Discussion: Large vs. Small Vehicles

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indiesandy	Large vs. Small Vehicles Jun 23 2009, 11:59 PM EDT I've seen a few different mentions of this around the site, but I found it interesting, and think it deserves a discussion of its own. There are benefits to both large and small vehicles, but I'm interested in the thoughts that go into making that decision. Safety, gas mileage, maneuverability, capacity, etc. are all important, but what is your top priority? I got to thinking about this when I was driving my little Toyota Camry. A deer ran in front of my car, and if I'd hit it, I bet my front end would have been seriously damaged. I don't think it could hold up with X amount of zombies ahead of me to mow down. I always thought I'd go for a smaller car for the mileage and ability to fit into small spaces, but maybe a larger and more sturdy vehicle would be better. I'd love some input. Post reply Do you find this valuable? Keyword tags: car transportation truck van vehicles
byates	1. RE: Large vs. Small Vehicles Jun 24 2009, 12:21 AM EDT Former preacher's son was almost killed when a deer came through the windshield of his Toyota pickup. I clipped a deer with my full-size Ford van and just had a dent, killed the deer. Currently have a Ford Explorer and a Ford Aerostar AWD. Also, a Subaru that survived a deer collision with little damage. All of them are heavy for their size, but have acceptable gas mileage and good interior room. Weight would be an advantage in resisting mob pressure and would help traction driving over bodies. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
indiesandy	2. RE: Large vs. Small Vehicles Jun 24 2009, 1:20 AM EDT Yeah, traction would also be really important- didn't think about that one much. This is my situation: at my house, I'd have a choice between four cars. I have a '98 Camry, and then other family members have an '00 Kia Sportage (which I wouldn't take because it's a piece of crap), an '04 Honda Accord, and then an '04 Ford F350 Extended Cab. Do I go for the big, safe, 4x4 truck that can haul a lot and mow down a decent amount of zombies, but has bad mileage and takes up tons of space? Do I go for my four door Camry that has pretty good mileage and is relatively small? I'm thinking the two door Accord would be a pain because of the time it takes to get stuff in and out of the back seat. It seems like a tough decision. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
CyprusBill	3. RE: Large vs. Small Vehicles Jun 24 2009, 4:50 AM EDT It would depend on the situation i guess. Is this for a 'long-term' survival vehicle? A get out of town fast vehicle? When I was living in Dallas, I came to the realization that if the S hit the fan, I wouldn't be able to leave the city in a vehicle any larger than a motorcycle. The roads are notoriously clogged with traffic on a good day; with a zombie apocalypse barreling down the road? The only way one would be able to go more than 10 feet down the street would be to ignore the streets altogether and take a dirt bike down the sidewalks, across lawns, down alleys, etc., taking routes that all the thousands of other vehicles couldn't. Maneuverability would be the key, IMO, to escape in that situation. Something small, fast, and agile would have suited my needs just fine. Just big enough for me, my BOB, and my cat. Now that I'm back home, I have my 4-wheeler handy, and that would work well enough for me. Between cars and trucks, and a city where you might be able to maneuver one well? Personally, I'd pick the truck. Power, 4x4 off road ability, throw a tarp over the bed and you can sleep up off the ground, and you could store your survival belongings easily in one spot and keep a mobile camp, ready to roll quickly if you had to. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
fcb98292	4. RE: Large vs. Small Vehicles Jun 24 2009, 10:29 AM EDT If you live in the city, GET OUT. The thought of trying to muscle a crew cab 4x4 with huge mudders through droves of city drivers, all trying to get out too late, is just short of futilism. My CC 4x4 diesel is OUT of the city and, while traffic is still expected, the 150 gallons of fuel, both on-board and in cans, will get me to my BOL, whether it takes a day or three. More fuel at the BOL. Stock that mother FULL because chances are good you will need more supplies than for just you and your riders. Barter will return and someone might want to trade their first aid kit (yours was already used and you forgot to refresh it) for a dozen of your Twinkes or energy bars. Do not underestimate the power of hunger. After three days in traffic (if you leave too late), people will be downright mean. Dehydration doesn't need three days to turn the average unprepared person into an unreasonable, disgusting asshole, desperate soul with little more on their minds than how YOU can help them. These folks won't be holding cardboard signs, they will actually be dying of thirst and exposure. The bigger and heavier the truck the better, but only if you are already living away from major population centers. If your thought is to escape the metro in your truck as the event transpires, you are SOL. Post reply 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you find this valuable? Do you?
inu-dude25	5. RE: Large vs. Small Vehicles Jun 24 2009, 1:01 PM EDT One think I'd look at more than fuel mileage is fuel range. The fuel range is how far you can get on one tank of gas, so it's mileage times the number of gallons the tank holds. And as for size, it all depends on your location, your needs, and what you can operate. A semi-rig is great if you can handle operating a stick shift with twenty different gears and you can get something that big around a corner without side wiping a parked car. Obviously in urban areas something more compact will be more versatile and probably suit your needs the best. In more rural areas, the advantages of a big truck with generous storage space and a high curb weight are magnified. Regardless of the vehicle type, I still wouldn't go for hitting anything. At some point an impact will be unavoidable and you will find yourself making a zombie into a hood ornament, but you should always aim to avoid situations like that. All modern vehicles have airbags which will deploy at that kind of impact, and most have crumple zones which are parts of the frame designed to collapse in a severe impact to move the energy of the collision away from the occupants. You can disable the airbags or replace the steering wheel with a bagless racing wheel and you can reinforce the crumple zones, but the impact could still trigger an accident or disable the vehicle if the right parts take damage. All in all, it depends on what your needs are, and what you can use most efficiently. If you can parallel park a Suburban in a spot that some people have trouble getting a Mini into, then a big truck will probably suit you perfectly. If you can't park a Mini into a Suburban sized space, then you should look for something compact. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
FrankSkank	6. RE: Large vs. Small Vehicles Feb 12 2010, 7:42 AM EST personally id like to steal one of these city buses in seattle, weld some steel bars to the windows and put some armor plating around the tires but id run outta gas sooner or later, but it would be the ultimate moer of zombies and safe place to hide or run to Post reply Do you find this valuable?
ValNTine	7. RE: Large vs. Small Vehicles Feb 12 2010, 9:40 AM EST I'm working on altering a vehicle in case I do ever need to make an escape, though I am fortifying my house so hopefully that won't be necessary. I own a Chevy Extended cab truck and am in the market for a smaller vehicle for daily use. I have a power Vee blade setup to install on the front of the truck, though I'm going to be reinforcing it with more metal for additional strength. This is just in case you do happen to have an unavoidable collision with a zombie or car (or say you need to move a car out of the way), you can get through without setting off your airbags or causing much damage to your vehicle. The bed of the truck is setup to carry several dirt bikes or bicycles, as well as additional cans of gas. The extended cab of the truck lets me carry at least 4 additional people, and it'll be setup to help clear the road for the smaller car to follow in its wake. That means I could take a total of at least 10 people on the road, but I'm mainly focusing on fortifying my location to prevent a move from having to happen. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
Emperor.Bob	8. RE: Large vs. Small Vehicles Mar 14 2010, 7:52 PM EDT Sorry if this is a bit of threadomancy, but this is an interesting topic. I think in most cases a smaller vehicle would be to your advantage. For example, a very small vehicle of motorcycle weight can be mahandled over many obstacles. A properly equipped off road go kart only weighs about 300-400 lbs, and can carry that, and 2 people can easily lift and carry one over a short distance. Sure, a small vehicle won't do as well in repeated collisions with the undead, but if you're driving with the intent of hitting the undead with your car, then it isn't really a transport, it's a weapon. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
Unmourned333	9. RE: Large vs. Small Vehicles Mar 15 2010, 3:00 AM EDT Large vehicles are for large crews, or remote locations. The basic principle of taking only what you need to survive applies to your late neighbor's Hummer. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
theghostnthedarkness	10. RE: Large vs. Small Vehicles Mar 15 2010, 3:20 AM EDT for me its a large 4x4 truck with dirt bike and mountain bike in the back. but around me if its not a road its just a field of somebodys farm so you really dont need roads. and a mountian bike is light and quiet so it could be used to quickly scout an area without making much noise. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
StrykerPez	11. RE: Large vs. Small Vehicles Mar 15 2010, 5:57 AM EDT I have this to say. Small cars will get you killed. End of story. (NOTE: I did not say motorcycles. Motorcycles are great) What is the best way to survive any apocalypse? The answer is to be different. Most people don't prepare, we do. Most people would go to Walmart when SHTF, we won't. And... most people will be fleeing the cities in imported econoboxes... we shouldn't. Be happy with your little fuel-efficient, gridlock-dodging, commuter car now. I know I am. My daily driver is a bone stock Scion xA. But when SHTF, you will NEED other attributes that a small car cannot offer. Mainly, the durability and ground clearance that only a heavier truck or SUV can offer. So how awesome would it be, speeding around, fleeing the city, in your fast, maneuverable, fuel efficient import. Great... until you come across a downed telephone pole... or a wreck blocking the lanes... or a few zombies... or an easy shortcut, just over that hedge... All things that even a 2wd truck or SUV would have no problem with. (or a motorcycle, of course) If you don't have access to a truck (and don't think you can "borrow" your neighbor's after he is zombie-food...) then make your plans to flee on foot or on bicycle, because relying on a small car to make your getaway will lead to disaster, no matter how good the gas mileage is. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
StrykerPez	12. RE: Large vs. Small Vehicles Mar 15 2010, 11:55 PM EDT Bump... anybody agree or disagree with me? Post reply Do you find this valuable?
theghostnthedarkness	13. RE: Large vs. Small Vehicles Mar 16 2010, 12:11 AM EDT "Bump... anybody agree or disagree with me?" i would have to agree. there is no substitute for a 4x4. and as far as "borrowing" yor neighbors truck it could be done if it was older and could be hotwired. most people dont know that its hard to hotwire cars newer then the mid 1980's. the new cars are too computerized and are much more difficult to hotwire. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
StrykerPez	14. RE: Large vs. Small Vehicles Mar 16 2010, 12:16 AM EDT "i would have to agree. there is no substitute for a 4x4. and as far as "borrowing" yor neighbors truck it could be done if it was older and could be hotwired. most people dont know that its hard to hotwire cars newer then the mid 1980's. the new cars are too computerized and are much more difficult to hotwire." Very true on the hot-wiring part. Any chance of finding a spare key in your neighbor's house? Post reply Do you find this valuable?
theghostnthedarkness	15. RE: Large vs. Small Vehicles Mar 16 2010, 12:39 AM EDT "Very true on the hot-wiring part. Any chance of finding a spare key in your neighbor's house?" maybe but would you have the time to look? here is a good question. i wonder if those lockpick guns work on cars. i dont think they will because car keys tend to be longer then house keys. but im not sure. it a lockpick gun worked on cars i would get one. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
StrykerPez	16. RE: Large vs. Small Vehicles Mar 16 2010, 12:51 AM EDT The problem with picking the ignition lock or busting it lose with a screwdriver and vice-grips is that most modern cars use key chips - tiny electronic circuits embedded in the real key that allow it to start. Without the real key you're screwed. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
theghostnthedarkness	17. RE: Large vs. Small Vehicles Mar 16 2010, 1:03 AM EDT "The problem with picking the ignition lock or busting it lose with a screwdriver and vice-grips is that most modern cars use key chips - tiny electronic circuits embedded in the real key that allow it to start. Without the real key you're screwed. " most cars up to the early 2000s shouldnt have the key chips. those are mostly for hi-end cars for the most part. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
StrykerPez	18. RE: Large vs. Small Vehicles Mar 16 2010, 1:11 AM EDT "most cars up to the early 2000s shouldnt have the key chips. those are mostly for hi-end cars for the most part." Not quite. Many 90's GM vehicles used the VATS keys. Also many Ford trucks. Post reply Do you find this valuable?
theghostnthedarkness	19. RE: Large vs. Small Vehicles Mar 16 2010, 1:21 AM EDT "Not quite. Many 90's GM vehicles used the VATS keys. Also many Ford trucks. " hmm... i dont know i have had a few grand ams, a malibu, and 03 ion and none of those had chips in the keys. i know because i went to ace hardware and had spare keys made. not sure on the ford trucks. never had one newer then 79. Post reply Do you find this valuable?

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Discussion: Large vs. Small Vehicles

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