Storm Chasing Vehicle Project and Suggestions!

StormCruzzer said:
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.
Click to expand...

This would have saved everything. Even though your being coddled, I hope you do realize where the concerns came from. Yeah they may have been a tiny bit brash, but certainly not as bad as the overly-sensitive ones make it out to be. The concerns were/are genuine. Just a few posts back Marc said you blocked him in CO right? Anyway, try not to take things personally, especially when nobody personally attacked you. I have nothing against you at all. I even stated in chat that if I could afford an $80,000 truck and the gas it takes, I probably would do the same. Although my post would have started with "My truck is a fuggin BEAST!" Anyway, good luck and be safe.
 
jwilcox said:
This would have saved everything. Even though your being coddled, I hope you do realize where the concerns came from. Yeah they may have been a tiny bit brash, but certainly not as bad as the overly-sensitive ones make it out to be. The concerns were/are genuine. Just a few posts back Marc said you blocked him in CO right? Anyway, try not to take things personally, especially when nobody personally attacked you. I have nothing against you at all. I even stated in chat that if I could afford an $80,000 truck and the gas it takes, I probably would do the same. Although my post would have started with "My truck is a fuggin BEAST!" Anyway, good luck and be safe.
Click to expand...

Your posts have gotten a lot more respectful as this thread has gone on, so thank you for that. But yeah, I accidentally blocked Marc on the Denver storm; there was almost no one on the road at the time, so I stopped for my passengers to take a few quick pictures, not realizing he was coming up on me. Once he passed I realized I had made a mistake and pulled over to get out of the way. Most of the criticism on here I haven't posted personally, but Marcus's wording made his first post very personal, whether it was meant to be or not, especially in the last paragraph. And just fyi, even if the sponsored parts were paid for out of my pocket, I still wouldn't hit $60,000 worth of modifications :) If I had 80k to drop on the truck I would have made my own personal TIV, lol. Good luck to you as well, sir!
 
Just to clarify, he didn't "block me", so to speak, his truck is just so damn big that on rural dirt road that monster takes up more than half the available space.

I was more making a point about chasers in general being aware of their vehicle and not only its limitations to them, but to others around them.
 
Ive been in sticky situations where its been nobody's fault really. Like when three vehicles are attempting to pull out onto the highway. All three are waiving each other to go, being polite. Everyone gets confused and takes off at the same time, then out of nowhere a fourth vehicle cuts us all off... lol.
 
Started to make design the roof rack in which the hail guards will be kept in, until they hinge down over the windows.


Basic Roof Rack Sketches
Basic.jpg


Crude cardboard and duct tape base model of the first layer of the roof rack starting to come together.. Hoping to finish the rest tomorrow so we can start cutting the steel for real

Crude.jpg
 
What materials and hardware are you using for the guard portion and how are you securing it when it's hinged down? I'm interested lately because I'm in the market.
 
I bought a Rola extended roof basket for my Forester with similar ambitions.

Was planning to use polycarb or expanded metal for shields, and use quick fist grabbers and coated neodymium magnets, but this plan has not materialized yet.

Forester has big windows and a very large glass moonroof...but so far I've managed to simply stay out the bigger hail.
 
I'm late to this discussion but reading the parts about driving on mud, having lived on the plains my entire life and chased on every type of dirt and mud in just about every kind of vehicle you can imagine over 30 years, I feel like I can offer some valid input.

I've found through extensive experience with it, sometimes with some negative results, when it comes to mud and chasing, the best course of action it to know where it has rained in your future planned route, even a day or two before there could have been lots of it and rural roads flooded out or worse washed out all together, and avoid it them completely!

That said, I've found front wheel drive vehicle outperformed 4 wheel drive trucks on the mud...to a point. Some of the mud on the plains, particularly in the Texas Panhandle/South Plains area, it's not the sinking into the mud, or even so much the sliding into the sometimes really deep ditches you have a problem with so much as that stuff gets like wet concrete and cakes up and cakes up until packs up on your wheels and wheel wells so much the tires loose the ability to even turn any more. Last time that happened, I was in a minivan, and made it several miles further than the two tornado tanks, a 4 wheel drive Tahoe that was along with me and several pickup and SUVs, and still I eventually succumbed to it.

The absolute last place I want to find myself anywhere near a tornado is on a road getting rain or already muddy. Too many things can and will go wrong. It only takes once.

I ran a big crew cab truck last two years. Gas mileage was a killer. I thought I wouldn't mind because I could afford it, but I did mind quiet a bit by the time the season was over.
 
I've also run into all kinds of skick muddy conditions, including that crap in kansas in the style David is describing, where the wheel wells just pack up. I carry a camp shovel and a giant flat head screwdriver to help clear the muck.

Had to buy a pressure washer to get it off the car.

I've had good luck thus far with my forester keeping me moving and not in any ditches, but I've learned enough to turn around if I think a road is too much. Especially and i chase almost exclusively alone. I think the light weight, short wheelbase, and awd really gives me an advantage.

On the mud note: has anyone tried NeverWet in their wheel wells? I think ill give it a try this year to see if it helps.
 
DD is right, Front wheel drive performs just as well as 4wd in most cases. In fact, youre not supposed to use 4wd until you are stuck, and thats about all I ever turn mine on for. The disadvantage to that is that when the 4wd is not engaged, most of those vehicles are RWD (as is the case with mine) which is the wost for mud and slippery roads. I use my 4wd sparingly, but its always gotten me out of a situation when I needed it to (except for that damn Bowdle, SD field.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Kaivaira H
Phil Henry's Storm Chase Pursuit Vehicle
Replies
5
Views
1K
Kaivaira H
Kaivaira H
O Gauge Trains
Replies
0
Views
229
Mike Smith
Jeff Duda
Stormtrack will be turning 50 in 2027 - anthology project
Replies
2
Views
699
Jeff Duda
Jeff Duda
Randy Jennings
Earth is getting a temporary second moon or 'mini-moon'
Replies
0
Views
250
Randy Jennings
Randy Jennings
JamesCaruso
2024-06-04 REPORTS: OK
Replies
0
Views
215
JamesCaruso
JamesCaruso
Back
Top