The storm chaser vehicle "look": stickers and other items

[John Olexa]

OK, that settles it. We're going to the strip club and discuss this like real men.

Sounds good . Although I tried that once, after 15 minutes we forgot what we were discussing.

 

[Ben Holcomb]

I don't understand the "look at me" attitude, but I did once have a lightbar on my truck in my first year of chasing. I realized pretty quickly it was stupid and didn't even turn it on more than once or twice.

I'm to the point where I don't have anything on my car identifying me as a chaser, but you can tell with the laptop, camera mounts, ham radio antenna and the impossible-to-read Oklahoma NWC tag.

I don't really care what others do, but I really like to publicly poke fun at those who drive a look-at-me-tank or even look-at-me-car and haven't seen a tornado or only seen 1 recent, well observed tornado. You don't need a look-at-me-tank until you start getting lots of up close footage. If you have no footage from less than a mile away, save your benjamins.

 

[Chris C Sanner]

I don't have a problem with whatever anyone wants to do. I chase about the same I chased back in 2003, I've just added an iPhone and maybe a tablet into the car but otherwise you'd never be able to tell I was chasing. I like it that way to stay incognito and just kind of move in and out of places without much attention, it suits my personality much better. So long as you aren't breaking any laws, do whatever you want -- just don't be surprised if you catch some jabs from people if you go over the top

 

[Mike Tobin]

Well i am guilty of having 3 custom chase vehicles in my team and yes stickers as well. However these stickers are for my sponsors to make them happy. I will be using high powered floods on my rig this year but its for only night time conditions in areas where there is absolutly no light and no one else is on the road.

 

[Bill Hark]

I usually chase using a rental car, therefore I keep a low profile. I slap on a couple of small magnetic mount Skywarn stickers and one with my website. My antennas include one for the MiFi and amateur radio. As I often rent cars that are similar to unmarked police cars, I've had people slow down in front of me until the see that I am a storm chaser. Although some may feel targeted by law enforcement, I think having some visible indication of being a chaser puts the police officer at ease when they pull up to investigate. Over the years, I have had police officers stop by while I've been parked in random places late at night. The chase decals show the officer that I am less likely to be some weird druggy engaged in illegal activity. As for others, I have no problems as long as it is legal. I really like Dan's analogy with sports fans. No matter how we express it outwardly, we all love storms.

Bill Hark

 

[David Pauley]

I'll admit, I have a bumper sticker I bought from a group, but it's on my bumper, not very visible... and a Skywarn sticker in my window I picked up after my first Skywarn class. I do have reflective tape on the back of my vehicle, but that was when I thought it was cool to have it because all the other volunteer firefighters in town had it too, I have been too lazy to remove it. It makes me more visible at night when headlights shine on it, but that's it.

As far as police go, I have had my share of police stop to see what I was doing, but the minute they saw the camera, they drove off. A few have asked what I was up to, but the minute I say anything about lightning/storm photography, night photography. They always tell me I'm good to go about my business. I have never been harrassed by cops. I enjoy chasing, both for the awe of nature and for the opportunity to help.

 

[Patrick Martin]

I've never been a fan of being the center of attention so a low profile approach works for me. I do have a small skywarn magnet that sometimes will be on my vehicle, but more times than not, it's not there. I don't have a website to drive traffic to and I am completely in it for the trophy and wall hanger photos. If I am stopped on the side of the road or at fuel stop, I'd rather someone wanting to meet up to talk to me, and not my vehicle.

 

[Drew Terril]

I use my truck on the family farm a lot, so chasing is secondary with regards to anything I do on my vehicle. I'm not a huge photographer either; that's more just to remember things more than anything so I can capture the moment for myself. If it weren't for the farm or needing pulling capacity, I'd probably have an AWD vehicle like a Rogue or Subaru.

I'm indifferent on the issue as a whole. To each their own. At some point I'll have more antennas as I get into other bands of ham radio, but for now it's just a 2m/70cm antenna.

 

[Alex Heimberger]

Don't mind a little flare on a chase vehicle. Believe light bars are over the top. No one should be looking like an emergency response vehicle unless they are one. I will say have a few magnets. Skywarn & one with our logo/websites. Like having them mainly for farmers. It least the Skywarn magnet. The are ever so suspicious when you're parked close to their fields or silos. Once they see the magnet, usually get a wave or nice comment. Way better then a shotgun pointed at ya. It's happened before.

 

[Steve Miller]

Regarding stickers, in my ChaserTV days, we had stickers made (courtesy of @KendraReed) but first we consulted with our lawyer regarding liability issues with signage. We were advised at the time to make the sticker no larger than 4"x4". The reasoning was that if someone is supplying content to our website while also sporting stickers, magnets, wraps, etc., then gets into an accident, CTV would also be named in any potential litigation as a third party due to the vehicle being perceived as "commercial". Whether we could ever actually be implicated in such a matter is a gray, case-by-case area, but we would have had to lawyer up and deal with instances as they arose which can be expensive, as you can imagine.
So, you guys who have incorporated "teams" and companies that offer a service accessible to the public and have advertising on your vehicles, keep this in mind and potentially save yourself some hardship.

 

[KendraReed]

I'm a whacker...

Actually this vehicle rarely sees storms, it's purely advertising for the company. When I do chase, I fly out and catch a ride with someone else or rent a vehicle, if necessary. Last time this vehicle saw a supercell was in 2010. @Shane Adams even launched it over a deer, "Dukes of Hazard" style.

 

[Drew Terril]

Kendra, is there video of said launching over a deer? I would love to see this!

 

[Shane Adams]

I'm a whacker...

Actually this vehicle rarely sees storms, it's purely advertising for the company. When I do chase, I fly out and catch a ride with someone else or rent a vehicle, if necessary. Last time this vehicle saw a supercell was in 2010. @Shane Adams even launched it over a deer, "Dukes of Hazard" style.

Guilty as charged LOL. Driving back towards Kansas overnight from our epic 5-22-10 South Dakota "missed everything by 17 minutes" bust, nailing a very dead deer splayed across the center line was just the icing on the cake. Fortunately we had the where-with-all to radio back to @KendraReed and let her know to back it down before she nailed it as well. Silver lining, we did document a couple nocturnal tornadoes in NW Kansas the next evening.

 

[Jason Boggs]

I'll admit, when I was first getting started with the tv station I chase for (KAMR) in Amarillo (2001), I liked the attention that I got from having stickers on my vehicle. I thought I was hot stuff when people looked at me and gave me attention. It made me feel good, but now that I've grown up, I don't care about stickers anymore. I just like to chase whether I look like a chaser or not.

 

[KendraReed]

No Drew, no video...Shane and Bridget were driving my vehicle, I was lagging behind in another like Shane stated after an epic fail missing Bowdle by minutes.

I should also plug @Shane Adams company, Deep Blue Graphics in Grand Prairie, TX for making the back window logo for me.