Post by =BGOAT=CyBoRg on Jun 6, 2004 14:55:12 GMT -5
Did you know that nearly one in 12 U.S. vehicle-owning households owns an RV? Or that today's typical RV owner is 49, married and has an annual household income of $56,000?
Yup. It's all true.
Not that it has much to do with the transition of this 1987 Winnie into a skate ramp suitable for (and actually tested by) pro skateboarder Tony Hawk and pro BMX freestyler Rick Thorne.
We've posted the details of that build below, and for more background info, check out our behind-the-scenes interview with team member Mike McIntyre or look at pictures from the challenge.
Missed the show? Watch the rerun Saturday at 9 p.m. and midnight ET/PT or Sunday at 1 p.m. ET/PT. And so you don't forget, just click here to sign up for a reminder.
THE TEAM:
• Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, Calif.
• Chris "Body Drop" Artiaga, skate-boarder and fabricator, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
• Nigel Benjamin, former lead vocalist for a British glam band turned music studio designer, Toluca Lake, Calif.
• Steve Cadena, creative consultant, Gaylord's Kustom Trucks, Long Beach, Calif.
• Tony Hawk, pro skater, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
• Jason Jessee, pro skater and motorcycle fabricator, Santa Cruz, Calif.
• Jeff King, skate rail and ramp builder, San Diego, Calif.
• Joe "Leaf Eater" McCluskey, custom-car builder, Hemet, Calif.
• Mike McIntyre, skate-ramp engineer and builder, SITE Design Group, Tempe, Ariz.
• Rick Thorne, professional BMX freestyler, Santa Ana, Calif.
Make: Winnebago
Model: Itasca/Suncruiser
Year: 1987
VEHICLE SPECS:
Engine: 464 Industrial
Pistons: Ford stock
Camshaft: Ford stock
Heads: Ford stock
Induction: Ford stock
Ignition: Ford stock
Exhaust: Ford stock
Cooling: Ford stock
Transmission: three-speed automatic C6
Converter: stock
Drive Shaft: stock
Rear Axle: 3.08
Chassis: John Deer
Steering: power
Suspension: Firestone Ride-Rite leaf springs
Brakes: power
Tires: Toyo
Wheels: stock
Sound System:
* 4,000-watt bass amp
* 800-watt four-channel amp
* 12-inch 1,200-watt subwoofer
* 18-inch 1,600-watt subwoofer
* 240-watt 6-inch by 9-inch full range speaker
* Alpine high-power AM/FM CD player
* 10 farad power capacitor
Body: Includes square tubing, plywood and ramp armour
Paint: House of Kolor spray paint by James Real and Ken Cassidy
Height: 14 feet
Height With Parts Extended: 21 feet
Width: 10 feet 8 inches
Length: 40 feet
Ground Clearance: 2 feet
Weight: 15,000 pounds
MONSTER SPECS
Additional Acquired or Machined Parts: Includes 20 sheets of .5" x 10' plywood
* 10 sheets of .25" x 10' ramp armor
* 32 pieces of 1.5-inch tubing, which were bent at a pipe-bending shop
Body Modifications: The "home" portion of the motor home was completely broken down, leaving the RV looking like a flatbed truck.
* A structure was made to reinforce the cab, and tubing was welded along the sides of the bed creating a base.
* A front deck was made above the RV's cab, and a back deck was build on its end. Between the two decks the ramp was placed. The ramp consisted of 10 feet of flat decking and two, 8-ft. transitions (one attached to the front deck and one attached to the back).
Biggest Challenges: The limited amount of materials and the limited time in which to work.
TRANSITION TECHNIQUE
If you want to turn an RV into a mobile skate ramp, who better to work on the design than master fabricator Jesse James, skate legend Tony Hawk and BMX freestyler Rick Thorne?
Exactly.
Their plan: wreck the "home" portion of the motor home, use steel tubing to form a half-pipe skeleton, lay sheets of 1/2-inch plywood to give the ramp strength and muscle, then finally skin it with a composite surfacing material called "ramp armor." And to carry it out was the biggest team ever to sink its teeth into a monster: eight men, including Jesse, evenly divided between hot-rodders and skaters.
The first build day began with the tearing apart of the RV, and ended with the team deciding to change a critical part of the design: the width of the ramp. During the design phase, Tony and Rick had made known that they needed 12 feet of landing area, but a 12-foot-wide ramp wouldn't fit through the garage doors. So the team cut the ramp to 10 feet — potentially more dangerous for Tony and Rick, but as pro skater Jason Jessee pointed out, the more dangerous, the more fun.
On the second build day the team was at their best, as skate-ramp engineer Mike McIntyre directed the highly productive ramp-structure building process. By the end of the day a majority of the ramp's steel-tubing frame sat on the bed of the RV like a prehistoric skeleton.
But the morning of Day 3 brought dissent to the team. Feeling as though there were too many people working on the project to get anything done, master craftsman Nigel Benjamin removed himself from the team. Still, even with one man down, the team forged ahead on their skater's ark until the front and back decks were securely fastened to the existing ramp structure.
That all changed on Day 4, when the plywood arrived. For four days this team had been rocking and rolling, but on Day 4, a lack of focus settled in on some of the members. For example: A company had donated a ramp to the garage for this build, but because it was a direct competitor, ramp builder Jeff King spray-painted over their logo. Upset, a Monster senior producer demanded that Jeff restore the logo, sparking an argument that ended with Jeff leaving the garage. Now two men down, the team's work efforts sputtered. To ease the tension, San Diego rockers The Shooters put on a show in the garage.
The next day, the final build day, Jeff returned to the garage to work, but team cohesion was not what it was on Day 1. Nonetheless, the guys pulled together to finish up their work, including the installation of a massive stereo system Jesse had ordered. Finally, after all the finishing touches were completed, Jesse pulled the mammoth monster out of the garage and onto the dark streets of Long Beach, blaring monster tunes while the team skated their new mobile ramp. Next up, the ramp was sent to Line-X for a base coat, then given a spray-paint makeover by taggers James Real and Ken Cassidy.
Finally, for the challenge, Tony Hawk and Rick Thorne came together to demonstrate their new creation, skating the ramp as it cruised through Venice, Va. And when the RV pulled into a stationary spot, New Zealand's hottest rock-'n'-rollers, Pacifier, kicked in accompaniment. Sunny skies, palm trees, live music, Tony Hawk, Rick Thorne and a monster mobile ramp — what better way to end another episode of Monster Garage?
Yup. It's all true.
Not that it has much to do with the transition of this 1987 Winnie into a skate ramp suitable for (and actually tested by) pro skateboarder Tony Hawk and pro BMX freestyler Rick Thorne.
We've posted the details of that build below, and for more background info, check out our behind-the-scenes interview with team member Mike McIntyre or look at pictures from the challenge.
Missed the show? Watch the rerun Saturday at 9 p.m. and midnight ET/PT or Sunday at 1 p.m. ET/PT. And so you don't forget, just click here to sign up for a reminder.
THE TEAM:
• Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, Calif.
• Chris "Body Drop" Artiaga, skate-boarder and fabricator, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
• Nigel Benjamin, former lead vocalist for a British glam band turned music studio designer, Toluca Lake, Calif.
• Steve Cadena, creative consultant, Gaylord's Kustom Trucks, Long Beach, Calif.
• Tony Hawk, pro skater, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
• Jason Jessee, pro skater and motorcycle fabricator, Santa Cruz, Calif.
• Jeff King, skate rail and ramp builder, San Diego, Calif.
• Joe "Leaf Eater" McCluskey, custom-car builder, Hemet, Calif.
• Mike McIntyre, skate-ramp engineer and builder, SITE Design Group, Tempe, Ariz.
• Rick Thorne, professional BMX freestyler, Santa Ana, Calif.
Make: Winnebago
Model: Itasca/Suncruiser
Year: 1987
VEHICLE SPECS:
Engine: 464 Industrial
Pistons: Ford stock
Camshaft: Ford stock
Heads: Ford stock
Induction: Ford stock
Ignition: Ford stock
Exhaust: Ford stock
Cooling: Ford stock
Transmission: three-speed automatic C6
Converter: stock
Drive Shaft: stock
Rear Axle: 3.08
Chassis: John Deer
Steering: power
Suspension: Firestone Ride-Rite leaf springs
Brakes: power
Tires: Toyo
Wheels: stock
Sound System:
* 4,000-watt bass amp
* 800-watt four-channel amp
* 12-inch 1,200-watt subwoofer
* 18-inch 1,600-watt subwoofer
* 240-watt 6-inch by 9-inch full range speaker
* Alpine high-power AM/FM CD player
* 10 farad power capacitor
Body: Includes square tubing, plywood and ramp armour
Paint: House of Kolor spray paint by James Real and Ken Cassidy
Height: 14 feet
Height With Parts Extended: 21 feet
Width: 10 feet 8 inches
Length: 40 feet
Ground Clearance: 2 feet
Weight: 15,000 pounds
MONSTER SPECS
Additional Acquired or Machined Parts: Includes 20 sheets of .5" x 10' plywood
* 10 sheets of .25" x 10' ramp armor
* 32 pieces of 1.5-inch tubing, which were bent at a pipe-bending shop
Body Modifications: The "home" portion of the motor home was completely broken down, leaving the RV looking like a flatbed truck.
* A structure was made to reinforce the cab, and tubing was welded along the sides of the bed creating a base.
* A front deck was made above the RV's cab, and a back deck was build on its end. Between the two decks the ramp was placed. The ramp consisted of 10 feet of flat decking and two, 8-ft. transitions (one attached to the front deck and one attached to the back).
Biggest Challenges: The limited amount of materials and the limited time in which to work.
TRANSITION TECHNIQUE
If you want to turn an RV into a mobile skate ramp, who better to work on the design than master fabricator Jesse James, skate legend Tony Hawk and BMX freestyler Rick Thorne?
Exactly.
Their plan: wreck the "home" portion of the motor home, use steel tubing to form a half-pipe skeleton, lay sheets of 1/2-inch plywood to give the ramp strength and muscle, then finally skin it with a composite surfacing material called "ramp armor." And to carry it out was the biggest team ever to sink its teeth into a monster: eight men, including Jesse, evenly divided between hot-rodders and skaters.
The first build day began with the tearing apart of the RV, and ended with the team deciding to change a critical part of the design: the width of the ramp. During the design phase, Tony and Rick had made known that they needed 12 feet of landing area, but a 12-foot-wide ramp wouldn't fit through the garage doors. So the team cut the ramp to 10 feet — potentially more dangerous for Tony and Rick, but as pro skater Jason Jessee pointed out, the more dangerous, the more fun.
On the second build day the team was at their best, as skate-ramp engineer Mike McIntyre directed the highly productive ramp-structure building process. By the end of the day a majority of the ramp's steel-tubing frame sat on the bed of the RV like a prehistoric skeleton.
But the morning of Day 3 brought dissent to the team. Feeling as though there were too many people working on the project to get anything done, master craftsman Nigel Benjamin removed himself from the team. Still, even with one man down, the team forged ahead on their skater's ark until the front and back decks were securely fastened to the existing ramp structure.
That all changed on Day 4, when the plywood arrived. For four days this team had been rocking and rolling, but on Day 4, a lack of focus settled in on some of the members. For example: A company had donated a ramp to the garage for this build, but because it was a direct competitor, ramp builder Jeff King spray-painted over their logo. Upset, a Monster senior producer demanded that Jeff restore the logo, sparking an argument that ended with Jeff leaving the garage. Now two men down, the team's work efforts sputtered. To ease the tension, San Diego rockers The Shooters put on a show in the garage.
The next day, the final build day, Jeff returned to the garage to work, but team cohesion was not what it was on Day 1. Nonetheless, the guys pulled together to finish up their work, including the installation of a massive stereo system Jesse had ordered. Finally, after all the finishing touches were completed, Jesse pulled the mammoth monster out of the garage and onto the dark streets of Long Beach, blaring monster tunes while the team skated their new mobile ramp. Next up, the ramp was sent to Line-X for a base coat, then given a spray-paint makeover by taggers James Real and Ken Cassidy.
Finally, for the challenge, Tony Hawk and Rick Thorne came together to demonstrate their new creation, skating the ramp as it cruised through Venice, Va. And when the RV pulled into a stationary spot, New Zealand's hottest rock-'n'-rollers, Pacifier, kicked in accompaniment. Sunny skies, palm trees, live music, Tony Hawk, Rick Thorne and a monster mobile ramp — what better way to end another episode of Monster Garage?