Ep 62. Return of the Crop Duster!

In Roadkill Garage season 5 episode 62, titled "Return of the Crop Duster!", the hosts, David Freiburger and Steve Dulcich, take on a unique project - transforming a 1975 Chevy C10 pickup truck into a crop duster. The idea behind this unusual build is to create a vehicle that can fly through the air and spray crops with pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides, all while keeping its wheels on the ground.

To achieve this, the hosts start by removing the entire bed of the truck and replacing it with an enormous wing. The wing is made from lightweight aluminum and is constructed using a combination of welding and riveting techniques. Once the wing is in place, the hosts install a set of powerful engines whose exhaust fumes will help disperse the chemicals over the crops.

The build is not without its challenges, however. One major obstacle is the weight of the wing, which causes the truck's suspension to sag dangerously low. To fix this, the hosts have to reinforce the suspension with heavy-duty components and add additional leaf springs to support the weight of the wing.

Another challenge is ensuring that the chemicals are dispersed evenly over the crops. To achieve this, the hosts install a complex network of hoses, valves, and nozzles that are controlled by a sophisticated computer system. This system allows the operator to adjust the flow rate of each chemical and the angle of the nozzles, ensuring that the right amount of product is applied to each crop.

Throughout the episode, the hosts encounter a number of setbacks and complications, but they never lose their sense of humor or their determination to see the project through to the end. Along the way, they offer insights into the world of crop dusting, discussing the various chemical products used in the industry and the challenges faced by farmers in maintaining healthy crops.

In the end, the hosts successfully complete the build, creating a one-of-a-kind vehicle that is both practical and impressive in its design. The "Return of the Crop Duster!" is a must-watch episode for anyone interested in the world of farming, engineering, or creative vehicle design.