Help me build a nice mobile base for my Laythe expedition (need some inspiration!)

[Kidneythump]

I'm in need of some inspiration for my Laythe expedition. I've been using the Fustek expansion parts for my other bases but these are rather heavy and have a tendency to fall into a million pieces when they see a rock and since most of the islands are rather hilly the skycrane will probably drop the base in a incline which will probably lead to a rather interesting rescue mission. This is my current design that likes to fall apart (even with heavy struts from... kosmo maybe?), funny thing is though that when i dropped that on duna with some sturdy imobile legs everything held, even when i accidentaly forgot to release the stackseparator when the skycrane flew away, it hit the ground at 5-6 m/s (although then i had fuselage sections between each segment, but when i tried that with those big standard wheels they flew apart as well). I want to build something that still looks like a base not just another rover if you catch my drift, it should be able to move but not win any races or turn on a dime.

[Kromey]

Check out the MOLAB. It's not a base per se, but it's certainly big enough that it could be one, or could inspire a version that is. I think my favorite feature is the little "mosquito" mini-rovers it sports.

To me, a "base" has to be quite stable, and while it might work in KSP wheels don't, in my mind, satisfy that. If-- No no, when I build a mobile base of my own, a key feature -- nay, a requirement to earn that moniker -- will be landing legs that can extend to take the weight off of the wheels, and then retract to allow the wheels to re-engage and move to another location.

I'd also design it with the idea that the base would be more-or-less parked for extended periods, while exploration continues using smaller rovers and such; that's why I really like MOLAB's "mosquitoes", but really anything that can be carried by the base while it travels, but then deploy for independent short- and medium-range exploration while the base is in "base mode", is good for that. Really, anything big enough to be a "base" is going to almost certainly be slow, and be unable to handle rough terrain, but exploration shouldn't be limited to only the smooth routes the base can handle.

As far as your design goes, I might scrap the perpendicular hab modules (I'm assuming that's what those are?) and instead make it a "double-wide", i.e. put two (or three) hab modules end-to-end, then a duplicate of that structure alongside it. Strut that sucker up, affix wheels to the outside surfaces, and voila! (Think of a pair of soda cans glued side-by-side to each other, with wheels attached so that the whole thing rolls along with the cans parallel to the surface and pointed in the direction of travel.)

Or, try something like this...

[Kidneythump]

Thanks for the reply! Yea I really like the idea of fold out landing legs that deploy for longer stays at a location and landing, those modules that stick out perpendicular arent actually the problem at the moment since EVERYTHING looses cohesion at the first small sharp bump it encounters. What i really need is a new framework to hang my wheels of that has similar functionality as the Fustek expansions. Double cans might be an idea, but i need to do that in the VAB right? for some reason the fustek parts cant radially attach anything when building in the VAB.. Oh and another requirement is a part count preferably under 80 so it doesn't stutter to much when i turn on all the light's but that's a soft target at the moment

[Boffinbox]

i'll leave this here

first screenshot i did

[Kidneythump]

I did some more testing, I put the big wheels on the fuselage section instead (the ones i removed from the original design, they connect the base modules together) worked like a charm until i hit a bump, then the back module fell of, all wheels where fine so what i need is new habsections that have a higher impact tolerance than 10 that still look like you could live in it for quite some time

[Kidneythump]

wow that's a nice design Boffin, haha how the heck does that stay together on uneven terrain? it's all docking rings right?

[Kromey]

I don't know of any reason why you couldn't build the double-can structure in the SPH. I usually build all my rovers in there because the symmetry in the VAB makes getting the wheels on without having them twisted relative to one another is pretty much impossible.

If structural cohesion is your problem, maybe try something like in that last link, where your wheels are attached to/supporting a sturdy platform, that itself is home to your hab modules. Gives you more options for layout that way, plus a natural place to park the "mosquitoes" while the base is on the move.

[Whackjob]

"Honk, honk! Do you think you could give me a ride to the Mun?"

NOPE

[Kidneythump]

I don't know of any reason why you couldn't build the double-can structure in the SPH. I usually build all my rovers in there because the symmetry in the VAB makes getting the wheels on without having them twisted relative to one another is pretty much impossible.

If structural cohesion is your problem, maybe try something like in that last link, where your wheels are attached to/supporting a sturdy platform, that itself is home to your hab modules. Gives you more options for layout that way, plus a natural place to park the "mosquitoes" while the base is on the move.

Ah good suggestion, I'll throw something together and do some testing...

[Boffinbox]

wow that's a nice design Boffin, haha how the heck does that stay together on uneven terrain? it's all docking rings right?

it's even terrain - i put it near a hill to make it more scenic

all docking rings, landed each module on it's own. each module had four wheels on it, and i would drive each section up to a base module. then, i'd decouple the wheels and have a sepratron on it angled so it would fly off and destroy said wheels.

the landing legs are NECESSARY - if you don't have these activated every time you switch to another vessel, the game will register the vessel as "sub-orbital trajectory" and then it would sink in and explode.

[Kidneythump]

Awesome creation Wackjob btw

[Kidneythump]

Kromney you gave me an idea with that whole "build it on a platform" thingie, however it took it in a slightly different direction (the lazy one) i placed a long girder under the structure (the middle bit is the one attached to the craft) then I strapped the hell out of it, now it actually works! but i broke my part count rule so i may have to redesign the whole thing...

[Kidneythump]

Haha the framework is so strong this is what happens at 4x speed when moving forwards (test build!) and nothing falls of

[Whackjob]

Might as well repost this. It's technically a rover.

[Kidneythump]

What an excellent little rover, that flip is awesome

Here's the current version:

I placed the wheels on the modular girder instead, over rough terrain the girders twist and turn to keep the wheels on the ground, the two side wheels are there mostly for balance, these too are placed on girders attached perpendicular to the other girders, everything is stuck together with a ****load of struts, but this makes it very durable, it can handle a bone jarring impact of 5-7 m/s so it should be able to handle a tough landing and it's only 96 parts! it's currently in orbit awaiting the interplanetary booster. I wonder if it can handle a aerobrake in Laythe atmosphere... the last station I put there bent like a banana due to hurtling through the atmosphere at 20 km at 7500 m/s. Only one way to find out!