Reed Timmer: The Extreme Meteorologist

Reed Timmer is probably the most extreme meteorologist you'll ever meet. He's made his name chasing tornadoes, hurricanes, and blizzards all across the country. What the hell are you doing? Got this under control. To aid in this incredibly danger profession, he's developed a series of one-of-a-kind storm-chasing vehicles.

Timmer's vehicle, Dominator 3, started life as a Ford truck. It's a diesel engine with a 6.7-liter capacity and is all stock, but it also has an airbag suspension system that allows the vehicle to drop flush to the ground, preventing wind from getting underneath. This feature prevents the vehicle from being lifted by strong winds, which is crucial for safety. The Dominator 3 also features hydraulic-powered spikes that can go into the ground and anchor the vehicle in place.

Inside the Dominator 3, the armor is 16 gauge steel with a polyethylene kevlar composite on the outside. This protects the occupants from projectiles flying at speeds of up to 150 or 200 miles per hour. The vehicle weighs around 11,000 pounds, which is quite heavy due to its robust design and materials.

The Dominator 3 also features a window lift system with double-paned glass for added protection. A lever on the right side allows the driver to drop the spikes into the ground, creating a secure anchoring system. This feature enables Timmer and his team to collect data that other people cannot safely collect inside the tornado.

The Dominator 3 is not cheap; its price tag is around $750,000, which is equivalent to about 10 brand-new Corvettes. However, it's worth noting that this vehicle was built in Southern California, where tornadoes are relatively rare. Timmer wanted to explore alternative methods of creating powerful winds to simulate a tornado.

Timmer claims he's built a "tornado-proof" vehicle and has invited experts to test its capabilities. To put the Dominator 3 to the test, they've recruited a stunt coordinator who is wearing an oxygen tank for safety reasons. The vehicle is equipped with a jet engine that can produce winds up to 1,300 miles per hour.

The experiment involves flying over a tornado using the L-39 Albatross jet engine. The team is using this opportunity to test the Dominator 3's capabilities in extreme wind conditions. As they approach the tornado, they're prepared for strong winds and debris flying through the air.

To demonstrate the vehicle's capabilities, Timmer has deployed the Dominator 3 into a simulated tornado scenario. The team is navigating the vehicle through the intense winds, using their skills to avoid obstacles and collect data. As the wind speeds increase, the vehicle shakes violently, but its sturdy design keeps it stable.

The team is equipped with an air monitor that measures wind speed and direction, providing valuable data for meteorologists and researchers. They're also wearing protective gear, including oxygen masks, to ensure their safety during this intense experiment.

As they fly through the simulated tornado, the team is using the Dominator 3's capabilities to gather valuable data on tornadoes. This research will help scientists better understand these extreme weather phenomena and improve storm forecasting models. The Dominator 3 has proven its worth as a tool for storm chasing, and its unique design has made it an essential part of Timmer's team.

The experiment is quite intense, with wind speeds reaching up to 200 miles per hour. However, the team is experienced and well-prepared, using their skills and expertise to navigate the vehicle through the extreme conditions. As they fly back out of the simulated tornado, they're relieved to have completed the test without incident.

Timmer's work is not limited to storm chasing; he also explores alternative methods of creating powerful winds. By using jet engines and other innovative technologies, he's pushing the boundaries of what's possible in meteorology. The Dominator 3 is an impressive example of this innovation, and its capabilities will undoubtedly contribute to a better understanding of tornadoes and extreme weather phenomena.

The team is eager to continue their research, exploring new ways to use technology to improve storm forecasting and weather monitoring. By combining cutting-edge equipment with expert knowledge, they're creating a powerful tool for scientists and researchers. The Dominator 3 is more than just a vehicle – it's an extension of Timmer's expertise, providing valuable insights into the world of meteorology.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enokay in this segment you're gonna meet a guy named reed kimmer now reed was the guest with me on the tonight show he's a storm chaser that's what he does he chases storms he analyzes them and he documents them okay now on the tonight show we met him on this show we'll meet him again but we'll also meet his vehicle it's called the dominator it's a heavily modified ford truck well modified to withstand tornadoes and hurricanes if that's even possible oh and you also meet a vehicle called the rologon now i saw this thing and i'm still not sure what it is so yeah you be the judge we all know there are some dangerous jobs out there that require very tough very specialized vehicles but there's one job that really takes that idea to the limit the tv weather man no not the dorky guy that stands in front of a green screen of points weatherman like this guy all right here i'm on a severe storm just to the west side of lamar right now a man like that needs a vehicle that's tornado tough hey it's good to see you again good to see you i mean the last time we were together i guess it was 2011 you're on the tonight show with me yeah it was eight storm seasons ago that's right i guess now you did storm chases for four years i thought it was just a fascinating program because you can't fake it you know so much reality tv okay you do this and i'll do but with a storm you don't even know what's going to happen yeah you certainly can't uh fake a tornado when you're out there reed timmer he's probably the most extreme meteorologist you'll ever meet he's made his name chasing tornadoes hurricanes and blizzards all across the country what the hell are you doing i got this under control and to aid in this incredibly danger profession he's developed a series of one-of-a-kind storm-chasing vehicles now this started life as what one of the big uh the big ford trucks yes this is dominator three started off as a ford f-350 right it's a diesel engine 6.7 liter it's all stock in there but it does have an airbag suspension so we can drop the whole vehicle flush to the ground right and that prevents the wind from getting underneath and also has hydraulic powered spikes and those can go into the ground even the runway here six or eight inches and that's what keeps us anchored to the ground inside the tornado so this is the inside and this armor right here is 16 gauge steel okay with a polyethylene kevlar composite on the outside and so when projectiles are coming in at 150 or 200 miles an hour they'll get deflected and they won't penetrate the inside of the dominator 3. and what does this thing weigh well it weighs 11 000 pounds okay and so the very heavy weight and the aerodynamic shape deflecting the wind that's what keeps us anchored to the ground so this is the window lift system okay the double pane gives it added protection and the lever on the right is how we drop it down to the ground so that those are the spikes actually going into the runway which we didn't want to do we told not to do that but i made holes accidentally there i think but yeah we don't but we do want to do that when the tornado's coming and then we can measure data that other people can't safely collect inside the tornado that's our anemometer up there that measures the wind speed in the direction building the dominator didn't come cheap the price tag about 750 000 you could get 10 06 corvettes for that now obviously in southern california you don't really get tornadoes here but i'm thinking where and how could we create the wind of a tornado and i got an idea reid claims he's built a tornado proof vehicle well that means we got to put it to the test with jet power this l-39 albatross is a jet engine that can produce winds up to 1300 miles per hour to prove its power we've recruited his poor unsuspecting old beater show you what we're talking about this car's in trouble there it goes wow that was a side wind it would have rolled nice great i think we proved this experiment is significantly dangerous let's give it a try ready to go yes let's do it it's gonna be intense in here let's go tornado hunting we even got a stunt coordinator in the back with an oxygen tank that's greg what's it to worry about i've had a good life yeah you got oxygen mask where are those just on the side right i want to find that tornado that killed my paw perfect get ready to deploy all right put it in park put in the brake there we go we can handle up to 200 miles per hour with this no problem yeah no problem okay here comes the win you feel about the little that's a good win well we're getting some good win now whoa whole thing is shaking this thing's moving 11 tons and of course it wouldn't be a real tornado without some debris flying at us and here comes basketball luckily those basketballs are missing man here it comes oh wait i tell you we're very good at dodging basketball here's the one there we go the whole thing is shaking wow here we go there we go we should put our oxygen on that thing okay i'm all right okay put it into the wind we can handle big time winds yeah 200 250 miles per hour if we would turn even sideways we'd roll over wouldn't we yeah sidewind we'd have big problems yeah yeah like bouncing around now we got to drop it down today i'm drop it down drop it down here this is about what it's like get a tornado okay hi es2 weaker you have free type tornado we've got an air monitor and how long does a tornado last generally if it's slow moving it can last for up to several minutes that's intense you feel it does the dominator style i've seen that happen one time at wyoming believe it or not flying cow this is great if you want to recreate what a tornado is like well you need a jet you need a dump don't even try it dominate the storm there you go uhokay in this segment you're gonna meet a guy named reed kimmer now reed was the guest with me on the tonight show he's a storm chaser that's what he does he chases storms he analyzes them and he documents them okay now on the tonight show we met him on this show we'll meet him again but we'll also meet his vehicle it's called the dominator it's a heavily modified ford truck well modified to withstand tornadoes and hurricanes if that's even possible oh and you also meet a vehicle called the rologon now i saw this thing and i'm still not sure what it is so yeah you be the judge we all know there are some dangerous jobs out there that require very tough very specialized vehicles but there's one job that really takes that idea to the limit the tv weather man no not the dorky guy that stands in front of a green screen of points weatherman like this guy all right here i'm on a severe storm just to the west side of lamar right now a man like that needs a vehicle that's tornado tough hey it's good to see you again good to see you i mean the last time we were together i guess it was 2011 you're on the tonight show with me yeah it was eight storm seasons ago that's right i guess now you did storm chases for four years i thought it was just a fascinating program because you can't fake it you know so much reality tv okay you do this and i'll do but with a storm you don't even know what's going to happen yeah you certainly can't uh fake a tornado when you're out there reed timmer he's probably the most extreme meteorologist you'll ever meet he's made his name chasing tornadoes hurricanes and blizzards all across the country what the hell are you doing i got this under control and to aid in this incredibly danger profession he's developed a series of one-of-a-kind storm-chasing vehicles now this started life as what one of the big uh the big ford trucks yes this is dominator three started off as a ford f-350 right it's a diesel engine 6.7 liter it's all stock in there but it does have an airbag suspension so we can drop the whole vehicle flush to the ground right and that prevents the wind from getting underneath and also has hydraulic powered spikes and those can go into the ground even the runway here six or eight inches and that's what keeps us anchored to the ground inside the tornado so this is the inside and this armor right here is 16 gauge steel okay with a polyethylene kevlar composite on the outside and so when projectiles are coming in at 150 or 200 miles an hour they'll get deflected and they won't penetrate the inside of the dominator 3. and what does this thing weigh well it weighs 11 000 pounds okay and so the very heavy weight and the aerodynamic shape deflecting the wind that's what keeps us anchored to the ground so this is the window lift system okay the double pane gives it added protection and the lever on the right is how we drop it down to the ground so that those are the spikes actually going into the runway which we didn't want to do we told not to do that but i made holes accidentally there i think but yeah we don't but we do want to do that when the tornado's coming and then we can measure data that other people can't safely collect inside the tornado that's our anemometer up there that measures the wind speed in the direction building the dominator didn't come cheap the price tag about 750 000 you could get 10 06 corvettes for that now obviously in southern california you don't really get tornadoes here but i'm thinking where and how could we create the wind of a tornado and i got an idea reid claims he's built a tornado proof vehicle well that means we got to put it to the test with jet power this l-39 albatross is a jet engine that can produce winds up to 1300 miles per hour to prove its power we've recruited his poor unsuspecting old beater show you what we're talking about this car's in trouble there it goes wow that was a side wind it would have rolled nice great i think we proved this experiment is significantly dangerous let's give it a try ready to go yes let's do it it's gonna be intense in here let's go tornado hunting we even got a stunt coordinator in the back with an oxygen tank that's greg what's it to worry about i've had a good life yeah you got oxygen mask where are those just on the side right i want to find that tornado that killed my paw perfect get ready to deploy all right put it in park put in the brake there we go we can handle up to 200 miles per hour with this no problem yeah no problem okay here comes the win you feel about the little that's a good win well we're getting some good win now whoa whole thing is shaking this thing's moving 11 tons and of course it wouldn't be a real tornado without some debris flying at us and here comes basketball luckily those basketballs are missing man here it comes oh wait i tell you we're very good at dodging basketball here's the one there we go the whole thing is shaking wow here we go there we go we should put our oxygen on that thing okay i'm all right okay put it into the wind we can handle big time winds yeah 200 250 miles per hour if we would turn even sideways we'd roll over wouldn't we yeah sidewind we'd have big problems yeah yeah like bouncing around now we got to drop it down today i'm drop it down drop it down here this is about what it's like get a tornado okay hi es2 weaker you have free type tornado we've got an air monitor and how long does a tornado last generally if it's slow moving it can last for up to several minutes that's intense you feel it does the dominator style i've seen that happen one time at wyoming believe it or not flying cow this is great if you want to recreate what a tornado is like well you need a jet you need a dump don't even try it dominate the storm there you go uh\n"