Suburban Slicktop

FD7FF

I have been thinking about this for a while now. Our squad just got a new suburban as a tour chief's truck. He wants it slicktop. We have some nasty intersections in our area (5-way intersections, 4 lane highway crosses, ect.) What he really wants to focus on is side and rear power, for the front we are most likely gonna do a Whelen Visor bar, 4 TIR3's in the grill, hide aways and wigwags.

Pat H.

I would also look into Mirror Beams or something similiar. You are definitely going to need intersection warning.

The Fire Barn

I would look at doing some 500 600 or 700 series linear8 led's in the grill and on the nose of the burban instead of the tir's in the grill. they will be more visible from more angles, I also like the idea of the mirror beams. do that with a supervisor or an inner edge, as well as a set of hide a ways and mabe also another set of 500 600 or 700 on the rear quarter pannel and rear hatch you should be well lit. you could skip the rear hatch if you do the red and amber in the rear tail lamps. keep in mind that there is a standard for a department to go by, you can get into alot of trouble with your insurance company if you get in an accedent and have not met the standards in place. I can't find my lit on it rite now, but a good place to start would be whelen's NFPA lighting guide, although it only covers aparatus.

Hugh A.

Would any slicktop setup be NFPA compliant?

The Fire Barn

I would immagine it is possible as long as it meets light output requirements, on all levels and zones. As I did more research on this topic the only stuff I can find is standards set forth by the NH statepolice I am not sure that NFPA has a standard for smaller vehicles. I also looked around to see if there is a standard for LEO vehicles and didnt find much eitherl. I may have been mistaken. never the less, a good proportionate lighting system, will always serve you well.

Pj

I don't recall that this type of vehicle would fit the 1901 Apparauts definitions, but if its going to be a chief's trucks, and there are serious intersection conserns, I would talk him into a traditional setup.

Its just not worth the risk just to be low key. Its fire equipment! Smile

Doug (MD)

[quote:cc500b5f13=\"The Fire Barn\"] I also looked around to see if there is a standard for LEO vehicles and didnt find much either.

Posted: Wed 16-Nov-2005 09:07 Post subject:

I am going to go with PJ on this one- go the conventional route. I do not see any real reason to have an 'undercover' fire unit.

Posted: Wed 16-Nov-2005 12:15 Post subject: Re:

[quote:e76c52925f=\"Doug (MD)\"]The only standard I've ever seen for law enforcement vehicles requires only that the vehicle's warning devices can be seen for 360 degrees, and, if I recall correctly, that a marked unit have alley lights. No candela output requiresments, zone requirements, or anything like that. But it's been a few years.

Posted: Wed 16-Nov-2005 13:02 Post subject:

while I dont see a need for an undercover fire unit. People are trending towards not having lightbars, and I'm guessing that his cheif does not like them, and does not see the benifit of them on his buggy. But in this day, with inneredges and supervisors, and all of the other devices that are offered that permit you to have a lower profile vehicle, I don't see that you MUST HAVE a light bar the way you once did. If they went with a setup similar to what I and so many others have out lined, it should be more than sufficiant to make the buggy visible from 360 deg. I would onder if people would take the vehicle seriously if it isnt decaled though. A lightbar tends to provide a certain \"professionalism\" or authority that an undercover setup, at this point, does not express. just my .02 Bart

Posted: Wed 16-Nov-2005 13:14 Post subject:

I think the conventional lightbar option would better enable the operator to help out at a scene, be it with takedowns, alleys, or a traffic director.

Posted: Wed 16-Nov-2005 13:49 Post subject: Re:

[quote:d4bfaff48d=\"LFD-Mike\"]I think the conventional lightbar option would better enable the operator to help out at a scene, be it with takedowns, alleys, or a traffic director.

Posted: Wed 16-Nov-2005 20:42 Post subject:

If it's the squad's truck it should be marked and have a lightbar. Unless it won't fit in the garage. I know NFPA has a catagorie for small apparatus, whether or not it applies I'm not sure. If he is set on slicktop I would use mirrorbeams and some serious LED's the fenders along with hide-aways and wig-wags. I would also use a brushgaurd or similar mount on the front for siren speakers and at minimum 400 series lights. Tir3's are cool in small spaces, but not for full size Suburban. I'd put a light over the mirror and some lights in the rear windows. Sure you can't talk him into a Liberty or other low profile bar.

Posted: Thu 17-Nov-2005 13:32 Post subject: Re:

[quote:4cfaaf67ac=\"The Fire Barn\"]While this logic sounds nice, when was the last time you used your own pov let alone a chief's buggy for scene lighting. also a TA on a burban in all but the largest profile lightbars will not be viewable.

Posted: Thu 17-Nov-2005 15:18 Post subject:

You want impressive lighting along the sides of the vehicle, right? Rear sides: Mount a 4-head Dominator against the fixed side windows to the rear of the vehicle -- they're at nearly optimal height for back quarterpanel lighting (perhaps a touch high depending on your suspension.) Front sides: Flush mount a 500 Series Linear LED on the front quarterpanel, or on the side of the brush/winch guard (if applicable.) Again, a fair bit of bright light. Front sides, also: Use the off-axis light on a Supervisor/InnerEdge/ILS to increase front intersection warning. Rear: Many studies reflect on the improved traffic safety with just amber lights to the rear. In cases where backloading (the practice of having significant red/blue/white light to the rear) is eliminated, traffic flow improved and accidents decreased. I'd suggest a LED TA -- the sequence on/sequence off feature really lights up the rear in a sea of amber light.

Posted: Thu 17-Nov-2005 19:57 Post subject: Re:

[quote:cb7026a7e5=\"Dana\"] Rear: Many studies reflect on the improved traffic safety with just amber lights to the rear. In cases where backloading (the practice of having significant red/blue/white light to the rear) is eliminated, traffic flow improved and accidents decreased. I'd suggest a LED TA -- the sequence on/sequence off feature really lights up the rear in a sea of amber light.

Posted: Thu 17-Nov-2005 20:42 Post subject:

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. Finally after going to 3 different stations and coutless hours of debating I finall convinced him to go with a marked package.

Posted: Fri 18-Nov-2005 09:06 Post subject:

Good for you- I would go MX up front and an LED TA at the rear

Posted: Fri 18-Nov-2005 09:48 Post subject: Re:

[quote:bb6e3873f1=\"LFD-Mike\"]Good for you- I would go MX up front and an LED TA at the rear

Posted: Fri 18-Nov-2005 10:35 Post subject:

I agree, either an MX or an Excalabur would look good and be functional on a burban. I would also do a set of hide-a-ways and some kind of grill lights and a rear mounted TA either inside or on the roof rack. If you need pricing please call me, I am very competitive on code3 equiptment. A nice excalabur (x47a6) is $1269+sh a code 3 LedX arrow Stik is $561+sh a 4 head hide-a-way system is $200. For some lights on the nose of the truck I would say the Suface mount code3 \"3ups\" or \"6ups\" (opx3 or opx6s) the 3up is 75 and the 6up is 152. Both the 6up and 3up are syncable. These would be good on both the nose and as the grill lights. I would not use any Gen1 Led's. As the guy above suggests.

Posted: Fri 18-Nov-2005 13:03 Post subject:

You're still missing low(ish) warning around the rear quarterpanel of the vehicle -- something at or near driver eye level that provides a steady \"sense of the size\" of the vehicle. The idea to surface mount lights up on the front quarter panel is a good one (I'm biased, I proposed it too), but they need to be matched by either surface mounted lights at the rear quarter panel or (better) by a Dominator in the rear side windows. Just my thoughts....

Posted: Fri 18-Nov-2005 13:17 Post subject:

I agree that it is nice to have leds or strobes on both the nose and the rear quarter pannel, but I figured they would do what they wanted, i gave them the info, it was up to them to place it and descide on how many. Suburbans are realy easy to do up, I have a Tahoe, and my boss has a Yukon and had a Suburban, I have done a bit of work on them.

Posted: Fri 18-Nov-2005 13:21 Post subject:

Is the Suburban still two feet longer than a Tahoe? That's a LOT of extra ass... I have a Porsche slicktop (cause it's a softtop....a lightbar wouldn't fold during the warm months), and my entire CAR is the size of a Suburban rear quarter panel.

Posted: Fri 18-Nov-2005 14:04 Post subject:

well now the boss wants all fed.sig. lighting. i dont think i can win with this, he saw cuda tri-ops once and now he is obsessed. i need to beat some sence into him badly.

Posted: Fri 18-Nov-2005 14:49 Post subject:

Ya the Suburban is still a bit longer than the Tahoe. The Tahoe I have is one of the old body style ones (Squareish) so it is actualy almost the same size as a current suburban. We all love ours though. One of the things we like so much about them is the ability to cary about your car worht of gear, or sales stuff in them; and also to be able to see over cars. If you want to see an old Pic of my truck check out this link http://www2.bartzroom.com:987/BBSIG.jpg The pic is pretty old, I have bigger tires, mirror beams, and a brush guard on it now. But it is still the same color RED

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