Build Advice vs Zombies

[TXRick]

I've been studying these forums and would like to thank all you guys for all the great information y'all have given. I see a lot of things that I would love to do to my 4runner, but would like advice on needs vs wants.

The main purpose for my build is to make a vehicle that will get from my house in the city to my place in the country as quickly as possible in the event of a Zombie Apocalypse. Keep in mind when I say Z.A. I don't actually believe that zombies are in our future, but I do believe if you prepare for the Z.A. then you will be prepared for whatever the world throws at you...foreign invasion, total governmental collapse, Justin Bieber becoming a tyrant...ya know whatever.

In between my house and the country the terrain doesn't vary too much. I'll have about 10 miles of highway to navigate and mostly paved roads until the very end. If the roads are clear my vehicle would need to be able to travel at high speeds on interstate and curvy backroads. If the highway isn't clear it would have to drive in ditches, cross culverts, small creeks and also be able to clear obstacles. ie: wench cars out of the way, cut down trees. Here in Northeast Texas we don't do a lot of rock crawling...we go Muddin' so keep in mind I wont be doing a lot of rock crawling.

Here are some of my ideas so far.

Armor up front tube bumper with winch, rock sliders, rear bumper with gas can and spare carrier.
What about underneath? What pieces are essential and do I have to take into consideration mud and water when picking underarmor parts?

Snorkel-yes

Storage-roof basket, inside cargo drawers, place for chain saw and high lift jack, tie downs for my bug out box, pistol and rifle storage with easy access.

cb radio-yes, gonna go with one of the ones suggested on the many cb topics.

locker- wishing an elocker would fall out of the sky and land installed on my 4runner

suspension- Need some advice here. What is a good set up for Muddin'? I was thinking OME set from toytech but the more I read these forums the more I see that a lot of advice in geared toward rock crawling.

Please have fun with this post and lemme know what you guys think a good escape vehicle should have

Rick

 

[GSPRunner]

In the "Walking Dead" their primary vehicle was a puke green Hyundai Tuscon, so just lease one of those.

 

[Kung]

I'd work on a way to hermetically seal yourself inside the 4Runner. Might want to include a source of O2 though.

 

[theizzardking]

wow, you're asking about a complete build here, there's so much that you would need to cover.... but you seem to have basics down, to be honest for what your trying to do here, you'd want to build an expedition vehicle , try the expo forums, but i'll try to help you the best as i can.


armor, all of it,get it all, sliders,bumpers,skids, ect....
as for mudding and the rest, i'd suggest looking for armor that has good drain holes located in it in regards to the skids, the bumpers won't care , with that said though i'd suggest a custom built plate bumper and reinforcing the frame rails at the front so you can plow some car out of the way if needed, most bumpers out there aren't this rugged,

electrical stuffs
i'd suggest a winch in the bumper,lighting all the way around comprised of floods on the sides and spots on the front and rear(think roof basket), dual batteries, upgraded alt and wiring, ham radio/cb install ,for a ZA you gonna want to be on HAM, i plan to run both handheld CB and mounted ham... an inverter with a few portable solar cells.

lift:
if you're planning high speed stuff i'd look at some icons,radflo's and the like and tell them what your carrying and what your trying to do, they can custom build a shock coil over set up to suit probably going to want remote reservoir as well to help with the cooling of the shocks, other wise most of the other shocks will do just fine for normal driving experiences and trail crawling.

as for your mudding thing, the biggest deal here is going to be tires,lockers,winch, or possibly tires,winch,locker, depends on your view point of the whole thing, the biggest thing though is going to be what tires your running, your in a tough spot here because from what you explain you should really be looking at a AT or teh like but those are only marginal at best in heavy mud, that's the whole reason for the MT in the first place, i have a really hard time suggesting MT's for anything that is going to be driven on the road regularly, but i guess look around, if everyone else has MT's maybe you should get an MT, i don't know what the mud is like in N. texas, it's never really that bad here, i mean we get mud, and deep mud, but not enough to where i can justify an MT


other upgrades
extra fuel cell, f150 tank upgrade,snorkel, lockers front and rear, storage box,sleeping compartment, rear shower compartment, and various other expodition type mods for comfort.


like i said this could be a novel breaking everything down to need and the rest, as this is a complete build here, not just any single upgrade or series of upgrades, as i see it there's not much difference between going on a solo expo in my rig vs a ZA, except my level of sanity.......


that said, if your one of these prepper types, you should really be looking at an old diesel of some sort, if your just a normal guy who wants a capable truck you're doing alright, just know that our rigs are still affected by emp's,viral outbreaks,economic collapses and herpes like everyone else's....

i really don't know what to think here.....

 

[Kung]

just know that our rigs are still affected by emp's,viral outbreaks,economic collapses and herpes like everyone else's....

i really don't know what to think here.....

Well, going by what you listed above, a Faraday cage, ultraviolet scanners, a few bars of gold and other items of intrinsic value, and keeping away from girls should do it.



Seriously though, I was about to start typing but theizzardking beat me to it, and added a buncha stuff.

 

[Whitson Metalworks]

i guess i try to keep a ZA in the back of my mind with mods. when i built my bumpers i wanted to be able to plow into things if need be, or at least nudge things around. my remote control spotlight would be a great takedown light, and now i have a cb with a much less popular whip antenna (i hear stuff from all over!). the roof rack can be loaded up with junk AND i did the seat cushion swap for comfy ride:bravo:

really though, if it ever hits the fan its going to be mayhem and unless you can literally WALK to the woods, driving isnt going to help much since a bajillion other people will be freaking out too.

 

[mien4x4]

off topic but just wanna say your runner looking good man just missing the bigger shoes

 

[Whitson Metalworks]

yep, thank you, and i know. those tires were brand new though and i'll never get that purchase past the CFO lol.

 

[theizzardking]

Well, going by what you listed above, a Faraday cage, ultraviolet scanners, a few bars of gold and other items of intrinsic value, and keeping away from girls should do it.



Seriously though, I was about to start typing but theizzardking beat me to it, and added a buncha stuff.

haha, i like your add-on's ..not sure about teh staying away from girls part...maybe just a through check with the UV light before they get in?

OP should just head out and buy this truck

 

[theizzardking]

yep, thank you, and i know. those tires were brand new though and i'll never get that purchase past the CFO lol.

right it's a dangerous game we play, i have a semi-secret account where i save money for things like this, trouble with that though is if the wife finds out she thinks your have a mistress in an apartment somewhere, and if you just tell her "honey i'm going to spend 1.2K on tires for my truck".. you might as well have a mistress in an apartment from the look on their faces... your FUBAR'd lol....

 

[Doc2012]

I've been studying these forums and would like to thank all you guys for all the great information y'all have given. I see a lot of things that I would love to do to my 4runner, but would like advice on needs vs wants.

Needs vs wants is the main thing you have to look out for on these build man. There are going to be a lot of things you want, but might need, and alot of things you need, but might not want.

The main purpose for my build is to make a vehicle that will get from my house in the city to my place in the country as quickly as possible in the event of a Zombie Apocalypse. Keep in mind when I say Z.A. I don't actually believe that zombies are in our future, but I do believe if you prepare for the Z.A. then you will be prepared for whatever the world throws at you...foreign invasion, total governmental collapse, Justin Bieber becoming a tyrant...ya know whatever.

In between my house and the country the terrain doesn't vary too much. I'll have about 10 miles of highway to navigate and mostly paved roads until the very end. If the roads are clear my vehicle would need to be able to travel at high speeds on interstate and curvy backroads. If the highway isn't clear it would have to drive in ditches, cross culverts, small creeks and also be able to clear obstacles. ie: wench cars out of the way, cut down trees. Here in Northeast Texas we don't do a lot of rock crawling...we go Muddin' so keep in mind I wont be doing a lot of rock crawling.

Here are some of my ideas so far.

Armor up front tube bumper with winch, rock sliders, rear bumper with gas can and spare carrier.

This is a good start. Bumper and winch will get stuff out fo your way. sliders will protect your doors. rear bumper will protect your hatch so you can get in and out, not to mention you can ram stuff from the back if needed.


What about underneath? What pieces are essential and do I have to take into consideration mud and water when picking underarmor parts?

I would go with a full Skid plate. Look into BudBuilt. Great skidplates.

Snorkel-yes

Storage-roof basket, inside cargo drawers, place for chain saw and high lift jack, tie downs for my bug out box, pistol and rifle storage with easy access.

Good options. I would go with a ladder on the back so you can have easier acess to the roof rack. I know I need to get one. And Soon..

cb radio-yes, gonna go with one of the ones suggested on the many cb topics.

Another good idea. Keep in touch with the outside. Of course, a HAM would be better idea.

locker- wishing an elocker would fall out of the sky and land installed on my 4runner

This is I personally love the ARB air lockers. They are selectable for on or off road, you don't have to worry about "pops" or anything like that, and they come with compressors and sir lines for inflating tires. I love my ARB air lockers. They have gotten me out of some stuff that I would've definately been screwed in.

suspension- Need some advice here. What is a good set up for Muddin'? I was thinking OME set from toytech but the more I read these forums the more I see that a lot of advice in geared toward rock crawling.

Read the lift sticky on here in reguards to that. A lot of people have different opnions for what you should do.

Please have fun with this post and lemme know what you guys think a good escape vehicle should have

While you say that there isn't a lot of terrain variences in the area you live in, remember what you're building here. You're building a "Bug-Out Vehicle." You're area might be comprimised, or there may be better ideas for you to go to. While you might not think Skid Plates, Lockers, and all that are needed, they are very useful.

I like the ARB's, as I said, becasue they are selectable, and they come with a bunch of accessories. Plus, they are sealed. I would much rather have something that is sealed in the diff, than have an electric motor that is sitting on the outside of the diff, where it is exposed to water/mud, rocks, and dirt. But that's just me.

Don't forget, you're going to need to sleep somewhere as well. You can sleep comfortably in the back of the 4Runner. Build a deck system in the back of it, and use that for the stuff you want to put in the 4Runner.

You can bring a tent, but if SHTF, you're going to loose it. If you sleep in the truck, you can just jump in the driver seat and go.

I've got a lot more ideas and stuff, i just can't lay them all out here. Give me a few days, and i might actually make a thread with my stuff and ideas in it.

In the mean time, here's a link to my build thread, and some mods that I've done.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/119076-docs-zrv-pic-heavy.html

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/127367-docs-mod-thread.html

 

[Yoter]

From a tactical stand point:
1) NO roof rack, its a handle for anyone trying to attack you
2) Get sliders that sit under the body of the vehicle and do not protrude.. (a place to stand)
3) Get a hoop-less bumper, again handles
4) Get cages over lights and all glass
5) Make holes to shoot out of
6) As far as air get gas masks or something its not going to be easy to breath at least in any urban environment
7) Lots of fuel

As far as suspension if you need the ability to do high speed stuff get some coilovers King or Icon seem to be the best from what people say.

Honestly, I would just get a Hummer nothing can absorb any terrain thrown at it and never fail even with the worst drivers behind the wheel. I was in a hummer once that hit a 4 foot vertical wall at 30+ mph, it didn't even skip a beat.

Best of luck and be sure to share all the bad ass pics that are bound to come out of this build with us.

 

[963rdgen]

This has me thinking, I wonder if Addicted Offroad had a blade add on for the stinger so you could cut those zombies in half when you ran into them, might be ideal...

I'd look at a toytec ultimate setup, it's not a racecar and in that situation I'd end up driving slowly enough to be able to ensure I didn't wreck the truck. That's the last thing you'd want.

 

[techno]

Have you seen the Top Gear episode where they take the Hilux to the volcano in Iceland? You want to start taking ideas from that rig.

In fact, you probably want to abandon the 4Runner completely (yes, it had to be said) and get a Land Rover Defender, a 78 Series Troopy or an H1 or something. :biggrin2:

Anyway.... when you plan your armor upgrades, focus on protecting the important things. Things that keep the engine and drivetrain working. Forget useless crap like sliders, they are for cosmetic protection. Like you said, you're not rock crawling so the rocker panels will cope just fine. Accept the fact that when the fire and brimstone is raining down on your world, your ride will get scratched and dented and look like sh*t. It's inevitable.

 

[Yoter]

If you really want a solid reliable plan:
Get some good dogs and either a camal or a horse.

 

[ar.t4r]

Some thoughts, in no particular order:

1) Get certified in first aid/CPR - I'll never understand guys that spend thousands of dollars on some form of hollywood preparedness, but don't have a clue how to do basic first aid. If **** hits the fan, medic skills are going to go for top dollar.

2) Water. You don't know how long it will take to go those 10 miles, so you'll want to keep plenty of water around to get you there. You can go a while without food, but no water? forget about it.

3) Keep your vehicle as close to stock as possible. When you're driving around and something breaks, you aren't going to be able to replace that custom heim joint. You want to be able to scavenge for parts.

4) Bring spares/extras/fluids. you'll want spares of common wear items. This means ball joints, u-joints, etc. Obviously you'll want a full size matching spare tire, not some donut shoved outta the way. Install a dual battery system with an A|B switch. You'll want it so both batteries are charged, but only 1 is used regularly. This way if you ever drain batt#1, flip a switch and start her up using batt#2. You'll also want a leak proof storage solution for oil/coolant/etc.

5) Security. You'll want to make it as hard as possible people to a) steal your vehicle, and b) steal what's in the vehicle. For 'a', things like hidden fuel/battery cut off switches work. Things like alarm systems do not. For 'b', you'll need to come up with ways to bolt everything down. You'll want steel storage boxes everywhere you can squeeze em. If you follow #3 (stay stock-ish) people might just even ignore your vehicle all together.

as stated, any expo forum will have tons of advice for things like this. Preparing to drive 5k miles into the middle of nowhere has a lot of the same requirements as a bug out vehicle.

 

[TXRick]

Wow, great responses!

Total miles to drive is about 40 on the road.

Not going to give up the 4runner!

I mean...ya know...some people think we are all going to be fine and I'll probably spend some time in my 4runner having fun...if I get the guts up enough to climb out from under my rock...err...mudhole

 

[98OzarksRunner]

Several years ago when I ran another business, we looked at up-armoring civilian vehicles (like they do in Mexico and Brazil). Since the US is not as dangerous as those places, we looked at light armoring that would be pretty much undetectable. I had a 95 4Runner Limited that we used to test some basic, inexpensive ideas (and no we didn't shoot it or hurl bricks at it to test things - just wanted to see how practical and liveable it would be).

It's pretty impractical to use bullet-resistant glass (since there is no such thing - it just takes a LOT of glass [layered with mylar film between the layers] to stop a bullet - a minimum of 1" thick), since it is very expensive, and just rolling down the window 1/4" removes the effectiveness (so they have to stay up all the time and usually won't roll down in up-armored vehicles). It is also very heavy and requires a lot of metal work to the doors/window frames. However, there are some things you can do to add some safety relatively inexpensively.

You can get mylar coating for the windows - 4 mil thick. That will keep the zombies from breaking the glass and reaching in for you (as long as the window is up all the way), and protect you if a zombie lobs a brick at the window. That's the stuff they put on windows in gov buildings to keep shards from hitting folks if something goes boom. I had some put on my 95 back then for testing and it was very liveable. You can also get it tinted.

You can also add ballistic fiberglass panels to the doors, tailgate, and inside the back seats. It's not cheap, but 1 sheet is enough to do the 4Runner. You can cut it with a sabre saw, but wear a respirator! We put this in the 95 as well, and it only added about 100 lbs (for 3/8" - level 2).Bullet Resistant Fiberglass, Bullet Proof Armor Panels | ArmorCore® UL752 Listed or Bullet Resistant Fiberglass

Run-flat tires are a must, as well as a metal box around the battery to protect it. You could also put some metal grate across the front to protect the radiator, while still letting plenty of air get past.

Real up-armored vehicles use kevlar to fill the gaps, and a kevlar blanket under the carpet, and usually a lot of steel armor. They are also very heavy - a Mercedes sedan can weigh 10,000 lbs - and quite expensive (a $100K armor job is not unusual). But you can do the mylar glass film and ballistic fiberglass for less than $1K, if you are REALLY worried about the ZA (or other such scenario).:wink2:

 

[ar.t4r]

You can also add ballistic fiberglass panels to the doors, tailgate, and inside the back seats. It's not cheap, but 1 sheet is enough to do the 4Runner. You can cut it with a sabre saw, but wear a respirator! We put this in the 95 as well, and it only added about 100 lbs (for 3/8" - level 2).Bullet Resistant Fiberglass, Bullet Proof Armor Panels | ArmorCore® UL752 Listed or Bullet Resistant Fiberglass

A super cheap way to make your doors bulletproof is to put phone books behind the panels. It won't stop everything, but it's dirt cheap!

I've heard a lot of gang members do this to protect against drive-bys...

 

[audiness]

would these be a good alternative to run-flats for a bug-0ut vehicle?

Goodyear Wrangler MT/R with Kevlar