By Ourselves, For Ourselves: Part 6.1

This is intended as a follow up to Part 6 to address some of the emails I received after that post involving certain subjects.

First up, I forgot to mention the necessity of a Citizens Band radio (aka: a CB) in the SHTF vehicle. You will need to talk with other folks out in the world and not just listen to them on your in-car stereo. Make and model of CB are up to you.

Next, I was asked if an RV would work as a SHTF vehicle.

Sure. I wouldn’t work for me because I need ground clearance, but if you can fit all your SHTF stuff inside of it and it has decent range, there is no reason why a mobile housing platform couldn’t be used. You might think about reinforcing the roof so that you can use it for storage of more than luggage.

The only downside is that, on the whole, RV’s have a not so great reliability record because they are driven infrequently. You’ll want to make sure you drive it semi-regularly to keep the fluids in liquid form and the seals fresh. If it sits too long, things get gooey and gaskets will dry out. This can be said for any vehicle, but RV’s have a tendency to sit around more than they are driven.

My writing partner for this topic, Rivrdog, as well as at least two other emailers pointed out that the scout vehicle I featured should probably be considered a converted sand rail and suggested a VW Beetle instead.

Six of one and one half dozen of the other, in my mind. A Beetle is contained and sits higher off the ground, but a sand rail converted for dirt road use is lighter and has more storage potential. I’ll get rained on in the dirt rail, but if I get stuck in the Beetle, I’ll need either a second person or a come-a-long.

They are both about the same in terms of price, so it is really just a personal preference.

One thing I do agree strongly with Rivrdog about is to NOT modify the engine in either platform.

You want to keep everything as stock as possible. In case of parts breakage, you’ll be able to find what you’re looking for much easier and also, the Hi-Po engines will need a better grade of fuel to run.

Anyway, that’s it for now. If anyone has any questions feel free to email me or post a comment here.

I’m still working on the SHTF fall back locations post, but it shouldn’t be much longer.

If anyone has a suggestion for a topic that they think should be covered in this series, also feel free to write.