BOV (Bug Out Vehicle) Basics

There are three schools of thought or approaches to BOVs:

The first school is the traditional BOV, a pre-1980 4x4 pickup or !V, this school of thought ad"ocates these earlier
"ehicles pri#aril$ for their supposed resistance to the effects of %&' (%lectro#agnetic 'ulse) fro# a nuclear *eapon or
other source+ The theor$ is that older "ehicles that ha"e less electronics on the# *ill sur"i"e %&' ,etter than ne*er
"ehicles+ -nother side consideration is the lack of tracking s$ste#s such as Onstar and i##unit$ fro# ne* de"ices that
*ould allo* the police (or so#eone else) to turn the "ehicle off ,$ using so#e sort of directed energ$ *eapon (these are real
although in the earl$ stages and #a$ not ,e in use an$*here)+
The ne*er "ehicle school of thought sa$s that the likel$hood of a detonation of a nuclear ,o#, that *ill produce %&'
happening is sli# to none, and there is no hard e"idence that older "ehicles *ill not ,e affected or that ne*er "ehicles *ill ,e
affected ,$ %&', so $ou #ight as *ell use a #odern 4x4+ This school also points out that #odern "ehicles ha"e ,etter fuel
econo#$ than older "ehicles, and the$.re a lot nicer to ,e in on long trips+
The third school of thought is the use *hate"er $ou ha"e school+ This school of thought reali/es that not e"er$one can
afford a dedicated BOV or that the$ can not afford to ,u$ another "ehicle+ 0or options in this area see #$ ,log article on Bug
Out 1 %"acuation 2argo 2arr$ing Options and Blackstar.s ,log article on ur"i"al Transportation - #all 3 &idsi/e cars+
4 a# going to deal *ith *hat a BOV should ,e in an ideal situation+ This *ill appl$ to the first t*o schools of thought and 4
*ill not ad"ocate one or the other+ There is infor#ation ,elo*, tools and spare parts, that *ill appl$ to all BOVs+
- BOV should ,e or ha"e the follo*ing features:
- 4x4
- large enough to fit $our fa#il$, pets and $our core gear
- ha"e a trailer hitch - recei"er st$le (a front #ounted hitch recei"er is also a good idea)
- ha"e at least one *inch, t*o *ould ,e ,etter (front and ,ack)
- ,e in good repair and running condition
- ha"e upgraded shocks or springs (,etter to*ing and cargo capa,ilities)
- ha"e a ,rush guard
- ha"e at least one full si/e spare
- a cargo ,asket or roof racks on the top (increased gear storage)
- ha"e dri"ing and fog lights
- largest tires possi,le
- skid plates (front #ini#u# - transfer case and dri"e line ad"isa,le)
- gas tank protection (skid plate)
- ha"e a good 2B and antenna (full si/e steel *hip antenna *ith spring at ,ase)
0or so#e people the BOV of choice *ill ,e a full si/e pickup, a full si/e !V, a s#all1#idsi/e pickup or a s#all1#idsi/e
!V+ This *ill depend on a lot of factors including the si/e of their fa#il$, their ,udget and their needs+ There are lots of
options out there to #eet the 5#ini#u#5 re6uire#ents listed a,o"e+ The upgraded shocks or springs are a si#ple and fairl$
inexpensi"e upgrade that can ,e done ,$ the o*ner or a #echanic+ Brush guards are also fairl$ inexpensi"e and can ,e
installed ,$ the o*ner or a #echanic and allo* the #ounting of a *inch and the dri"ing and fog lights+ - rear #ounted hitch
could re6uire the addition of a custo# ,u#per, although there are co##ercial ,u#pers a"aila,le for so#e "ehicles, plus
there is the option of #ounting the *inch to a custo# 7 inch recei"er tongue+ o#e people in the 4x4 co##unit$ carr$ tu,es
for their tires in case a hole is too large to patch or plug on the trail, so#e pre-#ount the tu,e inside the tire so all the$ ha"e
to do is pu#p it up+
8ou *ant to #ake sure that $our fan shroud is in good condition as it is one of the #ost i#portant ite#s under the hood+
This piece of plastic ser"es t*o #a9or functions, the first is the guiding of air through the radiator to pro"ide sufficient
cooling ("er$ i#portant *hen hauling a full load) ,$ li#iting tur,ulence around the fan+ The second is that it keeps the spra$
of *ater o"er the engine and electrical s$ste#s reducing the chances of stalling the engine out due to excess *ater spra$ing
the ignition s$ste#+
0or those looking to ,u$ an older fullsi/e pickup or !V the$ can often ,e found in good #echanical and ,od$ condition for
:7000 or less+ 4f $ou are not #echanicall$ inclined $ou *ill *ant to take it to $our #echanic to ha"e it looked at and get an$
#arginal parts replaced+ 4t is ,etter to ,e sure than to ,reak do*n half*a$ to $our destination+ 8ou don.t need a #onster
truck, $ou need a ,asic 4x4 truck that *ill get $ou to *here $ou are going+
%"en if $ou are not #echanicall$ inclined there are a nu#,er of ,asic repairs that an$ person can do as long as $ou ha"e the
repair #anuals and so#e ,asic tools+ ;ot onl$ *ill $ou get to kno* $our "ehicle ,etter ,ut $ou *ill sa"e $ourself so#e
#one$ ,$ doing the routine things+ <hen ,u$ing repair #anuals 4 al*a$s get ,oth the 2hilton.s and the =a$nes #anuals+
8our BOV should al*a$s ha"e the follo*ing ite#s in it:
- repair #anuals
- ,asic #echanics tool set
- standard and #etric socket set
- standard and #etric *rench set
- ,all peen ha##er
- tor6ue *rench
- channel lock pliers
- locking pliers
- lines#ans pliers
- needlenose pliers
- ad9usta,le *renches (>, 10 3 1? inch)
- scre*dri"ers (@ flat head 3 @ phillps)
- torx set
- allen *rench set
- spark plug socket and setting tool
- distri,utor *rench
- *ire stripper1cri#per
- electrical connectors and *ire
- ,asic "olt#eter or circuit tester
- electrical tape, shrink tu,ing, cloth friction tape
- <A-40 or other spra$ lu,ricant
- duct tape
- flashlight
- ,reaker ,ar
- BTV sealant and1or gasket #aker
- tarp
- super glue and paper clips
- CB <eld
- starter fluid
- degreaser
- can of contact ce#ent
- Dnipex pliers (for gripping rounded nut or ,olt)
- n$lon /ip ties
- 9ack stands
- assorted nuts, ,olts and *ashers for $our "ehicle
- other specialt$ tools re6uired for $our "echicle (usuall$ on 0ords)
- spare set of fuses
- spare set of all ,ul,s
- spare hoses
- spare spark plugs
- spare spark plug *ires
- spare *iper ,lades
- fluids (oil, trans#ission fluid, po*er steering fluid, coolant1antifree/e, etc)
- tire repair kit including fix-a-flat or 5sli#e5
- lug *rench1tire iron
- flares or reflecti"e triangle
- 9ack (=i-Eift or ,ottle)
- 5co#e-a-long5, 7 ton (#anual hand *inch t$pe tool)
- snatch ,lock
- 9u#per ca,les (6ualit$ all copper 4 or > guage)
- air co#pressor
- rags
- *aterless hand cleaner
- sno* ,rush
- s6ueegee
- to* chain
- sno* chains (good for #ud too)
- traction aids (carpet, sand, ,oard, etc)
- distilled *ater (for ,atter$)
- stop leak for radiator, oil, etc
- =%-T1Ar$ Fas
- octane ,oost1gas treat#ent
- at least one ? gallon gas can
- drinking *ater
- leather *ork glo"es
- change of clothes
- spare ,oots1shoes
- first aid kit
- ,a,$ *ipes
- toilet paper
- so#e free/e dried1deh$drated food
- ,lanket
- coat
- poncho
- rope
- #ulti-tool (Eeather#an 1 Fer,er)
- #aps of cit$, state and countr$
- candles or fake fireplace log
- #atches or disposa,le lighter
- trash ,ags
- cooler (to keep food and *ater in)
- *ater purifier (Datad$n or Berke$) or purification ta,lets
- seasonal ite#s (clothing, etc)
- oil filter
4n addition to the spare parts listed a,o"e $ou #a$ *ant to carr$ so#e of the #ore co##on and eas$ to replace parts ,elo*:
- ignition coil
- alternator
- ther#ostat
- co#plete distri,utor or at least cap, rotor and points (for older "ehicles)
- starter
- !-9oints
- "oltage regulator (older "ehicles)
- fuel pu#p
- starter solenoid1rela$
- fuel filter
These parts are the ones that need replacing the #ost and can generall$ ,e replaced ,$ an$one on the side of the road *ith
the ,asic #echanics tools listed a,o"e+ o#e people, especiall$ in the 4x4 co##unit$, *ill choose to carr$ dri"e shafts and
axles as *ell ,ut these take longer to replace and re6uire #ore skill+ The optional spare parts listed here can generall$ ,e
replaced in under an hour+ 8ou *ould ,e *ell ad"ised to ha"e a long length of steel pipe, re,ar or a "er$ strong scre*dri"er
for le"eraging and tightening $our alternator+
ee Basic ur"i"al Tools for additional ite#s that should also ,e kept in or on $our BOV+ 4deall$ $our BOV should ha"e
#ost of the sa#e ite#s as $our BOB (Bug Out Bag) in it at all ti#es, so $ou are ne"er *ithout those ite#s+
4f $our BOV is dedicated to ,eing a BOV and is not $our dail$ dri"er $ou can keep $our BOB and other gear that is not
affected ,$ te#perature loaded in $our BOV and read$ to go *ith a #o#ents notice+
NOTES:
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