Product innovation is driven by competition and meeting the needs of the end user. Developing new technologies to better equip the operator is what Sewer Equipment had in mind when designing and adding the Tempest industrial air mover to its line of RAMVAC products.

“We started by asking operators what challenges they experience in their everyday use of this kind of equipment,” says Ashley Stuart, Sewer Equipment’s marketing manager. “We worked hard to develop a machine that solved many of those problems.” The result was the Tempest, which features multiple exclusive components that focus on ease of use and efficiency for the user.

“The Tempest is the only truck on the market that allows operators to keep working while recognizing maximum debris capacity,” Stuart says. It’s able to do so by utilizing a unique self-discharging automatic filter system. The filter system will automatically clean the filter house during vacuum operations, which reduces the downtime of unnecessary baghouse cleaning when the debris box is not full.

Also noteworthy is its articulating, extendable knuckleboom. Designed to improve operator ergonomics and increase cleaning efficiency, the knuckleboom provides 4.5 feet of extension with 16 total feet of working length and a 270-degree range of motion. The boom’s knuckle will hydraulically hinge back and forth, providing support to the vacuum tube when extended. Operators also have the option of pairing the knuckleboom with a Trident wireless remote to operate the boom from far distances in situations with hazardous environments or when operating alone.

The Tempest also offers a fully opening rear door, making it possible to remove the entire contents of the debris tank with one dump. To make off-loading materials simple and effective, the truck comes standard with a 50-degree dump angle and 50-inch clearance from splash plate to the ground.

“The Tempest comes with a wide variety of options to fit the needs of every operator,” Stuart says. Add-ons such as a hydroexcavation package, a body vibrator to break up dry debris and a boom catwalk for maintenance are some of the options operators can choose to improve the truck’s efficiency and safety.

According to Stuart, the Tempest has received good feedback from contractors. “The truck is very easy to operate, which limits training time between operators, and the self-cleaning system provides much more time between bag changes.” 888-477-7638; www.sewerequipment.com.