Chase vehicles also vary greatly.  Not only due to the roles they play...some are dedicated chase vehicles, some used for research, but sometimes it depends on what they are chasing.   Tornado, Hurricanes, blizzards, etc. all are different types of severe weather that various chasers partake in.  Below we'll explore some of the different types of chase vehicles and review what I have chased with over the years both in the Great Plains (tornado chasing) and along the US Southeast coast (during hurricanes).

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Current Chase Vehicle: 1996 Dodge Caravan SWB

This vehicle is the current Weather Warrior chase vehicle. Purchased in Spring of 2006, it has seen:
-One Plains Season (May and June 2006)
-no hurricanes as of yet (January 2008)

It is currently, mildly modified, with mostly interior alterations. There are extensive plans proposed for this vehicle, including (but not limited to):
-larger wheels and tires
-light bar for off-road and safety
-window grill protection
-headlight and tail-light grill protection

Above is my 1983 Chevrolet Blazer used during the 1997 and 1998 chase season.  This vehicle ended it's life at the end of the 1998 chase season.  After a three week period of traveling almost 7000 miles and already having to have the head gasket replaced along the way, the lower engine blew and I was forced to leave the vehicle in St. Charles (near St. Louis).  Luckily it didn't blow until I was on my way home from chasing for the year, but it was tuff as hell to get all the chase and camping gear on an Amtrak train from St. Louis to Chicago, then home to DC.  That truck, minus the engine trouble was a fine vehicle.  In fact, I later purchased a 1999 Chevrolet S-10 pick-up that was nearly identical mechanically speaking. 


When I joined with the Weathervine Team in 2002, we chased in rental vehicles.  In 2002 and 2003 we had identical Chevrolet Blazers both rather new and of the model year in which we chased (2002 and 2003 respectively).   However in 2004 we changed vehicle types.  In 2002 and 2003 it was just Jeff Gammons, Chris Collura and myself in the chase vehicle.  In 2004 we added Jeff's fiance, Kersten McClung, and for the first 10 days of the trip Chris's neighbor Raul Benitez.  So we desided that a Blazer or simular sized SUV would not suffice for space for the long hours on the road.  We opted for a MiniVan.  We were able to secure a brand new (and new for 2005) Chrysler Town & Country Long wheel Base with the superiorly designed "Stow & Go" seating.  We sacrificed off-road capability for luxury and space.  This was a wise decision.  Although I rode with Amos Magliocco during Raul's part of the chase-vacation (to preserve space in the van), I later joined them after Raul's departure back home.  Jeff, Chris, and myself took turn driving the van.  We all were quite impressed with the performance, both on and off road.  Yup, we took it off road too.  Not on mud and deep rutted terrain, but out in Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma....and especially Nebraska that year, there are lots of flat, hard packed dirt roads.  The van, with the middle row seats positioned in the the "Stow"ed position (folded and stored below the floor), I think that it gave the van a rather low center of gravity vs. a SUV, and other miniVans too.  That made some of the maneuvers rather predictable.  I actually liked the ride and control better than the 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee that I drove in Denver. 

We've come to like the Chrysler Town & Country so much we affectionately called it the "WeatherBus".  Jeff Gammons, and Chris Collura again used a Chysler product Minivan for the 2005 season.  I have also now aquired a 1996 Dodge Caravan.  So obviously we are quite happpy with this product line. 

Hurricane season means a whole different set of circumstances for chase vehicles.  Because, as a Hurricane chaser, there is no observing of the storm from afar.  Your upclose, interacting, and dealing with the debris and high winds, and for extended periods of time.   You have to be self reliant for days, with fuel, food, water, clothes and more.    You may be caught in a large area of destruction with no way out, or many dangerous obstecles in the way.   With Hurricanes you are not just an observer, you have to suvive it.

Below are some sketches I did a while ago (1998) of how I wanted to set up my vehicle with weather equipment.  I was thinking about a Davis Weather Station and these sketches supplement that thought.  I also supplementd the sketches with a pick-up diagrame to explore that idea, although at the time I did not own a pick-up.   Operationally, my level of design has increased, mostly due to design inspirations of Chris Collura and his WeatherLab prototypes.

Non-Weathervine Vehicles
Robert Gillespie's (WB5KJE)
Forrest Lambert
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