The other day I saw a prepper driving what he calls his bug out vehicle. It is a nice older four-wheel pickup. But it is painted in camouflage and stands out like a sour thumb. It has extra lights, antennas and gas cans and attracts attention everywhere he goes.  What he really needs is a gray man vehicle. The vehicle he is driving is a target.
A gray man vehicle does not stand out and draw attention. It may be an older four-wheel drive pickup or SUV that is in good mechanical condition and is painted an ordinary color. It shouldn’t be tricked out with gas cans and antennas.
Keep the vehicle well maintained, but don’t worry too much about the external appearance. Remember you are trying not to attract attention. No bumper stickers or other decals indicating your beliefs. It should have good off road tires, a good spare and the appropriate jacks and tools.
If it comes time to bug out, your necessary bug out gear should be packed and ready to load. The gray man vehicle should always be kept with the gas tank full.  If you feel that, you will need camouflage in the future. Buy a case of 24 cans of Khaki Ultra-Flat from Krylon’s Camouflage paint system. This is enough to paint the average vehicle and should cost about $120 if you shop around. You will just have to create your own camo pattern are you go; it is not hard to create a decent pattern.
The main thing with a gray man vehicle is that you want to blend in with the other traffic on the roads. You don’t want to be the one that attracts attention either from the government or from the general population.
Howard
Great suggestions. I couldn’t agree more. I refer to this as “urban camouflage”. I drive a Toyota Rav4, boring silver/greyish/brown. We see a million of these and they all look alike.
You mentioned not having any added accessories or bumper stickers. Along the same line of thinking, if you get any dings, dents, scratches, or fender benders, get those fixed. They just serve as “distinguishing characteristics” of your vehicle. Liek you said, you don;t want anything that stands or or is memorable in any way.
Years ago I had a older ford station Wagon with clear windows and one day I inadvertently passed a cop while going 5 mph over the speed limit. With my wife and two kids in an older car I’m sure I wasn’t the target he was looking for. We also owned a 67 mustang fastback with a 4 spd and V8 and it was a cop magnet. optics are everything.
I’ve totally seen trucks like that around. Here in Tennessee it’s actually pretty common. I agree though you want a vehicle that blends in. My car is pretty much invisible.
Axelsteve says.
get a truck with dual tanks and 4×4. Paint it or buy a white truck cause there are millions of them.No identifiers or pimp daddy bling on it. Keep a hard hat and clip board with it. No one will give you a second look in it.
So true about white trucks! And make sure there are no fancy wheels, pinstriping, or anything at all that might make it memorable.