Rosenbauer Midmount Platform?

[TOWER412]

To Anyone,

Is anyone using or know of anyone using a Rosenbauer Midmount Platform. How do you like it and how is it working and performing its duty's for you. Also do you have a pump and tank on it. What do you like and not like about it.

Thanks for any info.

[bigjim54]

Nampa ID and Sterling CO have one

[Squad46]

Stay Away!

We have one of only a couple RK Aerials that was utilized by Seagrave in their Tower Maxx program. As a matter of fact I believe that we are the only Mid Mount TowerMaxx still owned by the original customer. Two others that i know of have been taken back by Seagrave and resold. The Seagrave portion of the vehicle is good, however the RK aerial is less than stellar! There is a lot of movement in the aerial when extended. I know that this occurs, but the RK seems excessive. We utilize the "Smart Truck" technolgie for the RK operting system. I don't, nor do any of the members have a problem with the operating system. It's just the overall tower that we don't like. We sold our 75ft Aerialscope and got this piece and what a mistake.

I have one suggestion for you. What ever brand you are looking at, please make sure that you operate it, touch it, feel it and base your decisions on that. Don't allow anyone to talk you into something that you know nothing about.

We are in New Jersey, really not far from you. If you want to travel west and operate our device your more than welcome to find out for yourself.

[WoodbridgeFFII]

Stay Away!

We have one of only a couple RK Aerials that was utilized by Seagrave in their Tower Maxx program. As a matter of fact I believe that we are the only Mid Mount TowerMaxx still owned by the original customer. Two others that i know of have been taken back by Seagrave and resold. The Seagrave portion of the vehicle is good, however the RK aerial is less than stellar! There is a lot of movement in the aerial when extended. I know that this occurs, but the RK seems excessive. We utilize the "Smart Truck" technolgie for the RK operting system. I don't, nor do any of the members have a problem with the operating system. It's just the overall tower that we don't like. We sold our 75ft Aerialscope and got this piece and what a mistake. One of the departments that had a RK/ Seagrave tower traded it in plus $ 200k and got a new Aerialscope in less than 1- year!

I have one suggestion for you. What ever brand you are looking at, please make sure that you operate it, touch it, feel it and base your decisions on that. Don't allow anyone to talk you into something that you know nothing about.

We are in New Jersey, really not far from you. If you want to travel west and operate our device your more than welcome to find out for yourself.

My department looked at buying your old Scope, our fire commissioners made a very big mistake by not doing so. Any way, I would look into the Kme 81' MM platform or the Pierce 95' MM platform. LTI built a good tower a few years back, also contact departments with a Sutphen tower !

[retiredchiefone]

To Anyone,

Is anyone using or know of anyone using a Rosenbauer Midmount Platform. How do you like it and how is it working and performing its duty's for you. Also do you have a pump and tank on it. What do you like and not like about it.

Thanks for any info.

If you are at the Wildwood conference, stop at the Rosenbauer exhibt and talk to the NJ Dealer. There will be a three section rear mount "Smart" platform at the show. Operate it for youself and then make your decision on how the unit performs.

[TOWER412]

Thanks guys for the response so far.

We have operated the 101' rearmount platform from Rosenbauer we were impressed with the operation of it. I know that RK had issues a few years ago and was wondering if those issues have been improved upon. I am trying to get the views of the guys that use them and such and not just from the sales rep for our area. Rosenbauer has already had their engineers come up with a truck that meets our really tight space for length and costume ladder tower.

We have also looked at Ferrara and have had the chance to operate Amityville's 85' ladder tower and have vids of me backing it into the firehouse to see how well it fights we never pulled up our bumpers at the time to try and get the truck all the way into the firehouse. I also had backed it in to close on the officer’s side. Also I just found out that that this truck is supposedly going to be at Wildwood.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TefZKmsNSGA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFX83AodVGA

Our next truck to look at is the KME ladder tower that is two towns away and that is an 81'.

[Weruj1]

3 lbs of ladder in a 2 lb station !!!!!!!!!!!! nice park job !!!!!

[VanIsleEVT]

The first code 3 response that overhead door opening would get wider by about 4 feet!

With a house that small you need a Metz Problem solved AND you'd have the best ladder available.

[TOWER412]

Our other thing we have to watch is our height of the trucks we can't go over 11 foot. The Rosenbauer rep had said that the Metz wouldn't fit to tall plus we don't like the way it is designed and setup with it's turntable assembly and the body is because of the huge turtable also the turntable has a huge tail swing which kills off any short jacking. I have seen a photo of one short jacked but it didn't help the Metz because they could swing the ladder any more because the tail swing on the turntable was up against a rescue truck that it parked along side. We prefer the midmounts and having the bucket in the rear after having the scope we have now and the snorkel we had.

Also it's more like 5 lb. firetruck in 2 lb. station.

And also 10 lbs. of tools and such in the 5 lb. compartment.

[FD1976]

I'd re-chassis the scope and re-furb the boom.

[TOWER412]

We have already talked and looked at doing. For the $200,000 saving we felt it wasn’t worth it. Also we do not want to be without a truck for 10 months. The other thing is we like the idea of having a ladder to be able to use without having to bring the bucket down all the time to change out our guys and such. Plus we are gain more height and horizontal reach with the ladder towers. We love the scope for how strong it is and what it can do and having the side mounted waterway but the way things are change in town we need the horizontal reach now and a lot of it and be able to fit in a length of 44’ and 11’ high max to fit the firehouse. For the ranges of height between the ladder towers we are looking it goes from 81', 85', and 88' and for the horizontal reach it is 73', 81', and we are still waiting for the last one. Compared to what we have now which is 75' high and 66' reach. And also the cost where we can get a ladder tower for $980,000 compared to the scope which would run us $1.5 mil if Seagrave can even make it with the pump and tank and as right now they cant because even the truck that are just towers they have pushed their front axles they us to the weight limits.

[GTRider245]

Are you guys not considering Sutphen?

[TOWER412]

We looked at the sutphens and are not impressed with them we don't like how they are setup and designed. They had also looked them when they where looking to replace our Snorkel and they had chosen to go with the Scope we have now.

[WoodbridgeFFII]

Hey Tower412, If you are going down to Wildwood this week take a look at the displays of Toyne & Marion Fire apparatus, they maybe using " LTI Ladders" on there aerial products. I think that Rosenbauer stopped selling to smaller builders ? They both build on Spartan chassis.

[Rescue101]

Our other thing we have to watch is our height of the trucks we can't go over 11 foot. The Rosenbauer rep had said that the Metz wouldn't fit to tall plus we don't like the way it is designed and setup with it's turntable assembly and the body is because of the huge turtable also the turntable has a huge tail swing which kills off any short jacking. I have seen a photo of one short jacked but it didn't help the Metz because they could swing the ladder any more because the tail swing on the turntable was up against a rescue truck that it parked along side. We prefer the midmounts and having the bucket in the rear after having the scope we have now and the snorkel we had.

Also it's more like 5 lb. firetruck in 2 lb. station.

And also 10 lbs. of tools and such in the 5 lb. compartment.

I think you will be REAL unhappy when you try to short jack any of the others.In the instance of the Metz you cite,the other rig was placed.......Poorly.FTR We have a Smeal and shortjacking is a royal pain requiring two people to do.Good luck in your quest but anything you get will likely be a learning curve from your 'scope particularly in Setup. T.C.