yep, gettin capped is just part of it....

 

darrell... just get the hand grenades...

 

I could use one for my truck as well, I have a 5th wheel hitch that would make an excellent mount for a machine gun. And in case ya'll didn't see it, here's my proposed travel arrangements, now slightly improved:

I think we can all agree that the most valuable and at the same time vulnerable vehicle in our convoy would be the tanker truck. As a general rule, while tempting to leave said vehicle all the way in the back of the convoy, it's usually a better idea to keep it in the middle - I think it's safe to assume there will be others like us out there too, and they may find taking our supplies more appealing that gathering some on their own - with the tanker in the middle if someone wants it taken out they'll have to first make it past the pickup trucks full of armed and pissed off rednecks In our situation of mixed vehicles, I'd suggest that we have the guys with the heaviest and best-armored trucks (regardless of 2wd or 4x4) lead the way and mow zombies down. I'll be following in my older-than-me W900 tractor pulling a flatbed trailer with my pickup loaded backwards on it (ready for takeoff, in a sense, lol) - like I mentioned once said tractor is essentially an oilfield truck with a sleeper and 5th wheel hitch, and as such it is equipped with a rather massive front bumper and a rather stout frame so if needed it could open the way for the tanker and other vehicles behind it. Then right behind me is Clay with the tanker, I want him there to make sure that if I go trough he goes through too, and should something happen we can quickly switch trailers or even flat-tow each other. Then behind the tanker we have the lighter trucks, they can quickly turn around and cover our backs if we get attacked from behind, and if we make a pile-up mess up front it's easier for them to swerve around us. Also, we all drive on the pavement, we drive in a column, and we ride the divider line - this way we don't get anywhere near as many flat tires and broken drivelines, and everyone still has space for maneuvering around obstacles.

Any corrections to this layout? And last but not least, where do we sleep? A coach bus or even a school bus would come rather handy for that, rip seats out and install bunks, and maybe a small work bench.

 

Not right away tho - remember RE: Extinction, even bitten guys can provide quite the armed support for the healthy ones before they finally turn.

 

You still have an F-150 frame, that's the weak point with all that weight. I'm not going to up-armor my truck all that much, simply because it'll make it handle like garbage, and make it too heavy for soft terrain. You could just end up sunk up to your broken frame with the setup you propose.

For normal travel, yes, right down the center in a column is a good bet. However, at bridge crossings specifically, we'll want to send over the heaviest rigs last, especially if we manage to keep the convoy going for a few years and infrastructure is left in disrepair. We may have to cross some rural short spans that aren't designed for mega tonnage.

Sleep equals death. It would be best if we could manage to have two people to a vehicle, and drive in shifts, but that would get impractical(how many of us would let other people drive our trucks, for instance!?). I guess the best bet would be to do it wagon train style. Set up a bumper-to-bumper ring of trucks with relatively low ground clearance(so zombies don't go under), generators and spotlights, and get as many guns on the perimeter as possible. I don't think we're going to want to stay put for all that long at a shot, depending on the behavior of the zombies. If they're more like I Am Legend critters, we'd be best just sleeping during the day, in the bright open spaces. Armor a bus or two, or throw cots in a box truck. Some folks will have sleeper cabs, especially if we end up with a few more heavy rigs. Put those things in the middle. There should be at least one breakaway point in the circle, where we can make a hole quick and get moving if necessary.

It would be nice, if we came across proper materials, to set up a long gooseneck flatbed with tools, hoists and jacks and such so we could have a rolling garage. Put that in the middle when we set up camp, and use it for maintenance, and put winches front and back so we can recover damaged or wrecked trucks either to repair them or part them out.

 

sounds like a good plan. me and a similarly equipped plow truck or heavy front armored truck (such as yours) will be at the front to hammer parked cars out of the way and whatnot. all drivers will carry two twelve gauge shottys, a handgun of choice with at least 10 spare clips, a rifle/machine gun of choice, and two ammo cans full of the appropriate ammo for each gun. all trucks will also carry four spare tires and the flatbed will be the supply truck, carrying at least 10 of the common break items and have three welders and torches, among an assortment of other needed tools. all trucks should run a common wheel size (16.5 is the military small truck standard) in the event of an emergency tire change and for simplicity.

to sleep, we should be in the open, where we can see in all directions, and we will have three people on watch at all times in two hour shifts. the tanker driver will sleep in the truck in the event of an emergency run, so all he has to do is roll out and put the hammer down. as well, the small trucks will be circle around the big rigs, with a gap big enough for them to drive strait out. we can rig a canopy to cover us, and sleep on the flatbed semi as a group.

depends on the variety we are dealin with...

 

not at all. the frame will be semi boxed so i can still access brake lines and wires. also, ive always had the "through" mentality. i dont need a nimble truck, i need one that will punch through brick walls.

just covered this.

 

Hey, 460/5, we don't want the battering rams out front all the time. That's what lighter trucks are for, to scout ahead and see if we'll need them. Otherwise, the big heavies form the core of the group for normal running conditions.

 

being that there would be no military to speak of. I think anything they had lying around would be surplus.

 

why not? if there are IEDs or traps or whatever by other groups tryin to get our crap, wouldnt we want the heavies to take the hit, since that it is what they are made for? besides, only two will be out front a clear but visible distance in front of everybody so if they get taken out, everybody will have time to react and not get hit themselves. the other heavies will be protectin the tanker. i think the scouts would be good in places too, but we dont want them so far out that they get into trouble and we cant help em either. or get stuck somewhere and have to wait a long time for a heavy to come open a road for them. i think the scouts might be better suited for exploration of towns that we come to, or makin contact with other groups we may have spotted... make sense?

 

also, i think it would be given that ammo should be used wisely and conserved. and yes skyfox. finders/keepers. lol.

 

Well, I'd say we should keep someone with a heavy duty bumper and preferably a winch with the forward elements, as well as a similar rig with the rearguard. I like the idea of keeping a screen of Rangers and such behind us when we're in convoy.

I don't want the heavies out front all the way, because if one of them ends up wrecked, burned out, or stuck, they'll be the hardest to recover. It'd be best to save them for when they're needed. Everyone should have a tow chain or two straps in their vehicle at a minimum. I'm not counting on having enough time to completely retrofit all our equipment to standardize things, or add in a lot of custom fitted armor. We should devote our energy to upgrading the most vital equipment... recovery vehicles, the fuel tanker(s), and the parts/tool hauler(s).

 

I'm subbing to this for the pure entertainment.

Now, I've got a Ranger, I can do some scouting. If only my daughter was big enough to handle a swivel mounted 50 cal while I drive.

 

And I honestly only expect to use firearms when we're parked or as a last resort if we're boarded. My 302 isn't all that beefy, but I expect to get at least eight zombies per gallon.

 

Well, there's always the Glock, they're light and easy to handle. Got a picture of your Ranger? I'd like to see the hardware that'll be watching our backs, fronts, sides, etc...