Test course challenges to consider

[RickM]

I have had a small test course in my side yard and I now need to move it. I am going to move my course to a slightly larger area and get this right now. My challenge to course design is the fact that I have only done one comp.

Here is my question. What type of challenges should I incorporate in to my new course. I do want to consider side hilling, climbing, and maybe a gap to leap but I am wondering if there is something to course design that I need to keep in mind as I head into this new direction? Thanks.

[gottorque]

Originally Posted by RickM

I have had a small test course in my side yard and I now need to move it. I am going to move my course to a slightly larger area and get this right now. My challenge to course design is the fact that I have only done one comp.

Here is my question. What type of challenges should I incorporate in to my new course. I do want to consider side hilling, climbing, and maybe a gap to leap but I am wondering if there is something to course design that I need to keep in mind as I head into this new direction? Thanks.

well not that i can think of, since courses are built to appeal the builder. The only thing i can think of now is to put weed barrier fabric under your course.
As for the course elements you could add a couple of undercuts, v notches,lips, traction ramps, rope bridges, rock holes, etc. You could also use diffrent/varieng material to give a diffrent driving experience

[Krakker]

All this is for testing. I use various rock, concrete, log and what ever.

[Kraqa]

I would set up 2 types of obstacles.

Ones that test the limit of the truck
-steep climbs
-ledge
-v crack
-Drop down with immediate ledge up.
-zig zag boulders
-off camber
Make these extremely and aggravatingly hard; preferably un drivable with your current set-up. These will be the ones you need to drive over and over to make it just once. This will make you better. And don’t change them….if you must change them make then harder


Ones that combine aspects of the test obstacles.

-Fun pathways with rocks
-Rope bridge
-large rocks
-assorted rock piles
These will keep it fun to play around in and these will be the ones that you and your buddies move and change around as you play.

[Hvrc]

Lava rock boulder. Tons of grip with many tires, and you can test your limits on side hilling, extreme angles, brakes, and breaking in tires if the rock is the porous glassy type (black not red) just make sure to wear gloves as I tore my hands up some moving some at work for my own test trail.

[freemachinist]

Originally Posted by Kraqa

I would set up 2 types of obstacles.

Ones that test the limit of the truck
-steep climbs
-ledge
-v crack
-Drop down with immediate ledge up.
-zig zag boulders
-off camber
Make these extremely and aggravatingly hard; preferably un drivable with your current set-up. These will be the ones you need to drive over and over to make it just once. This will make you better. And don’t change them….if you must change them make then harder


Ones that combine aspects of the test obstacles.

-Fun pathways with rocks
-Rope bridge
-large rocks
-assorted rock piles
These will keep it fun to play around in and these will be the ones that you and your buddies move and change around as you play.

Well put together.

[shelljeep]

I agree with Kraga's ideas. I'll add this:

Difference in elevations is what you're looking for. If you will build it in piles, the transitions between the piles will give you tons of lines to choose from, rather than having just one big pile to climb. Don't stack the piles so close together that they are touching, leave a couple inches of clearance. Just enough ground space to maximize the difference in height as you move from pile to pile. If they are stacked right together, they will minimize each other.
Get some broken concrete to use as a base for your rock. That way you won't end up wasting rock as filler to get the height you need.
Look for a place that sells riprap, like they use on alot of Corps of Engineer dams. I can get the stuff for $35/ton around here.

[92LILREDYJ]

I like to build piles that are square, makes at least 4 great lines, and then you can side hill then. Seems side hilling a square pile is more realistic imo. I also love to run a waterfall type step up. Cender blocks from Home depot, or lowes are less then 2$ each, there light, easy to stack, grip good(if i use them for a flat place), I use them mainly as a cheap bottom filler.

[country_crawler]

What i like to do is, find a bunch of old crap. Like tires. My family owns a trucking company, so i have an endless supply to old worn out semi tires.I stack them up about 4ft high and about 6ft long add rock, then rock all around the sides and then the rest of my course and maybe make another one on a different side of the course.

[djjiz]

Sounds dumb but a balance beam is good/ fun practice for me. Just use some PVC or somthing similar and secure it to the middle of a flat board that's a little bigger then your truck.

[celsiusprime]

I suggest making some steep descents in your course. Everybody gets so caught up in going up the rocks, but they often forget that coming down can also be very challenging and exciting. If you plan a difficult slope or orbstacle to go down, put your gate markers about 8"-10" away from the bottom of the slope or somewhere along the slope. If forces the driver to do a controlled descent without giving them the option to just jump it or go around it. Trust me, you'll like it.

[2500hdon37s]

i used an old tire, make for some fun and steep climbs

[RickM]

Your comments are all more than helpful however Kraga you for sure win the prize. I will be working on getting my rocks in the right place tonight and start getting it set up. I will be posting pics soon!!

[country_crawler]

Originally Posted by 2500hdon37s

i used an old tire, make for some fun and steep climbs

Tires work great also! If you have just a bunch of old crap laying around, like tires ( i use old 4 wheeler tires. I've got 8 of them stacked up) just stack em together in all sorts of different ways, and shapes then cover with rock then you got good elevation changes like, uphills, sidehills,downhills, it works pretty good.

[2500hdon37s]

take an old worn out tire and wala, the ramp on the back is adjustable so you can test your vert on it

scince the pic the climb up has been made steeper

[jbeane]

im getting ready to build a scale type course in my back yard. i cleared it to bare dirt this past week end.


id love to see some pics or vids of any kind of scale courses. even for compititions.

[RickM]

Thanks guys. I am starting to work on my course now and have made some progress with the framing. I want to build something fun but something that will also give me a comp type practice area. I have been creating a course that will also work for 1.9s I will post picks as soon as I make more progress.

[RickM]

Well I am getting my course together so here is my start. Things to add. Definitely some rocks, rope bridge, and some siding so my wife can live with this. Keep in mind this is all going on a deck above my garage.