FLATBED STYLE WILDLAND FIRE BODIES

Flatbed Demo Available! Click for Details.

This style of truck is built on the one ton and "Super Duty" chassis of your choice.  It is best suited for the dedicated purpose of fighting grass fires but can carry quite a bit of equipment to back up additional operations or act as a vehicular rescue truck.  Fire Departments usually purchase flatbed style wildland units for the following benefits:

• Maneuverability
• Turning Radius
• Minimal Body/Maximum Water
• Dedicated Use Requiring Minimal Equipment
• 4 Wheel Drive Capability for Off Road Use
• Ability to Fight Fire "On the Run"
• Ease of Remounting Body to a New Chassis
• Ease of Reconfiguring Existing Body for New Mission

(Click Here to see more pictures of this type of unit.  The linked page will take a while to load.)

Here are just some of the features that set our Wildland trucks apart from the competition! (Click on the feature for more detail.)

• Quality Construction
• STRUCTURAL STEEL BODY
• ROTATING FIXTURE   
• UPF WATER TANK
• CET FIRE PUMP
• ENGINEERED ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
• PPG PAINT/7 YEAR WARRANTY   
   

QUALITY CONSTRUCTION
If you take the time to read through the descriptions of our features that are explained below, you will see that we have taken the time to carefully design and build this apparatus to the highest quality standards.  It did not start out as chalk lines on a floor or dimensions scribbled down while measuring somebody else's body.  As with all of our products, it started out as, and continues to be, a labor of love on our part.  We truly want to build the highest quality product we can within a reasonable price frame.

There are many ways to save money when building fire apparatus and not all of them are good.  Some methods only help the builder and hurt the customer.  We have chosen a different route.  The entire apparatus is designed to be able to build efficiently where it will benefit both us and our customers.  If something might save us on the bottom line but will adversely affect the quality of the apparatus, it will not even be considered.  Our philosophy is to save the customer money in every way possible without affecting the quality of the final product.

Further, since we use only stainless steel nuts, bolts and screws, we will not be wasting your time and our time replacing rusted fasteners on units under warranty.  By only using the highest quality wiring products and best practice wiring methods, we can avoid the frustrating electrical problems that plague some customers.

Regarding welding, we subscribe to the old adage, "It takes less time to do it right the first time than to redo it."  Consequently, all welds are performed by a certified welder.  Joints that are intended to be welded are designed with input from the head welder who is further responsible for the selection of all gases, wires, consumables, and equipment used in the welding department.

STRUCTURAL STEEL BODY
Most flatbed bodies that are currently available are constructed with very little structural material.  The majority of the parts used are simply sheet material that has been formed into a channel or angle.  Yes, that method saves a little on weight but, it also sacrifices strength.  Just take a look at one of these "off the shelf" flatbeds that have been in use for a couple of years.  Unfortunately, most fire departments expect their equipment to last a lot longer than four or five years.

We have chosen to build with structural steel for the entire flatbed structure.  The use of higher cost aluminum is reserved for the added options.  This allows us to fabricate an extremely strong flatbed body that is dimensionally smaller than it would be to get the identical strength out of aluminum structural shapes.

ROTATING FIXTURE
The flatbed is initially assembled in a fixture to dimensional consistency from one unit to the next.  Once the parts have been correctly and squarely tack welded in place, the entire body assembly is installed in a rotating fixture.  This fixture allows the welder to perform all finishing welds in a flat, horizontal position (position 1 welding).  The result is that all welds are consistent in both penetration and appearance.  The welder does not have to change settings to accommodate vertical, overhead, or other positional welding changes and can work at a comfortable height in a comfortable position.

The rotational fixture is also utilized during sand blasting and painting to ensure that no area gets missed in either process.

This is one of those processes that not only saves us time and expense during fabrication, it benefits the customer through a much higher quality product at a reduced cost.
 

UPF WATER TANK
In keeping with the goal of top quality components, we use UPF brand, polypropylene water tanks.  The standard size is 300 gallons.  Should you wish to use a chassis with less capacity than a "Super Duty" there is a 225 gallon model available.

The Defender UPF tank we use is backed by the best warranty and service in the industry.  Since the water tank is not protected from the sun on wildland apparatus, the plastic used in building the tank is UV stabilized to ensure a pleasing appearance and maximum performance for the life of the apparatus. 

A panel at the rear of the tank is translucent from the top to the bottom to allow the operator to instantly see how much water is available.  This type of tank gauge will never let you down and will never require replacement bulbs.

CET FIRE PUMP   
The standard pump is a CET model PFP-18hpHND-MR, midrange model.  It is rated as follows:

   250 GPM @   50 PSI
   160 GPM @ 100 PSI
   100 GPM @ 150 PSI
     25 GPM @ 200 PSI

The engine is a Honda 18 horsepower model with electric start and recoil backup.  A six gallon fuel tank supplies enough fuel for extended operations and is detachable so additional tanks can be filled and ready when needed.

An exhaust primer is integral with the pump and is capable of and guaranteed up to a 20 foot lift.

This pump has always been one of our best sellers  We have found it to be very reliable due to the Honda engine.  The wide range of capabilities makes it a great fit for almost any fire ground requirement one can expect from a portable pump.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
No truck is any better than its weakest link.  In fire apparatus, that weak link has proven to be the electrical system.  Electrical systems have become increasingly complex over the years.  Even something as simple as a light bar will now come with a 16 wire harness.  Modern options are also considerably more complex than in the past.  To combat that problem, we chose to start with an engineered system.  

In the process of designing the system we attempted to address the problems that have passed through repair shops over the last ten years.  The electrical system was even addressed in the design of the body components to keep the system protected as much as possible.

Here are some of the benefits of our engineered electrical system:

• All loads are switched through relays to accommodate high current loads,
• Minimum current in wires within the passenger compartment,
• Packard sealed connectors at the connection point of all serviceable equipment,
• Dielectric compound used in all connectors subject to weather,
• Automotive GXL type color coded wires with crossed link polyethylene insulation,
• Heat resistant split loom used throughout,
• Proper loom connectors instead of taped joints,
• SAE Type 1 automatic reset circuit breakers on all emergency circuits,
• Master warning switch to activate multiple, selectable loads,
• Double crimp wire ends grip conductor and insulation,
• Heat shrink tubing applied to all double crimped connectors,
• Continuous wire runs,
• Vertical organizer holding switch box and siren has room for radio,
• Each circuit designed to carry 125% of actual load,
• Less than 5% voltage drop in any circuit wiring,
• And, much more.  

PPG PAINT WITH SEVEN YEAR WARRANTY
Once all major components have been installed and removed, the body is prepared for paint.  The reason to install the components first is to ensure a full paint film beneath these items.  By avoiding masking the body we avoid the edges caused by masking tape.  These edges are a great area for corrosion to start so we simply eliminate the possibility of them becoming a problem years down the road.

The entire flatbed body structure is sandblasted to a white finish and then immediately primer painted. Then, the body is finish painted to PPG guidelines.

Even though we follow PPG guidelines to the "T" and use the best quality supplied in the preparation and painting process, problems might still occur.  In fact, Murphy's Law is more at home in the fire service than any other occupation we are aware of.  This is when the value of the PPG 7 year warranty really can be appreciated.  No matter where you live, there is bound to be a PPG authorized warranty repair center nearby.  Your truck can be repaired locally, saving on down time and travel.

1-800-264-0017 - Call Us Today!

                            1-800-264-0017  Call us today!

Copyright © 2006 David's Fire Equipment
Last modified: 02/19/08