Surely, you'll agree with us that bugging in is much safer than bugging out. However, you need to understand that there are a few cases where bugging out will always be the better option for you.
In case you find yourself in such a situation, one of the things that will make your efforts easier and safer is by bugging out in a vehicle. As far as bugging out in a vehicle is concerned, there are lots of options out there that you can utilize during such an event.
That said, here's a burning question, is Chevrolet a good bug out vehicle (BOV) for survivalists?
When it comes to choosing a bug out vehicle, Chevy is a good choice. That's because many Chevrolet options have suitable ground clearance, are AWD/4WD, and have enough space for your family. That said, the best Chevy options for you include: Chevy Suburban, Chevy Tahoe, and Chevy Avalanche.
As a prepper, it's worth knowing that there are tons of reasons why it's important to own a better BOV. Apart from helping to carry more supplies, including bug out bags, when sh*t hits the fan (SHTF), such as disaster, it can also allow you to travel further faster away from danger or threat.
In the rest of this article, we'll be further sharing with you everything that you need to know about choosing the right Chevy Bug Out Vehicle.
Are Chevrolets Good Bug Out Vehicles?
As earlier mentioned, Chevys are good bug out vehicles. That's so because most of the options produced by the brand pack a host of amazing features that meet the basic criteria that make a vehicle great for bugging out.
Speaking of the basic qualities of a good bugging out vehicle, it must be able to perform a lot of things. First, a good BOV must be spacious enough to carry your family members or at least 4 people.
Apart from that, when SHTF, a good bug out vehicle must be capable of carrying all your supplies, including a bug out bag, water, shelter supplies, ammo, food and a few other things.
Furthermore, a good BOV must be able to navigate rough terrain or weather. Also, as a prepper, the type of bug out vehicle that you want to buy must be reliable, have good fuel mileage, and enough space to haul your gear.
That said, there are lots of Chevy options that offer most or even all of the aforementioned qualities. In the next section of this post, we'll be sharing with you some of the best Chevy options, that you can consider buying as a prepper.
Best Chevy Bug Out Vehicles
As mentioned earlier, there are several Chevrolet models that you can consider opting for as a prepper looking for the best BOV. Three of the best Chevy options that you can consider buying, include Chevy Suburban, Chevy Tahoe, and Chevy Avalanche. That said, let's take them one after the other and see what each of them is capable of offering.
#1: Chevy Suburban
Surely, you'll agree with us that Chevy Suburban has good mileage. However, in case you don't know, the Chicago Tribune claims, in one of its studies, that Chevy Suburban is one of the vehicles with the highest mileage, as of 2014. While that's certainly one of the qualities of a good bug out vehicle, that's not all that the Chevy Suburban has to offer.
The Chevy Suburban has a large amount of seat space, enough to carry your family or at least 4 people and to haul extra gear. Also, the vehicle has excellent towing capacity and more cargo space - enough to carry all the aforementioned supplies, including your get home or emergency bag.
In terms of reliability, Chevy Suburban is very reliable for bug out events. For instance, according to U.S. News, the 2021 model of Chevy Suburban has a reliability rating of 3 out of 5 - that's above average!
#2: Chevy Tahoe
Just like Chevy Suburban, the Chevy Tahoe is a great option when it comes to choosing the right bug out vehicle. That's so because the vehicle offers a host of amazing features that meet the criteria for a good BOV.
First, Chevrolet Tahoe is a four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicle. This means the vehicle has a good gripping power on the road and especially off-road. Apart from that, Chevy Tahoe is very reliable, as it has a Stellar reliability rating of 5 out of 5 for its 2021 model, according to U.S. News.
Furthermore, with the engine that Chevy Tahoe packs, it's also regarded as tough and strong. Regarding the interior design of the SUV, it has more sitting space, capable of carrying up to 8 people at once.
That said, Chevy Tahoe has about 25.5 cubic feet of space behind its third row. That's not all, the SUV also has about 72.6 cubic feet behind the second row, and a total of 122.9 cubic feet - if the two rows are folded.
The Chevy Tahoe has a good towing capacity and more cargo space, enough to carry all your supplies, including your bug out bag, water, and food, when SHTF. Speaking of the towing capacity, the SUV is capable of towing up to 8,400 pounds if well equipped!
#3: Chevy Avalanche
Another best Chevy bug out vehicle that you can consider buying as a prepper is Chevy Avalanche. We're recommending this vehicle because it offers a host of great features for a good bug out vehicle. As earlier mentioned, a good BOV must either be AWD or 4WD - well, Chevrolet Avalanche is a four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicle.
Furthermore, according to U.S. News, this bug out pickup truck has a reliability rating of 3.5 out of 5 for its 2013 model - that's above average! Also, the vehicle has more sitting space, enough to carry your family and friends of about 5 to 6 people.
Speaking of its cargo space, Chevy Avalanche has plenty of it - enough to help you carry all your supplies, including food, SHTF bug out bag, water, tent, self-defense tools, and a few other prepper supplies.
Moreover, the Chevy Avalanche has a very good engine (320-horsepower V8), which provides you with superb power and speedy acceleration.
This setup it means you can always rest assured of good speed, necessary to take you far away from danger when SHTF. Also, the truck has good mileage and a great ground clearance of 9.1 inches.
How To Prepare Your Chevy For Bugging Out?
After we've reviewed the best Chevy bug out cars, here's another big question: how do you prepare your Chevy for bugging out events?
Regular maintenance
Let's face it! Selecting your BOV out of our list of the best Chevys is only a part of preparing for bugging out. Another part, which is not always talked about, is the maintenance aspect of the vehicle.
Vehicles have several moving parts, which need care and maintenance. Since we don't know when SHTF, it's essential to always maintain your BOV, preparing it for any unforeseen circumstances.
That said, to perform a regular check and maintenance on your Chevy BOV, here are a few things that you need to take into consideration:
- Ensure you fill-up the fuel tank every time.
- Always have a monthly checkup on the vehicle's tires to know their pressure.
- Make sure you check the oil, filters, and fluids of the vehicle, and maintain them regularly.
- Check other spare parts in the vehicle, and ensure they're always in good condition.
Stock up your essential supplies
Apart from performing regular maintenance on your BOV, another thing that you need to do to get prepared for bugging out is to stock up on the essentials for the events. Speaking of the essentials, they include water, food, and most importantly - a good first aid kit.
Get good emergency road kits
Besides stocking up on the essentials, another thing that you can do to get prepared for unforeseen bugging out events is investing in good emergency kits.
Speaking of the items, they include floor jack, an emergency car battery, spare oil, fuses, and antifreeze. Other emergency road kits that you can consider investing in are tire pumps, patches, extra hoses, fan belts, fire extinguishers, shovels, skateboards, additional navigation gears, etc.
For a complete checklist of supplies to stock in your bug out vehicle, read our 5 bug out vehicle lists article!
Chevy Bug Out Vehicles Conclusions
As a prepper, in case you're planning to buy a Chevy for bugging out, you can always choose any of the above-listed cars.
Regardless of the one you're choosing, what is most important is picking an option that meets the qualities of a good bug out vehicle, but also suits your personal situation.
These include having enough space to haul extra gear, your supplies, and your family. Furthermore, in terms of reliability and ruggedness, the three aforementioned Chevy options have great ratings.
That said, you can't go wrong by picking a Chevy as your designated bug out vehicle!
