Best way to make a horizontal rover?

[XOIIO]

Alright so I've beeen struggling with this, maybe because of my sleep deprivation lol, but I want to make a horizontal rover using ruggedized wheels, the rover will have the observation pod in the front, it will provide a gorgeous view to drive from (though planets need a bit more scenery I think, even if its just rocks or something), the problem is that since you are turning the mobile processing lab sideways symmetry doesn't work, and I am also just having trouble finding a good way to attach the wheels. I think I beams are the best method, but I can't quite figure out a good solution for a wide wheel base that keeps the center of gravity somewhat low so that the base/big rover won't tip over, and so that it doesn't look too awkward. I was wondering if you guys have any suggestions/methods for doing this.

Edited January 21, 2014 by XOIIO

[Taki117]

Try building it in the SPH and then saving it as a sub assembly (I use a modular Girder part as my Vessel Root then detach whatever I am going to use as the body.

[Specialist290]

I'm going to second Taki117's recommendation. While it was originally designed before official subassemblies were a thing, I used a similar process to create my own horizontally-landed rover:

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[Landge]

I built this in SPH and copied the craft file over to the VAB folder. Then I opened the craft file in notepad and edited the line that says type = SPH to type = VAB

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Once the craft is in the VAB click on the capsule part will reorient the rover from horizontal to vertical.

Be sure you make all your changes to your rover while you're in the SPH because the symmetry is handled differently in the VAB.

Then you can attach the boosters in the VAB just like normal.

Edited January 21, 2014 by Landge

[XOIIO]

I have a bit of a problem, I copied the ship over to the saved ships as I didn't see it in subassemblies, but the wheels just spin, same thing happens in SPH and VAB. It automatically changed to VAB when I saved it as a subassembly.

Great tip though it was super easy, this thing is just being a pain :/ I think I will call this ship The Scarab

Any idea what's causing this? I have also tried dropping it a short distance from one of the towers you can release, same thing happened. Wheels say they are nominal.

[TheBedla]

I have a bit of a problem, I copied the ship over to the saved ships as I didn't see it in subassemblies, but the wheels just spin, same thing happens in SPH and VAB. It automatically changed to VAB when I saved it as a subassembly.

Great tip though it was super easy, this thing is just being a pain :/ I think I will call this ship The Scarab

Any idea what's causing this? I have also tried dropping it a short distance from one of the towers you can release, same thing happened. Wheels say they are nominal.

Nice rover!

It's simple - the wheels are not the right side up (or rather, down). The bases of the wheels (the grey flat things attached to your I-beam) should make an Y shape. Just rotate them 90 degrees and it should be fine!

[XOIIO]

*facepalm*

Never mind, the wheels were sideways lol

edit: ninja'd by TheBelda

[XOIIO]

Here is the finished vehicle, Ideally I want to be able to get one on every planet but landing without an atmosphere will be hard. I am also wondering if eight parachutes will allow it to land on duna safely. I also had to move the wheel base forward, but now you can slow down at high speed and get to high speed without it leaning too much.

I think I will use a radial attachment point on the bottom them build a rocket base outwards from that, I'm not 100% sure how I will release it once landed though, I guess a system of three or more decouplers will be the best method. hmm

[Keymaster89]

This is only my noobish opinion as i never build a rover yet (BTW i love yours! i though to build something near equal to that when the time comes ^^), but shoudn't it have a SAS big ring at one end of the lab? wouldn't it be beneficial?

Also, only for aestetic and to save the symmetry, move the comms back on the tail ^^

Edited January 21, 2014 by Keymaster89

[XOIIO]

I use SAS and inline reaction wheels but I always detach them after getting into orbit of the planet I want or after the deorbit burn, as they don't really seem useful on the ground.

I would move the coms over, but there really isn't room. The materials bay door is on the top so the only spot to put it would be on the back end, and it would clip into the materials bay.

[XOIIO]

this sort of "cage" works, there is a decoupler in the middle, I will land on the struts, then you can decouple and drive off. It does push the back end of it upwards a bit, but you don't flip over, and can drive off without anything exploding, at least on kerbal anyways.

[Sirine]

http://ksp.freeiz.com/

Parachute calculator.

[Keymaster89]

Well if u roll on your back, that seems to me plausible if u have to climb something, u're unable to recover and even worst, the lab hatch can result obstructed, with SAS on u can spin until u get back on your weels... u'll probably lose some lights, but the mission can continue... as i said, i'm still a noob so i don't know if this could really happen with that design.

The experience made me a smarter builder, but with my early game landers i used to fix my tip problem due to high CoM and inexperienced piloting with well placed SAS, was really not elegant solution, but it worked perfectly witout damage to the lander.

What about attach the comms on the back of the batteries facing up 45°? or in the flat section of the cockpit on the front, near the hatch.

Edited January 21, 2014 by Keymaster89

[Landge]

Nice rover design! One of the problems you'll need to overcome is flipping over when braking or turning. Especially on low gravity moons and planets.

I disabled the brakes to the front and rear wheel pairs while in the SPH leaving only the middle wheels brake capable. I also disabled the middle wheels turning abilities leaving just the front and rear wheels to turn. Spreading your wheels apart helps too. Keep your speed from going over 20 m/s or so while driving flat and straight. 5 m/s or less to turn or when transitioning to go up or down a slope. Brake using short quick taps of the keyboard and you should be fine.

Edited January 21, 2014 by Landge

[Epthelyn]

(though planets need a bit more scenery I think, even if its just rocks or something)

You can turn on ground scatter in the graphics options menu. It adds rocks and trees to all but a few places.

[XOIIO]

Nice rover design! One of the problems you'll need to overcome is flipping over when braking or turning. Especially on low gravity moons and planets.

I disabled the brakes to the front and rear wheel pairs while in the SPH leaving only the middle wheels brake capable. I also disabled the middle wheels turning abilities leaving just the front and rear wheels to turn. Spreading your wheels apart helps too. Keep your speed from going over 20 m/s or so while driving flat and straight. 5 m/s or less to turn or when transitioning to go up or down a slope. Brake using short quick taps of the keyboard and you should be fine.

On kerbin gravity this one can turn at 14 M/s or so, higher and one side will start to tip over. I plan on only using brakes for parking. I sent a four wheeled rover to eve, one of the challenges there is because of the gravity you always start rolling, and can get fast quickly. I got up to 30m/s, I didn't dare brake or turn, or even slow down, I just waited to go uphill to slow down first XD

[XOIIO]

Oh, really? Well darn I wish I had known that XD

Can you collide with them? I think I recall seeing somewhere mention that you don't.

[allmappedout]

Oh, really? Well darn I wish I had known that XD

Can you collide with them? I think I recall seeing somewhere mention that you don't.

They have no colliders, and you can turn them on whenever you like, so go crazy!

PS: Really cool Rover design!

[Landge]

On kerbin gravity this one can turn at 14 M/s or so, higher and one side will start to tip over. I plan on only using brakes for parking. I sent a four wheeled rover to eve, one of the challenges there is because of the gravity you always start rolling, and can get fast quickly. I got up to 30m/s, I didn't dare brake or turn, or even slow down, I just waited to go uphill to slow down first XD

That must have made the kerbalnauts pucker factor go through the roof! lol!

[XOIIO]

Well, one thing's sure this thing won't go up with it's engines, however even just the cage and lander are tough, that assembly weighs a bit over 62 tons.

I'll also only be able to have two LV-N's powering it, three and the fairings damage the other engines, usually taking out two or all three. I will send that up with two rockomax jumbo tanks to dock onto the main bit, but getting that main bit up is proving troublesome. With four mainsails, three around the outside, feeding the inside, then being dropped when empty (a one stage asparagus basically which is what I do for most things) got it closer to orbit, but it started dropping before it was even halfway there, it would never have made it :/

Two most difficult parts are going to be launching this thing and landing it :/

[radonek]

First, you don't really need the cage assembly. You can land directly on the wheels, they are quite sturdy.

Second, SAS is imo single most useful device on rover – it can save you from flipping over. If you are falling from higher up, it can turn you wheels-down to better absorb damage. Quick hit of an F key saved my rovers plenty of times. (disclaimer: I don't like to snail around at 4/ms)

And if you haven't done so already, go to controls configuration and change rover keys to something else then reaction wheels use.

[XOIIO]

I need the cage because there isn't a good way to attach the rockets to it without very obvious radial attachment parts on the sides,and I decided to leave the SAS on the rover. It's currently in orbit waiting for it's engines. I just wish I could use decouplers without fairings so that I could have three LV-N's instead of two.

[radonek]

Why don't you just use good 'ol LV-909 then? No problem with decouplers and two tons of fuel extra should make up for lesser efficiency.

[Taki117]

I need the cage because there isn't a good way to attach the rockets to it without very obvious radial attachment parts on the sides,and I decided to leave the SAS on the rover. It's currently in orbit waiting for it's engines. I just wish I could use decouplers without fairings so that I could have three LV-N's instead of two.

You could use radial decouplers (And I think there is one in the aerodynamics tab that doesn't leave anything behind) which would save you some weight with the girders. That also seems like a lot of engine for simply landing on Duna. You just need to slow down, not land completely, let the parachutes do most of the work. Figure out when the chutes deploy and begin slowing down there, then right before they open completely burn again, and then burn whatever is left right before impact. I landed a rover with the ruggedized wheels on Laythe and hit dirt about 23m/s broke all the wheels, but nothing fell off. Sent a kerbal over and fixed them right up.

[XOIIO]

My previous experience with duna lends me to think that chutes won't do much, and I am sending this unmanned. I have a crew of 3 already stranded in a broken down ship, this is to "rescue" them and to then transport them around to the ice caps and other areas of interest.