The Avalanche BOV build - Beginning to Completion

[Caenus]

I've created a few threads here and there regarding my Avalanche. I thought I'd create one master thread with links, etc to give a good picture of what I am working with and suggestions for improvements or additional modifications.

About a year ago, I started with this:

A 2005 Avalanche Z71 with very low miles. Full leather, Rear seat DVD system, Bose audio, moon roof, 5.3L V8, 31 gal fuel tank, lockable "sponson" boxes built into the sides of the bed (like the Ramboxes, but 10 years sooner), and hard tonneau covers. It came with 32" Michelin LTX's that were nearly new. The first addition was a dash mounted GPS. Not in-dash, but the kind that sits on top of the dash.

Next I filled the hidden compartments with ammo and some emergency necessities (poncho, cash, flashlight, Nature Valley bars).

[Caenus]

Following the basics, I filled the sponson boxes with the following:

Tire plug kit
Can of fix-a-flat
Recovery strap
Tow hitch
E-tool
"Kodiac" shovel
2lb sledge
Hatchet
Cold Steel spearpoint machete
bag o tie downs (rope, bungees, mesh net)
Leather gloves
20'x20' tan tarp
8'x10' tan tarp
tent stakes
200 ft paracord
Flashlight
bright orange vest
4 quarts of oil
can of wd-40

To tell the truth, the boxes are only about 2/3 full with this gear in them.

I also included a basic tool kit inside the cab.

[Caenus]

Next I put together a bedslide. You can see the full project here: http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopi ... 45&t=70523
Finished product:

[Caenus]

Following the bedslide, I moved on to suspension and rubber.

First, a 3" lift. I used torsion keys up front to add 2.75" to the front (basically a leveling kit). After a day out in the desert with a few days of gear and emergency supplies in the back, I did not like the sag. I also added a 2.5" rear lift in the form of coil spacers. To control the "bouncy bounce" from the front end lift, I replaced the factory shocks with extended shocks. The truck still rides factory.

As she sits now (next to a stock Z71)


Then I had to replace the stock LTX's


With Treadwright "Wardens" on BFG AT shells.



I sold the nearly new LTX's as a set for $400.

[Caenus]

Next I decided to work on a car kit that could stay in the truck all the time, and still give me 2 days worth of food and water for myself, wife and daughter.

Keep in mind, I have several tarps in the sponson boxes already.

Spotlight
water
tea kettle
first aid kit (booboo kit mostly)
cable lock
and a large fanny pack

There are also 3, 2-3ft sections of 4x4 posts to assist in tire changes and recovery.

Contents of the fanny pack:
pocket rocket stove
candle
gps
lighters
small bottle of bleach for emergency water purification (katadyn filter is in the family BOB's)


a few additional items (folding pocket chair, redundant tire patch kit, a couple empty usgi canteens)


A second bin with a North Face 40F sleeping bag, usgi wool blanket, 2 more empty usgi canteens, 4 MRE's, toilet paper, bright orange poncho, relocated the 20x20 tarp to this bin. Also (in black cases) a crank/emergency radio and hygiene kit.

completely packed:


Also decided to keep the air compressor loaded. The air tank is empty, but I have a converter in the cab so I can charge it when needed.

[Caenus]

Next it was time to add some additional external storage. This is phase one of external storage. Eventually this rack will be replaced with a slightly larger one, and this one will be relocated to the roof to hold the full size spare more securely.

[Caenus]

At this point, I now have a BOV very close to what I originally envisioned. I did not want to have to rely on a trailer to carry gear. I also wanted some essential gear secured and locked. I did not want a truck because that posed some issues with security without adding hard tonneau covers. The Avalanche had them built in. I also did not want an enclosed Suburban or Expedition due to fumes from fuel and the generator and kerosene.

I decided to load her up today to make sure everything fits comfortably. I still have a few spots where I can pack in some more items if needed. I am probably using about 85% of the space in the bed. I did not tarp the gear on the rack above the bed so it would be easier to see what was on there. Had this been an actual bug-out I would have the fuel, water and bag of MRE's hidden under an 8'x10' tarp.

The photos are labeled. Keep in mind the bed slide does not come all the way out, and as you can see it is not even close to tipping out even fully extended. I can slide it back under myself eventhough it is a bit heavy. Not pictured is the original car kit. It is still on the bedslide, hidden behind the water (labeled as "2 additional bins" in photo).

The grey bin has a coleman stove and some administrative camping gear. The BOB's (see link in sig) are constantly evolving, but will be kept in the cab for security. Also not shown is some gear that will fit in the cab.

Total gear on bedslide:
Original car kit (see above)
6 cases of water: (~20 gals)
1 bin of comfort food (about 10 days worth of actual food [rice/beans], but also includes seasonings and canned/dried veggies for making soups and making any jackrabbits, and other desert creatures gathered in the field taste better). Also included is a 4 pack of BIC lighters, a box of matches, peanut butter, candy for the kid.
2 cans of Coleman fuel for the Coleman stove.
1 jug of fuel for the lanterns (kerosene lanterns). I can easily fit another jug next too it.
1500 rnds of 5.56/2.23
500 rnds of 9mm
In a plastic bin that is not seen: 200 rnds 12ga birdshot, 200 rnds slugs, 500 rnds 5.56, 200rnds 9mm, 2000 rnds .22lr, 100 rnds .243.
In the grey bin: Coleman stove, frying pan, dutch oven, hot pads, batteries, etc.
3.5Kw generator
100 ft extension cord.
to be added: Collapsible work light/area flood light



The tonneau covers hold 250lbs each. WIth all three of them, they easily hold this gear.
The 25 gals of fuel either let me run the generator for a loooong time, or gives me another 400 miles added to the range of the AV. With 31 gals in the tank, this gives me a total of 56 gals, or ~1000 miles at highway speed under ideal circumstances.
I also have an additional 20 gals of water and three cases of MRE's. The two chairs and tent are comfort/morale items.


The backseat of the AV has a 60/40 split seat. It will hold another 6 gallon jug of water, 3 more cases of MRE's our BOB's and the long guns.

Total water comes out to just under 50 gallons.
Plenty of gear to set up a long term camp. Tools necessary to do it.
Hopefully long enough to come up with another plan...read below...

So...suggestions/critiques?

Keep in mind, that our plan is to bug in. If for any reason that is not possible, this is the alternative. Arizona can be very hospitable in the fall/spring (not really a winter), but very near to hell in the summer. Therefore, most of us AZZS'ers are in agreement that a bug out is a disaster waiting to happen. If I had to leave home, we'd be leaving most of our food/water and security stockpiles. This is a worst case scenario, and last ditch attempt at giving us more time. I actually loaded all the gear pictured by myself in about 20 minutes without stopping to plan out and play tetris with pieces to get it to all fit. I did this as my wife and I have been watching the wildfires in N. AZ and she asked me if we could get the truck loaded if told we had to be out in 30 minutes. This I think is definative proof that we could take what we needed and survive for atleast 2-3 weeks. We've spent some time in the desert so we know the capabilities and limitations of the vehicle. We also have some spots that give us good visibility, has some natural shelter and can be reached overland in about 6 hours of offroad driving. This gives us the ability to avoid the highways. In fact, I only have to drive 5 miles on roads from our house before we can get off roads and head out.

[jorgeramierez]

Outstanding. This should be a must read, if only regarding how you packed 'er up when all was said and done. And that wildfire is no joke. Hopefully, you don't have to leave, but if you do, you'll be ready. Good luck.

[Fletch]

All that and you're planning on bugging IN?



Simply awesome

[ZombieSoldier01]

looking good Caenus. I enjoyed watching your Avalanche over the last year. How is the treadwright tires treating you? what size did you get again?

[Caenus]

All that and you're planning on bugging IN?



Simply awesome

Thank you very much...contingency planning right? My bug-in preps are a little more impressive. I have the capacity for roughly 500 gals of water and 6 months worth of food. I have a modest garden (4 orange trees (only 1 of which produces decent oranges), tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries, blackberries, jalapenos, onions, green peppers and an herb garden).

I'm going to double the size of the garden next year and probably cut out one of the orange trees that's not doing so well and add limes. Also the wife wants avocados, but those seems kind of like a pain in the rear.

A month ago I went down to Lowe's and bought a bunch of 3/4" plywood and 2x4's. I cut a few of them to size and labeled them already. The idea is to be able to board up all the windows without power (ie: power is out and the 'ol powertool batteries are dead). Next I'm coming up with a method of sealing off the stairwell. Likely I'll do a type of gate that the hardware can be installed in a few minutes if things get "sporty" in the neighborhood.

I'm actually very fortunate that I live in a "microdevelopment". Which is essentially a one-block development that is gated. The development is in the middle of retirementville, so mostly retired folks and seasonal residents live around us. The other folks in my neighborhood are mostly Mormon, so I'm pretty sure they have preps and self defense tools as well if I understand much about their lifestyle/religion. In fact, we got our house from a Mormon family and they had a pretty significant pantry. The wall surrounding the development is standard 8ft cinderblock. The gate (entrance) to the neighborhood consists of two motorized gates. They are fairly heavy duty. After spending some time in armor in Iraq setting up traffic control points, I'm pretty happy with the potential for locking the area down and defending that entrance in case of some unruly mobs/looters. Plus we are set back from the road, with about a 50m drive to even get to the gates. People coming to visit drive by and miss the entrance all the time.

That is why a bug-out is last resort. Unless there is a fire, natural disaster or man-made disaster, we stay put.

[Caenus]

looking good Caenus. I enjoyed watching your Avalanche over the last year. How is the treadwright tires treating you? what size did you get again?

The Treadwrights are doing very well. They still don't have much noticeable wear on them. They seem to have deeper tread than actual BFG's. I think I have around 6K on them so far. There is not much of a hum to them on the highway at all unless I run them at under 40psi. I usually run them around 48-50psi. That gives them full contact on the road and gives me a little better mpg.

I went with the 33's (285/70R17). If I were to to it again, I would still get Treadwrights, but I'd likely get the Guard Dogs on BFG Mud Terrain KM2's. The Guard Dogs have a tread pattern very similar to Wrangler MT/R's. I'm not sure if I'd stick with 33's or go with the 32's (265/70R17). When I do replace the TW's, I'll definately get the Guard Dogs.

[TravisM.1]

A friend of mine has an Avalanche. It's an older one with the plastic "body armor".

A quick question about the rack on top of the bed cover. Is it easily removable?

I think if it were me, I'd rather have separate racks on each panel of the bed cover, so I could still put something a little taller in the bed if I needed to.

[Caenus]

A friend of mine has an Avalanche. It's an older one with the plastic "body armor".

A quick question about the rack on top of the bed cover. Is it easily removable?

I think if it were me, I'd rather have separate racks on each panel of the bed cover, so I could still put something a little taller in the bed if I needed to.

There are 8 wingnuts on the bottom side of the covers. I can take the rack off and put "plug" bolts in the holes. I can also leave the rack attached and remove all three covers at once by myself (I find I have to do a lot of things myself with a toddler and pregnant wife ). I did that a couple weekends ago when I bought a couple new bikes. It takes about 5 minutes or less to remove them. A lot of guys with AV's are very weary about cutting holes in their cover panels. I understand why, they are very expensive for what they are. I'm not one of those guys that worry about it though. With the bedslide eating up about 2"s of under tonneau height I find myself measuring things a lot before purchasing. The genny barely clears underneath and actually ever so slightly rubs. The ease of use and utility of loading items and keeping them locked up far outweighs the sacrifice of flexibility in cargo in my opinion.

[Caenus]

Questions for the lot of you: I am not completely sold on having the genny as part of a bug-out. It takes up a lot of space that could probably otherwise be used for another 10gal of water or 2 cases of MRE's. The idea is to use it to keep cell phones charged, and to use for emergency lighting at night (thus the planned 1000-1500w work light) during a vehicle recovery or other night operation (hot during days remember). I'd like to have a smaller, perhaps 1kw genny but the size doesn't seem worth the trade off. Anyone have any opinions on the actual utility of having a generator during a vehicle bug-out?

I do have converters for the AV so technically the truck could be used as a generator but the generator will run for 8-9hrs on about 2-3gals of fuel versus however much the AV would use (I have no idea).

[TravisM.1]

Questions for the lot of you: I am not completely sold on having the genny as part of a bug-out. It takes up a lot of space that could probably otherwise be used for another 10gal of water or 2 cases of MRE's. The idea is to use it to keep cell phones charged, and to use for emergency lighting at night (thus the planned 1000-1500w work light) during a vehicle recovery or other night operation (hot during days remember). I'd like to have a smaller, perhaps 1kw genny but the size doesn't seem worth the trade off. Anyone have any opinions on the actual utility of having a generator during a vehicle bug-out?

I do have converters for the AV so technically the truck could be used as a generator but the generator will run for 8-9hrs on about 2-3gals of fuel versus however much the AV would use (I have no idea).

I don't know what the under-the-hood situation is on the AV, so take it with a grain of salt- A second high-capacity battery, like an optima or such, wired in with an isolator, so that it charges while the truck is running, but anything wired to the second battery doesn't drain the main battery. Run a 12v power outlet to the front of the truck, zip-tied to the frame behind the bumper or somewhere, and one to the back. Get the brightest 12v work light you can get, and use it.

No generator to worry with gas for. If there is somewhere you can put the second battery, no (or less, depending on where you put it) extra cargo space taken up. Use 12v phone chargers or small converters to charge the phones/etc.

[Caenus]

I don't know what the under-the-hood situation is on the AV, so take it with a grain of salt- A second high-capacity battery, like an optima or such, wired in with an isolator, so that it charges while the truck is running, but anything wired to the second battery doesn't drain the main battery. Run a 12v power outlet to the front of the truck, zip-tied to the frame behind the bumper or somewhere, and one to the back. Get the brightest 12v work light you can get, and use it.

No generator to worry with gas for. If there is somewhere you can put the second battery, no (or less, depending on where you put it) extra cargo space taken up. Use 12v phone chargers or small converters to charge the phones/etc.

The AV's do have a 2nd battery option (atleast on the newer models), but I'll have to take a look to see where it would go and if there is a kit for wiring it. It would be nice not to have to worry about the generator, or perhaps even have a redundant system.

[AnonEmous]

The 25 gals of fuel either let me run the generator for a loooong time, or gives me another 400 miles added to the range of the AV. With 31 gals in the tank, this gives me a total of 56 gals, or ~1000 miles at highway speed under ideal circumstances.
I also have an additional 20 gals of water and three cases of MRE's. The two chairs and tent are comfort/morale items.

The backseat of the AV has a 60/40 split seat. It will hold another 6 gallon jug of water, 3 more cases of MRE's our BOB's and the long guns.

Quick question: have your driven to the notional BOL in your completely stocked Avalanche? You note that one possible BOL is 6 hours away by off-road travel and that "under ideal circumstances" (highway driving) that you can make it 1000 miles, but off-road travel generally is far more time consuming and inefficient than paved roads, all factors which eat into mileage.

Also, have you considered any fuel stabilizer if you are filling up the five gas cans now?

I completely agree with the preference of bugging in if at all possible: anything that goes in a BOV or BOB boosts bug in time and eliminates the risk of becoming a refugee.

[eugene]

I don't know what the under-the-hood situation is on the AV, so take it with a grain of salt- A second high-capacity battery, like an optima or such, wired in with an isolator, so that it charges while the truck is running, but anything wired to the second battery doesn't drain the main battery. Run a 12v power outlet to the front of the truck, zip-tied to the frame behind the bumper or somewhere, and one to the back. Get the brightest 12v work light you can get, and use it.

No generator to worry with gas for. If there is somewhere you can put the second battery, no (or less, depending on where you put it) extra cargo space taken up. Use 12v phone chargers or small converters to charge the phones/etc.

The AV's do have a 2nd battery option (atleast on the newer models), but I'll have to take a look to see where it would go and if there is a kit for wiring it. It would be nice not to have to worry about the generator, or perhaps even have a redundant system.

Buy the second battery tray for a diesel, it mounts on the passenger side up next to the firewall. The tray was about $30.
I've using a smart separator relay, its a big relay to connect the second battery to the first and is voltage controller, once the voltage on the primary gets up to the 14.2 v charge voltage it connects the secondary. I then found a small fuse block with two two of those square J case fuses that the main underhood fuse box has to the main circuits. I then ran one of those circuits into the cab with a fuse block that has 10 micro ATC fuses like the rest of the truck and my phone, cb, and extra power ports run from there. The other main fuse under the hood I moved the trailer power from the original fuse block to mine so the trailer power is off the second battery now too.
There are two places on the firewall where if you look real close is a small dimple to center a drill bit to drill though, they are documented in the cucv manual. I drilled holes in them and put in two water proof feed wire throughs there. One for the power lead and the other for my antenna.
Depending on the type isolator or separator some need an ignition switched source. There is a pin on one of the plugs on the underhood fuse block that comes off the ign3 bus.

[Caenus]

Quick question: have your driven to the notional BOL in your completely stocked Avalanche? You note that one possible BOL is 6 hours away by off-road travel and that "under ideal circumstances" (highway driving) that you can make it 1000 miles, but off-road travel generally is far more time consuming and inefficient than paved roads, all factors which eat into mileage.

Also, have you considered any fuel stabilizer if you are filling up the five gas cans now?

I completely agree with the preference of bugging in if at all possible: anything that goes in a BOV or BOB boosts bug in time and eliminates the risk of becoming a refugee.

Good questions, and Yes and Yes.

I've actually driven to the BOL with the AV while completely bone stock with the Michelin LTX's. It made it in about 6 hrs, but there were a few issues related to traction. The stock AV had plenty of clearance. I actually chose the BOL because of it's location. It is reasonably remote, not a recreation area, on public land and has a water source and tree/shade system. It is also tucked into a small ravine and the trees are blocked from visibility until you actually enter the canyon. Halfway up the hillside are some natural campsites (read open areas surrounded by trees). I've never found any trash or tracks in the area which suggests to me that it is not visited by other folks. Likely there are less than a dozen people that even know the place exists. In the surrounding area there are probably a half dozen similar sites. It could accidentally be stumbled on by other people bugging out. I quoted the 1000 miles...really just to quote it. In an evacuation, offroad will likely get better gas mileage than sitting in gridlock...I have enough fuel to make to the BOL.

I'm really glad you brought that up! Far too many people in the valley think that if the SHTF, they'll just "head up north". If you are not familiar with AZ, the northern 1/3 of the state is heavily forested. If you were dropped off in the middle of the Tonto National Forest, you'd think you're in the Rocky Mountains. Unfortunately, there is really only one 2-lane road "up north" and that road would likely be useless in an evacuation. I'm essentially heading in the opposite direction, where most people would avoid. My advice to people who plan to bug out is to wake up one morning and drive to your BOL. Mock B/O if you will. I think a lot of people would be shocked with the issues they'd face.

As far as the fuel; Absolutely I always use Sta-bil. I believe it is 60ml's per 5 gallon can. I keep a full bottle in addition to the one I am using. I also empty the cans into my tank once every 6 months or so. I do that both to use the fuel before it goes bad, and to make sure the carb compliant nozzles still work and don't leak on the Blitz cans. FYI, all Blitz cans leak, but an occassional "drip-drip" is acceptable to me. When they start dribbling in a solid stream is when I buy a new cap or relegate the can to home duty (lawnmower, etc).

[Caenus]

Buy the second battery tray for a diesel, it mounts on the passenger side up next to the firewall. The tray was about $30.
I've using a smart separator relay, its a big relay to connect the second battery to the first and is voltage controller, once the voltage on the primary gets up to the 14.2 v charge voltage it connects the secondary. I then found a small fuse block with two two of those square J case fuses that the main underhood fuse box has to the main circuits. I then ran one of those circuits into the cab with a fuse block that has 10 micro ATC fuses like the rest of the truck and my phone, cb, and extra power ports run from there. The other main fuse under the hood I moved the trailer power from the original fuse block to mine so the trailer power is off the second battery now too.
There are two places on the firewall where if you look real close is a small dimple to center a drill bit to drill though, they are documented in the cucv manual. I drilled holes in them and put in two water proof feed wire throughs there. One for the power lead and the other for my antenna.
Depending on the type isolator or separator some need an ignition switched source. There is a pin on one of the plugs on the underhood fuse block that comes off the ign3 bus.

Nice! Is there a cutoff if the main battery is drawn too low or do the auxiliaries only run off of the secondary battery? I like the idea of running the trailer off of the second battery. Since I don't use a trailer (now) I thought I'd run a branch off to a weather sealed outlet in the bed of the truck like some of the Tahoe's have. Either built an inverter into the side, or run new wiring back to there from the inverter and just place a three prong outlet. There is actually a recessed section in the side of the bed that it would fit into perfectly. I am not an electrician, so bear with me.

[Tater Raider]

Nice! Is there a cutoff if the main battery is drawn too low or do the auxiliaries only run off of the secondary battery? I like the idea of running the trailer off of the second battery.

In the setup he described you would run as much as possible off the aux. battery leaving the main for starting the vehicle only.

[jorgeramierez]

I've bookmarked this thread, mainly because Caenus has exceptional ideas, but I wanted to throw in a few things.

I have an '87 K5 that I am waiting (and waiting, and waiting, and waiting) for the new floor to be put in in the rear. The side panels are wide open, and will provide me with some opportunities to create. I have a thread around here somewhere that is a placeholder for when I actually get cracking on it.

For example, a dual battery. I could mount something under the hood, but I've been leaning lately towards something in the rear, like a sealed Optima, that sort of thing. When I put it in, I want to have 12V and a 110 outlet, too off of an inverter...you know, all the nice things you likely have in an off-the-shelf Avalanche. I simply worry about running a separate wire all the way back to the rear. If I have them wired correctly, I could conceivably jump it from the rear if I was stuffed into a spot we can't reach the hood with cables. Another item in the rear will likely be a compressor.

I was given a good piece of advice: ask an RV dealer for advice in wiring it all up,and I expect to do just that. If you run that battery to the rear, perhaps you could do the same.

Lastly, regarding a generator: somewhere here I think is a thread where someone built their own, and it was tiny. You're an incredibly able guy, so I wonder if you've ever thought of fabbing one up.

[Tater Raider]

For example, a dual battery. I could mount something under the hood, but I've been leaning lately towards something in the rear, like a sealed Optima, that sort of thing. When I put it in, I want to have 12V and a 110 outlet, too off of an inverter...you know, all the nice things you likely have in an off-the-shelf Avalanche. I simply worry about running a separate wire all the way back to the rear. If I have them wired correctly, I could conceivably jump it from the rear if I was stuffed into a spot we can't reach the hood with cables. Another item in the rear will likely be a compressor.

I would put the battery under the hood for a safety reason. When a battery charges it can release hydrogen gas. Is it likely this will cause a problem? No, but neither is it likely to explode when you hook up jumper cables. Even so, the pros want you to go positive to positive and negative to engine block when you jump a car for that very reason. YMMV.

As far as jumping it, you could wire in some jumper terminals that are away from the battery proper. Tow trucks sometimes use this set-up for ease of use and the afore mentioned safety reason.