Zachary Lassiter
Yes... it died. Started having multiple problems at once after I payed out of the ass to fix prior problems
Yes... it died. Started having multiple problems at once after I payed out of the ass to fix prior problems
Jason Foster
Whatever you buy...don't bankrupt yourself doing it. Sounds like you don't have a huge budget, so leave yourself a bit of cash after the purchase. Sometimes buying something really, really cheap, and having the repairs done yourself is better...then you know it's been done. I did this with a 86 VW cabrio while living in FL. Best deal I ever got. $500 for a running car, then dropped $1000 into engine and clutch repairs. Effing sweet ride (still needed a new top though...leaked like crazy, but eh). Got super good gas mileage, which was the point. I was traveling all around FL selling and promoting hurricane DVDs back then and the mileage difference from my truck saved me a ton. I chased in it too...around S and Central FL. Wouldn't recommend a convertible though...LOL.
John Erwin
EF5
Most things I can think of has been mentioned already, but here's my ideal list of requirements:
- affordable/economical (consider cost of fuel/maintenance/repairs)
- sacrificeable (is that a word?.. willingness to let it get damaged)
- comfortable (this is huge.. many seats suck after 100 miles for me)
- nimble (get up n' go plus ability to handle different types of roads/situations)
- customizable (for interior/exterior equipment like radios etc.)
- sleep-able (for longer trips I tend to save money and sleep in the car)
My previous chase vehicle was a Jeep Grand Cherokee and it met most of those requirements, save the fuel cost which wasn't spectacular (by today's standards).
Unfortunately I had other considerations when I bought a replacement so it's not entirely ideal either; I have a 2009 Nissan Rogue and while it's certainly very good on gas, comfortable and pretty good handling everywhere I've taken it, I've had to be very creative in trying to squeeze equipment into it and overnight stays inside are out of the question.
Probably the best advice overall is "something you can afford", with everything that entails. Pretty well any car can be pressed into chasing use.
- affordable/economical (consider cost of fuel/maintenance/repairs)
- sacrificeable (is that a word?.. willingness to let it get damaged)
- comfortable (this is huge.. many seats suck after 100 miles for me)
- nimble (get up n' go plus ability to handle different types of roads/situations)
- customizable (for interior/exterior equipment like radios etc.)
- sleep-able (for longer trips I tend to save money and sleep in the car)
My previous chase vehicle was a Jeep Grand Cherokee and it met most of those requirements, save the fuel cost which wasn't spectacular (by today's standards).
Unfortunately I had other considerations when I bought a replacement so it's not entirely ideal either; I have a 2009 Nissan Rogue and while it's certainly very good on gas, comfortable and pretty good handling everywhere I've taken it, I've had to be very creative in trying to squeeze equipment into it and overnight stays inside are out of the question.
Probably the best advice overall is "something you can afford", with everything that entails. Pretty well any car can be pressed into chasing use.
Walt VanRheen
EF1
This season we put 25,000 miles on our Subaru Outback. I have got to say it performed spectacular (29-30 mpg), with hundreds of miles on gravel and even a few dirt roads. The AWD worked fantastic, had plunty of clearence even loaded down with as many as 4chasers with all their cameras and luggage. The seats are very comfortable for those 800+ mile days.
Zachary Lassiter
As crowded as chasing is anymore, I highly recommend these...granted you might have to backpack a couple new tires.
I was actually leaning more in this direction.
ericjkelly
EF4
I absolutely love my SUV. I have a 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid. It has the AWD when you really need/want it, plus it gets nearly 30mph on the highway. PLUS it has a 110V AC Plug on the dashboard!
jcooper
EF0
I drive a 2003 Jeep Liberty and love it for chasing.I chased in a pontiac grand am,Honda CRX,Dodge Durango,and a Jeep Grand Charokee.So far Jeep has made the best chase vehicle.I will say the Honda CRX was nice and I am considering to switching to a Subaru Impreza all wheel drive rally car!
Ryan McGinnis
EF5
Only 30mph on the highway? You might want to do a compression test...
Mike Kovalchick
EF3
I don't know if my 2010 Subaru is the best choice for a dedicated chasing vehicle but it is exceptionally good choice for use in chasing and just regular commuter driving.
The handling is excellent..in high winds, heavy rain, and mud. Gets 30 mph to a gallon. The ride is very comfortable and four chasers can easily fit inside. As someone else on this thread has already pointed out-the seats are very comfortable..making those long chase trips from Michigan a snap.
My Subaru survived the infamous farmer's field incident with hardly a scratch. In fact, we didn't get stuck out in the field until we had been stationary for quite some time waiting out the storm..and slowly sunk in the mud due to the flash flooding.(It compared very well to the much larger 4wd SUV's that were stuck out there. There is no where that I have chased in the last 15 years that I think it couldn't have handled. I previously chased in a Ford Escape-and this Subaru easily put that vehicle to shame in a variety of categories.
The handling is excellent..in high winds, heavy rain, and mud. Gets 30 mph to a gallon. The ride is very comfortable and four chasers can easily fit inside. As someone else on this thread has already pointed out-the seats are very comfortable..making those long chase trips from Michigan a snap.
My Subaru survived the infamous farmer's field incident with hardly a scratch. In fact, we didn't get stuck out in the field until we had been stationary for quite some time waiting out the storm..and slowly sunk in the mud due to the flash flooding.(It compared very well to the much larger 4wd SUV's that were stuck out there. There is no where that I have chased in the last 15 years that I think it couldn't have handled. I previously chased in a Ford Escape-and this Subaru easily put that vehicle to shame in a variety of categories.
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Jarrod Barnett
EF3
I have a 2006 Trailblazer LS. 4x4, 4.2L 6cyl, its roomy and rides good. MPG is only 20-22 on the highway though. Thats about the only downfall but its tolerable.
Verne Carlson
EF5
Of course I'm going to give a big thumbs up for Subaru's as chase vehicles. They handle great in inclement driving conditions. Do well on muddy roads (as long as you don't get high centered). Have room for 4 adults and gear in the back. Have great wind penetration, are comfortable on long drives and are easy on the gas. (custom paint job optional)
Robert Edmonds
EF5
Of course I'm going to give a big thumbs up for Subaru's as chase vehicles. They handle great in inclement driving conditions. Do well on muddy roads (as long as you don't get high centered). Have room for 4 adults and gear in the back. Have great wind penetration, are comfortable on long drives and are easy on the gas. (custom paint job optional)
I'm curious, I think you mentioned the rhino paint job added some weight to the vehicle, did you notice any change in performance/gas mileage?
Zach Young
Verne, does your custom paint job have any obvious texture to it, or did they smooth it out? If there is, I wonder if the texture of the Rhino reduces wind resistance at all? I'm thinking along the lines of golfball dimples. Of course, it's just as likely that the texture would create additional drag... If there were an easy way to test that, I'd be curious to see the results. If it reduces drag, I wonder how much it offsets the additional weight in terms of fuel economy. I think we'd need to but it through wind tunnel tests to find out though....
Edit: LOL Robert and I are on the same wavelength
Edit: LOL Robert and I are on the same wavelength
Jason Foster
Bedliner info on Subaru cars, although most used it in reverse areas that Verne used it for:
http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/61-general-discussions/5574-bed-liner-exterior-outback.html
Stormtrack thread on the topic started by Verne:
http://www.stormtrack.org/forum/showthread.php?t=22391&highlight=Rhino
I would stay away from older Subaru's though. While Mike and Verne have practically brand new ones, the older ones are maintenance ridden and the 2.5L have a known history of head gasket failure and automatic transmissions aren't exactly reliable. The AWD system is far superior to CRV, RAV4, Escape/Tribute systems, but traditional 4wheel drive is still better. But a good chaser whose taken the time to learn to drive properly can avoid the worst situations.
add: If you do go subbie...go Forrester. Shorter overhangs same interior volume as the Legacy/Outback models. Impreza models might be too small for some (me).
http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/61-general-discussions/5574-bed-liner-exterior-outback.html
Stormtrack thread on the topic started by Verne:
http://www.stormtrack.org/forum/showthread.php?t=22391&highlight=Rhino
I would stay away from older Subaru's though. While Mike and Verne have practically brand new ones, the older ones are maintenance ridden and the 2.5L have a known history of head gasket failure and automatic transmissions aren't exactly reliable. The AWD system is far superior to CRV, RAV4, Escape/Tribute systems, but traditional 4wheel drive is still better. But a good chaser whose taken the time to learn to drive properly can avoid the worst situations.
add: If you do go subbie...go Forrester. Shorter overhangs same interior volume as the Legacy/Outback models. Impreza models might be too small for some (me).
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Matthew Havin
EF2
Best chasing car? You have a few choices......
The Peel P50:
It is nice and light..... you can always pick it up if it gets stuck in the mud after a supercell moves thru (it only weighs 130 pounds).
Next up, the Reliant Robin:
It was good on fuel, but your pretty much screwed if the wind blows (at all), or if you have to make any turns going faster than 5 MPH.
Personally, I want something with more power. Something handsome, reliable, and fast. I want a Yugo some redneck jacked up on truck tires:
The downside? Everything.
You have some choices.... fellow chasers!
The Peel P50:
It is nice and light..... you can always pick it up if it gets stuck in the mud after a supercell moves thru (it only weighs 130 pounds).
Next up, the Reliant Robin:
It was good on fuel, but your pretty much screwed if the wind blows (at all), or if you have to make any turns going faster than 5 MPH.
Personally, I want something with more power. Something handsome, reliable, and fast. I want a Yugo some redneck jacked up on truck tires:
The downside? Everything.
You have some choices.... fellow chasers!
