Anyone do any storm chasing in their KJ?

haulin5 · **Joined:** Tue Sep 29, 2009 2:53 pm **Posts:** 116

Had some thunderstorms last night, reminding us that tornado season is just around the corner. Wondering if anyone has experience out in the muck in their Libby and how it holds up to storm winds. I've been developing stronger arm muscles the last few days from trying to keep the lifted Libby on the Interstate. High winds lately.

Looking forward to NOT getting stuck in the mud this year when chase season starts.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 25, 2010 12:21 am

I watched my KJ get rocked by softball sized hail,reason why it's orange and not black now.Does that count?

I know the KJ doesn't like the wind much if it's not a tailwind.The last time I went back to South Dakota I was lucky enough to deal with a steady 60mph(80mph gusts) headwind coming back to to CO,with the gas pedal all the way to the floor I managed 50mph as max speed.Sucked real back to since I had to deal with it for 150miles through Nebraska,got about 5mpg also for that 150mile stretch.

STINGN · **Posted:** Mon Jan 25, 2010 12:22 am

right by you...up in my area of IL, I used to use my Range Rover a lot and went out during storms for fun...now with the Liberty I have done the same thing...it hold up nice in winds lifted, fairly good in the storm sense...I also live by a field, actually my back yard, and have drove back there a lot during rain (actually did last night) and no problems getting stuck

riptricket · **Posted:** Mon Jan 25, 2010 2:19 am

my brother storm chases for fun here in oklahoma. but he drives an 02 dodge dakota. and he has it decked out... i will try and get some pics.

durangotang · **Posted:** Mon Jan 25, 2010 2:34 am

JL Rockies and myself did some storm chasing in Moab last year :JEEPIN:

haulin5 · **Joined:** Tue Sep 29, 2009 2:53 pm **Posts:** 116

Cool.....I am SO looking forward to chasing in Jeeps this year. Previously we chased in either a car or a nearly dead Blazer, and have been stuck in mud & muck more than a few times. We don't do anything crazy like core-punching, but we still have fun and we always stay safe. We never put ourselves in the path of anything coming & prefer to watch from a very safe distance.

Worst damage ever happened while cars were parked in our own driveway.

lightning2kwx · **Posted:** Mon Jan 25, 2010 2:28 pm

My Libby does good in the solid winds but it's just the gust that hits the side that gets me. If on a slippery surface I have had the back slide sideways some. Not too bad though but I've only had my Libby for a year Now. But, then again I don't try to get to close but been through some high winds. I like to photograph the storms from a distance. Can't wait till spring.

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Mon Jan 25, 2010 3:01 pm

FYI - I tried AirTabs for a while - pulled them off because I didn't see a mileage improvement
However - they were great for cross wind stability. (and you might even pick up a .1 mpg)

http://www.airtab.com/en/

KeswickDave · **Posted:** Mon Jan 25, 2010 3:51 pm

Not intentionally... haha

I was driving my step-daughter to the Toronto airport, coming down from Keswick (about 40 miles or so), drove through some of the most wicked weather I've ever seen - heavy, horizontal rain, lightning all around, thunder shaking the Jeep, flooded areas (6" deep or so)... I find the Jeep to be a bit squirrely in gusty cross-winds, but not terribly so.

Coming across hwy 407, the rain had let up some but the sky was just incredible, black, swirling, very ominous. Found out later we were within a couple of miles from the path of an F2 tornado which went through Woodbridge, Ontario, at the same time it went through.

Picture of the storm rolling in to Toronto:

Web site has lots of shots of the aftermath. This may not be a big deal to those of you who frequently get tornados, but it's not common around here!

http://www.globalnational.com/wideangle ... id=1917600

haulin5 · **Joined:** Tue Sep 29, 2009 2:53 pm **Posts:** 116

THAT is an awesome photo! Beautiful wall cloud! Well, maybe not so pretty to those that had to deal with it.

I know the Libbys are heavier than what we chased in previously, which helps, but it's those darn cross-winds that drive me nuts. Even when it's calm, I get battered about quite a bit when passing rigs on the interstate. Just takes some getting used to.

STINGN · **Posted:** Mon Jan 25, 2010 4:52 pm

how big is your lift, you have any pictures? cause mine is fine in bad weather and i got franky on it

KeswickDave · **Posted:** Mon Jan 25, 2010 5:02 pm

Just to clarify I didn't take the picture, it is from the page linked below it. I was too busy driving and admiring the awesomeness of the weather! It is a good representation of how it felt at the time though!

I love this kind of stuff though, I get all excited when a good storm rolls in! :BANANA:

I like to stand in the garage with the door open if the rain is not coming in too much!

shaggy591a · **Posted:** Tue Jan 26, 2010 6:39 pm

riptricket wrote:

my brother storm chases for fun here in oklahoma. but he drives an 02 dodge dakota. and he has it decked out... i will try and get some pics.

But does he have a dorothy?

Anyone do any storm chasing in their KJ?

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