question about steering with long vehicles (rovers)

[Abruptum]

Hi,

i made a rover/excavator that i intend to land on Duna and i have a little issue with steering. now vehicle is rather long and while i know i could put those gigantic wheels on it, i prefer the smaller ones because i dont like the looks of those large ones. the problem is, that i doesnt steer so well. i mean its perfectly drivable and all, because i disabled steering on the back half of the wheels (those attached to the orange tank), but im not completely satisfied yet. i was wondering if there is a technique where this would be solved for long vehicles or maybe an addon even. i was thinking something like tow trucks maybe. thanks.

Edited June 25, 2015 by Abruptum

[11of10]

Well, my autonomous science rover, which is somewhat shorter than yours (~15m long), turns rather good (at lower speeds, at top speed it tumbles!) with steering enabled on forward and rear wheels. Maybe try that?

[Signo]

+1 for the rear steering enabled on long vehicles. If you want a kind of tow truck you could try with a claw with pivoting enabled. You can not connect it in the VAB and it might eventually summon a kraken as side effects.

I would like to spend a word in favour of the big wheels: I agree with you that the small ones look cooler but they are pretty fragile for "trucks" like this. Moreover they have got a steering that is better suited for such a big vehicle. I use my "truck" to drill for resources and to push/pull things around on the surface and I must say I am a very satisfied customer.

Edited June 25, 2015 by Signo

[11of10]

This is an older version of my rover (It uses modded wheels: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/84102-WIP-PARTS-PLUGIN-0-23-5-Kerbal-Foundries-wheelpack-anti-grav-repulsors )

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If you wish, you can try it, here is the .craft file: https://mega.co.nz/#!UxEChbLK!DnglkgcAH9RjLH_vU_sCeLm9MKImicxk3E0hnsd2xXc (this one is stock only)

[percyPrune]

Try making an action group for toggling some or all of the rear steer. Off for high speed cruising and engaged for slow speed pinpoint maneuvering.

[Juicy]

I'd turn off steering for the two pairs of wheels in the middle, they don't add much to the truck's maneuverability. The ones in the rear however.. There's a good reason why steering rear wheels is becoming more and more common on modern trucks / 18-wheelers. It adds a lot to the maneuverability of and control over the truck, while saving tiers in the process. Gladly, wear & tear isn't really implemented in KSP, or we'd have to consider seperately retractable rear wheels on our rovers as well!

[Chaos_Klaus]

If you can, move the wheels closer together. with wheels so far at both ends of the vehicle, your turning circle is very large. Think about medium size trucks. The rear wheels are not that farr back.

[maculator]

If you dont need a high groundclearance, try to put the wheels on the red tank as far forward as possible, and use landinglegs to keep it balanced when you undock it

[Sharpy]

First off, less wheels. This is meant for Duna, not Kerbin. Next, divide them into three sections: front, middle and rear, with space in between. Both ends steerable. And have a 3* engineer on hand - despite being ruggedized the wheels *will* break on landing, it's the way it goes - you need to be extremely gentle for them to survive - but that's nothing the engineer can't fix. (you need one to operate the ISRU and the refinery anyway).

Or better split it into two vehicles; give the fuel carrier a Klaw because docking in gravity is painful.

[Xannari Ferrows]

Looks like I've got some competition.

This guy steers on the front wheels only, and has no issues. I usually let MechJeb do the driving while I manage utility.

I agree with Chaos_Klaus. Maybe add another set of wheels to the second Ore tank. You also may want to disable Torque to prevent offset motion while driving forward, or any direction for that matter.

I also recommend putting an Engineer somewhere on there. Helps out with efficiency a ton and a half.

[steve_v]

I'm guessing the issue is the lack of ackermann steering, in that the multiple pairs of wheels all go to full lock, rather than following the curve of the turn.

There's no real solution at this point except: Use less wheels, or put up with the skidding and poor steering. Locking steering on the middle sets of wheels helps.

Ackermann steering is coming with U5, apparently.

For towing (and mods), KAS/KIS has winches and tow cables... You'll have to experiment as to see whether they're a help or a hindrance in this case though.

Edited June 25, 2015 by steve_v

[Abruptum]

Thanks for all the help kind pilots. ill try some of the stuff you suggested. im sure ill find a nice solution using all the valuable info ;D