Top 5 Spare Parts for Your Zombie Apocalypse Getaway Truck

Welcome to spooky season! While you're carving pumpkins and planning your Halloween costume, have you considered what's really important? That's right—making sure your truck can outrun the undead when society inevitably crumbles.

Here are the five essential spare parts you need stashed in your toolbox when the zombies come knocking! (or shambling, or groaning menacingly).

1. Serpentine Belt

The Scenario:

Jake had done everything right. He'd hotwired the abandoned pickup on the edge of town, loaded it with supplies from the ransacked Costco, and even managed to rescue a golden retriever named Tyson. The highway stretched before him, empty and inviting. Freedom was just 50 miles ahead at his cousin's fortified farm.

Then he heard it. That high-pitched squeal. The temperature gauge started climbing. By mile 15, steam was pouring from under the hood, and in his rearview mirror, he could see them—a shambling horde of at least 200 zombies who'd heard his engine and decided to follow.

Jake had bolt cutters. He had MREs. He had a crossbow and a satellite phone. But he didn't have a spare serpentine belt!

Why You Need It:

Your serpentine belt drives basically everything: alternator, water pump, power steering, A/C compressor. When it fails (and they always fail at the worst possible moment), you're dead in the water. Or in Jake's case, dead in the desert with zombies closing in at a brisk walking pace.

These belts are lightweight, cheap, and easy to replace even with basic tools. Toss two in your survival kit. Tyson would want you to.

2. Fuel Pump or Fuel Filter

The Scenario:

Maria's convoy had survived three months on the road. They'd learned to siphon gas from abandoned vehicles, sleep in shifts, and never, ever stop in cities. Their F-250 had been a beast—until it started sputtering at the worst possible time.

They were crossing a bridge. A long bridge. Over a river. With zombies on both sides attracted by the engine noise. The truck began jerking, coughing, losing power. The end of the bridge was so close—maybe 300 yards—but they were rolling to a stop.

"Is it out of gas?" someone shouted from the back.

"Quarter tank!" Maria yelled back, pumping the pedal desperately.

It wasn't the gas. It was the fuel pump, finally giving up after running on contaminated, years-old gasoline scavenged from rusted-out sedans. They made it across—barely—by coasting and pushing. But they lost two days finding a replacement part in a zombie-infested small town.

Why You Need It:

Fuel system failures are insidious. The truck starts fine, runs fine, and then suddenly it doesn't. Fuel pumps wear out, and in the apocalypse, you'll be running on questionable fuel quality. Fuel filters clog with sediment and rust from old gas stations and siphoned tanks.

A spare fuel pump (or at least a filter) means the difference between escaping and explaining to zombies that you just need five minutes to troubleshoot.

3. Starter or Starter Solenoid

The Scenario:

Click. Click. Click.

Dave turned the key again. Click. Click. Click.

"Come on, come on, come ON!" He could hear them inside the warehouse now, knocking over shelves, moaning, getting closer. He'd snuck in for medical supplies and gotten cornered. The only reason he'd made it back to his truck was because zombies are terrible at climbing chain-link fences.

But now his truck—his faithful, reliable truck that had never let him down—wouldn't start.

Click. Click. Click.

The battery was fine. He'd checked it yesterday. The headlights were bright. But that clicking sound meant his starter was done. And the zombies were pouring out of the warehouse door he'd left open.

Dave lived because a stranger with a truck pulled up and saved him. But Dave lost his truck, his supplies, and his lucky rabbit's foot. Don't be like Dave.

Why You Need It:

A failed starter is a death sentence in the apocalypse. Your engine won't turn over. Period. You can have a full tank of gas, a perfect battery, and an engine in mint condition—none of it matters if the starter won't engage.

The worst part? Starters often give warning signs (slow cranking, intermittent issues) but usually pick the most dramatic moment to fully fail. Keep a spare starter or solenoid on hand, or at least know how to bypass it in an emergency.

4. Alternator

The Scenario:

The battery light came on at 2 PM. By 4 PM, Lisa's headlights were dimming. By 6 PM, the truck was running on pure battery power—and that wouldn't last long.

She was alone on a desert highway, 80 miles from the nearest town, with night falling fast. The alternator had died, which meant no charging system. She had maybe 45 minutes of drive time left before everything went dark and the engine quit.

Lisa did the math. At 60 mph, she'd make it about 45 miles before the battery died. That left 35 miles to walk. In the dark. In the desert. With zombies that hunted by sound and had nothing better to do than wander the highways.

She made a choice. She turned off the headlights, turned off the radio, turned off everything except the ignition. She drove in near-total darkness using only moonlight and memory, nursing that dying battery. She made it to town with minutes to spare, rolling into a fortified compound with a completely dead battery.

She survived. But she swore she'd never travel without a spare alternator again.

Why You Need It:

Your alternator keeps the battery charged and powers all electrical systems while the engine runs. Without it, you're on borrowed time—literally running down your battery until everything stops.

Modern vehicles are especially dependent on electrical systems. No alternator means no ignition spark, no fuel pump, no power steering, no lights. You'll coast to a silent stop in the middle of nowhere.

5. Radiator Hoses (Upper and Lower)

The Scenario:

The explosion of steam was spectacular. One second, Chen was cruising through the abandoned suburbs, windows down, enjoying what might have been the last pleasant October day he'd ever see. The next second, the hood was smoking, the temperature gauge was pinned in the red, and coolant was spraying everywhere like a horror movie special effect!

The lower radiator hose had finally given up after years of dry rot and one too many close calls. The coolant was gone. The engine was overheating. And Chen had exactly zero backup hoses.

He was 12 miles from his group's camp. He tried to run the engine in short bursts, letting it cool between sprints, but he only made it 3 miles before the engine seized completely. He walked the remaining 9 miles, was nearly caught by a roaming pack of zombies, and had to abandon his truck—which contained all his winter supplies.

All because of a $15 rubber hose.

Why You Need It:

Radiator hoses are rubber. Rubber degrades, especially in post-apocalyptic conditions with limited maintenance. When they fail, you lose all your coolant in seconds, and an overheated engine is a paperweight.

The beauty of radiator hoses is that they're cheap, lightweight, and relatively easy to replace. Carry the upper and lower hoses for your specific vehicle, plus some hose clamps. You can swap them in 30 minutes and be back on the road.

Final Thoughts

Look, we all know the zombie apocalypse probably isn't happening this October (probably). But these five parts represent the most common catastrophic failures that can leave you stranded in the real world, too. Whether you're fleeing the undead or just trying to get home from a camping trip gone wrong, these spares could save your life.

And if the zombies do come? At least you'll be the one driving away while everyone else is clicking their keys helplessly in a parking lot.

Stay safe out there. And happy spooky season!

P.S. — Also keep a spare tire, jack, jumper cables, and basic tools. Tyson would want you to be prepared.