Rover Help?

[starkllr]

Can someone give me some tips on rover design?

The only ones I can build and manage to get wheels on, are monsters that have either a lander can or other crewed module as a base.

I'm trying to build an Apollo-style rover with a couple of open seats, and I just can't figure it out. And how do the seats work anyway? How do I get a kerbonaut into one of them?

And while I'm asking, is there any easy way to stick wheels on? Even when I've been able to build something, it's been ridiculously difficult just to get the wheels attached, and it seems like there must be some trick or technique I'm missing that would make it simpler and faster.

Thanks!

[aNewHope]

First tip: If you don't already, build your rovers in the spaceplane hangar and then transfer the .craft file to the VAB.

2. : You can turn off angle snapping. It makes attaching parts way easier (e.g the seats)

3. : you can rotate your parts around all 3 axes using the WASD & QE keys. To make smaller adjustments press Shift- WASDQE.

Also the square metal plates make good rover bodies.

[capi3101]

Best hint I can offer - build them low and wide. Start with a probe core; an OKTO2 works well. Slap a structural panel above it and a Reaction Wheel below it, and slap a structural panel below that. Use modular girders to build your chassis from that - the idea is to encase all of your critical hardware in parts with a high impact tolerance (by which I mean 80 m/s; you shouldn't be able to get a rover up to that speed without some kind of JATO system involved). Add a couple of battery banks and either RTGs or solar panels (I prefer RTGs but that's just me), some wheels and a couple of headlights and you're good to go.

Here's my best rover design, the Hellhound 7, driving around on Minmus.

You can see that it is low and wide. The Reaction Wheel is there to further reduce the likelihood of a rollover; I could reduce it further by locking the steering on the outboard back tires (the inboard set are locked already).

Built in the VAB, incidentally.

To get a Kerbonaut into a seat, you have to get them in close proximity to the seat itself. Right click on the seat and select "Board"; if the option doesn't come up, you have to get closer.

As for wheels, depending on how you've built up your chassis, you might try 2x symmetry. You'll get a wheel plus the one caddy corner from it. Me, I stick them on one at a time, and then do my level best to make sure they're at the same height and flush with the girders. Test your rover on Kerbin first; a well designed rover will go straight when it's not being steered and will pull to one side if there's an issue.