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LIGHT DUTY WALK-AROUND RESCUE TRUCKS

Bay, Arkansas, Light Duty Rescue, Front Right CornerLight Rescue trucks are built on the one ton and "Super Duty" chassis of your choice.  They are best suited for dedicated purposes but can carry quite a bit of equipment to back up additional operations as well.  Fire Departments usually purchase light duty rescue trucks for the following benefits:

  • Maneuverability
  • Turning Radius
  • ISO Service Truck Requirements
  • Dedicated Use Requiring Minimal Equipment
  • 4 Wheel Drive Capability for Off Road Use

 

(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 rescue trucks apart from the competition! (Click on the feature for more detail.)

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.
 

Aluminum Body

Using aluminum for the primary body material has two distinct advantages to the customer.  First, it is lightweight which translates into greater payload capacity.  Second, it is inherently more corrosion resistant than steel.

Our rescue truck bodies are built from 5052-H32 aluminum sheet that is either 1/8" or 3/16" thick, depending on the function of the particular part.  We have chosen to use this series of aluminum due to its excellent tensile strength vs. endurance limit characteristics.  Nearly every builder who uses aluminum with break and bend building practices uses 5052 aluminum for the same reasons. 

An additional advantage of using this series of aluminum is that it is work hardened as opposed to tempered.  This means that the heat created by welding will have a less dramatic affect on the strength of the material.

With the break and bend process, each part is carefully formed to maximize usable compartment space while minimizing apparatus weight.  Additionally, our craftsmen have maximum flexibility in design since they are not forced to adapt a customer's wishes to the structural elements that are the backbone of their design.  Instead, they are free to design primarily around the customer's desires.  Isn't that the way it should be?


Roll-Up Doors

Standard Light Duty Rescue Body, Right SideRoll-up doors are standard.  There are many advantages roll-up style doors offer your department.  On rescue style bodies they have become the standard because they allow full access to the inside of a compartment.  Swing-out style doors can become barriers to personnel using a truck, especially when there are two compartments that are side by side and both doors are open.  To combat this problem departments have been installing roll-out trays which are not free.  Since the cost of a regular, hinged door is roughly the same as a roll-up style door, adding roll-out trays only serves to Standard Light Duty Rescue Body, Right Side, Doors Opendrive the price of a body up.  We are not against roll-out trays, we just feel that they should not be forced on a customer because of bad apparatus design.  With the roll-up style door, a body can be much more functional for less expense. 

Additionally, when swing-out style doors are opened on both sides of a body, the total vehicle width is dramatically increased.  This may not seem like much of an issue but, rescue trucks are often used on busy highways or crowded streets where the additional width can put the safety of personnel at risk by forcing them to walk into traffic or into ditches to avoid the doors.


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,
  • SAE Type 1 automatic reset circuit breakers on all emergency circuits,
  • Double crimp wire ends grip conductor and insulation,
  • Continuous wire runs,
  • 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 body is sanded to meet the requirements set forth by PPG to get maximum adhesion between paint and body material.  In fact, PPG guidelines are carefully followed throughout the entire painting process.  That is why we are capable of extending the PPG 7 year paint warranty to our customers. 

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!

Copyright © 2006 David's Fire Equipment
Last modified: 02/02/22