Advice on chasing vehicles

[Rachel Donoghue]

Yeah my titles aren't really the best. Sorry about that. I have been wondering what vehicle would be ideal for chasing storms? I notice a lot of chasers chase in cars or small SUV's, while others chase in trucks and large SUV's. My question is, which of these would be prime to chase in? I have been wanting to get a 2000 diesel (either 6.0 or 7.3L engine) Ford Excursion, and I am wondering whether it will be an ideal chasing vehicle. Here is what it looks like (Image from wikipedia) (My dad currently owns a 2000 Ford excursion, and I would of took a picture of it, but phone battery is dead at the moment. I will update the picture in this thread later on today.)


My other choice for a chasing vehicle would be a 2001 diesel Dodge ram 2500. (Image from Google.)

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ScottCurry]

Rachel, see this thread. It might have the information you are looking for:

https://stormtrack.org/threads/best-car-to-chase-in.28590/

 

[Rachel Donoghue]

Rachel, see this thread. It might have the information you are looking for:

https://stormtrack.org/threads/best-car-to-chase-in.28590/

Thank you! I have looked at the thread, but didn't know if it would be best to ask there, so I made this thread. I will just ask there then. Again, thank you so much for your help.

 

[Derek E Lee]

I love diesels, I own a 2012 ram 3500 cummins, however I'm not sure how I'd feel about chasing with them due to the extra maintanence costs and the fear of something like an injection pump dying somewhere remote.. Which gets more likely the higher the miles on the truck.

Also with mine, all the extra weight in the front end makes it an anchor if you get stuck, talking from experience here it takes a lot more to get them out.

That being said though, if I had to pick between the excursion and ram, I'd probably pick the excursion if it had the 7.3 in it. 7.3 is a simple motor, reliable however not the most powerful. Mostly due to the fact you could sleep in the back of it comfortably and there's a lot of room for equipment.

If it had a 6.0 though, I'd take the dodge and get a topper on the box and sacrifice the room in the cab for the more reliable cummins

That's just my opinion though

 

[STexan]

Either of those are going to be costly to operate just from a fuel standpoint. I recommend 4Wd and as heavy/large as you can justify and/or afford. If you will be carrying 4+ people regularly, the added legroom of the excursion will be appreciated, but if you will mostly be just part of a few travelers, something like an excursion might be overkill, and using such a vehicle during the rest of the year (trips to Walmart) will take on a whole new level of parking and unparking issues.

Just remember diesel will always cost 40 to 60 cents more then unleaded, so consider this when calculating operation costs.

 

[Drew Terril]

Just remember diesel will always cost 40 to 60 cents more then unleaded, so consider this when calculating operation costs.

It would be unfair to leave out the fact that, even in a 3/4 ton truck, diesel vehicles typically get far better fuel mileage than their gasoline equivalent. The best I've ever gotten out of a gas powered 3/4 truck was 16mpg highway. 19 is the best that I've gotten out of a gas powered 1/2 ton. On the other hand, I've seen 22-25mpg highway out of diesel powered 3/4 ton trucks, although 20-22 is a little more typical. If the major automakers go through with the plans they've floated in putting small diesels in their mid sized trucks, those will easily get 30mpg highway.

These numbers are based on current prices in the OKC area:

$2.20/16mpg=13.75 cents per mile for a typical gasser 3/4 ton running perfectly and getting its best fuel mileage

$2.47/20=12.35 cents per mile for a typical diesel 3/4 ton in decent condition that's running well but not necessarily perfectly.

$2.47/23=10.74 cents per mile for a diesel 3/4 ton running close to perfectly and getting nearly ideal fuel efficiency.

It may be different outside of the plains, but everywhere I've seen in Oklahoma/Texas/Kansas/Missouri in the last two years has had only about a 30 cent per gallon difference (or less depending on fluctuations), which is less than that between regular unleaded and premium. Ethanol free unleaded is actually more expensive than diesel, and has been for some time.

If Nissan goes through with their idea of putting a diesel in their Frontier platform, I will almost certainly buy one. I'll probably sell/trade in the Titan and buy a cheap old truck for my towing needs. With gas engines, there's not enough of a difference in fuel mileage for me to justify downgrading 2500 lbs in towing capacity.

 

[Dave Ragozzine]

I think the question "what would be an ideal chasing vehicle" is like asking what the ideal time to take a nap is. Everyone for the most part will have different opinions on it based on their own experience. Without naming any specific vehicles, there are certain things that I would prefer to have in a chase vehicle. I think it's also important to know if the chase vehicle will be used for other activities. The vehicle I use for chasing is my everyday vehicle, I wish I had the money to buy a dedicated chase vehicle though; maybe in the future?

Gas mileage is very important to me. I drive a lot as it is (50,000 miles a year, 38,500 of them on highways). My 2014 Kia Sorento gets around 23 mpg and has a full tank range of 346 miles. Which regarding storm chasing, means I can drive longer distances without having to stop for fuel, which translates to more time on the road and less time at the pump. Think of it like fishing, you're not going to catch anything if your bait isn't in the water.

The other things that matter to me in any vehicle, but are very important for chasing:
-Cargo capacity
-Leg room
-Available aftermarket accessories
-Cost of maintenance (tires, oil changes etc)
-Safety
-Speed (Being able to outrun a tornado).

Instead of fixating on a specific make/model, write down the qualities you need in the vehicle, and then find one that meets your requirements. IMO, if I were to get a vehicle JUST for chasing, I'd buy it, not lease it and it likely would be a pre-owned SUV that gets at least 21mpg on the highway, with a price tag of under $8,000. Make and model wise, I'm privy to Kia, Ford and Toyota.

On my website I have some photos of my vehicle, but I need to update them.

Hope that helps Rachel!