Cantankerous Hits the Highway
Are We There Yet?
As we loaded up in Minnesota and prepared for our 2 week road trip to Texas, it was only fitting that it was pouring rain outside. Already tired and soaked, we set out on the road. At over 180,000 lbs. and 109 ft. long, our Centurion transport was classified as a superload. A superload is a load that exceeds a states’ permit limits of length, width, height, or weight. They require specific routes and can only move at certain times in the day to ensure the safety of the load and other motorists on the road. For us, this meant we were to avoid large cities and travel only during daylight hours.
Our rig included our semi, freshly painted with dark green to match our Centurion and several decals including the invasion star and a shark mouth decal on both sides. We used a 10-axle trailer to help distribute the weight of our 112,000 lb. Centurion as it would stay loaded for the next four days.
| Origin | United Kingdom |
| Weight | 112,000 lbs. |
| Caliber | 105 mm |
| Speed | 20-22 mph |
Centurion Mk V
The Centurion Mk V is a British Main Battle Tank introduced in 1945 and was used in post WWII conflicts. It is considered to be one of the most successful tank designs of the post-war era. Produced until the 1960’s and kept on the front lines into the 1980’s, the Centurion proved to be a reliable and well rounded main battle tank for much of the 20th Century. Several changes were later made to the original design. The Mk V added several improvements, the most important being the 105 mm main gun. With 4,423 produced, the Centurion remains in use throughout the world and has even been modernized by some countries who continue to keep them in their military.
In order to transport our Centurion, we had to chain it down in 12 different spots to ensure it wouldn’t move along the way. As for the gun, the turret was rotated to the back in order to secure it for the long drive. This way our Centurion was tightly packed and ready for the 1,500 mile trip.
On our first day we traveled through South Dakota and into Nebraska, stopping in the small town of Snyder, Nebraska. We had hoped to find hotel accommodations. but the sleeper of the semi and the back of the pickup was enough to get by for the night. In the morning, we were in need of a parking lot big enough to turn around in and came across Danko Emergency Equipment. They had just enough room for us to turn around in and were very welcoming to our Centurion. It’s not everyday you have a 112,000 lb. tank in your parking lot!
The second day of driving got us through the rest of Nebraska and into Hanover, Kansas where we stopped at a Pony Express. While it wasn’t the flashiest truck stop, it was just what we needed to relax for a few hours while we waited to meet up with our pilot car. Once back on the road we made it to Hutchinson, Kansas where we stopped for the night.
On the third day of driving, we made it through the rest of Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and into Texas, stopping for the night in Hillsboro, TX. We ended the day a few hours early and had some time to look around the town. We even tried the Texas cuisine and ordered Whataburger for dinner! With only a few hours left to San Antonio, the weight of transporting a tank across the country started to ease and we could feel ourselves starting to relax.
The fourth and final day of driving, we made it to San Antonio and arrived mid-afternoon. However, our work was just beginning as the production in collaboration with WWE and Wargaming was set to take place the following week. In a promotion for WWE’s SummerSlam and World of Tanks video game, the production lasted two days and involved WWE’s Kofi Kingston and Big E. Events such as running over a dollhouse and crashing into a wall of hay were all part of competition: Wrestler vs. Tank. To see who won, check out the videos below!
Behind the Scenes
A special thanks to the production crew for braving the Texas heat and making our Centurion look its best against the WWE’s wrestlers!
Check out the results!
See how our Centurion was transformed into a SummerSlam masterpiece and how it fared against WWE’s wrestlers.