Fepp vehicles

[StayBack500FT]

I need ideas regarding military 5 ton 6x6's and Jeep 5/4 ton vehicles, my department has just aquired one of each to put in service through the FEPP. Any input would be appreciated!

[arhaney]

WE just built a 6 X 6 2.5 ton a couple of years ago, turned out very well and is very usefull. Does either one of your trucks have a winch on it? Check out our 2.5 ton at the following FEPP web site:http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/partners/fepp/success/successmswren.html

You will also want to check the Roscommon Equipment Center web site, they have a wealth of information available.

http://www.roscommonequipmentcenter.c om

Let me know if I can help.

[EFD840]

Stayback,

You may want to try and locate the guy that used to post here as SilverCity4. He was with the Silver City, Oklahoma FD. They have some really nice looking (http://home.webzone.net/~killerb/workinprogress.html) ex-army vehicles in their fleet.

[NJFFSA16]

StayBack old friend,

The advice about checking with Roscommon is excellent. They can advise you on all aspects of the process...cabinets, wiring, plumbing...they do it all.

The 6X6 can be equipped with tank, pump, 1 1/2" hose, 1" forestry hose, various gates, wyes, an assortment of hand tools including Pulaskis, rakes, shovels, McLeod tools, Class A foam, chain saw and extra PPE. It can be used for initial attack, if needed, however...it's most valuable asset will be for those prolonged, deep duff or groundfire situations. You know...those fires that burn below the surface for days and weeks on end.

Instead of tying up your initial attack engines....such as the F450 and Class A engines...the 6X6 can be left at the scene, providing hose, water and equipment for those situations. This allows your other initial attack units to be freed up for other duties. A lister bag and portable pump might also be considered as part of the package.

The 5/4 ton vehicle will be highly valuable in it's ability to navigate into those tough terrain areas...where you don't want to risk banging up your first line vehicles. Again, a pump, 250ft booster line and a 250 gallon tank will go a long way, along with a compliment of rakes, McLeod tools and some 1" forestry hose. You may also want to consider carrying a leaf blower to assist in building line. I suppose it depends on how much $$$ you want to spend.

However...the people who can give you the best advice are definitely those at Roscommon. They are the masters, when it comes to knowledge of FEPP rigs.

My agency just took an old 6X6 tanker....removed the tank, chopped the frame and coverted it into a super heavy duty wrecker. Now, when I bury the Dodge on one of those remote fire roads...they can come get me! We also have 6 or 7 of the 5/4 ton vehicles....and they are just monsters when it comes to travelling off road.

If you have more questions, feel free to e-mail me or send a PM. But take my advice....check with Roscommon dude.;)

[StayBack500FT]

Thank you VERY much!

I took some photos today. I'll send them along. Roscommon seems like the ticket.

Some guys were wondering how well 5 tons do off-road. (Assuming an idiot is not behind the wheel.)

[Rayr49]

Good point Stayback. They do quite well off road if the driver is not an idiot.

We have a policy of engaging all wheel drive, low range before going off road in all cases.

This accomplishes two things.

1. You are in all wheel drive so you stand a better chance of getting there rather than stuck because you waited to long to go to all wheel drive.
2. It cuts your top speed in half in all gear ranges but increases the torque to the wheels. This stops the 50 MPH across the field running and also minimunizes the chance of "powering out" in soft spots. These rigs are not known for being overpowered although there are turbo kits for the engines that make a world of difference.

Remember they have a fairly high center of gravity and should not be driven across steep slopes. They work fine for going up or down slopes but not sideways.

As with anything else "new", training is the key. Do some off road practice. You might also check with your local Army National Guard units. They probably have some experienced people that can give you some tips on operation.

Stay Safe
IACOJ

[StayBack500FT]

Originally posted by Rayr49
.

As with anything else "new", training is the key. Do some off road practice. You might also check with your local Army National Guard units. They probably have some experienced people that can give you some tips on operation.




DUH!!!!!!!!!! Why didn't I think of that? I've got some folks that would be GREAT at training our drivers!

This is all super advice!

[StayBack500FT]

The red one is ours...we are taking the bed from the 6x6 and placing it on a much, much better chassis.

[StayBack500FT]

Continued..

[StayBack500FT]

One more..

[kst9995]

Our department has several 2.5 and 5 ton 6x6s and I love them to death. They are reliable, capable, and no one cares if you scratch the paint or dent the body work. We outfit all of ours with at least 1000 gallon tank, hale portable pump, newton dump valve off the left side, 1.5" and 1" booster hose, and wildland tools. A couple things I'd highly recommend is to make sure you get one of the newer diesel only engines. These have a lot more HP than the older multifuels. Also purchase a headset with your radio for the driver to wear. Without it you go deaf real quick and all anyone else hears over the radio is a loud engine. Just my 2 cents.

Karl Tsen
FF/Paramedic
RCFD

[Ranburne]

We are using a 5 ton 1974 AM General, which came with a 1,000 gallon water tank. We installed a gasoline pump and built a mini deck gun using a 1-1/2" forestry nozzle. We also have a short 1-1/2" hose. Both of these can be run be personnel riding on a rear platform. This truck has been very successful in openland and areas with small growth trees. It also carries 300' of 1-1/2" hose for structure fires and a booster reel.