Have teams build pumping firetrucks. The competition would be to carry the whole team to a bonfire, and to then put the fire out. First fire out is the winner.

-- Louis Eugene Novak (louis.e.novak@usace.army.mil), January 18, 2001

Answers

That would be great. It would require a vehicle, a tank, and a pump. Hopefully this time there would be a real fire, not a propane one to be turned off at the appropriate time!

I don't think it would be too much more complex than building a boat, except that the water would have to be carried, and it would be complex to use the drive engine to run the pump.

My only thought is that it would have to be looked at from an "educational TV" point of view. It would be hard to have too much of a repeat on the UK series, but the US series may be able to do it.

-- Michael (Canadian P.Eng.) (michael@mks-tech.com), January 18, 2001.

I like this idea. I thought of something very similar. Instead of a fire truck, it was an off-road tanker. Basically, the two teams vehicles would have to draw a certain amount of water (about 400-500 gal) into their tanks. Then, transport the water to a certain destination (approx 2 miles away on a dirt or rough road) and off load the water into basin up to a certain level. First one to off load the water to that level wins. (Better not be short of H2O or it's back to the lake with you!)

The design challenges would be great. Not only for the pumps and plumbing (to draw and discharge water), but also for the vehicle that would have to be able to transport the weight of 500 gal of water (approx 4,200#). I would like to see the terrain be very difficult to travel, making 4X4 vehicles more desireable.

-- Doug Farrar (deadbolt1@yahoo.com), January 19, 2001.