Subject: Re: Survival Mods For Nissan 4x4
From: Arne Carlsten <agc@primenet.com>

Rick Bowen <rbowen@fastlane.net> wrote:

: Arne,
: Why all of the jerry cans for fuel? Why not just a 40 gallon tank
: mounted in the bed ala racing tanks? (gravity fed) They make them in all
: shapes and sizes. Then like you said, hook it up to the gas line
: w/filter, then install a switch in the cab, and presto, you never have
: to get out while moving? Possibly, you could mount it under the bed,
: adding a second fuel pump, and save more room in the bed for other
: stuff. Just a thought.
: Rick


Flexibility...

Easier to remove (especially if full of fuel) if I need to fit something
else in the bed.  Easier to split up the fuel if necessary.  Less chance
of a leak costing me all the fuel.  Easier to make a cache.

Also, it's much easier to keep a buffer, as it were, of fuel at home.
That I can pack up and move if it were to prove necessary.

I don't envision having to bug-out from this area, but I have given a fair
bit of thought to having to assist friends/family trying to reach my
location.  So being able to cache fuel for others, on short notice; and/or
crossload fuel to other vehicles, could be very useful.

Plus, I got the cans real cheap...

Fitting an auxiliary fuel tank isn't at all a bad idea though.  I'd want
to keep the bed clear, and not interfere with the truck's clearance.

On a slightly divergent topic: saw a guy advertising the 400 gallon
military fuel tanks (the sort that can be carried in the back of a 2.5T
6x6 truck or such).  Wanted, if I remember correclty, $300 for them.  I
didn't think to record the guy's name/address/other useful info at the
time, but if anyone's interested I'll try to track him down at the next
big Phoenix gunshow (February).  Think he was out of southern Utah...

These'd be a good bit bigger and heavier than I would want to try carrying
around; but there's a fuel dispensing unit that can be hooked up to them
(electric powered I think, 24vdc?) and they wouldn't make bad refueling
and/or storage rigs for a retreat.


--
Arne Gustav Carlsten
Flagstaff, Arizona


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Subject: Re: Survival Mods For Nissan 4x4
From: pturner@netcom.com (Patton M Turner)

I would check/renforce/replace the factory bumpers so that they will
support a high lift jack.  IMHO it is desirable for the front bumper to
be quite beefy so it can survive a crash when you slide into a tree,
bank. or ditch.  Brush guards are OK, but they need to be able to stop
brush (strong enough to deflect it until you can stop (or run over it)),
and idealy fine enough to stop single branches from making it to the
radiator or the various oil coolers.  Expanded steel mesh is the only
thing that will meet this last criteria, and if you look at utility
company brush guards, thats they way they are made.  If the vehicle is to
stay on roads (even pig trails), so the main danger is from sliding into
something, the guards made with round tubing are OK (The is what AT&T,
the FAA, MCI, and some cellular providers use, since they stay to what
are supposed to be roads.  Tow hooks are nice on the bumper, if it is
strong enough.  I have them on mine (2 clevises), but the bumper weighs
350 lbs with winch and brushguard :-(.  On older trucks, I like bumpers
that look like push bars, (old push bars make good HD bumpers) as they
can be used as such if strong enough.  This is harder to do with the
newer Ford and CHevy fullsize pickups.  My previous pickup bumper weighed
450 lbs, and had pads on it to act as a push bar (DP products 10K winch
bumper)

You might want to add aux coolers for the tranny (if an auto) and power
steering fluid.

Dual batterys are nice if you have a winch, HF radio, or lots of lights.

A solar battery charger will keep the battery topped off.

I'm not big on lift kits, but some trucks sag, or have unacceptable
ground clearance.  I've had helper springs (sometimes supplied by the
factory as part of a snow plow package) on the front of the trucks I have
had with hydraulic winches.

As far as security type mods go, you migh want to think of a brake and
interior light disconnect, paint the chrome parts flat black, have the
truck painted a flat, neutral color, and have a cover for the glass parts
(windows, windshield, mirrors, and lights.)  This might be a camo net, or
a few pieces of burlap.

Pat
