Flex your chase rig!

[Jonathan Scrogham]

From what I saw, there wasn't a forum that was dedicated to sharing your chase vehicles. So here it is! Just show off your chase rig, laptops, probes, cameras, or anything else you use while chasing! As I am 14, obviously not old enough to drive and definitely not old enough to chase (Believe me, I have tried to convince my dad... and failed miserably) my dream chase rig is a 2020 Toyota 4runner TRD pro.

 

[Chase K]

Thanks for starting this forum! I'm excited to see some of these chasing vehicles. I am also 14 years old and still not old enough to drive. My dream vehicle would probably be something like Ryan Hall's storm seeker truck.

 

[Cameron E.]

I chase in a '99 4runner. The things badass. I wired in a CB radio. I've been chasing for 3 years now.

I believe in keeping stuff simple. I'm not into having a bagillion gadgets bolted on/in my truck lol. I've had success with just a phone/laptop/ and knowing how to read a storm's "body language."

As long as you've got that Skywarn sticker on there... everyone knows you mean business, am I right?

 

[Josh Hoover]

i chase in an '05 Honda Civic. Not the best chase vehicle, especially on gravel roads, but I can't afford anything better and I'm a firm believer in "drive it til it breaks." if I'm not able to take my car, usually due to maintenance being done on it on the wrong day, I'll borrow my dad's 2014 Dodge Caravan. other than that, I bring my phone for navigation, my cameras; a Canon EOS60D and a Canon Rebel XS (eventually I'll get something newer that can shoot video in 4k) , and also my laptop to edit my photos when i stop at a motel at the end of the night.

 

[Ethan Schisler]

I chase in a 2011 Ford Escape. No special mounts or anything (all that I had have been uninstalled due to non use of any laptop and I sold my Ipad Pro, again due to non-use)... Just the Gripper 115 XL with extension bar for my Sony A7SIII and 24-70mm F/2.8 GM II lens and my Iphone XS with radarscope.

No decals or anything special on the outside of my car, just the way I prefer it. Don't really like people bothering me (super introverted) while I'm chasing and I find driving an incognito vehicle helps. Really think unless you plan on driving through absolutely massive hail on purpose, you don't need much else to safely observe storms.

I use an array of cameras though while chasing which include Sony A7SIII (video), Sony A1 (video/photo/birds/wildlife/pretty much everything lol), Sony A9 II (birds and wildlife for when I'm not chasing) and an array of lenses including numerous primes but mostly for chasing my 24-70 F/2.8 II and 100-400mm GM. Probably will take my new 50mm F/1.2 GM and 35mm F/1.4 GM out next year as those are my 2 favorite prime lenses I own.

 

[Todd Lemery]

I usually chase in a Chevy Suburban. Often times there will be 5 people in the vehicle so the extra space is much appreciated. The exterior is coated with truck bed liner for the hail. The windows are on their own except for a security liner film on the inside of the windows.

 

[Drew Terril]

The vehicle that I generally chase in was bought more for non chasing reasons than chasing reasons. I usually chase in a 2015 Nissan Titan, but I bought it because I needed a full size truck for farm stuff, and to pull either my Camaro to the track or my Pathfinder to the off road park. Occasionally, I chase in an old 95 Pathfinder that's also my off road toy, but I have my better comms setup in the Titan. I'm blue collar, so buying anything solely for chasing isn't something that I can justify. I just adapt what I've needed for the rest of my life for my chasing.

 

[Gavin Nichols]

I have plans to buy (and maybe break ) a 04 Subaru WRX STI manual from one of my older friends who is selling it for 8k (cheap for a well-maintained STI) and the HP has been bumped up to 385 due to a assortment of aftermarket mods (turbo, ECS, Intercooler.) I will use it as my daily driver as well as for storm chasing. I wanted something fun, reliable, and adaptable to most road surfaces. I have plans to put some brighter headlights/brake lights, a cleverly placed sticker, Maybe even bump the power up even more.
Already have a budget camera setup ready: Canon EOS R10 (Photos) and a couple Gopro HERO 7s. (recording/streaming) and i plan on using a Modded Chromebook for a computer. No mount for it yet.

 

[Drew Terril]

I have plans to buy (and maybe break ) a 04 Subaru WRX STI manual from one of my older friends who is selling it for 8k (cheap for a well-maintained STI) and the HP has been bumped up to 385 due to a assortment of aftermarket mods (turbo, ECS, Intercooler.) I will use it as my daily driver as well as for storm chasing. I wanted something fun, reliable, and adaptable to most road surfaces. I have plans to put some brighter headlights/brake lights, a cleverly placed sticker, Maybe even bump the power up even more.
Already have a budget camera setup ready: Canon EOS R10 (Photos) and a couple Gopro HERO 7s. (recording/streaming) and i plan on using a Modded Chromebook for a computer. No mount for it yet.

Just be careful with that transmission. The later 6 speeds were stronger, but the 5 speeds have a very similar reputation to the T5 5 speeds that GM and Ford used back in the 80s and 90s. That much power can easily break that transmission, let alone more. I would stay away from any hard shifting/launching. They're just not super strong. Long term motor reliability with that much boost isn't the greatest either, and the fuel mileage will definitely be poor.

I would also recommend being able to do your own work if you're going to own something like that. Given the layout, those aren't easy to work on, and having to pay a shop to do any work will get expensive quickly. Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against Subaru (although for 8k I can get into a similar era 4Runner that will be WAY more rugged and probably get about the same fuel mileage as a heavily modded STI), but I definitely prefer to stick with the naturally aspirated models. I've actually been considering a 6 speed Forester or Crosstrek for my next purchase.

 

[Jack R. Jester]

From what I saw, there wasn't a forum that was dedicated to sharing your chase vehicles. So here it is! Just show off your chase rig, laptops, probes, cameras, or anything else you use while chasing! As I am 14, obviously not old enough to drive and definitely not old enough to chase (Believe me, I have tried to convince my dad... and failed miserably) my dream chase rig is a 2020 Toyota 4runner TRD pro.

I'm still running my '98 Suburban K1500 since I'm kind of a stickler for old cars.

I started out similarly to you trying to convince my parents to take me Storm Chasing, the only difference is that in some random act of madness, mother actually said yes. Its not like we ever saw much though.

That didn't happen until I actually got my license and bought my first car.

This year is going to be the first real year where hopefully all the pieces will fall in place for me to properly chase.
(Obviously not a real picture.)
Any sort of 4Runner would be a great chase vehicle since Toyotas are so reliable. Having a reliable vehicle is probably one of the most important things you need to have if you want to chase; you don't want to find yourself stuck hundreds if not thousands of miles from home with a broken vehicle (I've learned that lesson the hard way). Luckily I grew up working on cars, so there aren't many problems that'll curtail my chasing activities. That's why I tend to take vehicles with over 300,000 miles cross country, up Pikes Peak, and of course storm chasing.

Good luck.