Worried About the Apocalypse? This Armored Terradyne Gurkha Is for You
We get it: it’s tough prepping for the apocalypse. Especially when it comes to picking your wheels. There’re now arguably more choices than ever. It’s not just the leaders of countries that can get armored vehicles. Trucks, SUVs, even vans can all be armored, although the Tesla Cybertruck doesn’t really count. There’s also no shortage of obscenely large pickups on the used market. And, for extreme social distancing, there’s the Sherp ATV and Rokon TrailBreaker bike. But there’s one vehicle that combines all these traits into one: the Terradyne Gurkha.
What is the Terradyne Gurkha?
The Terradyne Gurkha isn’t actually one single vehicle, but a range of armored vehicles made in Ontario, Canada. There’s the Terradyne Gurkha LAPV and RPV (light armored and regular patrol vehicle), MPV (multi-purpose vehicle), and ‘civilian edition’ CIV.
They’re all based on Ford F-450 and F-550 chassis, Jalopnik and Autotrader report. These pseudo-tanks retain the stock Ford 6.7-liter turbodiesel V8, making 330 hp and 750 lb-ft, linked to a 6-speed automatic. Shift-on-the-fly four-wheel drive is standard, as is a limited-slip differential.
‘Pseudo-tank’ is perhaps the best description of the Terradyne Gurkha. The lightest version, the armoring-optional CIV, weighs in at 13,500 pounds. It’s also 10” wider than an F-150 Raptor, Autotrader reports. Although the tires are only speed-rated to 81 mph, this truck presumably is hard to stop, even with its ABS-equipped 4-wheel ventilated disc brakes.
Then again, that’s kind of the point of an armored truck.
Is the Terradyne Gurkha a legitimate armored vehicle?
Gunfire will probably be the last thing that stops a Terradyne Gurkha. The LAPV, RPV, and MPV all have B7-level armored plating. According to Armormax, that means these trucks can, well, tank anything from a handgun all the way to an armor-piercing rifle. Even the windows come with ballistic glass.
Terradyne sent a Gurkha to be tested by Oregon Ballistic Laboratories, which blew up grenades beneath it. The truck was fine. But that’s not all these trucks offer.
Those off-road tires are mounted on bead-lock wheels, so even if they’re running low on pressure, they won’t come off. There’s a winch on the front bumper, an intercom system with siren, as well as a 40-gallon fuel tank. The LAPV MPV even offer a roof escape hatch/lookout, with an extended platform built into the interior.
The Terradyne Gurkha, though, isn’t actually a tank. Being based on a pickup truck, it has a customizable interior. The LPV and RPV, being ostensibly for patrolling, have interiors more in the style of police-spec cars: hard-wearing surfaces, easy-clean seats, and so on. The MPV even offers a police-style laptop in front.
The CIV, meanwhile, can be equipped with custom-colored leather upholstery and trim. It even has cupholders in front, and what appears to be an infotainment system. And instead of the jump seats the other Terradyne Gurkhas get, the CIV gets a conventional 2nd-row of seats.
Pricing and availability
Terradyne doesn’t officially list the price of the Gurkha. Presumably, it’s in the ‘if you have to ask’ range. However, used Gurkhas do occasionally appear.
As of this writing, there is a 2015 Terradyne Gurkha RPV listed on eBay for $298,000. That’s actually somewhat reasonable, considering one went for $325,777 on Autotrader in 2017. Interestingly, the eBay RPV looks to be the same one that sold on Bring a Trailer in August 2019 for just over $215,000.
No one said weathering out the apocalypse would be cheap.
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