What did you do today for your bug out vehicle?

[NT2C]

Caught a decent sale and bought this: https://a.co/d/9tsRADc

[NT2C]

Discovered I needed special brackets made to mount that light to my roof rack, so I ordered them.  While I was there, I took advantage of a sale price and my military discount to knock $100 off the MSRP and bought a rear ladder for my Jeep.  Then I wandered over to my shopping basket on Amazon and picked up a tire octopus (inflator/deflator for 4 at once) for 23% off, as well as the heavier gauge (12 ga) wire I'll need to wire up that light bar.

Expensive morning but that's how it goes.  The Jeep gets things to make it better and my bank card gets a little workout.

[NT2C]

Not today, but "recently", I made a few changes and upgrades to Redhawk:







New ladder, tire mounted back on the roof rack, new Harbor Freight lights on the nudge bar, new lightbar on the front of the roof rack, added some graphics.

[MacWa77ace]

@NT2C Looks awesome, what's left? Maybe a spare tire cover? and a radar unit?



Dumb questions; does that ladder on the rear click/tilt open so you can open the hatch window?

How come I don't see a hundred antennae?

How close is the color match to the trailer?

[NT2C]

@NT2C Looks awesome, what's left? Maybe a spare tire cover? and a radar unit?



Dumb questions; does that ladder on the rear click/tilt open so you can open the hatch window?

How come I don't see a hundred antennae?

How close is the color match to the trailer?

The ladder is solely attached with the hatch and moves with it. The rear window does not open on Jeep Grand Cherokees.

The antennas are there, they're just flat black and hard to see.  Dual bander on the side glass, another on the driver's side ditch light, and a GMRS antenna on the passenger side.

Trailer color match is close enough that I've had state troopers pass me through fire lines with the fire crews.   

Not getting a tire cover as there's none that would stay on up there and they look dopey.  This time next year I plan to replace all 5 tires (and possibly the set of rims if I can find 18" true beadlock rims that will fit).  I'm also adding some better backup lighting, attached to the ladder sides.

[NT2C]

Bought a pair of beefed up subframes to stiffen the frame, and a steel shield for the rear differential.

[EBuff75]

After several weeks of using my Suburban to haul around a lot of stuff (to the point where I had removed both the 3rd and 2nd row seats to make more room), today I re-set it.  I cleaned it, reinstalled the seats and finally reorganized the gear.  The biggest thing was that I finally put all of the lesser used tools (air compressor / tire repair / lug nut sockets / breaker bar, recovery straps / soft shackles / etc, jumper cables, pry bar, ratchet straps, and an extension cord) into a tote.  It doesn't save any space, but it helps a bunch when I need to move things around since it reduces a dozen different items into just one. 

When I was reinstalling the seats in the 2nd row (which requires bolts) I used a new tool that I've gotten to put in my truck - a cheap impact wrench.  I didn't want to spend a lot of money on one, since there's always the possibility that it'll be stolen, so I got another Seesii (the same company as my mini-chainsaw) during a recent sale.  It's heavier than my Milwaukee, but from testing it recently, it's got some power!  Happily, the bolts for the 2nd row seats were 19mm, which is one of the included lug nut sockets in the Seesii kit.  So no need to get out my Milwaukee tools to do this in the future, as I'll have everything that I need right there in the truck!

All nicely packed once more!  The new impact wrench is in the case on the left, which is right in front of the newly-packed tote.
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[MacWa77ace]

I want to get one of those off brand inexpensive ones. I'm just reluctant because i keep thinking that in 4 or so years when the batteries die i wont be able to find a replacement battery.

@ $149 thats not the least expensive

[NT2C]

After several weeks of using my Suburban to haul around a lot of stuff (to the point where I had removed both the 3rd and 2nd row seats to make more room), today I re-set it.  I cleaned it, reinstalled the seats and finally reorganized the gear.  The biggest thing was that I finally put all of the lesser used tools (air compressor / tire repair / lug nut sockets / breaker bar, recovery straps / soft shackles / etc, jumper cables, pry bar, ratchet straps, and an extension cord) into a tote.  It doesn't save any space, but it helps a bunch when I need to move things around since it reduces a dozen different items into just one. 

When I was reinstalling the seats in the 2nd row (which requires bolts) I used a new tool that I've gotten to put in my truck - a cheap impact wrench.  I didn't want to spend a lot of money on one, since there's always the possibility that it'll be stolen, so I got another Seesii (the same company as my mini-chainsaw) during a recent sale.  It's heavier than my Milwaukee, but from testing it recently, it's got some power!  Happily, the bolts for the 2nd row seats were 19mm, which is one of the included lug nut sockets in the Seesii kit.  So no need to get out my Milwaukee tools to do this in the future, as I'll have everything that I need right there in the truck!

All nicely packed once more!  The new impact wrench is in the case on the left, which is right in front of the newly-packed tote.
You cannot view this attachment.

May I suggest tossing a dark blanket over that pile?  I use two moving blankets in the Jeep, one side black, the other dark blue, just to block things from curious eyes, especially at night, parked in my driveway or a hotel lot.

[EBuff75]

I want to get one of those off brand inexpensive ones. I'm just reluctant because i keep thinking that in 4 or so years when the batteries die i wont be able to find a replacement battery.

@ $149 thats not the least expensive

It was $90 when I got it, and that was for the entire kit including two 4Ah batteries.  The advantage to a lot of the Chinese companies (including this one) is that they actually use the Makita battery pattern, so getting replacements shouldn't be an issue.  

[eugenenine]

I have the Milwaukee M12 impact, its under the back seat of my truck so you can't see it looking in.

[Rednex]

Want a cordless impact gun times 2 for in the vehicles but just to expensive for limited funds right now. Went through both suv and truck, checked/topped off all fluids. Checked and inflated tires if needed. Checked the stock of extra/emergency fluids, tools gear, added where low. Made a list of fluids ( extra, back up, refill ) for the garage.

[NT2C]

We rely on our road service plans (one we pay annually for, the other from our insurance company) for flats and such.  However, the Jeep has a full set of tools in it.

[eugenenine]

We rely on our road service plans (one we pay annually for, the other from our insurance company) for flats and such.  However, the Jeep has a full set of tools in it.

Did that when we first got married, because the in-laws told us we should. First time ever calling it took two hours for someone to arrive. Sometime before that the in-laws had called for a jump and the AAA truck hooked up the cables backwards resulting in them being in a rental car for weeks.

[NT2C]

We rely on our road service plans (one we pay annually for, the other from our insurance company) for flats and such.  However, the Jeep has a full set of tools in it.

Did that when we first got married, because the in-laws told us we should. First time ever calling it took two hours for someone to arrive. Sometime before that the in-laws had called for a jump and the AAA truck hooked up the cables backwards resulting in them being in a rental car for weeks.

At one time in my life, I was ASE certified as a master mechanic, but that was many decades ago. I still retain a lot of the knowledge, just not the physical ability, so I rely on others for the heavy lifting but can spot and correct them when they're about to screw up.

As for the time it takes them to get there, you need to look at the factors involved before you call, and adjust your expectations accordingly.  Christmas Eve in a blizzard, out in the deep, dark boonies, it might take a while, so have alternate plans, like a jump pack (two in my Jeep), plug kit (including sidewall patches and replacement valve stems), spare fuses, jumper cables, and at least one actual recovery point on each end of the vehicle (if possible).  In northern climes, during the snow season, I'd add strap-on tire chains and at least one tube of a salt/sand/gravel mixture (often sold pre-mixed in "socks").

I also have more than one group I can call, thus improving the odds of getting a faster response.

[eugenenine]

Thats in part the reason for the battery powered impact wrench. I can change a tire without breaking a sweat now. No ore tugging on the lug wrench until I'm dirty, tired and sore.

[NT2C]

Thats in part the reason for the battery powered impact wrench. I can change a tire without breaking a sweat now. No ore tugging on the lug wrench until I'm dirty, tired and sore.

The lug wrench is the easy part for me.  It's the getting down on the ground to deal with the jack part that's a hard "no".

[Uomo Senza Nome]

I dropped my HD Road Glide off at the dealer for new tires. When I purchased it in 2021 the deal was free tires for life, so long as I owned the vehicle and took it to the dealer for the tire replacement. Anyone who buys motorcycle tires knows this is a very good perk deal.

What I didn't consider was that the tires have to be completely worn out and not have to be replaced due to damage. Anyway, apparently I have been driving around with a nail in my rear tire unknowningly for some time. Motorcycle tires of course can't be safely patched so I think the dealership thought they would be replaced before wear out, which should have happened but didn't.

So I guess I will be inspecting more carefully now forward.

The bikes are second stage vehicles in case of evacuation and the roads become difficult or impossible to traverse with a four wheel vehicle or even (very remote possibility) of a break down of the truck. Although with either bike I can carry about a week's worth of supplies 

[eugenenine]

For secondary I go to human powered.
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[majorhavoc]

For secondary I go to human powered.
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Please start a separate thread and tell us more!  Equipment choices, thought process, use case/bugout scenarios etc.