Quad for BOV? - AR15.COM

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Posted: 10/1/2011 6:51:36 AM EDT

I was thinking about it the other day and realized that if you have a quad with a winch that can pull well over your vehicles weight, then you can go anywhere on this earth essentially. Is it worth the investment or would I be better off with a truck and a much larger winch that can do the same thing? Any ideas?

Posted: 10/1/2011 8:34:36 AM EDT

[#1]

I'd imagine a good 4WD truck like a small Toyota would be much more useful, as in carrying more people and stuff, bigger gas tank, would provide shelter at night and in a storm, etc.

However a quad might fit the bill if you are single and not carrying much, as it is somewhat more mobile than a truck.

Posted: 10/1/2011 8:58:46 AM EDT

[#2]

A good 4x4 quad is worth its weight in gold. Make sure you have a winch and a rack system. I wouldn't plan on it being your primary BOV, but used with a small possibly folding trailer you could get to and through alot of areas, that would either be difficult if not impossible to get to to. A 4 wheeler gets alot better fuel mileage then a pick up as well. I do not think that you can go wrong using one as a back up.

Posted: 10/1/2011 9:40:32 AM EDT

[#3]

should check out the TN campout, those guys bring all different flavor of quads and treat em like BOVs, some go well, some dont.

Posted: 10/1/2011 4:35:53 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
should check out the TN campout, those guys bring all different flavor of quads and treat em like BOVs, some go well, some dont.

is there a part of that thread that talks about problems guys had with their atv's

Posted: 10/1/2011 4:43:03 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:

Quoted:
should check out the TN campout, those guys bring all different flavor of quads and treat em like BOVs, some go well, some dont.

is there a part of that thread that talks about problems guys had with their atv's

Not the current thread, but past AAR have had them talking about which quads worked and which ones required "work" meaning there was some heavy quads that posed their own set of problems, etc.

Posted: 10/2/2011 7:27:26 AM EDT

[#6]

Depends on what you want to accomplish.

Most quads have small batteries and I don't know how long they can run a winch if you were winching up something steep enough to not want the engine running. I also helped a buddy get his quad, and himself, out of a raging creek that washed him over while he tried to cross it and we would not take the time to use the winch, we had a rope and tied the quad to a tree and got his bobcat to just use the bucket on the rope to pull it up the side of the ravine.

I had a 500 polaris and with quads or trucks or anything you get into a game of how big a whatever you want to mess with. The 500 was heavier and wider and longer than something like a 300cc honda 4 wheeler but the little honda could go a lot of places the polaris had to take a different line on. My buddies turned it into a game since they all had smaller quads the goal was to try to cut paths where I got stuck between some rocks or trees but they could barely squeeze through. I could always follow but I learned to look further ahead and cut my own line as needed. This is done on private property with some trails cut and some are just game trails we follow.

Anyway, you wind up carrying heavier stuff for the heavier quad.

And you could do it with a truck and the truck is street legal.

Everytime I go riding with a group I wind up hitting a point where I could stay off road and be legal on the quad or I could run on a road for a short period of time to cut some distance off the trip, but it is not legal to run a quad on the roads around here.

To some extent I am very careful to even try to consider a vehicle as being self sufficient. You can wind up carrying a lot of spares and still not have everything you might need.

The more you carry the heavier things get and the more stress the suspension sees.

And the more spare parts you carry the less gear and food and water you can carry.

My polaris electricuted itself and a buddy has a 2wd honda 300 cc utility quad he is trying to get me to take. I know from playing with my friends that a 2wd with serious mud tires on the back can do fine for what I usually do. I also know a 4x4 quad with serious mud tires is an amazing thing to watch.

But the 2wd is simpler and lighter and often has a smaller engine and what not.

The big 500 polaris was a heck of a machine but I know from getting it stuck and making some loading ramps for it that it was a seriously large and heavy machine compared to some of the older and much smaller stuff out there.

Anyway, in the end you have to decide what you expect to run into for a bug out and what will fit your needs.

For me a street legal vehicle is needed.

I plan to bug in for most problems but there are things that could make me bug out and for those I would want a street legal 4x4 and a small utility trailer.

Posted: 10/2/2011 7:42:43 AM EDT

[#7]

It always comes down to can you go between those two trees.

Posted: 10/2/2011 11:38:43 AM EDT

[#8]

a atv would be great in certain situations. you could cross severly torn up ground, like from a earthquake. you could weave thru traffic jams. take small / no trails cross country where no truck can go. long distances they are not so great. the larger 4x4 atvs, are not so good on gas. they would br great for a short distance bug out, thru thick traffic jams, to a remote cabin far in the woods. driving 100's of miles, not so much.

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