Our 5ver is part of the plan, but reality is if it is a regional event (NYC area) roads are going to be unpassable for hours or even days, if they are open. While we have yet to complete it our plans other than pulling out with the rig involve a backpack. Yes, backpack out. Only the necessities. Food, water purification, survival gear, navigational aides. Hunting/fishing equipment as well as personal protection. In a large scale event – ie mass disease, dirty bomb, etc. those who don't have will be desperate and will eventually stop at nothing to take from those who do. Knowledge and planning can go a long way. Just hope to God that we never have to put it into action.
Twice in the last six years we evacuated to our trailer. Due to my husband's health we parked the trailer 100 miles inland at a RV Ranch and we go for a "evacucation" while our coastal community goes without electricity and service for weeks at a time. We always leave it stocked in case we can't buy supplies on the way out of town.
falconbrother wrote: I'm sure that most everyone here has considered the family emergency plan. That is, where to meet if communications go down, where to go, how to feed yourself, etc.. Also, whether to hunker down at home or bug out to a safer location.
X2. I could have written most of your post. We can either hunker down here at home for months or head on out with a 500 mile range if the situation require it. Remember -- in an emergency cash is king. Need a bundle of bills in the rig all the time.
in an all emergency, I would choice the motor home, quick start and your moving, no backing up, hooking up, just turn the key and go, as far as having a lot of cash, now don't take this the wrong way, in a complete break down of the systems, cash would only be valuable for about the first week, then just use it to light your camp fire with, my choice is lots of ammo and guns and knowledge of how to survive in the woods, that will always trump cash in a post apocalyptic situation
falconbrother wrote: I'm sure that most everyone here has considered the family emergency plan. That is, where to meet if communications go down, where to go, how to feed yourself, etc.. Also, whether to hunker down at home or bug out to a safer location.
X2. I could have written most of your post. We can either hunker down here at home for months or head on out with a 500 mile range if the situation require it. Remember -- in an emergency cash is king. Need a bundle of bills in the rig all the time.
in an all emergency, I would choice the motor home, quick start and your moving, no backing up, hooking up, just turn the key and go, as far as having a lot of cash, now don't take this the wrong way, in a complete break down of the systems, cash would only be valuable for about the first week, then just use it to light your camp fire with, my choice is lots of ammo and guns and knowledge of how to survive in the woods, that will always trump cash in a post apocalyptic situation
At that point it'll be Mad Max "Road Warrior" times and all about the "GASOLINE".. Money won't mean anything..
In an 'all out' disaster, are the roads even going to be passable? If they are, what do you think everyone else is going to be doing? Grid Lock will be the next problem in that case...
I've often thought that I'd 'hitch up and go', but then I'd think... Just head out in the 4x4 and the hwy median will be my friend!
Really depends on what kind of disaster occurs, but at least there are options! Oh yeah, the Ruger GP-100 (.357 Mag) with 1000 rounds of .38 ammo and 100 rounds of .357 in addition the 12g with 100 rounds will be the first thing packed!
Of course, if it's just an individual emergency and only my family involved, the trailer will be hitched up and ready to go in no time...
Mitch
*Anything I post is for entertainment purposes only and what usually works for me.. Your Mileage May Vary..
Excellent forum topic regarding an "alternate use scenario" for an RV!
We kindof keep our 24 foot Class C set up the same way, although not as thoroughly as it looks like you do!
Some of the little "extras" we do to our Class C along these lines to help provide hopefully never needed readiness and redundant capabilites:
- Complete tire changing capability on board, including a 12 ton double extension bottle jack for added lift height.
- High pressure high volume air compressor on board for tires.
- Two generators on board, one fueled from the main 55 gallon fuel tank. The other fueled by gasoline from an always-full safety certified steel gas can always on board in an outside storage cabinet.
- Capability for off-grid charging of the RV coach area batteries five different ways.
- Capability for off-grid charging of the chassis battery five different ways.
- 16 feet of case-hardened CHP certified tow chain on board.
- Full size shovel on board.
- Small tree limb pruning capability on board.
- Large diameter tree limb hand saw on board.
- Remote inspection scope on board for checking problems in hard to see exterior parts of the chassis engine, as well as motorhome interior/exterior cavities.
- Built-in extended range cell phone capability on board.
- Built-in extended range Internet capability on board.
- Fresh water filtration system.
- 100 feet of fresh water filling hose on board.
- Over 100 feet of 110V AC extension cords on board.
- Built-in weather band radio.
- Fairly complete (non-professional) minor medical supplies on board, including a set of crutches, a heating pad, and a blood pressure monitor.
- Three off-grid ways of heating water on board.
- Four off-grid ways of heating the RV's interior.
- Four off-grid ways of cooling the RV's interior.
- Five wood block leveling steps plus lumber pieces on board, all of which can aid in getting unstuck on tore-up roads.
- Spare fluids for all three engines on board.
- Some spare parts for some critical motorhomes components that we've learned from experience can fail anytime anywhere.
- Five walkie-talkies on board.
- Several battery powered portable lights on board, including a 12V high power spot light.
- More blankets on board than are needed for sleeping.
- Complete set of interior window insulation panels for all coach windows in case of being stranded in cold conditions.
- More tools on board than we'll probably ever need.
I can't seem to get that U.S. Specil Forces motto out of my mind: "Prepare for the worst and hope for the best."
Just head out in the 4x4 and the hwy median will be my friend! mitch150, we must live on different sides of the mountains, your f150 set up as it is wouldn't make it 15 feet in the wet side median, it's super soft and wet, I tow a 1960 CJ-5 set up for mudding and aggressive hill climbs, and sometimes wonder if even our rig would make it down the median's around here
Since we're talking emergency preparedness I think more RV'rs should have an ICE on the visor at all times too.
If you travel with dogs and an accident occurs the dogs are whisked away to the nearest shelter by the authorities IF you are lucky. Your pets are the emergency teams least concern.
And the unlucky part of that is it will most likely be a kill shelter. No info and the dogs become part of the system with no way to contact you or family members and they succumb to the system.
My ICE has all the phone numbers needed for me and for the pets so that if something does happen while in the RV I know a family member will be contacted immediately 'at the scene' to be alerted of the situation and make sure the dogs/my personal items are taken care of the way I wanted them to be.
ICE - In Case of Emergency......don't leave home in your RV with out it!
"We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned,
so as to have the life that is waiting for us".
Dw & I have the in the works, different plans & are in preparation for a wide range of different types of emergencies that will make the Doomsday Preppers look like they don't have a clue.
milo
Janet(boss)& Milo 36 & 1/4 yrs 2gether
Retired Educators
Mona Mo 6 yr old Yorkie & (in spirit) our Beagle Buddy 13 F-150 Eco Screw HD 4x4 07 294RLS Cougar TT
Confidence is the feelin you have just before you fully understand the situation
"I would think that a huge clumsy vehicle obviously containing all sorts of desirable things (food, guns, ammo, money, etc) and likely hopelessly mired in traffic jams would be nothing less than a very attractive and easy target to desperate mobs boiling out of the cities. I would stay right here at home and never try to use the MH in such a situation, therefore I feel it has zero value in an emergency."
Good point!
DutchmenSport
2005 Chevy Silverado 3500 Dually Duramax 6.6L V8 Turbo
Century Truck Cap Commercial /Toolboxes
Northeast Outfitters Canoe
We live way back in the woods on top of a mountain in the middle of a good bit of our own land. It is very common for us to lose power or be snowed in for a week or ten days. I can foresee a situation where that went on for a much longer period of time. That is the sort of emergency situation I have prepared for, rather than a total national breakdown of civil order. In that event, I think the cities would spew their countless millions into the countryside and enormous mobs of those desperate, starving people would find their way to places like mine, probably sooner than later. Unless one is willing to literally have bunkers and to mow down fellow citizens (I am not willing to do either), I don't see how anyone can survive that.
For lesser situations, I heat with wood cut on my own property. I have a massive generator system with 550 gallons of fuel. I have my own well with pure mountain water, plus a free running mountain brook with potable water. I buy groceries and household supplies in large quantity and then store and use them over time, oldest first - never having less than a couple months worth of each on hand. I am an avid competitive shooter and hunter and there is plenty of game on my property, so if need be (and I don't think this could happen in a survivable situation), I have both the means and ability to harvest lots of meat. Likewise, I have several little mountain meadows that could be planted with food crops if need be and I have the equipment and ability to do that (once again this would only happen in a long term situation that probably wouldn't be survivable anyway due to the mass exodus from the cities). In addition to outdoor/farming equipment, ATV's and so on, I have a number of vehicles, including a four wheel drive Jeep - and I make an effort to keep the fuel topped up in each of the vehicles - never less than a half tank. I also store significant amounts of gasoline in the barn (kept fresh by cycling through the various vehicles and equipment).
To my mind, these are all just sensible backcountry living practices, not preparation for the end of the world.
I keep the big MH topped up with diesel fuel and it has all of its own "stuff" so I don't need to stock it from home when I us it. Just add fresh food and toys and it's ready to go at any time. Even so, I don't see it as any sort of survival vehicle. I would think that a huge clumsy vehicle obviously containing all sorts of desirable things (food, guns, ammo, money, etc) and likely hopelessly mired in traffic jams would be nothing less than a very attractive and easy target to desperate mobs boiling out of the cities. I would stay right here at home and never try to use the MH in such a situation, therefore I feel it has zero value in an emergency.
2008 Winnebago Journey 39z DP
2004 Jeep Liberty toad
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