Storm Chasing Vehicle Project and Suggestions!

[Marc R. O'Leary]

Hi Travis - I saw you in Denver last summer. My only suggestion, aside from all the unnecessary drama here that will soon be resolved, is that if you're driving such a large vehicle, try to be considerate of others....I was barely able to squeeze past you on a narrow dirt road east of Denver, having to put my right side wheels off the edge of the road while you sat comfortably across the centerline.

No worries, but just keep that in mind...your chase rig is massive, and while most of us chase in smaller cars, that doen't mean we dont have the same rights of passage.

Good luck in 2015. Hope to see you in Colorado again, and next time I'll stop and say hi...if I can get by.

 

[Travis Cruz]

Hi Travis - I saw you in Denver last summer. My only suggestion, aside from all the unnecessary drama here that will soon be resolved, is that if you're driving such a large vehicle, try to be considerate of others....I was barely able to squeeze past you on a narrow dirt road east of Denver, having to put my right side wheels off the edge of the road while you sat comfortably across the centerline.

No worries, but just keep that in mind...your chase rig is massive, and while most of us chase in smaller cars, that doen't mean we dont have the same rights of passage.

Good luck in 2015. Hope to see you in Colorado again, and next time I'll stop and say hi...if I can get by.

I actually remember exactly when you're talking about, sorry about that. Once you passed I realized I was way in the way and felt like a jerk and moved over hope to see you out there!

 

[Jeremy Perez]

We're adults here

...dust the sand out of their xxxxxx...

This is supposed to be ironic, right?

 

[Adam Lucio]

I also agree with Joey who agrees with Shane.

On the subject at hand, thats a nice truck. I myself prefer chasing in a larger, more capable vehicle. I read accounts on El Reno day of chasers in smaller vehicles struggling to gain speed and traction against the increasing winds. Should they have been there? No...but...having a more capable vehicle could have helped them get out of the situation. I sometimes wonder why Twistex chased in such a dinky car to begin with knowing how agressive they were. I also wonder if they would have survived in something larger. Bettes and his crew survived after being thrown into a field and Twistex did not. I for one wouldn't feel comfortable chasing in something so small that cant accellerate in strong winds or gain easier traction on backroads. Thats just my opinion...fuel economy is not a priority of mine, functionality is.

That being said, you cant let chasing in a more capable vehicle give you false confidence either. Because when I go for a drive after a good snowstorm, its almost always SUVs and trucks I see in the ditch, and I cant help but think the reason for that is the drivers thinking they are invincible. Your chase vehicle is the most important piece of equipment, use it wisely.

 

[Marc R. O'Leary]

I chase in a turbo subaru forester...I prefer to be miles away from storms, thus buying a long lens for my camera instead of hail shields or armor plates.

And my fuel economy stinks, but my dry gravel road speeds are spectacular.

 

[Tyler Graham]

This is supposed to be ironic, right?

This is my first post in months...I was reading through this thread, as I keep up to date with all of the latest news on the forum, and seeing this made me laugh so hard. It pretty much sums up high school for me. Reading this thread is like being in high school, just on a screen. Vulgarity and arguments with nothing really getting solved and walls of isolation building upward. But what do I know?

 

[Marc R. O'Leary]

Tyler- this is my first day able to post (lurking for a while) and i see the same thing...might as well be calling out join dates and post counts. Too much OG vs noobs happening.

I didn't really notice it as much when I couldnt post, but wow...lots of arrogance here. This should be a welcoming and learning experience for new enthusiasts, not a flame fest. For F's sake people.

 

[Mark Blue]

Thanks for chiming in Tyler and Marc. I knew from the get go that I wasn't misinterpreting some of the responses to Travis (the OP) early on and I appreciate your candor and unadulterated views of how disruptive this can be. We plan to readdress this soon when the site rules are updated under Steve's leadership, so stay tuned and please let us know if you have any other ideas or suggestions.

 

[Justin Wilcox]

This "issue" was almost resolved within 2 pages. The constant whining is the problem.

 

[Shane Adams]

Posts being deleted again that were quite relative to the discussion. Nice.

 

[James Hammett]

I read accounts on El Reno day of chasers in smaller vehicles struggling to gain speed and traction against the increasing winds. Should they have been there? No...but...having a more capable vehicle could have helped them get out of the situation. I sometimes wonder why Twistex chased in such a dinky car to begin with knowing how agressive they were. I also wonder if they would have survived in something larger. Bettes and his crew survived after being thrown into a field and Twistex did not. I for one wouldn't feel comfortable chasing in something so small that cant accellerate in strong winds or gain easier traction on backroads.

As much as I'd like to buy myself some additional safety I'm unconvinced that a larger vehicle is safer against the storms. Struggling to gain speed was the result of losing traction on the rain-slicked unpaved roads in severe winds. I chase in an AWD Subaru with mud tires...so a compact car with all the escape power and traction at speed that a big truck would provide. Bettes was pushed off the highway by the relatively weak edge of tornado winds while Twistex was likely directly impacted by an intense vortex and lofted so that's a big difference. Also many trucks & SUVs are more likely to roll and crush under their own weight in a rollover.

 

[Travis Cruz]

I also agree with Joey who agrees with Shane.

On the subject at hand, thats a nice truck. I myself prefer chasing in a larger, more capable vehicle. I read accounts on El Reno day of chasers in smaller vehicles struggling to gain speed and traction against the increasing winds. Should they have been there? No...but...having a more capable vehicle could have helped them get out of the situation. I sometimes wonder why Twistex chased in such a dinky car to begin with knowing how agressive they were. I also wonder if they would have survived in something larger. Bettes and his crew survived after being thrown into a field and Twistex did not. I for one wouldn't feel comfortable chasing in something so small that cant accellerate in strong winds or gain easier traction on backroads. Thats just my opinion...fuel economy is not a priority of mine, functionality is.

That being said, you cant let chasing in a more capable vehicle give you false confidence either. Because when I go for a drive after a good snowstorm, its almost always SUVs and trucks I see in the ditch, and I cant help but think the reason for that is the drivers thinking they are invincible. Your chase vehicle is the most important piece of equipment, use it wisely.

"I read accounts on El Reno day of chasers in smaller vehicles struggling to gain speed and traction against the increasing winds. Should they have been there? No...but...having a more capable vehicle could have helped them get out of the situation. I sometimes wonder why Twistex chased in such a dinky car to begin with knowing how agressive they were. I also wonder if they would have survived in something larger. Bettes and his crew survived after being thrown into a field and Twistex did not. I for one wouldn't feel comfortable chasing in something so small that cant accellerate in strong winds or gain easier traction on backroads. Thats just my opinion...fuel economy is not a priority of mine, functionality is."

This is on point. Just because I have the ability, doesn't mean I'm always going to use it. But if I were to ever get in a situation where I do need it, I'll be glad as heck i have it.

 

[Marc R. O'Leary]

I'm of that same opinion...better to have it and never need it, than to need it and be without. Applies to lots of things...like recovery straps...or a full size spare.

 

[Travis Cruz]

I'm of that same opinion...better to have it and never need it, than to need it and be without. Applies to lots of things...like recovery straps...or a full size spare.

Yupp that's perfect. I have rescue gear, full size spare and a bunch more in the back. Even if I blow 3 tires, with the dual rear wheels, I can swap them around to easily make it back to a repair shop.

 

[Justin Wilcox]

Posts being deleted again that were quite relative to the discussion. Nice.

yup, pretty childish...