Charlie Davis asked;
SF Region is considering replacing the timing trailer with a truck, probably
cube van. If it was up to you, what things would be important?
NEW! OK maybe a little bit used.
Colorado Region just bought a very used cube van from the road race group.
It's a '77 GMC with a 350 and 4:10 gears.
So maybe it was a little old AND a lot used. But then they only paid $1,000
for it.
We've put MANY evenings of effort into repairs and still have a long list.
What would I look for in a van?
1 ton or better ( 1 cone = 4-5 lb. 300 cones = 1500 lb.!)
BIG engine 455? (but then you don't have our mountains)
a turbo diesel would be nice but hard to find.
Solid box, no water leaks
Solid floor, no rust
16 inch wheels / tires. (NOT 16.5 like we have. 16.5s are hard to
find)
Door from cab to cube should open into the cube if you plan to use
the cab for timing.
Spare tire WITH wheel (you'd be surprised how many cube van don't have
spares.)
Are you going to use it for timing? Think about where the windows will go.
We're
still trying to figure ours out. For now we use the cab so we do timing with
just 3.
Which is fine, that's how many we've always used. I put a folding chair
between
the two factory seats. It's worked OK so far. I also built a computer table
that fits on
the center console. ( OK so the 'table' is just a piece of plywood I cut.)
Down side
is that the printer sits in the cube part and you have to go around to get the
printouts,
or have a fourth body in the back with the printer.
One thing we're having trouble with is getting someone to drive the cube van to
the
event. With a trailer, and a tow vehicle, I could drag the trailer out to the
site the day
before the event or even the morning of, all by myself. With a cube van you
have to
find a buddy to drive you out to pick it up and to the event site. Just
doubles the number
of bodies involved. Thus double the number of volunteers needed.
We are considering a plan where we will cut windows in the area above the cab.
A platform will be built to raise the timing personnel up to window level. The
up side
is good visibility, the down side I think will be a low ceiling and lots of
bumped heads.
I suppose I'd learn after one or two bumps, but then I'd probably have to
re-learn
at each event. :)
So come to the "Denver" National Tour (formerly the Salt Lake City NT) in
"Colorado Springs"
at Pikes Peak International Raceway located in Fountain Colorado. You can take
a look at 'our'
cube van for yourself.
Lindsay
----------
From: Smokerbros@aol.com[SMTP:Smokerbros@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 1999 1:28 PM
To: ba-autox@autox.team.net; autox@autox.team.net
Subject: Timing truck to replace trailer
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