Prepper Forum / Survivalist Forum banner

Keeping Your Bug Out Vehicle

11K views 43 replies 27 participants last post by  spokes 
#1 ·
Let's say that you happen to have an EMP proof vehicle and you are one of the few people able to move around. The next question is how do you keep this vehicle? I'm sure most of us have read the book, One Second After, by William Forstchen. We all know that our local, county and state governments will not be prepared for this event and will not have vehicles operating. It is really hard to tell the State Police that they can't have your vehicle when they demand it with a few drawn guns.
 
#2 ·
My insticnts tell me, unless you absolutely have no choice, don't drive it. As soon as wheels turn, you're a target. Once you start rolling, you need to be gassed up, strapped in and reasonably sure you've got a clear shot and an alternate route in case you have to 180 somewhere.

My BOV has an ignition kill switch (highly recommended)... a second key switch tucked away you have to hold on while turning the starter key or it won't start. Anyone attempting to use vehicle will assume it's like all of the rest... no go. It's like any other survival resource and I have no desire to make its existance as such public... looks like crap unless you lift the hood or crawl under. All go, no show.

If police draw guns, I turn the ignition off, hand them the keys and see where it goes from there. If you don't have balls, it would be best to stay off the roads when SHTF. A BOV could get you KIA.
 
#4 ·
1st of my BOV stays in the garage. 2nd I have similar set ups to my ignition as packrats, ( slightly different)( I have the same set up on all my vehicles so nobody can ever actually steal 1 anyways, 3rd 4 wheeling is my main hobby & I have several routes that do not require me to go on pavement at all( besides the first half mile to mile, 4th it's fast as f#@* ( I have no worries of somebody catching me)
 
#5 ·
The folks in my neighborhood are good, law-abiding citizens, but I kinda think that LEO's drawing their weapons to confiscate personal property because they're unprepared would, for many, be crossing a line that would best be uncrossed.... if you know what I mean.
 
#6 ·
Commandeering my vehicle by the government would be a big worry for me initially. That is why I believe that I would use the first days of confusion and uncertainty to me and mine to the North Georgia mountains. Then I'd park the vehicle or vehicles not to be used again until other vehicles were up and moving. The police would look at commandeering as something that needs to be done for the greater good.
 
#10 ·
Knowing and doing are too different things. If an EMP where to knock out the PCM's and electronic sensors in modern vehicles, most vehicles in the effected area will not be protected from it. Police work around budgets and pinch their pennies at times same as the rest of us. None of the police vehicles I've seen today if exposed to an EMP seem protected against it if the EMP were to burn out the now standard componets of modern vehicles.
 
#8 ·
Jim, good question. My thought on an EMP safe vehicle would just be to own something really old and military. I can tell you that my local police department and the county sheriff's department where I live wouldn't know what EMP stood for let alone if their vehicles could handle it. They are all late model vehicles filled with electronics. As I mentioned the book, One Second After, they discovered that only the older vehicles were still working. The local police in that book also wanted to take his car because it was working. I don't think too many police departments have made any type of plans for EMP or other disasters like this.
 
#9 · (Edited)
You're certainly going to be a target when so many have no working vehicle and have gotten desperate with little concern about trying to take your vehicle. I know I wouldn't want to leave mine behind when bugging out. For finding fuel be ready with a brass coated punch and hammer, and syphon pump. All those abandoned cars and trucks will have some gas in there tanks and you'll have to take advantage of them if you want to stay moving and alive, in your vehicle. You'll have to be prepared to defend it with passengers willing and able (I know that's asking a lot with kids and pampered, weak willed wives) or it will be taken from you if you're out on the roads trying to make it to a BOL. Staying away from populations as much as possible, bringing along spare gas cans and keeping them filled at any safe opportunity will be SOP. (standard operating procedure) Traveling the back roads if you vehicle isn't loud I believe most if they don't seee you coming down the road won't know you're there till it's too late to do anything and you'll be on your way. That doesn't mean it will be anything but dangerous and a constant concern to watch your six. Hopefully your BOV is fast while still being fairly good on gas, though that is definitely asking a lot, if not dreaming. The more time has gone by, the more valuable your vehicle will be and more desperate people will be. If you're plan is to go to a BOL when an EMP event were to happen, I wouldn't goof off in doing it. There will be a certain amount of shock period I believe before people really see what's happened and think about the future. You should already be at your BOL at that point if you can. I'd move out within hours of understanding what happened myself.

Tire Wheel Car Vehicle Sky
 
#13 ·
Here's another option you can consider: sign up and become a reserve deputy, officer, ranger, etc. This has multiple advantages:

1) You get to serve your community
2) You get some great training (I'm taking a POST certified knife fighting class on the 14th and am awaiting the final details for an FBI sponsored handgun class at Quantico and a man-tracking class this fall)
3) You get to keep weapons that could be confiscated from civilians post-SHTF
4) Ammo is about 1/3 the cost
5) You have access to gear that is restricted to civilians
6) You are seen as one of the "good guys" by the govt and don't have to deal with the harassment (pre, trans, and post-SHTF)
6) Your vehicle has a better chance of staying with you since you can claim it for official use (post-SHTF)
 
#15 ·
I believe in a situation where it's wrol (without rule of law) Caused by some form of civil war, terrorist attack, north Koreans / Iran. In which case there is no form of police, just who has the most firepower. After a while there will be groups of thugs that will claim to be police, kinda like gangs that run the Somali pirates, but it will mostly be anarchy.

In the long run outside influence from china, will attempt to take control of America. Anyway owning the most firepower is key to surviving.
 
#17 ·
I live in rural Mississippi and have no bug out plans. I will go to a farm I have and a few that plan on being there also. Together we have food, firepower, (I'm talking over 100,000 rounds), water both stored and in the ground, and around 8 years of supplies. Everything is stored in several locations and I don't think anyone will be able to get to them without our knowing. I think gas and fuel of any kind will be one of the first things to dry up and you might want to think more on limited travel, a BOV that uses fuel might let you down. I guess I'm more of a stay put thinker with a mind set to defend your little community.
 
#19 ·
I have a Jeep Wrangle Unlimited 4x4 with 4 doors and it has a few things extra. Including an ignition kill switch. I also have a toggle that shuts off all of the brake lights,blinkers and stuff like that.
 
#21 ·
And if we get hit with an EMP over the 35KV that was what the test was limited to there will be a lot of spare gas and oil on the road. There were two vehicles that were disabled to the point where they needed to be taken to a shop to be repaired. A small nuclear weapon detonated in near earth orbit would produce an EMP with an E1 yield exceding 1million volts at its "ground zero" point and it would cover the entire USA with more than 100KV E1 pulse.
They stopped the testing at voltages that caused any damage because they were responsible for the condition of the vehicles. They also were not allowed to report which vehicles were more protected or more susceptible to EMP damage.
 
#22 ·
I'm glad to read things like that. However, in the event of an EMP or large-scale electric grid failure we still have an issue of getting fuel. While the local stations are going to have some in the tanks that won't last too long. Since most gasoline is moved via pipeline to distribution facilities, that will quickly dry up. Trucks can only haul so much.
 
#24 · (Edited)
Odds are that fancy GPS or Google maps we're all used to won't be doing so well. If your planned route suddenly isn't an option for any reason, you better be flexible!

Seems like a no brainer. But how many of us actually have a current one in place ready to use (I didn't till yesterday :D)?
View attachment 2915 View attachment 2916
 
#25 ·
We,being in a very rural area will only bugout if need be.but if something does go down,I recently scored a points type distributor for the 460 (7.5 l.)in my 86 f-350 that I can slap in.this would take me about 10 minutes.I was thinking of putting it in anyway and instead of points having a pertronix ignitor in the cup and putting the points,condenser and some spare screws in a box and tossing them in my truck tool box.I really do like the trouble free stock ford module and pickup though and also thought about emp proofing a set of those.I am worried about my voltage regulator that it is also electronic and would stash one away too.other than that, the only other electronic in my truck is the cd player in the dash.no biggie if that dies.
 
#27 · (Edited)
Other stuff that could get damaged. Electronic fuel pump, alternator, coil, starter, starter solenoid, fuses, even the contacts in the ignition switch its self. The most fragile of the bunch will as you already figure will be the ignition module, that you could buy a spare of for less than $50 and keep safe and secure in your gun safe. ;)

Even more modern cars with CPU's or EPU's whatever you choose to call them, are safer than most people think. Those computers are VERY well shielded in most cars. BUT ignition modules in both old cars and newer ones as oldguy mentions are usually not.

If your car IS effected by emp and something simple like the stereo stops working, pull the fuses to it. The shorts in it could drain your battery down.
 
#38 ·
my thoughts exactly, but with all the information/mis information out there, I can't give a accurate prediction of what effects a mass emp event will cause... I will agree with possible power supply issues, damage to some electronic devices (can't give details when I can't find any accurate information...)

so when the day comes, I have food, water, and the basic ability to defend myself, that's all that really matters, all other "items" i can live without
 
#29 ·
If you're riding around town and the local police or military tries to stop and confiscate your vehicle. Then I would say you are not in your BOV. Your BOV is designed to get you to your bug out location before the local police and military has time to act. If you wait until these groups and others (bands of looters) have time to organize you increase your chances of losing everything not just your vehicle. Martial Law would be in effect most likely.

One Second After was a good read but a lot of holes.
 
#32 ·
You are a fast reader; over 25 minutes you managed to read a 20 page report (not all on EMP) and visit the more than 22 other sites and read all that too!

You go ahead and believe what you will. It really won't matter anyway because if we do get hit by an HEMP there won't be anything to use your electronics for.
 
#33 ·
I have a ford F350 with 7.3 power stroke, 4dr 4wd long bed. Our plan is to harden the vehicles body panels, install bullet resistant glass and a box for personnel. Further a armor plate louver system will be included that sits around the cab. Hardened electrical system for emp’s and remote mounted radiator. Armor plated floors and shielding around the engine compartment. I have some of the materials but have a ways to go. Oh, we have also come up with a hydraulic siphon system to harvest oil from transformers. Pull up, work some switches, punch through and siphon out the oil. Filter and run. I have tested this idea and it works great. No shooting holes and trying to catch the oil with a bucket. lol
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top