Special Operations Command North, SOCNORTH, has acquired six Chevy Suburbans from the White House Communications Agency. These Suburbans are to be retrofitted to serve the SOCNORTH Crisis Response Team. Think of these as mobile communications vehicles capable of going from city streets to offroad trails. All the while maintaining communications with the President, Vice President, and other White House staff.
Making these sport utility vehicles a capable option for Special Operations Command North
These vehicles, otherwise known as ‘Roadrunners’, were designed to be self-sufficient when on the road for security reasons. Very similar to how you see rigs in the overlanding community outfitted for long trips with additional onboard power, communications, fuel, and other off-road upgrades.
Special Operations Command North (SOCNORTH) acquired six modified Chevy Suburbans from White House Communications Agency. These vehicles are outfitted for presidential communications and have the ability to run off shore power. SOCNORTH intends to use these vehicles for our Crisis Response Teams (CRT). In order to do this they must be retrofitted and tested for correct power and antenna continuity.
SOCNORTH requires the retrofit of six (6) modified Chevy Suburbans to safely power and mount SOFTACS network Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) radios.
The Contractor shall furnish labor, travel, material and tools to retrofit six (6) CRT vehicles to accept GFE communications gear to include two radios and the install of a three-enclave core system (DTECH M3-EXT Product Family) in a single rack in the rear of the vehicle and re-install empty rack for USG use. Prepare the vehicle for Crisis Response Team Vehicle (CRTV) for both power and communications for the GFE items to be installed.
Creating My Own Low-Vis ‘Roadrunner’ Mobile Command Center
After looking at these modified Chevy Suburbans and then looking at my Trail Boss, I got to thinking. I like the clean low-vis looks of my Trail Boss. But what can I do to enhance its capabilities without hanging a bunch of gear off the outside of it? Like having my own secret service mobile command center. I’ve kind of already started down that road to be honest. We’ve installed the Decked truck bed storage system which can be outfitted to carry just about anything.
Shortly after installing the Decked system, I had an ARE Overland cap installed. For mobile comms, I’ve got a Midland radio and most recently added the weboost cell signal booster kit. I’m working on installing auxiliary power in the bed of the truck using the Genesis Offroad 12v outlet wiring kit. The Trail Boss comes stock with a 2″ block lift, 32″ Goodyear Duratrac tires, Rancho monotube shocks and a G80 self-engaging rear differential locker. My next project is adding the capability of extending my range with additional onboard fuel.
I never really thought of a Chevy Suburban being an option for these roles or anything related to overlanding or off-road use. That was until we, The Gear Bunker, met up with Michigan Overland for a weekend overlanding adventure covering over 100 miles of trails. The lead vehicle was a stock Chevy Suburban. Needless to say, I was impressed to see how it navigated the trails, rocks, and other terrain.
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