Category: Vehicles

Letter Re: Geo Metro 3-Cylinder Gas/Propane Engines for Retreat Generators?

James: I am working on two generator set-ups and would like some feedback. I am working on a Mercedes OM636 and a 3 cylinder, 1 liter [displacement] Chevy Sprint/Geo Metro/Suzuki motor. In this letter I’ll describe the 3 cylinder and why I think it will work at a retreat [to power a generator]. The 3 cylinder goes back to 1982 with GM’s Project Saturn in 1982. It achieved better than 100 miles per gallon (mpg). On a trip from Warren, Michigan to New York it averaged 105 mpg on the highway and 75 mpg in the city. It was dropped …


The Coming Hard Times–Wake Up Call!, by Dr. T.

I am writing this essay with a bit of trepidation. I do not want to make you think I am an expert on anything, but I do think a lot and have spent a lot of time studying the economy. Mr. Rawles can verify that my education and training are as follows — I am in the medical profession and also an attorney. I am also in the Air National Guard, after spending many years in the Army Reserve. I was deployed in 2003-04, primarily to Kuwait, but also made trips to Iraq, Qatar, and Djibouti. I also spent most …


Letter Re: Garage/Shelter for RVs as a Retreat Option?

Jim- A few days back a contributor asked about hardening up her mobile home. That reminded me of a plan I have been considering over the last couple of years. This might work for those who can’t relocate now to their retreat. I was motivated to write because I just saw a news report of a family offering a considerable reward for the recovery of their ATVs which had been stolen from their vacation cabin.[My idea is to] develop a retreat location with: 1. A water supply and septic tank and [leach] field (all disguised, to discourage squatters.) 2. Underground …


Letter Re: Diesel Motorcycles

Mr. Rawles: The August ’07 issue of Motorcyclist [magazine] (pg 74) has an article on a diesel conversion of a Kawasaki KLR. They are currently making the bikes for military only, however the article does mention that a civilian design is in the wings. The company is Hayes Diversified Technologies. I have seen discussions on the SurvivalBlog about storing diesel and people wanting a motorcycle. This may be a great advertiser for you to chase. I have no relationship to Hayes. I am just a reader of you blog. Good luck, and thanks for all the great info. – Vince


Survival Planning–More Than Just Gear and a “To Do” List, by Ray

A lot of people tend to approach survival planning as a simple exercise in gathering stuff and making a “to do” list. Having the right supplies and equipment is important, as is prior planning. But there may be a way to optimize your post collapse/disaster actions. I’d like to talk about the concept of the decision making aspects of survival. Decision making is the “Why” that joins the “What” (As in “Here’s what we’re going to do…”) to the “How” (As in “…and here’s how.”) All the gear and knowledge in the world do you no good if you don’t …


Three Letters Re: Advice on Generators?

Dear Mr. Rawles, On the subject of generators, I was wondering what your thoughts were on fuel. Recently, the municipality I live in equipped it’s municipal buildings with large generators powered by propane. My thought was that a wiser choice would have been diesel. My reasoning was: Propane can only be provided by large trucks with specialized equipment or by smaller, but heavy, containers. In a situation where the roads may be blocked or impassable, a propane truck would not be able to get through. It’s hard to convince a propane dealer to come out with his truck for a …


Letter Re: Advice on Generators?

Jim, What is the way to go in generators? I own four now, all gasoline fueled. Last winter the power was out for nine straight days, and it was 28 degrees below [zero, Fahrenheit]. I have used gas generators for near 40 years, but mostly for remote site construction. They are started and shut off as needed. But last winter with the power out, I would run for 4 hours, then off for 6 hours, for nine days straight. What happened is that the 3,600 RPM of long run time vibrated them apart. In the summer one would just tighten …


Six Letters Re: Proper Lubrication with Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel?

Jim A couple of points on ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD). Back in the 1990s low sulfur was introduced and we had a rash of pumps “wear out” prematurely for the most part these were older and or rotary pumps that were poor performers to begin with. It has been my experience that the “Bosch in inline” pumps tend to be more forgiving. If on road legality is of no concern than a gallon or two of marvel mystery oil will cover your lubricity issue. When I was in the coast guard we had a mixing formula to mix 40 …


Letter Re: Proper Lubrication with Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel?

Jim, I’m wonder if there is someone in the SurvivalBlog readership who has any first hand knowledge about the repercussions of the ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel that is being mandated by our government. I’ve heard that the sulfur content is being reduced from 500ppm down to 15ppm and that the sulfur in the fuel has a lubricating effect on diesel engines, fuel pumps, injectors, etc. The assertion is that this lowered level will significantly increase wear on older non-ultra-low-sulfur fuel designed diesel engines. I understand that many regions of the country can only get this fuel now and that many …


Older Chevy 4X4s: The Ideal EMP-Proof Survival Vehicles, by Vlad

The ideal survival vehicle is a 4×4, 3/4 ton made by GMC or Chevrolet. They are easy to work on, old enough to be cheap, new enough to get parts for and, tough enough to last. My 1976 GMC 4×4 3/4 ton pickup has 300,000+ plus miles. Maintenance = reliability. It has V8 350, 4 speed standard shift, 4.10 axles, dual-range transfer case, manual hubs. In Low range first gear I have crept up and down icy mountain roads with perfect confidence — and V-bar chains on all four wheels. Between the steel line from the gas tank, and the …


Four Letters Re: EMP Preparedness and Countermeasures

Dear Mr Rawles: I have been enjoying your SurvivalBlog very much. I am new to these kind of web sites but have been of a preparedness/survivalist mindset all my life. I served in the US Navy for seven years as an Avionics Technician on both fixed wing (FA-18 Hornets) and rotor wing aircraft. Part of my training encompassed electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and its effects on aircraft and how to properly maintain and repair them so as to not compromise their ability to withstand EMP should it occur. Now that I have been out of the military for some time I …


Letter Re: Five Years to Just 50% of the Current U.S. Oil Supply

Dear Jim and Family, I have bad news. An analyst with an oil background did a study on the oil producing nations and found they would stop exporting 50% of their oil in around 5 years, averaging decline of 10%/year to total world oil exports. The USA is 60% dependent on imported oil, and is currently growing 7% of our needs via ethanol (corn). As we’re in the process of losing Mexico at 15% per year and will see them encounter some social breakdown in 11-17 months time due to loss of exports and tax revenue for their social services, …


Letter Re: Bicycles for Emergency Transportation

James Rawles; I have been riding bikes since I was old enough to learn some 35 years ago. In my teens I had a paper route with over 100 customers and I used a ladies single speed bike (the lower center bar allowed me to get on and off easier)with wide (balloon) tires and two of the biggest baskets you could find on the rear like saddle bags and one up front so I could grab a paper and throw it up on the porch. The wide tires handled the weight better than the narrow ten speed tires. I could …


Letter Re: Lessons Learned from Hurricane Katrina and Indiscriminate Weapons Confiscation

Dear Mr. Rawles, First off, I would like to thank you for writing the novel “Patriots” and starting SurvivalBlog. My dad sent me your book in the mail and told me to read it. Being a fan of Tom Brown-ish survival literature, I decided to give it a try. I read it in one night, starting at about 8 pm and finishing at 3 in the morning. Truly, my world view has changed. I have immediately started making preparations—getting my Bug Out Bag together, my Bug Out Routes planned and starting to practice some of the skills sets I’ve let …


Letter Re: Bicycles for Emergency Transportation

Mr. Rawles, Being a Vietnam era vet, I’m well aware of the efficacy of bicycles as transportation and “mules,” as Grandpappy describes in his article. Viet Cong forces used convoys of bicycles to transport war materiel south from North Vietnam along the Ho Chi Minh trail. U.S. forces would bomb the trail during the day in the hopes of obstructing truck traffic moving south. At night the Viet Cong would use bicycles to move supplies in lieu of trucks. One should never underestimate pedal-power. Regards, – Jeff P.