# whats next for my truck?



## k10macosta

I have a 1987 chevy k10. Am trying to get it ready for an emergency situation or SHTF situation. It is a 305 v8 small block. So far it has some skid plates. 30 gallon gas tank. Roll bar with lights. 31" tires. Reinforced frame in places. Push bar with lights. Some replacement parts inside. An axe. All the tools I would need to work on it. Fire extinguisher. Full size spare. Tow straps. Flares. Jumper cables. Im running out of ideas and I want to know what to do next with it, any ideas?


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## jsriley5

Plug and patch kit and some properly sized inner tubes. Somtimes a tire that is too far gone to plug and patch can be run for a while by removing the valve stem and putting a tube in the wheel instead ( make sure the worst holes etc have somthing inside to cover them and keep small rocks and stuff from getting in to the inner tube). Racks for a couple of spare fuel cans. a 12 transfer pump (or a hand pump) to allow siphoning of "found" fuel might wnat to include a filtering system for that as well. Winch I actually prefer one that can be removed and then put mounting points on both the front and rear so it can be used at whichever end its needed. 
Upgrade to a ford  just kidding to each their own. 

most of those are theory as I have long wished but usually never had money to do these things. Instead of a wich I always had several chains and a handy man jack that can be used to lift, push and winch if you have the chains to winch with and a section of pipe to slide over the top to use as a push bar. I kept a cheater pipe in there too. full sive spade, Axe saw pick if you don't have any other vehicles or trees to hook to to winch you can use that section of push pipe as a dead man dug into the ground to tie off to. Always wanted a compressor hooked to the engine and pipe bumpers I could use as air tanks to run some air tools too. you can even get air powered chainsaws somwhere I saw them once never ran one though.

Yeah I"m a terrible pack rat dad always teased me about it. Until we were out at the farm and needed somthing and I had it handy


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## k10macosta

jsriley5 said:


> Plug and patch kit and some properly sized inner tubes. Somtimes a tire that is too far gone to plug and patch can be run for a while by removing the valve stem and putting a tube in the wheel instead ( make sure the worst holes etc have somthing inside to cover them and keep small rocks and stuff from getting in to the inner tube). Racks for a couple of spare fuel cans. a 12 transfer pump (or a hand pump) to allow siphoning of "found" fuel might wnat to include a filtering system for that as well. Winch I actually prefer one that can be removed and then put mounting points on both the front and rear so it can be used at whichever end its needed.
> Upgrade to a ford  just kidding to each their own.
> 
> most of those are theory as I have long wished but usually never had money to do these things. Instead of a wich I always had several chains and a handy man jack that can be used to lift, push and winch if you have the chains to winch with and a section of pipe to slide over the top to use as a push bar. I kept a cheater pipe in there too. full sive spade, Axe saw pick if you don't have any other vehicles or trees to hook to to winch you can use that section of push pipe as a dead man dug into the ground to tie off to. Always wanted a compressor hooked to the engine and pipe bumpers I could use as air tanks to run some air tools too. you can even get air powered chainsaws somwhere I saw them once never ran one though.
> 
> Yeah I"m a terrible pack rat dad always teased me about it. Until we were out at the farm and needed somthing and I had it handy


My dad used to work on heavy machinery out at strip mines and construction sites. He had k30 flat bed with a 350. And the first 4 cylinders were used normally but he used the back 4 as an air compressor and had tanks mounted behind the cab. It was pretty slick


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## mtexplorer

I also carry a 12" square of two pieces of 3/4" plywood laminated together to put jack bases on. Sometimes the ground is just too soft and it really helps. I also carry two extra tires and wheels on the rack above. Our gravel roads here eat tires. 2 is 1, 1 is none idea

Do you have clevis hooks for the tow straps. I had to tow a car out of the ditch last month, the clevis hooks made the job much faster, there wasn't anywhere to hook the tow strap on the car so I ran it around the axle and used to clevis hook to connect it back to itself


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## UncleJoe

Coolant. If you blow a hose you can make a quick, temporary repair with duct tape and then loosen the radiator cap so there's no pressure. But you'll need to be able to refill the system to get on the road again.


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## bugoutbob

Sounds like you ought to give up on that truck and start a new one (then give the old one to me) . Seriously, sounds like a good start. Windshield washer, oil, other fluids (although you may already have that under your spare parts category), as Riley mentioned already a winch that can be used front and back. A couple of come-alongs might be nice,


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## bugoutbob

mtexplorer said:


> Do you have clevis hooks for the tow straps. I had to tow a car out of the ditch last month, the clevis hooks made the job much faster, there wasn't anywhere to hook the tow strap on the car so I ran it around the axle and used to clevis hook to connect it back to itself


Good call. A couple of clevis hooks can be a lifesaver. Had to use them on occasion myself


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## ONEOLDCHIEF

Are your tires, the one that cannot go flat, (I do not remember what they are called) I would seriously look into a set of them... A flat tire or tires can be a serious game changer... If you get a set keep them mounted in the garage, may be some good insurance... Just a thought. 

Good luck!


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## Tirediron

Make sure all of the transfercase bracing is in good shape and tight. If you are concerned about emp , an carb and intake manifold along with a stand alone hei distributor might be a good plan. the hall effect unit in the comp controled distributor has been know to be weak. (the above only applies if your truck has tbi) make sure the front stub axle seals are in good shape and the torington bearings have grease (this applies to any full floating front axle) Axle housing and t case vents are often overlooker during normal maintainance.


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## NaeKid

Tirediron said:


> Make sure all of the transfercase bracing is in good shape and tight. If you are concerned about emp , an carb and intake manifold along with a stand alone hei distributor might be a good plan. the hall effect unit in the comp controled distributor has been know to be weak. (the above only applies if your truck has tbi) make sure the front stub axle seals are in good shape and the torington bearings have grease (this applies to any full floating front axle) Axle housing and t case vents are often overlooker during normal maintainance.


Good thoughts on the axle maintenance ... that has bit me too many times on my mini-monster.

An addition to the axle and t-case vent subject ... If you are running an automatic, there is also a very short vent hose on there. Take all of the vent hoses off, make sure that the fittings are clean and then run fresh lines to the very top of your firewall for the front axle, transmission and transfer-case. For the rear axle, run the vent-hose to the top of the inside of the box near the cab. Make sure that the hoses are able to move freely by stretching the suspension to full droop before you tie the hoses into place along the frame rail.

A small 1,000lb quad-style winch bolted to a frame-mounted roll-bar would be wonderful for getting stuff in and out of your truck-bed, a small 8,000lb truck winch can be mounted between the frame rails in the back and have the winch-line go through the center of the bumper (with rollers), the control-box can be mounted to the inside of the truck-box behind the rear wheels for easy access. Most trucks get into "trouble" going forward, so, a rear mounted winch will do wonders to back you out of trouble.


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## cnsper

Extra drivelines and u-joints. Fuzzy Dice and what we called dingle balls... LOL

Secondly, I would change from the 1/2 ton axles to 3/4 or 1 ton. If you are leaving you need to be able to carry the weight and the larger axles are built a little stronger for obvious reasons.


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## k10macosta

I just put a brand new water pump. All new fluids. 5 quarts of oil behind me seat and I had 1 clevis 3/4 clevis in my truck but I took suggestions and put a 1/2 and 5/8s in there just in case. Im gonna buy a farm jack this weekend and mount it along the side of the bed. I have a cable come-along in a bed box. With 2 gallons of antifreeze (not half and half so I have actually 5 gallons of coolant) I have another set of 4 tires with rims that will fit my truck in the barn. They aren't as big what smaller tires are better than none at all. I was thinking about upgrading my axles. But I have had 5,850 lb in my bed one time and it was fine. So im not really worried. These axles are rumored to be near bullet proof. So im gonna stick with them and put money elsewhere. Thanks for all your suggestions! If you guys got any more keep them coming. They really help. Thanks


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## k10macosta

I also have 2 cans of 7-77 penetrating oil and 1 can of heavy duty silicon lube. Instead of fuzzy dice I have a turkey beard from a gobbler last season hanging from my mirror haha


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## cnsper

12 volt air compressor would be a good idea too for those low pressure situations.


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## Jimthewagontraveler

We have a local garage that will fill the front tire on 
The lawn mower or bicycle with a very flexible rubber for $30
A motorcycle tire is $60 etc etc
Top speed is 45-50 mph for 4 hours.
It is amazing what can be done with 2 functional tires on the 
front of a 4x4.
So if cost is an issue get 2 NEW fronts in the bed of the truck.
Because of the extra weight these are not good everyday 
Motorcycle tires but for that spare dortbike they are very nice 
And they are bullet proof, before the rubber is injected a 1/2 
hole is drilled opposite the valve stem.
After that they are Impervious to anything I can find on the 
farm.
I don't even bother to take out the nails anymore they just 
help with traction on ice.
A 357 or hunting rifle does very little to them


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## CulexPipiens

A camera... so you can take picures of your upgrades and build process and then post them!


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## eddy_dvyvan

Duel or tripple batteries, Led camp lights. Putting a tow hitch box tube on the front/rear/bed will allow you to move the winch where you need it.

Get a diesel

Air lockers


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## zombieresponder

NaeKid said:


> Good thoughts on the axle maintenance ... that has bit me too many times on my mini-monster.
> 
> An addition to the axle and t-case vent subject ... If you are running an automatic, there is also a very short vent hose on there. Take all of the vent hoses off, make sure that the fittings are clean and then run fresh lines to the very top of your firewall for the front axle, transmission and transfer-case. For the rear axle, run the vent-hose to the top of the inside of the box near the cab. Make sure that the hoses are able to move freely by stretching the suspension to full droop before you tie the hoses into place along the frame rail.
> 
> A small 1,000lb quad-style winch bolted to a frame-mounted roll-bar would be wonderful for getting stuff in and out of your truck-bed, a small 8,000lb truck winch can be mounted between the frame rails in the back and have the winch-line go through the center of the bumper (with rollers), the control-box can be mounted to the inside of the truck-box behind the rear wheels for easy access. Most trucks get into "trouble" going forward, so, a rear mounted winch will do wonders to back you out of trouble.


That can also be accomplished with a front mounted winch and some pulley blocks.


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## NaeKid

zombieresponder said:


> That can also be accomplished with a front mounted winch and some pulley blocks.


True - but putting the weight in the back of the truck instead of on the front is a better distribution of the weight. When I am out offroading with my crew, a couple of my buddies have only rear-winches, a couple have only front and some run both-ends equally.

What we have found over time is that those with the rear winch feel safe going out alone, those with the front feel safe going out in pairs. I can't think of a single person in my club without at least one winch, some have have PTO, some use electric and some have hydraulic.

The winch that I have on the front of my Jeep LJ is a Warn 8,000lb unit that cost me $100 through the local classifieds. At a price-tag like that, it is cheap insurance for either the rear or the front ... on a pickup, I would hide it in the back under the bed between the frame-rails near the trailer-hitch. If I use it once, it has paid for itself.


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## Tribal Warlord Thug

ONEOLDCHIEF said:


> Are your tires, the one that cannot go flat, (I do not remember what they are called) I would seriously look into a set of them... A flat tire or tires can be a serious game changer... If you get a set keep them mounted in the garage, may be some good insurance... Just a thought.
> 
> Good luck!


ordering a full set of these to put on our truck....

http://www.trailworthyfab.com/Military-Double-Bead-Lock-H1-Hummer-8-Bolt-Wheel-W-TIRES.html

with the run-flat inserts they're $1349 and some change for a set of six....and since they are in the wichita area, we can drive over and pick them up :cheers: 
.........winches are definitly a must-have for yer bugout vehicle as is good lighting front and rear.....dual batteries, an inverter to run a small welder/air comp. or an onboard welder/air comp. are another thing to think about........been off roading for the last 3 decades and am still learning what is needed to carryvract: keep us updated on yer progress with it k10macosta........and definitly need PICTURES :2thumb:

heres a pic of one of our BOV's.....the wheel/tire combo from TWF will make a hell of a nice upgrade...


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## k10macosta

Il have some pictures by the end of today or tomorrow. But someone said to go diesel. I like diesel but in an emergency situation I would rather have gas. Gas is everywhere. Almost every car uses it. The parts for a chevy305 or 350 are everywhere and it is extremely easy to work on. Plus you can distill alcohol and make fuel out of just about anything. So for me gas is my top choice but to each their own


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## k10macosta

Here are a couple quick ones. Lol busy day today. Il get some better ones tomorrow excuse the primer on the joints of the roll bar haha. I just finished welding it and didn't have spray paint so to keep flash rust sway I gave it a quick prime


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## smaj100

If you put a winch on, make sure you exercise it once in awhile. The last thing you want is to get it all mounted and done and never touch it till you need for a SHTF moment and its stuck or seized up. 

IF you are adding extra batteries better make sure to either add an extra alternator or a HD HO unit from a big 2500-3500 should do the trick.


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## k10macosta

Another thing I forgot is I have 2 CB radios. One mounted in my truck and another hand held one that is battery powered and can be recharged from my truck. So if someone goes scouting before we take the truck through some where we can communicate


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## jsriley5

I have worked for a fella that had a heavy duty inverter set up hooked to the truck. It was very handy to run drills, circle saws, and stuff. along with your extra battery set up (and I like the idea of a totally separate charging set up for it good ole redundancy) Did 't recall seeing an inverter set up mentioned. I might also be tempted to rework the wiring to a military type configuration that allows you to disable all the running and brake lighting etc. And a very low emission "black out" drive light for moving around in the dark without being visible for miles. I dunno but it might be possible to get ready to go wiring harnesses to do that but that is alot of work.


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## smaj100

JS nice I had forgot all about going blackout. A simple toggle switch and some speaker wire, interrupt the ground on the brake lights and they should go out. The old chevy won't have any of the new always on or auto lights at night, so running lights shouldn't be a big deal. I wonder if you can buy blackout rigs from surplus? Hmmm time to hit some googling...


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## jsriley5

you used to but I just dunno lately might try colemans surplus they used to have alot of parts, another possibility is amc truck (I think thats right) they have parts for several different models of vehicles including maybe some of the millitary models.

This is the first place I was thinking they appear to be really thin on the parts compared to what I remember. http://store.colemans.com/cart/automotive-parts-c-6.html?zenid=bdfu7bmo634ssvkbm6i7g7coh4

And the second must be miss remembered as it's not getting what I was thinking of. I"ll post again if I remember who I"m thinking of.


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## forluvofsmoke

You probably already know this, but be sure to mount your fire ext (pictured in bed of truck) or it will roll around and/or get bashed-up by other moving objects once you put GTFOOD plans into motion. Best route is to secure everything you can, even if it's just with rubber tarp straps, it's better than nothing.

I will say for it's age, you have a very good base project vehicle...little to no body damage or rust is a huge benefit in time/cost savings.

Unlike my BOV, yours will have far less potential for component failure, being mine is a 2K 2500 suburban with the stock 6.0 engine replaced with an aluminum head '04 6.0 @ 345 hp...it's loaded...but has serious potential, can be disguised as a daily driver (which it actually is), and I paid cash for it 4 years ago, so, no payments. We do the best that we can with what we have, and improve it over time.

Oh, not sure what terrain you may running through, but you may want to have a couple heavy steel shafts (1 to 1-1/4" x 36") to use as anchor bolts to drive into the ground (with a sledge hammer) if large rocks or trees aren't an option...nothing worse than having a winch, cable puller, etc, and nothing to anchor the line off with. If the ground is frozen, an ice drill to set your anchors will help a lot.

In either case, if you have to set anchors, it won't happen in a hurry...just be patient...and set the anchor pointed slightly away from your direction of pull/line tension so the anchor remains stable longer at higher line tension and the strap/cable/chain won't jump off the top of the anchor bolt. At best, weld a ring to the top...it aids in jacking the anchor bolt out of the ground and helps prevent your anchor strap from jumping off the bolt.

For cargo, consider how you will secure your food, water and supplies in the truck bed. You don't want to loose anything while getting out of dodge.

Great start on your BOV and a good choice for a project starter!!!


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## jsriley5

Aha found it it was LMC truck heres the link might look em over for spare fuel tanks and stuff too. http://www.lmctruck.com/chevrolet/


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## Tirediron

If you choose to go the black out plan, it would be a lot easier and more trouble free for put a switch in the brake light wire at the switch in the cab at the brake pedal arm, if you pop the connector out of the plug, you can do it without cutting any wires. If you choose to mount a winch on the front make sure that it does not reduce your attack angle.


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## seanallen

Good ideas, all. Heres another: add another fuel tank beneath. You say u have 30 gallons? Another tank would make it 50. Also:a bed tank would add another 30. Fuel is gonna get outrageously hard to find when tshtf.


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## k10macosta

I only have 2 complaints about my truck and if I were to buy another make sure it had these both. I would get the 350. My truck is a 305 and it has plenty of power, but the 350 just has just Alittle more. But on the other hand I get 2-3 mpg better than the 350. So its not really all that bad. My second complaint is its an automatic. Its a 700r4 which I read are very tough and I've had no problems with it. Its still very tough. I like manuals Alittle bit more. But I got the truck for splitting about 6 chord of wood with a maul. It is my daily driver pretty much and I love it.


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## k10macosta

I really like the blackout idea. I might do that today. Im also going to mount work lights off the back and mount the fire extinguisher so it doesn't get messed up. Im currently looking for a winch on craigslist, id like a warn but I don't know if I can spend that much. If there is another brand with the same quality let me know. If no other brand has warns quality il just buy a warn. Anyone have any luck with other brands?


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## Tribal Warlord Thug

i prefer Ramsey winches............
http://www.ramsey.com/industrial/winches.html


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## zombieresponder

k10macosta said:


> I only have 2 complaints about my truck and if I were to buy another make sure it had these both. I would get the 350. My truck is a 305 and it has plenty of power, but the 350 just has just Alittle more. But on the other hand I get 2-3 mpg better than the 350. So its not really all that bad. My second complaint is its an automatic. Its a 700r4 which I read are very tough and I've had no problems with it. Its still very tough. I like manuals Alittle bit more. But I got the truck for splitting about 6 chord of wood with a maul. It is my daily driver pretty much and I love it.


The 700R4 was a crappy transmission. It can be improved substantially with the right parts and if the rebuilder knows what he's doing, but otherwise it's crap. The early years were especially junky, but it did improve somewhat throughout it's production. Do not tow with it in overdrive, and install an aftermarket fluid cooler.


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## k10macosta

zombieresponder said:


> The 700R4 was a crappy transmission. It can be improved substantially with the right parts and if the rebuilder knows what he's doing, but otherwise it's crap. The early years were especially junky, but it did improve somewhat throughout it's production. Do not tow with it in overdrive, and install an aftermarket fluid cooler.


I love it. It has first gear is very low and I have overdrive. It is very tough. Shifts very nice. It does heat up Alittle when it is very hot out but am going to put an after market fluid cooler on it


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## zombieresponder

k10macosta said:


> I love it. It has first gear is very low and I have overdrive. It is very tough. Shifts very nice. It does heat up Alittle when it is very hot out but am going to put an after market fluid cooler on it


I liked the low first gear and overdrive, but disliked the lack of durability. After having it rebuilt and it going out again, I pulled it, along with the NP208 tcase and the 305. It's going to get a cummins diesel, manual trans, and an NP205 tcase. People that have done essentially the same swap report 24+ mpg.


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## k10macosta

zombieresponder said:


> I liked the low first gear and overdrive, but disliked the lack of durability. After having it rebuilt and it going out again, I pulled it, along with the NP208 tcase and the 305. It's going to get a cummins diesel, manual trans, and an NP205 tcase. People that have done essentially the same swap report 24+ mpg.


Im not a fan of chain transfer cases but it hasn't given me trouble so we will see. If something happens im pulling it putting a 350, or 454 with a manual and gear, married t-case.


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## NaeKid

I have a 350ci with TH350 transmission and a 203 transfercase in my mini-monster. I snagged a 205 transfercase that I am planning to rebuild into a twin-stick and then throw it in (new drive-shafts and other goodies to match.

If you are going to pull out the drivetrain - I would suggest doing a 203/205 doubler with twin-stick that will give you an ultimate lowrange ... if I had room in my mini-monster, that is what I would do. My rear driveshaft is only 18" long, so, I don't have the space to make that happen.


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## CulexPipiens

forluvofsmoke said:


> You probably already know this, but be sure to mount your fire ext (pictured in bed of truck) or it will roll around and/or get bashed-up by other moving objects once you put GTFOOD plans into motion....


Yeah, good idea! A long time ago I once had a small one in the trunk of an old beater I owned. One day I had a yellow powder all over the trunk and a much lighter extingusher.


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## k10macosta

CulexPipiens said:


> Yeah, good idea! A long time ago I once had a small one in the trunk of an old beater I owned. One day I had a yellow powder all over the trunk and a much lighter extingusher.


Here ya go guys! Lol freshly mounted


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## forluvofsmoke

k10macosta said:


> Here ya go guys! Lol freshly mounted


In the perfect location, I might add...close to the driver and within reach, even if you just have to crack the door open a few inches yo get it loose, you could still get at it with one hand if you had to dowse something in the cab on the fly (windows open to reduce inhalation and eye-sting from the dry chemical, of course)...(think about being tailed by an unruly mobile group which caused a stray bullet to take out part of your electrical circuits).

BTW, this brings up a fail-safe operating option: you could install heavy-duty (50 amp 12 VDC) toggle switches to manually disconnect certain non-critical circuits like the heater blower, etc, in case wiring was damaged just enough to cause a small arcing short which may cause a fire but not be a dead short which would blow/trip a circuit protection device (fuse or breaker)...could save your bacon if you couldn't locate the cause immediately after hitting the fire with an extinguisher (again, on the fly with no time to stop to check things out yet), to just be able to cut-off non-critical circuits in hopes that one of them were the cause.

Some other things to consider, since we're on the subject: spare stranded electrical wire in different sizes, solder-less (crimp) splices and connectors, vinyl electrical tape, a few cable-ties and several spare fuses of each rating that the vehicle uses would be a good idea.

Man, you're not wasting any time on this BOV, are you? Stay with it...a little bit at a time and before you know it, she's ready to hit the dusty (or muddy) trail.

Speaking of mud, and snow, I didn't see mention of tire chains, so I did.


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## jsriley5

KNowing how my overweight but slides out of my truck I"m concerned for your rear pockets and belt loops and shirt tails on that handle will it fit in there with the handle down and or to the rear? Just sayin I know not how big your butt is or how long your legs are but Im fairly tall and still always managed to wear that front corner of the seat down prety good on the normal height trucks.


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## k10macosta

jsriley5 said:


> KNowing how my overweight but slides out of my truck I"m concerned for your rear pockets and belt loops and shirt tails on that handle will it fit in there with the handle down and or to the rear? Just sayin I know not how big your butt is or how long your legs are but Im fairly tall and still always managed to wear that front corner of the seat down prety good on the normal height trucks.


the picture doesn't do it justice to how it is pointed. I sat there for 15 minutes to find the perfect angle. And its pretty good. The angle I took it from makes it look like its sticking out but I slid in and out 15 times to make sure. It was either there or behind my head. Which I figured something would break and fall on me.


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## jsriley5

K long as you feild tested it to your satisfaction is all that matters. And yeah if things get rough you don't want ANYTHING harder than a nerf ball crowding your head space. This I know very very well and have had the rung bell and goose egg to prove it.


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## k10macosta

forluvofsmoke said:


> In the perfect location, I might add...close to the driver and within reach, even if you just have to crack the door open a few inches yo get it loose, you could still get at it with one hand if you had to dowse something in the cab on the fly (windows open to reduce inhalation and eye-sting from the dry chemical, of course)...(think about being tailed by an unruly mobile group which caused a stray bullet to take out part of your electrical circuits).
> 
> BTW, this brings up a fail-safe operating option: you could install heavy-duty (50 amp 12 VDC) toggle switches to manually disconnect certain non-critical circuits like the heater blower, etc, in case wiring was damaged just enough to cause a small arcing short which may cause a fire but not be a dead short which would blow/trip a circuit protection device (fuse or breaker)...could save your bacon if you couldn't locate the cause immediately after hitting the fire with an extinguisher (again, on the fly with no time to stop to check things out yet), to just be able to cut-off non-critical circuits in hopes that one of them were the cause.
> 
> Some other things to consider, since we're on the subject: spare stranded electrical wire in different sizes, solder-less (crimp) splices and connectors, vinyl electrical tape, a few cable-ties and several spare fuses of each rating that the vehicle uses would be a good idea.
> 
> Man, you're not wasting any time on this BOV, are you? Stay with it...a little bit at a time and before you know it, she's ready to hit the dusty (or muddy) trail.
> 
> Speaking of mud, and snow, I didn't see mention of tire chains, so I did.


I already made something like that switch. I had a lot of room in the circuit board. So I sectioned it off into 2 things. Essentials and non. If I put a wire all the non essentials are gone and its all business I was thinking of having 2 batteries and 2 boards and an oversized alternator. So everything essential has its own battery. Like 2 different electrical systems powered by 1 alternator. But I need to do some math to figure out how big. I don't want to boil any batteries lol


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## smaj100

Instead of 1 big alternator make a bracket and add another alternator to the mix easy to wire and if you get the same one or similar as you have on the vehicle you had redundancy very quickly should the primary fail! Just a thought. And with enough southern engineering you should be able to make both drive off of the original belt.

http://a248.e.akamai.net/origin-cdn.volusion.com/sswul.nocfw/v/vspfiles/photos/GMDK-250-2.jpg

Just the 1st google hit I looked at but something similar should be fairly easy and straight fwd, with some steel for brackets and a torch.


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## Shammua

*Here is my 2 cents on this.*

I know over all this is exspenive but it's a list so you can work on it and mark things off as you go. I have an F-350 Crew Cab 4x4 and have been working on mine for years and it's slowly getting there.
One of my biggest reasons for going with the lift and tires is easy, even in natural disasters such as flooding (don't drive through moving water if you can help it) I can drive through water up to 4 feet deep and not have to worry about flooding my truck out or hydro lock.

OK Here is what I threw together real fast for you to mull over and consider. The website's are just for reference really.

1987 Chevy K10 BOV Build

Suspension:
6inch lift http://www.summitracing.com/parts/exp-k1013/overview/make/Chevrolet
35 inch tires http://www.summitracing.com/parts/mtt-5856/overview/
Steering stabilizer Need more details on your truck
Bullet proof axle covers (can't remember what that part is actually called right now)
May want to look at regearing your axles depending on the current ratio, especially if you go with a lift and larger tires. Regearing is the most cost effective and most reliable way to get your truck closer to the original MPG's that it got when stock.

Engine:
High output alternator, mean green makes really good ones
Dual battery setup, this allows for accessories, winch, and more without killing your battery life to quickly.
High flow water pump

Exterior: 
Heavy duty bumper like a Ranch Hand brand bumper, can get front and rear bumper with winch mounts and hide a hitch points. Bumper bolts directly to frame.
Oil pan skid plate, transmission skid plate, rocker bars/side steps
Tonneu cover or shell for bed (these make hiding stuff and security of gear better than open bed)
Some sort of roof rack to put spare tire and quick access tools, such as farm jack, shovel, pick axe and maybe even extra gear. I am doing roof rack on cab and shell of my truck.
Detachable snorkel (may have to be home made, easy enough to do. Detachable so that you can run regular air box to keep engine cool and only hook up snorkel for crossing when needed)

Interior:
800 watt to 200 watt power inverter mounted in cab to charge items that don't come with car adapter. If you want like I have you can also run a 3000 watt inverter to the bed of the truck and mount a power strip back there to have power in the bed in case of need.
Hard mount location for pistol carry, secure lockbox for weapons.

Other:
12k winch for your truck depending on bumpers you can get a winch that can attach to tow points and be movable front and rear, or you can have a spot front and rear for perm. Winches. Don't forget come along's work great and don't use any power except you.
Does your truck have A/C? Then you don't need to put an onboard air compressor in, let God cool you down and covert the A/C compressor into your onboard air for needs.
Portable welding kit that can run off engine power.

Defensive:
Full set of tools (don't forget a jack to lift truck)

This is just my quick build for your truck and there are details in there that would have to be tweaked for your specific truck. Such as tire size to fit rims, have to account for back spacing, turn radius, and what your trucks real center of gravity is.


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## ihaveMANHIDE

Try getting a newer model of truck like a 1988 and up. I personally have a lifted 1998 Chevy half ton. Extended cab, 35s on a 6 an half inch lift. Push bar, automatic running boards, light bar going across the top of the cab. CB radio, police scanner, and much much more. But yeah PM me if u needs some more ideas on stuff to do with trucks.


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## cowboyhermit

We use winches daily on the farm and have burned through a fair number over the years, mainly lifting bales. I was a firm believer that warn was the only way to go but we got a cheapo brand for one truck years ago and it has lasted really well, others not so much.
It was mentioned before but I will second the receiver mounted winches, I was a bit skeptical of how solid they would be but have been impressed. You can pickup bolt on hitch mounts really cheap, or even cut one off at a scrap yard and mount one in the bed, one on the front, and of course you have a hitch already. Then you can wire some heavy Anderson power pole connectors to each spot and you are set. Having a receiver on the front is useful anyways.
You can get by with a smaller winch if you double line, or triple, etc so I always carry a pulley or two. 
If it is just occasional use a comealong or a jackall with holes for chain/cable can do what a winch can, though it is a LOT more effort. Again a couple pulleys can be a lifesaver.


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## cowboyhermit

We use winches daily on the farm and have burned through a fair number over the years, mainly lifting bales. I was a firm believer that warn was the only way to go but we got a cheapo brand for one truck years ago and it has lasted really well, others not so much.
It was mentioned before but I will second the receiver mounted winches, I was a bit skeptical of how solid they would be but have been impressed. You can pickup bolt on hitch mounts really cheap, or even cut one off at a scrap yard and mount one in the bed, one on the front, and of course you have a hitch already. Then you can wire some heavy Anderson power pole connectors to each spot and you are set. Having a receiver on the front is useful anyways.
You can get by with a smaller winch if you double line, or triple, etc so I always carry a pulley or two. 
If it is just occasional use a comealong or a jackall with holes for chain/cable can do what a winch can, though it is a LOT more effort. Again a couple pulleys can be a lifesaver.


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## Shammua

cowboyhermit said:


> We use winches daily on the farm and have burned through a fair number over the years, mainly lifting bales. I was a firm believer that warn was the only way to go but we got a cheapo brand for one truck years ago and it has lasted really well, others not so much.
> It was mentioned before but I will second the receiver mounted winches, I was a bit skeptical of how solid they would be but have been impressed. You can pickup bolt on hitch mounts really cheap, or even cut one off at a scrap yard and mount one in the bed, one on the front, and of course you have a hitch already. Then you can wire some heavy Anderson power pole connectors to each spot and you are set. Having a receiver on the front is useful anyways.
> You can get by with a smaller winch if you double line, or triple, etc so I always carry a pulley or two.
> If it is just occasional use a comealong or a jackall with holes for chain/cable can do what a winch can, though it is a LOT more effort. Again a couple pulleys can be a lifesaver.


A "LOT" more effort but then again effort vs cost can be a huge factor at times. That's why I want a winch, but until I can crap out the cost for a 16k winch for my truck, I will be using a Hi-Lift Jack with chain, tow straps, and pullies... It's a great setup to have even if you have a winch, what happens if you are stuck and the vehicle dies, no power no winch...


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## jsriley5

Shammua said:


> A "LOT" more effort but then again effort vs cost can be a huge factor at times. That's why I want a winch, but until I can crap out the cost for a 16k winch for my truck, I will be using a Hi-Lift Jack with chain, tow straps, and pullies... It's a great setup to have even if you have a winch, what happens if you are stuck and the vehicle dies, no power no winch...


Well if you can't get it re started why waste the efort getting it out


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## Shammua

jsriley5 said:


> Well if you can't get it re started why waste the efort getting it out


Could be a part the went bad that can be easily fixed if you got it unstuck. Seen alternators go out, or some electrical got wet and just need to get out and get dry.


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## jsriley5

He did say he was rigging extra batery power so he should be able to run the winch a good while and still have plenty of starting juice left.


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## cowboyhermit

If you want any redundancy with a winch it gets pretty expensive in terms of space, weight and money. You need to carry a jack anyways so why not a highlift or equivalent that can also function as a winch, or two. A come-along has a ton of uses and is very light, have not had these really let me down, fail to ratchet properly or what have you, but still operational. Winches do break, trust me on that, and it usually at a very inconvenient time. Just saying, they are a great tool but I wouldn't want to rely to heavily on a winch in a life or death situation, based on my experience.
Minor snafu today on truck (not my own) that I had to fix today.


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