TD Goes Off-Road on Top Gear

[cracker39]

Tonight, on the American version of Top Gear, the challenge was for the three guys to drive 350 miles off road and 50 miles on asphalt through Death Valley to Las Vegas in off road vehicles purchased for $5K or less. They each got a trailer to sleep in. They were a pop-up, a pink teardrop and an off-road camping trailer. (Has anyone seen this off-road camper before?)







The pop-up was destroyed trying to get it over a rocky incline. The other two trailers made it. The TD did some hi-flying at times.



But, of course, if you watch Top Gear, you know that they will destroy a few things (usually on purpose), and the TD was a casualty.





Leave it to Top Gear to tear up a few good vehicles just for fun.

[Gage]

That's what happens when you build a teardrop in a hurry and don't think things out. ...

[absolutsnwbrdr]

That was a great episode!!




Clearly thats a Harbor Freight frame. I hear they're virtually indestructible.

[GPW]

Fatuous and degrading to teardrops and their owners and builders ... grrrrrrr!!!!! What Total Idiot would treat their TD's this way ??? I'm sure there are millions of people who now think TDs aren't very good because of this stupidity ...


Had they used a commercial RV , it wouldn't have got past the first 100 miles ...

[absolutsnwbrdr]

Fatuous and degrading to teardrops and their owners and builders ... grrrrrrr!!!!! What Total Idiot would treat their TD's this way ??? I'm sure there are millions of people who now think TDs aren't very good because of this stupidity ...


Had they used a commercial RV , it wouldn't have got past the first 100 miles ...

In their defense, they always destroy stuff, so it was expected. But the popup didnt make it as far as the teardrop. And the way they bounced the TD over those rocks was pretty awesome!



They also did show Tanner Foust (the one host) unlocking the coupler from the hitch before the epic wreck.

I wonder where they got that teardrop from! Would be interesting to know its history!

[bobhenry]

I my opinion it was nothing more than a stage prop. If you look at the exploded parts there was very little attachment of walls to the floor.
No broken or damaged shards of a board anywhere to be seen. There is no hint of a front cabinet to reinforce the wiggle factor in the nose and no hint of the all important galley wall. It was designed to explode for effect.

Look at antie M's teardrop other than ripping of the probably unlatched hatch lid it landed upside down after a tornado ride and was mostly intact.

[Woodstramp]

My dad calls tonight..."Watch this show Top Gear...they're towing one of those TD's like you're building."

Turn it on. All I can say is this show goes against my grain. I know it's supposed to be entertaining and showy, but jeez....

You're crossing desert...you DO NOT tear up what is gonna get your butt back to civilization/water/showers/food/beer/lovin'. All that high speed rut/rock/dune jumping. The goobers tearing up the little teardrop was the last straw.

[WhitneyK]

Can't have nuthin' nice with you kids around!

[8ball_99]

I thought it was a fun episode.. Part of what makes the show good is they drive crazy. They are either running full throttle in a 200 MPH car or they are driving junkers like they were free junkers.. If they would have drove nice and easy I'm sure all 3 4x4s would have made it to vegas with out much issue. Honestly though that wouldn't have been anywhere near as much fun to watch..

[S. Heisley]

Woodstramp wrote:

Turn it on. All I can say is this show goes against my grain. I know it's supposed to be entertaining and showy, but jeez....

I'm with you on that! But, then, I can't even watch an Old Yeller or Lassie rerun. Those poor trailers!

[Shadow Catcher]

My daughter called and let me know it was being reshown last night so we watched it, as much to see Death Valley. I have a very low tolerance for stupid, and that show crosses the line early on. We love Death Valley it is fantastic particularly in early spring as it blossems.

[len19070]

Ya See!!

I Knew that Harbor Freight Frames would EXPLODE!!!



(Sorry, its an inside joke!)

Happy Trails

Len

[Woodstramp]

I thought it was a fun episode.. Part of what makes the show good is they drive crazy. They are either running full throttle in a 200 MPH car or they are driving junkers like they were free junkers.. If they would have drove nice and easy I'm sure all 3 4x4s would have made it to vegas with out much issue. Honestly though that wouldn't have been anywhere near as much fun to watch..

Well, to each, his own.

I guess it's that I always only had what I bought (with hard earned money) or made (with my hands). Always felt a need to take care of everything I use. I own a 1988 Nissan Sentra that I could still use as a daily driver. Plus, I work in industrial maintenence.....milking maximum life from equipment is a way of life. Matter of fact, I just worked on an electical problem on a WWII vintage press at work the other day. 70 years old and the old girl is still making us money. That is a beautiful thing in my eyes.

The guys on that show remind me of weathy kids I went to school with. They'd tear up stuff that daddy would just keep buying for them. (bikes, motorcycles, cars, etc.) My Pop never had a lot of money. If he gave us boys something, we knew we'd better take care of it. We did, too.

If someone gave me a new,free H3 Hummer and said: "Take it to the desert and tear it up...I don't care." I still don't think I could do it. (My logic would be to sell the pristine sucker and buy a bunch of other toys with the money.)

[Wild Bill]

I have to agree with Bob, just a prop that they built to destroy. No curtains, sheets, etc. If that were my trailer there would be pots, pans, sheets, towels, you name it would be laying on the highway!! I do not imagine that they even slept in it. I agree with slow, Television is not what it used to be and most is not worth my time. The TV, movie, and sports industries are all we have left now and they are bilking americans out of millions of dollars per year under the guise of "Entertainment"
Bill

[Wolffarmer]

I haven't had a TV for over 10 years now. Don't really miss it much.

To bad I didn't have a film crew a few weeks back when I took my Suzuki Vitara and TD out in the desert. some sane driving in some 4x4 back roads. I had a great time. Not grinning like idiots good time. But I really enjoyed it and the challenge of returning unscathed, and the TD just a bit dirtier, and a few bush scratches on the sides.

And yes, their TD does look like it was made to be a stunt prop.

Randy