For a number of reasons, you’ll find more than a few weather and storm-related accounts populating my Twitter feed. The power and beauty of Mother Nature, if that’s a correct term in this day and age, amazes and frightens us all, and such accounts provide just the sort of non-political diversion one needs to stay sane in 2018. To remind us of our inconsequential status in the Grand Scheme of Things. Violent storms, blizzards, and gorgeous sunsets know no partisan hackery.
Last night, a perfectly creepy photo of an ominous, rotating wall cloud popped up in my feed, dark against the fading daylight, menacing. You could imagine the gathering winds buffeting that dirt road and surrounding fields, rippling the plants like storm-tossed waves. Through this image, just like with so many others, you could sense the photographer’s excitement and apprehension as the cloud threatens to spawn the most terrifying of weather phenomenon: a tornado.
Naturally, I complimented the photographer on his great photo of a Toyota Camry.
Sure, it was not the focal point of the image, but the thought of a storm chaser blasting across the plains or prairies in a perfectly sensible midsize sedan amused me. In reply, he explained his recent decision to trade the Camry in for a new chase vehicle: a still-sensible RAV4.
All-wheel-drive could come in handy on rain-soaked rural roads, especially with those soft shoulders. No one wants to find their parked chase vehicle bogged down to the hubs as an F5 bears down. On a more practical note, the RAV4 gets decent mileage, has a rock-solid reputation for reliability, and isn’t a slouch when it comes to depreciation.
Sure, it’s no Suburban, but good luck finding any vehicle capable of withstanding 300 mph winds and flying houses in the event a chase goes awry.
Naturally, this got me thinking about what would make a perfect chase vehicle. To track nature’s monsters, one must possess a vehicle capable of hauling a certain amount of gear, navigating around (or through) obstacles, and putting on thousands of miles in one shot without fatiguing the driver. Something rugged, practical, dependable.
In the multitude of videos littering the internet, chasers (many of them the obnoxious, bro-dude type who can’t stop yelling obvious observations, like we’re all blind or something) stick with popular favourites. A Dodge Grand Caravan. Chevy Tahoe. Ford F-150. Something solid and cavernous. Compact, front-drive cars don’t seem to do well, but anything works in a pinch.
If money’s no object, sure, there’s steel-plated A-Team-style vehicles that can be cobbled together, complete with lowered side skirts to keep winds from reaching under the vehicle and armor to protect from flying debris. I wonder what kind of fuel economy these contraptions return. But we’re not going to talk about such vehicles today. No, your job this morning is to choose a factory-fresh chase vehicle, completely unmodified, for the task of seeking out tornadoes.
What would it be? Keep in mind most tornado hunters aren’t rolling in cash, and likely, neither are you. Meaning, of course, that this chase vehicle will surely spend much of its time taking the kids to school and picking up groceries. If your job or pastime involved taking potentially exciting, potentially hazardous road trips all the time, what would your long-distance driving companion be?
Sound off in the comments.
If we’re keeping to normal everyday vehicles, either a Tahoe/Yukon or BOF Toyota. Something that can go over obstacles and gets decent performance. They can haul a decent amount as well.
a 2005-2008 F150. Still simple enough to fix on the fly, and robust enough you should get 300k without any issues. generally well built and rugged, parts are readily available, and the only “weak” spots are things that won’t stop you- IE rusted out exhaust manifolds. You only have about 4 years warning when those are going to fail AND when they fail it won’t leave you stranded…
Big enough to handle the winds and tough enough that if you do get blown away, you’ll have a better chance of surviving than anything else…
“and robust enough you should get 300k without any issues”
I’d argue you’d run into cam phaser and or camchain issues long before then, that and the sparkplugs that like to break off inside of the heads. Overall though you’re right it’s not a bad option assuming those few Achilles heels have been addressed. Parts availability in rural areas is a non trivial factor and the F150 is just about the best vehicle from that perspective.
“choose a factory-fresh chase vehicle, completely unmodified, for the task of seeking out tornadoes.”
I would have a Crown Victoria LX Sport.
Panther Marauder if I’m making decent viral YouTube bucks.
If 4×4 is mandatory: Suburban with the 6.2 truck version LS3, cause one minute you are storm chasing amd the next the storm is idiot chasing…definately would want some HP to get me out of a nad spot quickly.
If 4×4 is not necessary and hauling gear I would think an up-fit Savanna van with a duramax would provide the necessary comfort, hauling, power and fuel capacity needs.
A rav4 is pointless for.this excercise. I had the misfortune of being close to a tornado 25 years ago while driving across Kansas on I 70. I was not in a good situation and was trying to get to a safe exit in a 4 cyl 2×4 pick up. I made it to safety in Salina KS. I will never forget having the truck in 4th gear with it matted and only going 45 mph as the winds were buffeting tje truck all over the highway. I pegged the temp guage as well.
I was not storm chasing, just headed back to the east coast for summer break. Storm chasing seems like fun until you get close.
Like the way dogs enjoy chasing cars.
I am going to take this one notch further.
Suburban 2500 with the 6.0L motor (or equivalent Yukon XL 2500).
These SUV’s are essentially 3/4 ton trucks and the 6.0 motor is extremely reliable and better suited to hard duty cycles vs the 6.2.
A 3LT Suburban 2500 Suburban is one of the greats.
Ariel Nomad. You’re supposed to run away from the tornado, really fast, in a straight line. Honda engine and a chassis that doesn’t care what’s in the way.
No, you flee perpendicular to the storm’s path. The storm can catch you.
Right, a straight line meaning through backyards, streams, parking lots, etc. rather than being dictated by paved roads.
Storms spawning tornadoes almost always travel from southwest to northeast and any random car should be able to drive faster than them. The main problem is getting stuck in the mud at the side of the road when you stop to look at the storm or not having a road to make a right turn away from the storm. Flash floods and debris can make roads unexpectedly impassible. However, car accidents and getting struck by large hail or lightning are larger risks than being caught too close to the tornado.
I just learned to run zigzag from alligators. Stop confusing me.
A Nomad would be miserable. Hail/Rain/Debris goes out way further than the tornado.
Camry with snow tires, duh.
Grounded to the ground?
New F150 Crew Cab XLT 5.0 V8 and 10 speed auto. I don’t know if it is perfect for storm chasing but it’s perfect for the other 9/10s of life.
Used – 1990 Chevrolet Caprice Classic, 305 TBI (FINALLY) and the overall platform had been in production so long the line workers could assemble it in their sleep.
The Holden-import Caprice PPV was tempting, but I picture parts availability being an issue in rural Illinois or Nebraska.
The nice thing about the average ordinary GM or Ford vehicle is that in rural America any mechanic with a roughly room temperature IQ can fix it and the parts can be found at Auto Zone, Car Quest, etc.
PrincipalDan, if you drive to storms with tornadoes, you’re going to get some hail damage. You’d want a vehicle that already has hail damage that’s cheap enough to not mess up your finances if it got destroyed, but provides good enough crash protection to save your life in a car wreck.
Only one vehicle will do:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landmaster
Tahoe or Suburban. I prefer the ’07-’13s.
didn’t we already had this question?
4Runner
It’s a bit rolly in high side winds….. Probably its only weakness, but still…
@slavuta: I think that’s a winner and a natural. Land cruiser possibly the only thing better.
That is if you can pull $90K for Land Cruiser.
Full-size 4×4 pickup or SUV, as new as the budget allows. Easiest question of the day.
I always have one vehicle in the stable that’s kept so we have something to depend on. Right now, that’s a 2017 Ram 1500 Laramie. I don’t choose my vehicles based on their ability to handle a zombie apocalypse or nuclear holocaust, but rather start in -35C weather without a fuss, be able to track through sh1tty roads and being able to tow a trailer across the country on short notice.
Hemi or diesel? I’m in the market right now for that exact vehicle (local dealer has several 2017 Laramie optioned 1500s for $36-40k).
Hummer H1 Alpha.
That or the Herkimer Battle Jitney.
Though if we’re going to go fictional, I’d rather have the weather control satellites from Star Trek and just redirect the tornado around inhabited areas.
Toyota BOF – Tacoma (pre-3.5L engine) or 4Runner. My Toyota T100 was a great “zombie apocalypse” truck – slow but rugged. Decent highway mileage (could hit 21-22 sometimes).
Real choice would probably be a 4Runner, but a Grand Cherokee Diesel wouldn’t be a bad option either with its massive range and finding diesel wouldn’t be a problem in the Plains.
Jeep!
Grand Cherokee?
Wrangler?
Compass? (lol)
High speed rail!
1994-98 Cummins 12-valve.
Good choice, would stay running even after an EMP blast!
Running yes. Starting and stopping would require some work.
Why is that?
The standard rear-wheel ABS in these is a safety hazard IMO and should be disabled. (GM used the same system and was the subject of a lawsuit because owners felt it is unsafe.) The brakes still function fine with the ABS computer unplugged.
If it has the earlier 47RH transmission, the first 3 gears are shifted hydraulically like a Torqueflite 727, and will still work as normal. Without the computer you’d lose the overdrive 4th gear and torque converter lockup. OTOH, if it has a manual then you’re good to go.
Charging the battery would be difficult if the ECU dies, because it also acts as the voltage regulator. A separate voltage regulator, even an old electro-mechanical one from the 60’s if necessary, could be wired-in without much effort though.
Starting and stopping the engine. The shutoff solenoid is easy enough to replace with a pull cable, but coming up with some way to power or replace the grid heaters in the intake will be an adventure. Maybe a propane burner from a grill?
Good choice, would stay running even after an EMP blast!
Oh sh1t, I forgot about EMPs. According to the doomsday preppers, EMP is risk #1 and is a valid reason to keep and drive a carbureted car indefinitely. It better have points ignition too.
An EMP will also render gas pumps useless.
An EMP will also render gas pumps useless. So useless I said it twice.
But it won’t render muh NATO jerry cans inoperative ;)
+1
You could use a hand pump to siphon diesel from the tanks at the gas station, like they did in the 1981 movie “The Last Chase”.
An advantage for the Cummins is it can also run on furnace oil, kerosene, jet fuel and non-detergent motor oil with no modifications to the fuel system, so lots of options.
I was initially tempted as I am to say my 22 year old 4Runner. It has proven itself in just such a situation. Camping in a state forest, overnight storms lead to flash flooding that turned dry creekbeds into fast flowing 2 foot deep water crossings. and washouts. The truck performed as designed, with video evidence:
youtu.be/JTneGPG2ZrM
However: I’d pick something A) domestic for parts availability B) newer just for the sake of reliability. The 4Runner is also horrible at dealing with crosswinds on the highway. Blame the tall profile with huge clearance and relatively low weight and short wheelbase.
Probably something like a basic XL trim crew cab F150 with the 5.0L and rear locker.
Toyota Land Cruiser, any model excluding the 4 cyl diesel Prado.
I’d go for one of those armored BMW 7 series. Bulletproof passenger compartment and tires, armor protection for motor and radiator, available with twin-turbo V12 and AWD for when you positively need to haul ass. Also lower profile, but just as heavy as an SUV so less likely to get blown over or turned over.
Storm chasing strikes me as one of the prime use cases for a Ridgeline. Lower, and being an independently suspended unibody, less rolly than other trucks. Enough bed space for heavier gear, and a trunk for stuff you don’t want blown away. AWD, Honda reliability and American Honda sensibility, wrt cabin size suitable for the average overweight US storm chaser.
My choice would be newish GM 2500 series Duramax 4X4 Reg cab, 8 ft box . Lot of room for stuff, heavy and fast.
I’ve seen criticism from some that TTAC is sliding towards Jalopnik.
Perhaps it has:
https://jalopnik.com/i-need-an-affordable-car-that-can-outrun-a-tornado-wha-1788380072
hahahaha
I had planned a tornado chasing vacation for years. My wife has the adrenaline, the love of nature, and is an amazing photographer. However, my wife would rather die than spend hours in a car death driving 1000 miles to then sit for 3 hours to have nothing develop.
My plan was to use my Saturn Relay minivan. Plenty of room, acceptable fuel economy, not a horrible office to be trapped in for 1000 miles a day (compared to a lot of alternatives), tons of 12V outlets, 110VAC outlet already there, and if it got beaten to death with hailstones, I wouldn’t give a flying f*** at that point with 160K miles.
Also the GM 3.5L V6 tied to the 4-speed auto was boat anchor reliable by the end of the line for the U-Body vans and I had one already sitting in my driveway.
If someone was going to chase for a full season and money was tight, I would say find a GMT800 Suburban with 4WD and go through it to make sure it is reliable. If you get on any of those long dirt roads in the Midwest and they get wet, they quickly become third world country grade and near impassable without 4WD – as slippery as ice covered nightmares with deep drainage ditches on either side providing no margin for error.
“To track nature’s monsters, one must possess a vehicle capable of hauling a certain amount of gear, navigating around (or through) obstacles, and putting on thousands of miles in one shot without fatiguing the driver. Something rugged, practical, dependable.”
I’ll flog my XC70 for this.
Better economy than a full-size truck.
Perfectly competent AWD (it was a mountain goat last winter on all-seasons in the snow, which suffices for me, and nothing a logging road has thrown at it has remotely fazed it) and clearance.
Perfectly good cargo capacity for a long drive.
And *super-duper comfy seats* and quietness and smoothness for the same long drives, which is the thing that makes it arguably superior to “just get a 4Runner or something”.
I like that choice! And your point about comfort. This hobby will coop you up into the car for ungodly long, boring drives that make the Indy 500 seem like a short trip. So above all, take the car you like to drive. And watch those MPGs, too — unless you believe that burning more fuel heats the atmosphere and produces even more of the tornadoes you love, so drill, baby, drill…
Daewoo Leganza…on second thought, I’ll walk.
If you want to know what to drive in situations where you need a vehicle you can totally depend on, look at what people drive in remote areas with bad roads and bad weather, where you can find yourself in trouble hundreds of miles from any kind of services. Mechanical durability and ground clearance matter, obviously. So does the availability of parts and mechanics with experience working on your vehicle. And you can’t drive anything that needs premium gas, because you won’t find it. I’ve driven across Labrador a couple of times before the highway was all paved, and that’s pretty much the definition of remote. On the Trans-Labrador Highway almost everyone who isn’t driving a big rig is driving a Ford or Chevy truck.
I drove a Cherokee XJ the first time in ’97 and a Crosstrek the second time a couple years ago. Both cars were new so I didn’t really worry about breakdowns. I did sweat a bit over the lack of skid plates on the Subie especially when I was on some particularly bad side roads but I got comfortable enough after a while to keep up a good pace. Driving on gravel for a couple hundred miles can really sharpen the senses.
I think the main spine of the Trans-Labrador is all paved now, but much of Quebec 389, which connects Labrador West to civilization, is still an unholy hell of a road and as close as you can get to off-roading while still technically on a highway.
Easy question. Been driving my dependable car almost everyday since 1998. E300 Turbodiesel wagon W210.
As a new owner of a Land Cruiser derivative I’d argue for it, but the truth is that parts availability in tornado country is going to be better for the domestics. I think all the people arguing for GM BOF SUVs are probably right. It needs to be a Burban/XL/ESV, though; there’s not much room for gear inside the current standard-length trucks.
Toyota Hilux. If it is good enough for the rest of the world, it is good enough for us.
Subaru CrossTrek. I saw one outfitted as a stormchasing vehicle in an issue of the Subaru magazine last year. Made sense to me.
But back when I was a TDI owner, I joked that after the Apocalypse I could stay mobile longer than most because I could run it off of leftover grease. That’s discounting the murderous mobs who’d kill me and take it, of course.
Air cooled Porsche 911.
Ride height cranked to the maximum, with a set of good all terrain tires, and enough driving lights to be in violation of the Geneva convention.
Escalade. You may as well do it in style.
XJ Cherokee is a dependable rugged choice. However, It has a high center of gravity. I would pick the car I used to have… 94-97 Thunderbird/Cougar with the 4.6 V8. I drove it through a foot of water once and it didn’t flinch. And the 20+ year old airbags worked perfectly when a 2016 Impala turned left in front of me lol. They are comfortable, have a decent amount of power, and you can put a rack with spare tires or equipment on the big flat trunk on the Cougar. Parts are everywhere for the engines and it’s pretty sturdy overall.
Good Lort! No one mentioned a 1995 Dodge Ram pickup? Those things could outrun tornados and punch through rolling houses! Who wouldn’t want that kind of capability?
On a more serious note, I think I would try and find the newest Avalanche I could afford.
LOL, I didn’t see yours before I mentioned that too. I love/hate that movie.
“Cow!”
I mentioned it. My recommendation was a 1994-98 Cummins. :)
Anything powered by a Toyota 4.0L V6 or a GM small block V8 (not Vortec 5300 LM7).
The only specific vehicle I haven’t seen mentioned elsewhere is a late Gen 1 Toyota Tundra. They could be had with a 4.0L V6 and a manual, if the buyer were so inclined. Not sure if the manual could be paired with 4WD.
“4.0L V6 and a manual, if the buyer were so inclined.”
Hmm… You sure it wasn’t the 3.4L? The 5spd base Tundras are so rare I really don’t know any better
Nope. Changed my mind. The Mohs Safarikar.
https://www.drivingline.com/articles/the-mohs-safarikar-there-s-nothing-like-it-and-for-good-reason/
A big 4WD, so you’ll fit in with the locals. Something comfy that you and your buddies don’t mind 600-mile-a-day drives in. Consider fuel economy, for that same reason. But make it a car you don’t care too much about. For every tornado sighting, you’ll encounter multiple hailstorms. Hail hurts when it hits, and you’ll hurt every time you see the body damage afterwards.
So it’s simple- the ideal chaser would be a pre-dimpled, diesel SUV purchased at a hail sale. Still sounds like an expensive hobby, but out there on the Plains, what else is there to do? Sit and wait for them to come to you?
1973-87 Chevy K30. Detroit Diesel 4-53T with billet crankshaft and rods, tall port liners, turbo trunk pistons. Airbox retrofitted with Lucas thermostart. Compound S366 turbos and 7A77 injectors for maximum power while retaining reliability. Transmission would be an Eaton 6 speed with overdrive coupled to a Rockwell transfer case and axles on 40 inch mud tires. Air starter with dual air tanks would ensure starting even if there was an EMP. Bypass oil filter and oil accumulator to reduce engine wear. Intake would be a snorkel and exhaust would be a 4″ stack in the bed with a flapper. A small diesel powered air compressor would be mounted in the bed in case of air system failure.
Did you miss this entire paragraph?
“If money’s no object, sure, there’s steel-plated A-Team-style vehicles that can be cobbled together, complete with lowered side skirts to keep winds from reaching under the vehicle and armor to protect from flying debris. I wonder what kind of fuel economy these contraptions return. But we’re not going to talk about such vehicles today. No, your job this morning is to choose a factory-fresh chase vehicle, completely unmodified, for the task of seeking out tornadoes.”
I’d want a vehicle with some ground clearance to help avoid getting stuck in the mud. A FWD compact CUV would be adequate for spring in the Great Plains. Switch to smaller wheels and taller tires with some sidewall that can survive potholes. The tires for smaller wheel size are less expensive and the risk of tire damage is higher than normal. Tornadoes break houses into small pieces and scatter nails on the road so I’d want self-sealing tires. A BOF truck would be better on some rural roads, but storm chasing requires many hours of highway driving to get close to the storm. If you’re getting close to tornadoes, you’re going to find hail, so might as well buy a vehicle that already has some hail damage. Road conditions will be the main factor limiting maximum speed so any production vehicle should be fast enough.
Full size mid 90’s white Bronco. Its ability to safely transport its occupants through the greatest of s#itstorms is unparalleled.
What would the occupants drink?!
Betcha they’d have OJ in the car!
(I’m here all week..try the prime rib!)
One of the bigger detuned gas engine 2500s, like the 6.4 Dodge or 6.2 Chevy. Heavy and can take a debris hit.
As a fan of Twister- a red 90’s Ram wouldn’t be bad since it can go through houses rolling across your path.
Lexus GX470, nice interior, used ones have half the miles of a typical 4Runner, often for the same price.
“used ones have half the miles of a typical 4Runner, often for the same price.”
Hardly. They do tend to be priced right at about the same price as a 4Runner for the same miles, which is pretty great as far as the extra features and luxury tweaks that a GX gets you (that and a better seating position and actual head room).
The LX/Land Cruiser are much less differentiated than the GX/4Runner, but in my shopping I found that the LX was actually cheaper for similar age/mileage. For the price of the ’11 LX I bought with 66k miles I would have been looking at Cruisers of similar age with 100k+ miles, or ’08-’09 models with lower miles.
That, the Mark Levinson system, the height-adjustable suspension, and the semi-aniline leather convinced me to deal with how much tackier the LX looks than the Cruiser. (Oh yeah, and the power-fold third seat, which is much better for my wife’s back.)
See me comment in the G80 review thread dal, yeah I had no idea about the LX570s undercutting 200 series Land Cruisers used, you got yours for a steal IMO.
Too many people stating SUVs and pickups. I want something that’s both durable and won’t get knocked over by cross winds. SUVs and pickups don’t do so well in the later.
The Ford PI Sedan has a big footprint, long and wide. Bullet proof (pun intended) 3.7L NA motor on the AWD version (avoid the turbo). Ballistic door panels and anti-stab plates (for flying debris). 75mph rear crash rated. 40mph curb rated wheels (for bouncing over debris at speed). Reinforced “frame”. Heavy duty brakes. Extra transmission cooling. Heavy duty alternator for your geek equipment. Big trunk. Designed to take aftermarket mods. The list goes on.
It’s as if it was designed for tornado chasing.
Lexus GX 460/ Landcruiser Prado with auxillary gas tank.
Not as big as the full size, almost equally capable, reasonably luxurious especially when with semi aniline leather and reliable.
I chase, and chase well in my Elantra. But I do not put a damn Elantra into places where 4×4 and power are necessary. I’ll stick back and check out some storm structure. If I am going to get close and want the perfect vehicle, it needs 4×4, big time power, and I want a used vehicle because I am not punching hail-cores in a new $50k rig. I’ll take a used Suburban 2500 with the big monster Vortec 8100, and pay for its thirst by sleeping on an air mattress in the back vs paying for hotel rooms.
HondaJet. You can fly over the supercells.
Please be reminded: A few years back, Storm Chasers Tim Samaras, his son Paul Samaras and Carl Young were killed while following a tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma.
Last time I was up close to a tornado I was in a 1988 Dodge Shadow ES. It had the turbo 1 engine and we were running 120mph on the interstate because the storm shelter we just passed had a line outside. We were close enough it sucked the passenger side window out of its tracks and was pulling corn up in its funnel on the other side of the four lane. Fun times. Glad I didn’t have my 1978 318 Ramcharger at the time with all 125hp.
It was that day I realized that minivans can travel at a much higher velocity than they look.
A Hertz or Avis rented new Suburban with unlimited milage and all the insurance paid for. Just pick it up and if it gets damaged call and get a replacement. Lots cheaper than buying one for tornado chasing