Using a Camper (RV) for SHTF?

The Ultimate SHTF BugOut Vehicle?

So you managed to get your family out of the city and followed the plan expertly, getting away from the mass carnage of SHTF and have been sitting in the wilderness quite cozy for a week.  Your black and grey tanks are full and while you could simply dump them on the ground that would create hygiene concerns.  Even with the extra water in the back of your pickup you are approaching levels where things could get dicey.  Your tow vehicle is on 1/4 tank and it’s doubtful many stations within the surrounding area are open.  The food is running low but you are committed to staying hunkered down, especially since you’ve heard gunshots off in the distance day and night.  The traffic out to the secret spot you had was insane but you managed it, in your mind there is no way the road would be open to get back.  As a matter of fact the spot you thought was secret wasn’t…more vehicles and even a few campers can be spotted, some as close as 100 yards away.  Your wife is complaining, any sort of internet connectivity is long gone, you know nobody in the area, in short…this might not have been the best idea after all.

Back to Reality

It’s the weekend here in Colorado and as I sit here in the mountains and type this there are no doubt thousands of families from the cities of Denver / Boulder / Colorado Springs up in the mountains as well doing some camping.  Many of them are in RV’s be they travel trailers, 5th Wheels, motorhomes etc.  I know this because every weekend in the summer there is literally bumper to bumper camper traffic coming from the cities on Friday and the same thing going from the mountains back to the city on Sunday afternoon.  It’s entirely predictable and annoying for those of us who do live up here but what can you do.  The point here is I’d be willing to bet there have been many conversations like this:

“So if things get really bad here in the city, what’s our plan, where will we go?”
“It’s quiet simple, we’ll load the family up into the camper and head out into the mountains, there will be plenty of room out there and we’ll set up in a remote area to wait out the storm.”

My Qualifications on this Topic

We currently own a 26′ TT and have drug it all around the National Parks / other camping areas and had some fun with it.  I should mention we still tent camp in remote areas to mix things up but waking up in the middle of the night to pee while it’s raining sure is easier in a TT than the tent.  It’s just a different experience overall, both have their merits.

That stated I’ve learned about the pros and cons of hauling a TT, the tips and tricks and how to set it up best to perform.  While it is an enjoyable toy in my opinion it would be a massive hinderance in a post SHTF environment (there is one caveat to that which I will get into later).  So let’s get on with it.

Problems with the SHTF Camper Idea

I’ll just list out some of the issues with this course of action, it’s just not sustainable in any lengthy SHTF environment.

• “I’ll just take my camper out into the wilderness…”  Yea, you and EVERYBODY else.
• “But we have a secret spot….”  Ahem.  You and EVERYBODY else.
• Campers are basically small mobile homes on wheels, limited by the capacity of the tow vehicle (in a motorhome, they are attached).  Tow vehicles require this thing called fuel and in a SHTF environment that might not be readily available, thus limiting range severely.
• Travel on major roads could be limited, blocked or re-routed through dirt roads.  None of these are good for the average 26 foot TT, while smaller beds on wheels are off road rated it would still be tough maneuvering through gridlock or a tough trail with one.
• The ability to have water, a toilet to use the bathroom in, basic needs is very limited as far as timeline in a boondocking scenario (where the trailer is not hooked up to sewage etc).  In my experience we can make it about 5 days before we need to refill water, dump the tanks and continue with life.  If a site with hookups could be found most certainly it would be a magnet for folks, and drama…thus making it not a great place to be.
• While some campers claim to be all season (mine states that), I don’t believe those water lines would last in sub zero temps.  If it was SHTF in a cold climate and one did not have all of the supplies to insulate running water could be problematic.
• Last but not least, the camper is massive target.  HELLO, I have food, water, shelter, all the things someone else might want!  Ok ok, you have some guns.  Yet why raise the come look at me flag when you don’t have to?

Camper Potential during SHTF

I do think campers have potential during or after SHTF in that if you (like many) have one of them on your property and plan to BUG IN, they could be used as additional shelter for another family or two.  The main operations are conducted out of the home but at least they have shelter and somewhere else to sleep which is in close proximity.  Even without running water, toilets or power the camper would serve a purpose and not be seen as a huge target (read: check out that camper over there in the field, we should check that out).

The Bottom Line

If things got really bad at my spot I would not hook up the TT before leaving in hopes that we could exist out of it.  Speed is security, stealth is even better and the camper assists with none of those while on the road.  Have some ideas?  Let me know your thoughts below.