If you like storms and especially tornadoes, you may have seen the series Storm chasers Discovery or movies as impressive as Twister, or maybe, even if you don't know much English, you've been amazed watching Tornado alley, by Sean Casey, director of the aforementioned series, and who was also the one who created the Tornado Intercept Vehicle, better known as TIV.
To intercept a tornado and enjoy it, it is essential that the storm chasers travel in a vehicle that can withstand the force of these meteorological phenomena that fascinate many people, and above all, keep those inside it safe. This is the vehicle that hunts tornadoes.
What are TIVs made of?
TIVs are essentially armored vehicles. Heavy steel plates welded to the bodywork, polycarbonate armored windows about 4 centimeters thick, and all of this assembled on, first a Ford F-450 (TIV 1), and later on a Dodge Ram 3500 (TIV 2).
Weight is important when intercepting a tornado, as the heavier it is, the safer it will be. Thus, this vehicle exceeds seven tons, and is powered by powerful engines. They also have a deposit with a maximum volume of 360 liters of diesel, which is enough to travel neither more nor less than a distance of 1200 kilometers.
But in addition to being able to travel long distances without refueling, it is also necessary for them to be able to circulate on all types of terrain, so with the TIV 2 the creators reduced, as far as possible, the height of the underbody, and improved the power. and traction of the wheels so that they could avoid obstacles better. And if that was not enough, They included some bars that offer greater support to the vehicle the moment a tornado passes overhead.
Very interesting vehicles, right? If you want more about the storm chasers, click here.