Brush Truck Manufacturers

[pmed19]

Can anyone point me in the direction of some good manufacturers of brush'/wildland trucks? We are looking at purchasing one and I would like to see what's out there. Also, any testimony that you can provide from one that your dept. purchased would be nice. We are located in Southern Illinois. IF you have any information that you would like to pass along please post or send to bucknerfire@yahoo.com

[pmed19]

Also, if anyone has a successful brush/wildland truck or pager grant that they can forward it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[onebugle]

We recieved a brush truck, in October, built as a joint venture between E-One & Classic Fire. Except for training and a couple of medicals, during snow storms (handled well), the vehicle has not had a real test. The guys like the compact size. I'll email a copy of our narrative on Thursday.

You can go to their website and see a vehicle (Fire Ranger) that is similar to ours.

http://www.classicfirellc.com/

[Stuart]

I'm working on the AFG grant for next year for a new brush truck.

Should I specify what type what type of chassis we are looking at (a Unimog)?

I'm unsure if that will scare the reviewers off, but on the other hand I may need to justify the higher cost of this chassis.

What $ is FEMA limiting for brush trucks?

If anyone has a narrative they are willing to share, please send it to scobb@willingtonfire.org

Thanks and good luck to everyone.

[islandfire03]

What does a Unimog chassis cost?? Seems to me that most of the successful brush truck grants were in the under 140,000 price range.
We applied for a brush truck with a skid mount Cafs unit priced at 146,000 total cost and were DJ'd last year. The success rate will depend on your cost /benefit ratio. The lower it is the better the chances are of being successful.

[Greenacres2]

Pmed...here's a similar model to what we ordered from Weis Fire Safety:
http://www.weisfiresafety.com/QA_500.htm

If you're looking for something more like OneBugle there's Alexis up in north western IL, they were a close second on the bid. Weis and Alexis are both pretty basic value mgrs, with a definite rural influence in their equipment.

Can't speak to the "cap" but going seems like 120,000 to 125,000 is getting up there. There's an '05 U500 on e-Bay (item # 230096516391) for $86,500. Brand new got to be high 90's if not more. For what we do, we're concerned with the height of the F-550 in some settings. The 'Mog is pretty tall!!

earl

[FFDFFD]

Here is a site with 8 pages of good details of trucks. Lots of different variations.

http://www.generalfire.com/Trucks/Ne...ewdeliver.html

[Limeforever]

Hey Earl, does yours have the flames? Have a local department that flamed out the front of their new International, and looks pretty good. Always catches eyes at the shows.

[Greenacres2]

The '73 had flames, but Chief told us not to drive the new through the fires.

Oh, you meant painted on??

earl

[BARNY750]

Check with Towers out of Freeburg. We bought one from them in 2003. Ford F450 with a skid unit. We like it. There are a few things I would change on it, but thats with everything. We have a foam pro unit on it, we use it for vehicle fires also. Works great.

PS-Dont get the dual rear wheels!!

[kd7fds]

Boise Mobile Equipment in Boise ID makes a lot of type 3 and type 6 wildland engines for Federal and California agencies.

Several departments in the area are using them for structure engines.

try

http://www.bmefire.com

[pmed19]

I have been looking at all the sites everyone has been sending. They are great. We are looking at Towers as one of our choices. We purchase most of our stuff from them. One of their salesmen is on a dept. next to us, so the service is great and he is easy to contact if we need anything.

What are some of the price ranges some of you have paid for your trucks. I have requested several quotes but not gotten any returns just yet.

[neiowa]

What does a Unimog chassis cost?? Seems to me that most of the successful brush truck grants were in the under 140,000 price range.
We applied for a brush truck with a skid mount Cafs unit priced at 146,000 total cost and were DJ'd last year. The success rate will depend on your cost /benefit ratio. The lower it is the better the chances are of being successful.

Chassis starts around 100K for 4x4. More for the 6x6.

[Not2L84U2]

Alexis Fire does some brush rigs. I know one of the departments in this area has one on order there right now.

[onebugle]

pmed19,

I have emailed a copy of our narrative.

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

I 2nd the no dually rear. We bought one a few years back with the diesel and dually. Thing sinks like a rock if you spit on the ground let alone actually flow water near it. The one in my station bought 2 years later is an F350 gas with mudding tires. Only time it's gotten stuck is when it went down to the bumper. Had to get a front end loader to pick it up and out, and I think we're still getting that mud off of it after almost 2 years.

[islandfire03]

Instead of duals go with the Michelin super singles and you will solve the problem of getting stuck

[pmed19]

onebugle,

i got it thanks.

I will keep the tire thing in mind.

Can you get F550 without duel tires?

[SamsonFCDES]

I have seen a LOT of brush trucks, used to fight fire for BLM, been volly for14 years in Montana. The best brush trucks, best workmanship, best design, simplelest operation, etc...I have come across are from these guys.

http://www.bgfire.com/

Most bang for the buck, fast turnaround time, all of the guys that work there are Volly firefighters so they build what they know works first hand.

Let me put it this way, a department just up the road bought a Pierce Contender brush truck, type 6, F550...for what they paid we could have built 4 BGfire type 5s!!!!! The guys with the Pierce are kicking themselves, they like our BGfire brush trucks better and wish they wouldnt have wasted the money.

For brush trucks I cant recoment the big manufacturers, for a pumper, yes, but not for brush trucks.

We plan on givng BGfire all of our business in the future, they have been great after the sales as well.

[patterson242]

Can anyone point me in the direction of some good manufacturers of brush'/wildland trucks? We are looking at purchasing one and I would like to see what's out there. Also, any testimony that you can provide from one that your dept. purchased would be nice. We are located in Southern Illinois. IF you have any information that you would like to pass along please post or send to bucknerfire@yahoo.com

Ferrara Fire Apparatus just built ours. We are very happy with it. Email me at patterson242@hotmail.com and I will send you some pictures if interested.