Fire Truck Testing in the Dunes! ADDED VIDEO

7d9_z28

7d9_z28

New Member
Mar 15, 2012
3,048
985
West Michigan
Last edited by a moderator:
  • Like
Reactions: JennyCop, jph2, nerdly_dood and 1 other person
The forward facing array of warning equipment, long range driving lights, and utility lighting is VERY impressive.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 7d9_z28
That's one tiny cab. Wait until they try to put structure and wildland gear bags in there.
 
801 said:
That's one tiny cab. Wait until they try to put structure and wildland gear bags in there.
Click to expand...
It does give the advantage of a short wheelbase.
 
It wouldn't look so bad if it didn't have a raised cab.  Regardless, you would have to do a LOT of convincing to get me to believe that a high-center-of-gravity truck with hundreds of gallons of water over the frame rails would be REMOTELY stable off-road.
 
Added link to a facebook page with video of it testing in the dunes, cant figure out how to embed it here.
 
vonirkinshtine said:
It wouldn't look so bad if it didn't have a raised cab. Regardless, you would have to do a LOT of convincing to get me to believe that a high-center-of-gravity truck with hundreds of gallons of water over the frame rails would be REMOTELY stable off-road.
Click to expand...
I'm not a fan of having something top-heavy on an unstable surface, but you definitely need to have a raised cab for something like this that's going to be going in dunes and off-roading. I also don't imagine it having more than a 200-250 gal booster tank.

The lighting package sucks. I do like the powerarc effect, but I personally would only spec them as a grill light (not rear or side perimeter or for lightbars) b/c I think they're super pricey and think flashing surface-mount lights are more effective than oscillating-type lights. I also think that the volt is the ugliest lightbar in the world. The XT isn't bad though (but I wish they oscillated faster like the MX sweeps)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
801 said:
That's one tiny cab. Wait until they try to put structure and wildland gear bags in there.
Click to expand...
Don't forget the FF operating the gun, strapped down to the deck by his/ her boots.  (Think the guitar player in Mad Max.)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
JazzDad said:
(Think the guitar player in Mad Max.)
Click to expand...
So they have the guitar hooked up to a water tank instead of a fuel tank? Or are they gonna use him for large-scale somewhat-controlled burns?
 
He's just providing the music to spur on their firefighting efforts.
 
post-18710-0-05296900-1435283221.jpg

The "item snagger" hoses that are used to inflate and deflate the tires are not firefighter proof IMHO.  And why would you put one of the last type of lights with moving parts on a truck for off road/sand dunes?  This calls for the flushest fitting lowest profile lights you can get, these are cool, but the opposite.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
You know, I had thought there HAS to be a better way to setup a central tire inflation system, the older Hummers didn't have big ass hoses sticking way out. I do not know for sure if thats a final decision or just prototype for now, but as for the PowerArcs.... HME sure loves their PowerArcs, despite being about 25 minutes or so from SoundOff. As per their facebook page, it appears at least half the trucks they build have them.

Methinks I need to see if HME does facility tours, or if they are hiring. Cause they are not terribly far from me, and all said and done I still love this truck!
 
Hey, I took those pictures! lol

The tire inflation system on this truck was a prototype.  Over all it got around decent, they have some work to do with tires and pressure before it's perfect.  I was able to drive it around for about 45 minutes and was impressed.  Mostly because I was driving that in the sand dunes.  It has 500 gallons of water onboard but did not have any other equipment.  Once weighted down I'm sure it would struggle a bit more trying to climb the soft hills.  But on the more level areas it would still do great.  
 
I've driven bucket trucks when I was a mechanic for the power company that had air systems like that called airboss. The 2wd with the airboss system had a few axleshafts replaced because it tried pulling out a stuck 4wd that didn't have the system lol
 
Hey, I took those pictures! lol

The tire inflation system on this truck was a prototype.  Over all it got around decent, they have some work to do with tires and pressure before it's perfect.  I was able to drive it around for about 45 minutes and was impressed.  Mostly because I was driving that in the sand dunes.  It has 500 gallons of water onboard but did not have any other equipment.  Once weighted down I'm sure it would struggle a bit more trying to climb the soft hills.  But on the more level areas it would still do great.  
Click to expand...

Awesome! I work at HME now, but I have yet to see an HXR in the shop or on the property. We are currently building a boatload of International crew cab 4x4s for CALFIRE.
 
I'm sorry but the lighting on this truck is just awful. That has to be the most ineffective application of PowerArcs I've seen. Honestly I'm not the biggest fan to begin with but watching this only reinforced my opinion.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum Statistics

Threads
54,804
Messages
453,265
Members
19,562
Latest member
bone

Share This Page

Share this page
Top Bottom
Back