stuck in the most minor conditions unless the vehicle is 4x4 and designed around dealing with it. The fuel use when fuel will be hard to come by is another I don't want to deal with.

 

[internationale trip]

Yes your right I ment lexan...
But a inch or 2 of lexan might just help.
Tell me how to better armer the door without adding say no more 25lbs and under $40.00 pr sq ft. Stay with in reality lol

Any on have a good aswer

 

[Seneca]

I'd be inclined to put some skid plates on it some stop leak in the tires, sturdier bumpers and a winch on my BOV and leave it at that.

I draw the line at armoring against road hazards and leave the bullet armor for those with deep pockets and a ready supply of fuel...like the military. In some areas and situations I think one might be better served by having a lighter vehicle, that could go off road and not become mired down.

A vehicle similar to the Technicals used by rag tag militaries around the world might be the better example of a vehicle for the prepper bugging out by vehicle.

 

[ElPasoLoneWolf]

I think this would be cheaper and easier to do yourself than armor plating, all rubber tires and skid plate/bumper combo as previously mentioned would be nice too

Kevlar 29 Style 745 Ballistic Fabric

 

[paraquack]

Yes your right I ment lexan...
But a inch or 2 of lexan might just help.
Tell me how to better armer the door without adding say no more 25lbs and under $40.00 pr sq ft. Stay with in reality lol

Machinist friend had some 1" lexan left over after a job and decided to see how good it really was. 9mm and .45 ACP bounced off and caused a slight depression with raised ring around the impact point. He thought that was pretty good and tried his Mine-14 next with standard FMJ. Set lexan up against a water filled pail (just incase) and fired from 30 feet behind some machine for cover. OMG!, penetrated lexan, thru the pail of water, ricocheted off something and disappeared. When it rain a few days later, he found a hole in the roof.

 

[Leon]

Hey Deebo, you recall that one I was working on?

 

[PaulS]

I think this would be cheaper and easier to do yourself than armor plating, all rubber tires and skid plate/bumper combo as previously mentioned would be nice too

Kevlar 29 Style 745 Ballistic Fabric

Do you have any idea of how many layers and what kind of backing material it will take to stop a bullet from a handgun?, a rifle? a slug from a shotgun?

You won't save a lot of weight over the Lexan but you will spend a lot more money.

 

[internationale trip]

I have a friend how works in a glass shop he subjugated safety glass for my doors to replace the oem ones. It's not going to stop a built but would stop a rock or what ever...

 

[Seneca]

The decision to armor a vehicle is dependent upon whether or not doing so will be of any use...It may or may not be useful...one thing is certain, achieving a satisfactory level of protection for the family sedan will be spendy.

I don't disagree with the idea of armoring a vehicle, however I do question it's usefulness...I see armoring the family commuter as a series of tradeoffs. Armor for a reduced offroad capability. Armor for reduced fuel economy. Armor for less agility. In otherwords what trade offs are acceptible to acquire a higher level of vehicle protection.

Do I want a vehicle that has a high degree of offroad capability, sips its gas and is nimble, or do I want a road bound gas guzzler that sways around corners. Bad analogy...lol

There are some things I think the average person can and should do and I've mention those...that said...If I had around $300,000 laying about doing nothing...I buy a surplus MRAP or MATV and be done with it...lol

 

[elysium]

Man...I'd wish I'd found this forum sooner. Good discussions here. I had similar thoughts about armoring my existing van...buying kevlar sheets, lexan windows, etc... In addition to the high cost, a DIY job would still leave gaps in protection (need overlap protection near door jambs, A-pilllar, B-pillar). So, instead, I bought a used diesel van that was already professionally armored and added a poptop to it. The armoring does make the van drive heavy (it's probably 8500lbs). But once you get going, it's actually not bad. Stopping hasn't been too bad either since I put new brake pads on the fronts. But adding some gear and people and you are easily near or over the GVWR of 9200lbs for an E350. Sure, lots of camper vans/roadtreks/etc... operate over GVWR, so people do it. But yeah, it's a heavy van.

The armored glass and steel will stop handgun rounds...

But, since I'm in California, having such an armored rig is a no-no. So, it's up for sale (see ebay or the for-sale section here). You know you want it. :grin:

 

[rice paddy daddy]

Is the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia so bad that having an armored vehicle is illegal?
Wow!

 

[retired guard]

I want to be the "gray man", so I would not advertise with any kind of armor.

Anything that attracts attention will probably get it.