Idea Page

[MG3610]

Found this by accident. Its a great idea (regardless of the manufacturer).

http://www.antietamfireapparatus.com...ea/page_01.htm

[Command6]

My compliments to the photographer.

They seem to have a keen interest extended front bumper designs.

Thanks for sharing the link.

C6

[confire]

Some great pictures, but this one has me wondering if there is enough room to connect/disconnect the hose using a wrench.
If it is intended for use with hard suction the gasket may be over sized and could require a wrench. If soft suction hose were pre-connected for any length of time a wrench would be required to disconnect it.

Pictures are sometimes deceiving and may be the case here.

[chiefengineer11]

My compliments to the photographer.

They seem to have a keen interest extended front bumper designs.

Thanks for sharing the link.

C6

KME has or had at least one engineering tech person whose entire job was front bumper designs. My niece's (FWDbuff's cousin's) ex is or was one of them.

[52shelby]

Just because they built it doesn't mean that it works.

I think I see what they were trying to do. Why not just skip the trough? I'm not sure that you could store any usable amount of hose in there.

Looks like an exspensive experiment.

[CanadianFyrTrks]

Just because they built it doesn't mean that it works.

I'm not sure that you could store any usable amount of hose in there.

Looks like an exspensive experiment.

Looks Like you could fit a very tightly rolled section of 50' hi-vol....

Not a bad Idea, but as you said... costly experiment, too much bother to pipe around the cab, I'd rather have a floating pan by the panel with a length or two.

[Bones42]

We have a very similar setup on both our engines. 35' roll of soft sleeve in the trough, but it's not preconnected. Gives us the option of using the soft sleeve, using hard sleeves for draft, or just hooking to the front with a normal 5" LDH. As for the piping, it's really not that hard. Hard pipe with smooth turns and it's done. We used to draft often with our 1500gpm pump flowing that amount. The few times we've had to use a wrench, it has worked out as long as the wrench is kept more vertical.

[mayares]

Their quality and workmanship is no match to PIERCE! KME has been putting out junk for as long as I can remember. Aerial trucks whose compartment doors won't open when the truck is jacked, leaf-springs breaking and going through the body of the truck, etc. Is that the tackiest bell you have ever seen on the front bumper? World Class Junk!

[Rescue101]

Koolaide drinker? Having worked around a KME platform,I had no problem opening or closing doors. There are a number of REPUTABLE builders BESIDES Pierce.Pierce makes a nice vehicle but they certainly ARE NOT the innovators they make themselves out to be. T.C.

[Opinionated]

Beverly NJ runs a 1996 Duplex/Marion with an identical front intake setup.

They preconnect 25' of 5" with a 4 1/2" long handle NST coupling on one end, and the 5" storz connection on the other end. It's worked fine for them on numerous jobs throughout the rig's life. As far as working hard sleeves, this they don't have experiance with because the truck doesn't even carry hard sleeves. (They have never pulled a draft other then training since the 60's)

Personally, I prefer the large swivels for front intakes, but I know on this Duplex chassis, there is no bend in the plumbing greater then 25 degrees until the pipe reaches the back of the cab. Over the axle they used 4" high pressure hose with many hangers and a lot of padding and support. The loss in this front suction arrangement has proven to be very minimal, as opposed to other designs.

[RedBaronl32]

Isn't it just as easy to put a 90 on the steamer and carry another piece of hose?

[FyredUp]

Their quality and workmanship is no match to PIERCE! KME has been putting out junk for as long as I can remember. Aerial trucks whose compartment doors won't open when the truck is jacked, leaf-springs breaking and going through the body of the truck, etc. Is that the tackiest bell you have ever seen on the front bumper? World Class Junk!

Yes, another victim of the kool aid amongst us.

Look, seriously, you like Pierce, good for you. Doesn't mean you have to be an infantile jerk over other companies rigs. I have seen and ridden on some fine pierce rigs. I have also seen some that were never going to make the Pierce hall of fame. Get over yourself, add something productive, or go back to your xBox and leave the grownups alone.

[MG3610]

Isn't it just as easy to put a 90 on the steamer and carry another piece of hose?

Yeah, its just that easy.

[CAL5330]

You could always go straight through the bumper. Eliminating 2 - 90 degree bends,and still be able to use hard suction.

[ffmedcbk1]

You could always go straight through the bumper. Eliminating 2 - 90 degree bends,and still be able to use hard suction.

however that is not ideal if you do ports tank ops due to the height of the suction not being higher than the tank wall.