SEMA 2012: Day 4 Truck of the Day
By Larry Edsall
You may know the word “survivor” as an older pickup truck that has not been restored, but rather preserved in as much of its original condition as the wear and tear of years on the road has permitted.
This story isn’t about one of those.
This story is about the Survivor Truck, but that’s survivor as in surviving nuclear, biological, chemical or any other sort of warfare, or even famine and pestilence, for that matter.
Jim DeLozier, who says he’s a “security consultant,” built and brought this truck to the SEMA Show. It's a truck meant to be as secure as anything anyone likely has ever built.
Beneath the 360-degree protective cage, armored sniper platform, command and communications center with full Faraday cage, and assorted storage compartments is a Chevrolet C-70, but one with an engine modified to run on a variety of fuels.
DeLozier says the truck carries enough freeze-dried food and has its own water purification, generation and desalination systems to enable his family to live for as long as two years well off the grid, producing the electricity it needs via solar and mobile generators.
Or, he says, the truck can become a barracks for a 12-person team.
For camping, the unit has air conditioning, heater, toilet, shower and 4,135-watt solar panel. There also is a fold-out tent, 360-degree thermal-regulated camouflage net system and a medical kit. The truck even carries an electric-powered ATV.
Air inside the vehicle is filtered against various contaminants, but the truck also has gas masks, chemical suits, night-vision cameras, self-contained breathing apparatus and other survival necessities. The truck, even its lights, is bulletproofed.
DeLozier said it took six months to built this prototype, but he expects to be able to produce customized duplicates in about 60 days. Pricing will range from $100,000 to $600,000, depending on the gear you need and whether you already have a donor truck for the base.

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