• After witnessing the continued decrease of involvement in the SpotterNetwork staff in serving SN members with troubleshooting issues recently, I have unilaterally decided to terminate the relationship between SpotterNetwork's support and Stormtrack. I have witnessed multiple users unable to receive support weeks after initiating help threads on the forum. I find this lack of response from SpotterNetwork officials disappointing and a failure to hold up their end of the agreement that was made years ago, before I took over management of this site. In my opinion, having Stormtrack users sit and wait for so long to receive help on SpotterNetwork issues on the Stormtrack forums reflects poorly not only on SpotterNetwork, but on Stormtrack and (by association) me as well. Since the issue has not been satisfactorily addressed, I no longer wish for the Stormtrack forum to be associated with SpotterNetwork.

    I apologize to those who continue to have issues with the service and continue to see their issues left unaddressed. Please understand that the connection between ST and SN was put in place long before I had any say over it. But now that I am the "captain of this ship," it is within my right (nay, duty) to make adjustments as I see necessary. Ending this relationship is such an adjustment.

    For those who continue to need help, I recommend navigating a web browswer to SpotterNetwork's About page, and seeking the individuals listed on that page for all further inquiries about SpotterNetwork.

    From this moment forward, the SpotterNetwork sub-forum has been hidden/deleted and there will be no assurance that any SpotterNetwork issues brought up in any of Stormtrack's other sub-forums will be addressed. Do not rely on Stormtrack for help with SpotterNetwork issues.

    Sincerely, Jeff D.

Be careful of the image your chase vehicle presents

I will likely get away from the "black" vehicle theme and change things up for my next vehicle. I'd love to go hybrid, but nothing right now (mid-size SUV) has the off-road requirements to get the job done (tornado, lightning and hurricane chasing environments with 250+ hp). The 2021 Rav-4 Prime would be great, but it's not an off-road vehicle. I'm looking at the Ford Bronco Sport in Cyber Orange for 2021 if I can come up with the money. I have a big casino heist coming up next week in Vegas with 10 other chasers.

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Thats levels of cash previously thought impossible.

Might still be, depending on availability and dealer markup.
 
I don't believe so, Jack. It was cautionary, regarding people's attitudes toward law enforcement, and peoples seeming inability to tell what is and isn't a police vehicle anymore.

Then someone who has been railing about police lookalikes on the internet since before you were born chimed in. This wasn't you.
 
@Jack R. Jester,

Warren started the thread based on his experience driving a black SUV and being assumed to be a cop, despite it not being a make of vehicle that is purchased by government agencies. In the current environment, that could be an issue, and he wanted people to be aware.

I chased in an old beat up Suburban myself for many years, albeit unmarked, so I don't believe anything in this thread was directed towards you.
 
Well right now I am driving a Ford Raptor it is loads of fun but short on mpg. Ford is coming out with a hybrid F150 for 2021 that will get 700 plus miles per tank averaging 24 mph and a 4x4. This is available in trims from XLT on up. I would like 700 plus for a tankful. It will put out like 450 hp with the twin turbo Eco boost and electric drive. So Warren if you want off road with great mpg this may be for you.
 
Robert Rohloff said:
Well right now I am driving a Ford Raptor it is loads of fun but short on mpg. Ford is coming out with a hybrid F150 for 2021 that will get 700 plus miles per tank averaging 24 mph and a 4x4. This is available in trims from XLT on up. I would like 700 plus for a tankful. It will put out like 450 hp with the twin turbo Eco boost and electric drive. So Warren if you want off road with great mpg this may be for you.
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When I was Active Duty, the BN motor pool at Fort Knox had a hybrid Silverado assigned to it, and I believe GM has continued to make hybrid versions of that and the Tahoe for some time now. It was interesting to drive, then some E2 slid it across some ice and smacked a fire hydrant. I did consider buying one for myself but the price tag, then and now, tends to dissuade me. I will admit as well that I've been somewhat disillusioned with the downtick in reliability from Big 3 makes over the past few decades. It seems they either have reliable motors or reliable transmissions but not both, and usually some other gremlin (electrical comes to mind with Chrysler and now FCA vehicles) associated with it. The trick with Hybrids though to be aware of, aside from the cost up front, is at the 7-10 year mark when batteries need replaced. Particularly when Ford does not have everything ironed out with hybrid systems the way Toyota does (probably the only make whose hybrid I would buy right now). Just some food for thought on that idea.

Also, to the subject at hand, that puts Warren right back into the category of being in something that's typically bought as a fleet vehicle. There are a lot of F-150s floating around various (particularly rural) police and fire agencies, and likely will be for the foreseeable future.
 
Warren Faidley said:
I've always used black vehicles for storm chasing. Mostly black Nissan Xterras.
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Your original Ford Explorer was still the best though...that was a well-equipped machine for the time.

That notwithstanding, it's funny how people see blacked out trucks and immediately think Feds when the reality is most often the exact opposite. They drive all sorts of things and 90%+ don't have any noticable antennas or lights. Sure, the USSS runs a fleet for dignitary use and there are some other agencies with trucks that fill the stereotype but you should really start to pay attention when the same minivan is parked outside your house for a few days.
 
J West said:
That notwithstanding, it's funny how people see blacked out trucks and immediately think Feds when the reality is most often the exact opposite. They drive all sorts of things and 90%+ don't have any noticable antennas or lights. Sure, the USSS runs a fleet for dignitary use and there are some other agencies with trucks that fill the stereotype but you should really start to pay attention when the same minivan is parked outside your house for a few days.
Click to expand...

Another dead giveaway is the "US GOVERNMENT" text on the license plate. If you have seen those before, you know what they look like. And they're fairly distinguishable at close range.
 
Jeff Duda said:
Another dead giveaway is the "US GOVERNMENT" text on the license plate.
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In Texas, the state version of that is "Texas Exempt". For years you could tell unmarked LE by the "Texas Exempt" plates and the lack of hub caps/nice wheels, but in recent years I am seeing more unmarked Texas LE with regular plates (still most don't usually have hub caps/nice wheels). But to bring it back to the topic at hand - I don't think that the average person is very observant and I'm not sure that things like a Skywarn or Stormchaser magnet will cause them to not think you are LE. People see something and jump to a conclusion without looking at the big picture.
 
Jeff Duda said:
Another dead giveaway is the "US GOVERNMENT" text on the license plate. If you have seen those before, you know what they look like. And they're fairly distinguishable at close range.
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I think I should point out that U.S. Government agencies can acquire regular state license plates (known as "alias plates") for U.S.-owned vehicles. It's my understanding that this is most common in the western U.S. where there are more people/groups that oppose federal government policies. Thus, use of alias plates are not confined to law enforcement vehicles.

On a similar subject, years ago I knew of a detective in Texas that got Louisiana plates for his city-owned car every year. Apparently, Texas and Louisiana had an agreement to trade a certain number of plates every year for such purposes.
 
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