Outfitting wilderness vehicle

[Spectre]

Scenario: you are outfitting a small 4 wheel drive vehicle for use in an insolated, rugged, and often cold area. You have a limited budget, but a willing accomplice.

A mild (3"?) lift will definitely be on the menu. What else would you add, besides a front brush guard? I think I'll see if I can find (or have made) some type of clip to hold a small axe or hatchet on the inside of the vehicle. Ideas for other accessories? What would the best way to secure a longarm in such a vehicle?

Thanks in advance!

[KPS]

Are you talking mini-pickup or small SUV?I would be sure to have a winch on the front brushguard as well as an AC/DC inverter and a small compressor to raise and lower the psi's in the tires when needed in sandy conditions.A high candlepower spotlight would also be on the menu.Front and rear skidplates to protect the oil pan and gas tank.Auxilary battery and cell-phone with cig-lighter charger.Perhaps a few days worth of MRE's and a 5 gal container of water.Snow tire chains if you are going to experience ice and/or snow.Couple of good blankets or a spare sleepingbag.As far as storing a long gun, J.C. Whitney sells a shelf that mounts on the ceiling of pickups and suv's that conceal the gun from prying eyes yet is readily available.It mounts where the sun visors are and then you mount the visors on the bottom of the shelf.An entrenching tool wouldn't hurt either.

[Spectre]

SMALL ( ) SUV. I'm not certain if Alaska will have cell coverage in many parts- radio, maybe?

Interesting roof mount idea. Firearms will be expected, so I'm not as worried about concealing a longarm as to making it "temptation resistant".

I think I'll definitely have a cold weather survival kit in vehicle- maybe one of the small bivouac shelters? Perhaps a water filter might be even more helpful than a large water supply?

[Bill Lance]

Don't forget a Detroit Locker

[Spectre]

Oh, yeah. I'm considering mounting a locker in the rear, and finding a way to mount a seat atop the locker. (I'm thinking folding seat backs, so locker cover can be raised.)

This type of arrangement wouldn't be great for long distances, but would work okay for short trips with unexpected guests.

[blades67]

A Detroit Locker is a positraction unit for the differential carrier. However, a locker in the back is a good idea.

[Spectre]

Ah, thanks. Rear locking lugs to be most important?

[C.R.Sam]

Locker as in lockable storage box in rear =good

Locker as in rear (drive) end seems questionable to me. Have had a couple cars with Detroit lockers and the turning radius sucked at low speed. I would prefer a clutch type limited slip rear end.

Recommend little or no chassis lift.....won't affect ground clearance and does make em tippier on hillside traverses. High chassis will allow steeper approaches but body trimming can accomplish the same thing.

I like portable lectric winch with mounting and wiring set ups for either end. Never know for sho which way is gonna be the easiest pull. On a small rig, the portables are stout enough.

Removable belly pans/skid plates to protect the goodies underneath.

NEVER tow or winch with anything that you have the power to stretch. When sumpin lets go they can and do kill and/or maim.

Don't grossly over tire. Screws up the low speed capabilities.

Aux fuel. Bag of line, clamps etc so you can bypass the main tank if you hole it.

Let somebody know where you are going and when is the latest to expect you back.

Sam

[Spectre]

Well...that last may be hard, for a while. I don't expect to know too many folks in Alaska, right off!

Sam, how could the lift not affect ground clearance? Could you explain?

I think I should add a tow hitch as well, but since it'll be pulled by a li'l 4-banger, I only intend to pull a kayak. What size ball do I want?

...if anyone has or knows of a used Samurai hard top, let me know! (I just can't see paying $900+ shipping for one.)

[C.R.Sam]

Clearance. Suspension and axels not changed by lift kit. Tire diameter will but more problems there with a little one.

Look at a pickemup with real high lift kit.....look under it....the front n real end still in same place. Samari will go a lot of places the bigger rigs can't get through cause it is so narrow and short coupled.

Sam

[Steve Smith]

Disclaimer: I used to be a real hardcore four wheeler.

The challenge of four wheeling is to stratigecally place your tires so that the undercairrage is not subject to harm. Bigger lift=bigger tires=undercarriage higher up. A reall flexy suspension lift allows you to keep your center of balance somewhat lower when the trail gets real wild, (unsprung weight (axles and 36" tires) isn't flopping around in the air, it's still on the ground) and it also allows you to get more traction to the ground. Lockers are great, but ONLY if you dedicate yourself to learn how to use them. An "automatic" locker (read "all the time") like the Detroit or the Lock-Right never stops working, except when you're going around a curve.


Technical note: Lockers will not, under ANY circumstance, allow an undriven side of the diff to go SLOWER than the driven side.
What this means: In an "open diffed" car/truck the inside (undriven) tire goes slower than the outside (driven) tire, so yuor car goes around curves easily. In a locked diff car/truck around a curve, the inside side of the diff becomes the driven side, and the outside MUST SPEED UP in order to go around the longer radius of the curve...the locker will not allow it to go slower.

Getting back, the locker unlocks and allows the outside side to speed up around a turn, but then locks again once there's no differential force between the two...often with a jerk. All this means that if you drive your rig on the street in any ice or snow, look out, as when the locker re-locks, your rear end may come around to meet you. This is why you have to learn to drive a different way totally. In the woods, where traction is scarce, and you lift one or two tires in the air, you stil want to oput traction down, but on the street, they can kill you or others if you're not careful.

If you have the money, look into ARB Air Lockers. They run off of a compressed air actuation system, and turn on and off with the push of two buttons (one for front, one for back). They're the ONLY way to drive... Yes, I have two! I love them! BTW, once I got lockers front and rear, I never used my winch for myself again, unless the trail was insane...they're THAT good at what they do.

For a boonies vehicle, I'd get a Warn 8274 winch on the front, one or two snatch blocks, several non-stretchy (static) tow straps, a tree saver strap, a set of work gloves, some clevis hooks, a good quality shovel (the MAX AX is awesome), a High Lift jack (this can be used as a poor man's winch), a 4" suspension lift on whatever you're driving (you don't need the 8" that I have!) and maybe 33" or 35" tires since you probably won't upgrade the engine or tranny, a rear ARB air locker, and look into one for the front if you can afford it, a deep water solution (diff and tranny breathers, intake and exhaust snorkels, electronic waterproofing) -side note, diesels run as well underwater as they do in dry land- , a roll cage, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, some EXPERIENCE. Go out and get stuck...figure it out.




Never wheel alone. I'm serious.

[Spectre]

Wow. Thanks for all the info.

'Bout how much are those air lockers you're mentioning?

[labgrade]

Far as a radio goes, you may want to check into aviation types rather than standard CB. Hear that AK's covered with the bushy ACs & I'd sure want to be able to actually talk to someone when the need presented itself.

Colorado wintertime water can be "funny" at times as in it goes to solid state - tough to pour out of a can of ice & tougher to drink. Maybe go metal water container so you can at least thaw it out by a fire w/o melting the container.

I've a couple low-tech signal things stashed in my truck - flare launcher (most are marine grade & you can't outrun a forest fire = be careful), signal mirror - cheap insurance. Small, backpacker stove, extra fuel, sturdy deal of strike anywhere matches & a handful of railroad flares round out firemaking stuff. Oh yeah, handful of those mini-Bics take up no space & provide about 1K lights per.

Beats me re shelter kits. We'll throw a (real) 4-season tent & bags in the truck if we expect to be anywhere that we'd rather be comfy if stuck overnight. Roll-up pads aren't for comfort = they insulate you from the cold ground (Earth's largest heat-sink) Ditto a bag of applicable clothes. A candle lantern generates a surprising amount of (retained) heat in a good 4-season tent.

Snatch strap is always good insurance. Hi-lift lacks are good for more things than just lifting a vehicle up in the air .... A good bow saw is sometimes easier than an axe (take both).

100' hank of 550 parachute cord has too many uses not to have & another length of decent rope comes in handy too many times.

& while you're at it, why not throw together a compact fishing kit just for grins? Same same for a .22LR shooter of some sort for an "always there."

We've a Tacoma with under-the-rear seats storage compartments that has stuff stashed for just in case. I'd just as soon not spend an unscheduled evening or two "out there," but, no biggie if so - part o' the deal. Some of our best times were "unscheduled."

[C.R.Sam]

Steve....good point re keepin the suspension limber. Probably have to do a bit to the Samauri to loosen it up. They pretty stiff from what I have seen and felt.

I was recommending little or no lift with the idea that he didn't have the power to cary taller tires......thus no gain in runnin gear clearance.

I have had some mil surp Jeeps, couple Broncos and a Power Wagon. That little Samauri looks like just the ticket for poopin and snoopin in the AZ mountains. It will not only go places my big Ford won't, probably go inside the Ford. But boy do they ride hard on the pavement.

Sam.....refuse to admit i'm too old for that stuff.

[Spectre]

You're only too old when you believe you are.

I have a Ruger Single-Six .22/.22 Magnum that might live in the box I'll have installed. The previous kit I had in my old vehicle included .22 LR, .22 Mag, and .22 LR Tracer for signaling. I will always have a relatively sturdy firearm with me while in Alaska- too many big, dangerous things to not be prepared. (Minimum will be a .41 Magnum, but I plan on keeping either a .45-70 or 12 ga in vehicle.)

Lots of good info from everyone. Pls keep it coming if there's stuff that hasn't been mentioned. Thanks!

[Steve Smith]

ARB's are about $600 per diff, and then you have to buy a compressor for them ($200 or less if you're resourceful), and also have them installed ($150 per diff) if you're not the mechanically inclined type.

Short of this, I agree with the limited slip differential (LSD) to a point...they don't jerk on ice, but they don't turn freely either...it again is a "new way of driving."

My "discourse" on the lockers was mainly to let you know what they do and the dangers they can present. If you can't afford a locker, then get a good lift, a winch and straps for sure, good tires, and the High Lift. If you have a Samurai, then the ARB is out of the question anyway because they don't make it. The Lock-Right is the only one made for the Sammi and it's less than $200...you can put it in yourself...I have in less than 1 hour. Also if you're getting a Sammi, then count on upgrading the engine to the Sidekick model...it's an easy sway and gives much more power. If this is out of the question, then forget the lift, invest in some SERIOUS skid plating, and DEFINITELY buy the winch. "If you can't drive there, you can drag it there."

[C.R.Sam]

Brain overload......have Sidekick.....hmmmm.....whole Sidekick runnin gear under Samauri...hmmm

Yes...much more power. Lady drivin Sidekick kill me but oh well.

Sam

[BobR]

While many things have been mentioned, one has not. Whenever my wife and I go into the boonies (no cell coverage) we carry an aircraft Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT). These are beacons whose signals are picked up by several satellites at the same time so a pinpoint triangulation can be worked out. Read the following web site to figure out which frequency you want to get. Personally I am using an older one for now, in 5 years I will update to the new frequency.

http://www.equipped.com/uscgsarsat.htm

Many can be picked up for less than 200 dollars, not a bad price when your life may depend on it. I carry one because my wife is a cardiac patient, and if I need someone now I can't think of a better way to get them there. I will pay the piper after the fact, gladly.

Here is a page with several different models....don't go into the boonies without one!

http://www.wingsandwheels.com/page13.htm

and if you don't want to buy one...you can rent it:

http://survivalproductsinc.com/rental.html

Bob

[labgrade]

Generic tool set - one that covers the most for the least number/bulk of stuff. Not just for the vehicle but also for your shooters, whatever. With some forethought, you can come up with a pretty compact kit that'll do most minor repairs.

Lose the lug wrench that comes standard & get a good 4 way. I'm thinkin' of dumping the keyed lug nut (the "anti-theft" thing) per wheel & replacing with a reg ol' nut. Would be quite the drag to not be able to change a tire 'cause I lost that "special" lug key.

A tube of Gunk & a coupla shops rags come in handy to clean up if you do need to do any work.

Funny as it sounds, a coupla coffee filters works if you need to replace your water from a natural source. Keeps a ton of junk out of your container - you'd be surprised - & too, if you ever have to top off your radiator, clean(er) water's much better than having sticks floating around in your engine.

Do watch it with the portable winches. Often they'll have thinner cable than a standard size winch. Stresses mount incredibly quick & overloading/snapping cable is a real possibility. Tie a couple hanks of rope at about 1/3s on the cable. If the cable does break, the rope will take much of the snap out. A breaking cable acts kinda like shooting flies with a rubber band - a generally bad thing. Use the snatch strap around trees & hook up to that - saves the tree.

I'm playin' around with a couple different GPS units currently - we'll see. Other than that AC ELT, always nice to be able to tell someone where to come & getcha ....

& get a trailer to haul all this extra stuff.

[Spectre]

I am planning on getting a VERY SMALL trailer- 'bout big enough to hold my papers, guns, and ammo. Everything else I "have" to have will fit in the Sammi!

[labgrade]

Just kidding about that trailer. Don't really care to pull one around on the street, let alone off-road. Interesting atriculation problems have caused trailer tongue disconnecting from ball ...

Backing & filling to turn around in a tight spot without a trailer is sometimes difficult at best. ... maybe a roof or bumper rack?

[kjm]

We've always kept a .22 rifle or long-barreled pistol with us in the car/truck. Mostly to put wounded deer down, but they're useful for many things. You can always find a very used .22 at the pawn shops for a bargain.

[Spectre]

I didn't mean I'd take the trailer offroad!
I meant, to get me to The Great Land!

[labgrade]

"Funnier" things have happened, Spectre. My Cuz, on a CO elk hunt, did take the kitchen sink - in The Trailer. Foot & 1/2' of snow on an uphill. Truck would articulate one direction, the trailer the other. This, while attempting to maintain an even speed for traction. Stopping to rehitch The Trailer is not condusive to .... well, anything.

Just thought I'd mention trailers & off-road don't mix all that well.
Some don't know.

[dZ]

http://www.real4x4.com/