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Starting your Ram after the World falls apart?

Desert Dawg

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So, I have been thinking about this for a while. I am not a fatalist or extreme prepper by any means but world events has me thinking more about the "what ifs".

Of course, we are all bombarded with the insanity going on over in Ukraine, but the insanity may be spreading faster than anyone previously modeled or feared (Russian nuke saber rattling, Chinese Taiwan invasion and South China Seas saber rattling, N. Korean nuke weapons testing and direct threats, Iranian nuke weapon development, NATO expansion due to Russian invasion, U.S. ramping up its defense industry, etc.). The World seems intent of destroying itself. And that's before talking about Climate Change, COVID, or Facebook.

Anyway, probably because I live in Albuquerque, NM which is high on the nuclear hit list due to the presence of two major National Laboratories involved in the U.S. defense R&D and weapons programs, along with the little known tidbit that Albuquerque is the location of the largest storage site of "inactive" nuclear weapons in the U.S. , I began thinking about what to do should we get notice of an impending attack and/or survive one.

To that end, I do keep a few months worth of supplies on hand if/when the Grid goes down and/or need to be readily tossed into my Ram's topper-covered bed for bugging out. Luckily, I do have a remote cabin that is only a 2-3 hour drive out of town which is situated near a small body of water nearby for fishing and drinking, is adjacent to federal forest lands with big and small game hunting, etc., and local wind patterns provide a measure of additional protection from radioactive fallout (sans a full nuclear winter). And, my Ram is already setup for traversing the desert at higher speeds (to avoid highway congestion getting out of town) and getting over mountain roads/trails.

But that assumes that the Ram will even operate after a nuclear attack, and especially an aerial EMP attack which would be quite effective of really disrupting almost everything we use and need for daily living on a grander scale.

I know that most current vehicle manufacturers have designed and built-in some measure of EMP protection (for example, to manage nearby lightning strikes, etc.) but how many of you have considered or already installed any additional EMP protection in your non-diesel Rams to handle larger EMP effects (short of having an older vehicle in great running condition that would not be effected)?

I had seen a few videos for EMP Shield EMP & Lightning Protection for Vehicles (DC-12V-W) but was curious if anyone had other ideas.

My wife has a simpler idea; if there is an impeding attack and I can't get the Ram started, she is going to play ball with our dogs in the front yard.
 
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wsutard1

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Hahahah “I am not a fatalist or extreme prepper by any means”. “Can we talk about nuclear EMP protection for our Rams”

Bro, if you are close enough to experience an EMP from a nuclear wearpon then I suggest you walk out to your wife hold her in your arms and enjoy throwing the ball for your dogs. Finish on a simple, yet happy memory.
 

jl13

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as vehicles continue to increase in sensor, chip, computer, electronics it has always cross my mind to keep an older vehicle on hand just in case, not necessarily because of an attack.
But lets say we get emp attack, I have the vehicle and only keep like 1/4 of a tank full. Would I even be able to fill up at any gas stations near enough to the blast.
 

nc_beagle

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I'm no help on the doomsday prepping but this does seem the place to ask something I've wondered about. Could someone hand-crank a modern engine like they did on the earliest automobiles? Could a modern vehicle be modified to allow it, relatively easily?
 

HSKR R/T

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If you unhook the battery before said EMP, then There will be zero effect on your trucks electronics. And unless you own a vehicle with a points ignition, even older vehicles are susceptible to EMP.if the electronics are energized.
 

Dewey

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If this happens we’ll be living out the Road Warrior movie in real life. Every man out for himself and you better have a fast old car preferably with a Hemi in it and plenty of stashed gas. 😬
None of these modern vehicles with ungodly electronics will work and every one will fail in an EMP attack. Say good bye to all the electric vehicles for sure. They'll be dead forever.
 

ferraiolo1

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Get a Cummins 5.9 12 valve

Yup. My buddy swaps them into old trucks. Literally no electronics other than the starter.



Op you bought the wrong truck if that’s what you’re after. It’s a 60k rolling computer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

jdmartin

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So, I have been thinking about this for a while. I am not a fatalist or extreme prepper by any means but world events has me thinking more about the "what ifs".

Of course, we are all bombarded with the insanity going on over in Ukraine, but the insanity may be spreading faster than anyone previously modeled or feared (Russian nuke saber rattling, Chinese Taiwan invasion and South China Seas saber rattling, N. Korean nuke weapons testing and direct threats, Iranian nuke weapon development, NATO expansion due to Russian invasion, U.S. ramping up its defense industry, etc.). The World seems intent of destroying itself. And that's before talking about Climate Change, COVID, or Facebook.

Anyway, probably because I live in Albuquerque, NM which is high on the nuclear hit list due to the presence of two major National Laboratories involved in the U.S. defense R&D and weapons programs, along with the little known tidbit that Albuquerque is the location of the largest storage site of "inactive" nuclear weapons in the U.S. , I began thinking about what to do should we get notice of an impending attack and/or survive one.

To that end, I do keep a few months worth of supplies on hand if/when the Grid goes down and/or need to be readily tossed into my Ram's topper-covered bed for bugging out. Luckily, I do have a remote cabin that is only a 2-3 hour drive out of town which is situated near a small body of water nearby for fishing and drinking, is adjacent to federal forest lands with big and small game hunting, etc., and local wind patterns provide a measure of additional protection from radioactive fallout (sans a full nuclear winter). And, my Ram is already setup for traversing the desert at higher speeds (to avoid highway congestion getting out of town) and getting over mountain roads/trails.

But that assumes that the Ram will even operate after a nuclear attack, and especially an aerial EMP attack which would be quite effective of really disrupting almost everything we use and need for daily living on a grander scale.

I know that most current vehicle manufacturers have designed and built-in some measure of EMP protection (for example, to manage nearby lightning strikes, etc.) but how many of you have considered or already installed any additional EMP protection in your non-diesel Rams to handle larger EMP effects (short of having an older vehicle in great running condition that would not be effected)?

I had seen a few videos for EMP Shield EMP & Lightning Protection for Vehicles (DC-12V-W) but was curious if anyone had other ideas.

My wife has a simpler idea; if there is an impeding attack and I can't get the Ram started, she is going to play ball with our dogs in the front yard.
I think your wife has the best idea. I don't find it's all that useful worrying about things that will probably never happen, and if they do happen you probably won't want to be around anyway.
 

fartsonunicorns

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Hahahaha who's got some popcorn? Seriously tho an old diesel with a mechanical fuel pump is the only reasonable answer. Cummins 12 valve or a VW with a IDI. Keep it parked at the top of a hill.
 

fartsonunicorns

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I'm no help on the doomsday prepping but this does seem the place to ask something I've wondered about. Could someone hand-crank a modern engine like they did on the earliest automobiles? Could a modern vehicle be modified to allow it, relatively easily?
I mean you can bump-start manuals, which is the same basic principle. But with all the computers n **** in modern cars, you need at least some juice in the battery to bump-start it.

Compression on modern engines is too high to be able to actually hand start them, but if you could get a big enough impact on the crank shaft that probably would work. Just gotta clearance the radiator a little bit. Various race cars use external starters. But again you'd need at least some juice in the battery.
 

MidnightExpre$$

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So, I have been thinking about this for a while. I am not a fatalist or extreme prepper by any means but world events has me thinking more about the "what ifs".

Of course, we are all bombarded with the insanity going on over in Ukraine, but the insanity may be spreading faster than anyone previously modeled or feared (Russian nuke saber rattling, Chinese Taiwan invasion and South China Seas saber rattling, N. Korean nuke weapons testing and direct threats, Iranian nuke weapon development, NATO expansion due to Russian invasion, U.S. ramping up its defense industry, etc.). The World seems intent of destroying itself. And that's before talking about Climate Change, COVID, or Facebook.

Anyway, probably because I live in Albuquerque, NM which is high on the nuclear hit list due to the presence of two major National Laboratories involved in the U.S. defense R&D and weapons programs, along with the little known tidbit that Albuquerque is the location of the largest storage site of "inactive" nuclear weapons in the U.S. , I began thinking about what to do should we get notice of an impending attack and/or survive one.

To that end, I do keep a few months worth of supplies on hand if/when the Grid goes down and/or need to be readily tossed into my Ram's topper-covered bed for bugging out. Luckily, I do have a remote cabin that is only a 2-3 hour drive out of town which is situated near a small body of water nearby for fishing and drinking, is adjacent to federal forest lands with big and small game hunting, etc., and local wind patterns provide a measure of additional protection from radioactive fallout (sans a full nuclear winter). And, my Ram is already setup for traversing the desert at higher speeds (to avoid highway congestion getting out of town) and getting over mountain roads/trails.

But that assumes that the Ram will even operate after a nuclear attack, and especially an aerial EMP attack which would be quite effective of really disrupting almost everything we use and need for daily living on a grander scale.

I know that most current vehicle manufacturers have designed and built-in some measure of EMP protection (for example, to manage nearby lightning strikes, etc.) but how many of you have considered or already installed any additional EMP protection in your non-diesel Rams to handle larger EMP effects (short of having an older vehicle in great running condition that would not be effected)?

I had seen a few videos for EMP Shield EMP & Lightning Protection for Vehicles (DC-12V-W) but was curious if anyone had other ideas.

My wife has a simpler idea; if there is an impeding attack and I can't get the Ram started, she is going to play ball with our dogs in the front yard.

Drink more, think less.
 

Mountain Whiskey

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I live between DC and Mt Weather. If it came to nuke time, I don't think I have to worry about starting my truck since I would likely see bright lights from two sides. Wouldn't be long after that.

But yea, if worried about EMP, think about getting a back up vehicle for this as the high tech redneck truck won't be of use.
 

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