ATV for a Certified "BUG-OUT" Vehicle.

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Sourdough

"Eleutheromaniac"
Neighbor
HCL Supporter
Joined
Mar 17, 2018
Messages
6,171
Location
In a cabin, on a mountain, in "Wilderness" Alaska.
I have for 24 years been aware the ONLY thing that would trigger me having to bug-out from this location would be a forest fire. I have been two years trying to purchase a new ATV, but it is a one year on a waiting list.

So, I just paid "OUT the WA-ZOO" for a new Can-Am 850 XT. What I really need it for is getting the mail and hauling supplies up the mountain. It will be handy if the National Forest is on fire.
 
Sourdough said:
I have for 24 years been aware the ONLY thing that would trigger me having to bug-out from this location would be a forest fire. I have been two years trying to purchase a new ATV, but it is a one year on a waiting list.

So, I just paid "OUT the WA-ZOO" for a new Can-Am 850 XT. What I really need it for is getting the mail and hauling supplies up the mountain. It will be handy if the National Forest is on fire.
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Congratulations!

Spend it while tou can to make your life more enjoyable.

Ben
 
I like my Bug Out Vehicle. It can carry stuff and more than one person. In 1st gear Lo, it can climb steps. It also has a pintle hitch. :)


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Yep - of all the machinery we have, we use the quads and the Gators the most.

We have typically bought Kawasaki quads. The first were KVF650s. The latest is a Brute Force 750. That electronic power steering is a nice feature.

Big bore quads are a pleasure to ride and very capable. Be careful with yours until you are really confident on it - a lot of people get killed on quads (but most were arguably doing dumb stuff). You are better off going straight up and down hills rather than along a side slope.

You should look at accessories that makes yours suit what you do. We always put plastic crates on the front rack, but leave the back rack for spray units and other flat bottomed heavier loads.

The front rack is also the place for your gun carrier U brackets.

Once it has run in, change out the oil for a good 100% synthetic oil like Redline - follow the manual on recommended grade for your temperatures.

Feed it ethanol free gasoline - I use the highest octane fuel I can get.

The range per tank on the Can-Am 850 XT should be about 70 miles - so to use it as a bug out vehicle you should work out how to include fuel in your caches.......or haul more in your trailer (but towing a trailer will reduce your offroad capability somewhat).
 
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Chains for the tires and a winch are needed options for where we live.
 
I am trying to figure out which tires will need to be chained up. Just the rear, or just the front, or all four. They have so many types of drive systems these days. What "SUCKS" is people have an opinion or a wild'ass guess. Would be nice if the manufacture posted the correct answer.

This ATV comes with a 3,500 pound winch.
 
The Lazy L said:
I’d chain the front if I had only one set of chains
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WHY......I respect your opinion, but with shipping I will have $15,000.00 in the machine. I wish the Can-Am company would supply an answer.

I have zero idea as to the 100% correct answer. I "THINK" it has more than ONE traction system. Not super sure about that. There may be several settings for the drivetrain traction system. There are (3) THREE different electronic settings/adjustments for each of the following. Engine Breaking, Suspension, Power Steering. I "Suspect" there maybe different settings for traction.
 
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Can-Am 850 XT Drive Train: Selectable 2WD/4WD
with Visco-Lok QE auto-locking front differential

The Lazy L said:
Same reason cars are now front wheel drive. Better handling capabilities pulling a vehicle then pushing a vehicle.
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MORE INFORMATION:

2WD
Two-wheel drive is exactly that: power is sent 50/50 to the rear wheels for confident handling and consistent, predictable power transfer. Perfect for casual trail riding, gravel roads, and everyday rides.

4WD​

Four-wheel-drive sends power to the front wheels for superior grip in mud, snow, hillclimbs, hill descents, rocky terrain, and so on. Engine torque is varied as-needed between the two front wheels using the limited-slip function built into the Visco-4Lok front differential, giving riders total confidence in a wide range of conditions.

4WD LOCK (VISCO-4LOK)​

When off-throttle, before coming to a complete stop or becoming stuck, Visco-4Lok can be engaged to help power through challenging mud and across difficult terrain.

What is Visco-4Lok? A full, mechanical locking function added to the Visco-Lok limited-slip 4WD system. When the conditions call for a locked front differential, riders can manually LOCK the front differential.

Is Visco-4Lok a mechanical system? Absolutely--when engaged, power goes directly to the wheels from the main gear. The OVERRIDE function allows full 4WD lock to remain locked even under full throttle. When equipped, it's fully integrated into the ATV systems, including rider controls, ECU, DPS, and drivetrain calibration--Visco-4Lok was created for riders, by riders as the next evolution in extreme off-road traction.
 
Chains on all four wheels makes most 4 wheelers into tanks....go anywhere in any condition. But if you do get stuck you will need that 3500 pound winch. I have installed track kits on some 4 wheelers but those can be hard on the power steering.

For extra fuel look into Roto packs and their mounts. I try to always take enough gas to get home on. With your fuel injected can am do not put dirty fuel or fuel from a small gas station in it. The fuel pump filter can get plugged or restricted and take out the pump. It was a normal occourance with farm gas from a rusty tank with the honda 4 wheelers.

Good luck with the can am.....the last shop I worked at would take almost anything in except the can ams, just too many special tools and computer diagnosing to fix any thing.
I have a old 1989 suzuki king quad. not beat to death and with a spare front tire and wheel and a spare back tire and wheel. It has 15 forward gears. High, low and super low. 2WD, 4WD and lock up everything. Low to the ground so it is stable on our hilly terrain and light enough I can drag the front end around if stuck.
We have lived where everything is up or down and the deer have shorter legs on one side from standing on the hillside. The four wheelers are indespensiable getting around on tight rough ground. I can carry a 55 gallon barrel of "goods" on the back rack when restocking places hidden in the woods. A small trailer the same width as the 4 wheeler is also handy.
 
If a person was really serious about hauling himself and supplies using an all-terrain vehicle, they might want to consider a 6x6 or 8x8 ARGO with tracks. Mud, snow, lakes, rivers, boulders, etc cannot stop this amphibious ATV. You can't fish in the middle of a lake with an ATV, but you can with an ARGO.
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Almost all ATV's that are 4WD have a locked rear wheel drive and a variable front wheel drive.

The floating multi wheel drive rigs have saved a few lives in my area when they rescuded Ice fishermen that fell thru the ice. We used to have a manufacturer of 6 wheelers here till they went out of buisness.

Where I am the Argo multi wheel vehicals are few and far between due to dealer support and a top speed of 18 MPH. In montana the ATV;s can be street licensed and the larger ones like 850's can make some good road speed which comes in handy when outrunning the zombies.
 
montanabill said:
Almost all ATV's that are 4WD have a locked rear wheel drive and a variable front wheel drive.
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The big Kawasaki quads also have a lever on the left grip that can lock the front axle for as long as you have it activated - but front diff lock pretty much negates steering - so it is always a short term thing.......just enough to get out of a really bad bog.


The floating multi wheel drive rigs have saved a few lives in my area when they rescuded Ice fishermen that fell thru the ice. We used to have a manufacturer of 6 wheelers here till they went out of buisness.

Where I am the Argo multi wheel vehicals are few and far between due to dealer support and a top speed of 18 MPH. In montana the ATV;s can be street licensed and the larger ones like 850's can make some good road speed which comes in handy when outrunning the zombies.
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Lots of people who don't have and haven't driven/ridden in an ARGO think they are cool.

But the fundamental limitations of all ARGOs is that:
1) Unlike all quads, they don't have any suspension - which limits the practical/safe top speed, comfort and the advantages of all those wheels, as not all of them will stay on the ground over rough terrain.
2) Skid steer makes a mess of the ground you operate them on - which is either unacceptable on your land or embarrassing on public or someone else's land.
3) The engines ARGO uses are big stationary/lawn mower engines - that are harsh, rough and primitive. Anyone accustomed to the well engineered engines in quads finds them rough and unsatisfactory.
4) They are not well engineered and break a lot more than quads - mostly because of points 1 and 2 above.

Like you say, ARGOs have a small niche application where they are being used for their amphibious capability - but outside that application, they come second to ATV/UTV in almost every other use.

They are not even very good as a boat. The propulsion from the tires is so weak that plenty of ARGO owners have taken them (downwind) across a lake and then found they can't get back against a stiff breeze. That is why many who bought them for that, end up fitting an outboard.
 
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My SHTF vehicle also doubles as a farm truck when needed it's a 69 deuce and a half and has a multi-fuel engine that can burn just about any combustible liquid. It is slow and cumbersome with no power steering but it can haul a load and with 10 wheel drive goes just about anywhere. Sorry only pics I could find don't show the whole thing.
 

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Sourdough said:
WHY......I respect your opinion, but with shipping I will have $15,000.00 in the machine. I wish the Can-Am company would supply an answer.

I have zero idea as to the 100% correct answer. I "THINK" it has more than ONE traction system. Not super sure about that. There may be several settings for the drivetrain traction system. There are (3) THREE different electronic settings/adjustments for each of the following. Engine Breaking, Suspension, Power Steering. I "Suspect" there maybe different settings for traction.
Click to expand...
Your differential system sounds like the typical solid shaft with a chain sprocket, no differential to speak of. Both rear wheels will spin at the exact same RPM.

Your "transfer case" sounds similar to AWD cars. The name implies a viscous coupling (similar to the torque converter on an automatic transmission) between the front and rear drive units that behaves like a limited slip differential.

Then for serious situations you can lock up the front, which may or may not also lock up the front/rear coupling. I can't tell from their wording. The problem with locking the front is you lose most steering control. Even if your wheels are hard left, it'll want to go more straight.

As far as chains go...
Putting them on the rear gives you the most traction benefit in the back. That could be good or bad. Accelerating forward naturally shifts the weight backward anyway, adding chains will just give you that much more traction. When you nose-up (going up slopes), the center of gravity shifts more weight on the rear, resulting in more push from the rear. But if you're going up a steep incline, too much push from the back could pick up your front and you roll or get "stuck", unable to inch up the slope. In that case you want more traction on the front to pull.

Putting chains on the front will improve steering response in low traction situations, especially in 4wd since those wheels will also be powered and not just a rudder.

If I only had one set of chains, I'd put them on the front. I would also stay in 2WD as long as conditions allow. Usually 4wd can get you out of a situation 2wd gets you in to. The locked differential would be a last resort when you need absolute maximum traction. I guess the winch would be the actual last resort.
 
Sourdough, I don’t have a Can-Am. Mine are all Polaris or Hondas. So YMMV. Chains on the rear for all of mine. I did try putting chains on the front but the chains would often rub against things with hard turning.

Even with chains you will easily get stuck with the snow you and I get. I have had to use both a winch and that handy little come along that you introduced me to at the same time to get out of spots. Mud is easier to get out of a jam with the winch than snow. With snow you sometimes slide laterally and thus the come along in addition to the winch has been very helpful.

With all the times I’ve been stuck, I often wished I bought that Case dozier you had. But I know they can get stuck too. Nothing is perfect, but that Can-Am will be mighty handy. Almost perfect.
 
Here's a great bug-out vehicle addition:

https://www.foxnews.com/auto/bear-bulletproof-travel-trailer-ready-roughest-stuff
trailer.png


Only $92,000 (with bulletproof option).

I can't imagine holing up in this thing and thinking that you're safe. With that good ground clearance someone could stack a nice pile of firewood underneath. Those gas cans that you so graciously provided up front would help your assailants get the wood burning nice and hot. And they could throw in that propane tank for good measure.

They used to set fires under tanks in the war to roast the crews inside. But at least tanks had the option of driving off and shooting at their assailants on the way out, possibly allowing the crew to survive. Not so with this little bunker trailer.

I think the tanks might have been cheaper than this trailer too.
 
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Haertig said:
Here's a great bug-out vehicle addition:

https://www.foxnews.com/auto/bear-bulletproof-travel-trailer-ready-roughest-stuff
View attachment 108405

Only $92,000 (with bulletproof option).

I can't imagine holing up in this thing and thinking that you're safe. With that good ground clearance someone could stack a nice pile of firewood underneath. Those gas cans that you so graciously provided up front would help your assailants get the wood burning nice and hot. And they could throw in that propane tank for good measure.

They used to set fires under tanks in the war to roast the crews inside. But at least tanks had the option of driving off and shooting at their assailants on the way out, possibly allowing the crew to survive. Not so with this little bunker trailer.

I think the tanks might have been cheaper than this trailer too.
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Tank crews don't stay safe at night by hiding in their tanks.

They stay safe at night by setting up a perimeter and defending that just like infantry do. They just have bigger guns to shoot at threats that try to breach their perimeter. They also have cool thermal imagers that make it hard to sneek up on the perimeter around a group of tanks.

If someone bugs out with a vehicle or a camper, then they would also need to set a perimeter and defend that - the people sleeping in the camper should just be those not standing guard.

A suburban house is subject to the same threats if the ROL is gone. If you are going to sleep at night with no guards, then you may well be woken up to a burning house around you. If someone would rather take the house intact, then they just need to provoke the occupants into firing back from a window and then shoot at/through the walls around that window. Very few houses provide cover from rifles.

The main point of relocation is to get to somewhere safer. The simplest model for that safer place would be somewhere remote (ie no people). The offroad capability of that trailer, is more useful than any ballistic protection. The armor just makes it heavier than it needs to be.
 
Alaskajohn said:
With all the times I’ve been stuck, I often wished I bought that Case dozier you had. But I know they can get stuck too. Nothing is perfect, but that Can-Am will be mighty handy. Almost perfect.
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It is scheduled to arrive Sat. May 20'th. ($700.00 shipping Delta Junction to here).
 
Speaking of getting stuck, I got my side by side hopelessly stuck in the rotting snow on a joy ride with my dog last evening. I just left it there and walked back down to the compound. Not to worry, with the way the snow is melting I will be able to retrieve it in a few days. I still have two more ATVs to play with as I will. I like messing around in the snow rot. I’m still a teenager at heart.
 
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