So I recently purchased a new 2015 Ram 2500HD. I'm going to be lifting it 6" and putting aftermarket wheels and tires on it. I'll also need to use it for responses to scenes and or the station. I'm on the fence about even putting my lights back in it mainly because I can't decide if seeing a lifted truck go down the road with lights on it is professional or not? I have all Feniex lighting, a Pegasus and T6s (8 of them) and a cobra 600 bar. What are yalls opinion on it?
Opinions on upfitting a lifted truck?
- Thread starter firemedic10584
- Start date
Carlos SpicyWeiner
Lifetime VIP Donor
Different culture down here than up north. I'm sure its a common thing up north. If you need to respond in a vehicle then upfit it and f what everyone thinks. Just be safe. That is the name of the game.
And before other jackwagons get on here and say that is not safe to respond in because it doesn't handle well or will roll over... there is nothing here that says you have to respond at high speed. If lights can get one or two vehicles out of your way to get you there slightly quicker and safer then they are worth it.
And before other jackwagons get on here and say that is not safe to respond in because it doesn't handle well or will roll over... there is nothing here that says you have to respond at high speed. If lights can get one or two vehicles out of your way to get you there slightly quicker and safer then they are worth it.
That's my thinking. I don't drive carelessly or even use high speeds, rarely go above 50mph and that's if I happen to be on one of the main roads. I'm sure you're familiar with Dundee, it would mainly be just so I'm identified when I'm on scene POV.
I wouldn't. Seeing a jacked up truck with lights would scream WHACKER to me.
Ah, I don't plan on going whacker on it...I have a Feniex Pegasus in the windshield currently. I'll probably put 2, maybe 4 T6s in the grille and 4 T6s under the tailgate and call it a day. The department and town I use my POV at is just a small town, so there isn't any major highway or interstate usage. Mainly just residential areas.
Good point. It's a $60K truck, I guess just because it sits up a little higher doesn't mean I can't use it for responses. I'm going to end up doing the install, just curious to see everyone elses thoughts on it.
Carlos SpicyWeiner
Lifetime VIP Donor
Meh. Personally I have immense respect for the volunteer that can't afford anything but an old busted Kia yet still donates his time to serve the public for FREE. All this while putting together a safe lighting package for responses. I think it's an asshole comment to dog a volunteer that can't afford a nice car. Everyone's life is different. There are people that live off the system but I'm venturing to bet most of our volunteers are hardworking men and women who are just having a tough time getting by.
JohnMarcson
Administrator
My only concern would be insuring a vehicle that....
....a good truck deserves good lights. Take some time and do this right. Plan on using off road lights? If so you have just added a bunch of options. Keep it purpose based and high quality.
- is raised / modified
- is used for emergency response
- is in
MichiganFlorida
....a good truck deserves good lights. Take some time and do this right. Plan on using off road lights? If so you have just added a bunch of options. Keep it purpose based and high quality.
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Jarred J.
Lifetime VIP Donor
JohnMarcson
Administrator
[SIZE= 13px]No way, he'd be taking on over half the internet[/SIZE] ....
Jarred J.
Lifetime VIP Donor
7d9_z28
New Member
Having a lifted truck is practically a requirement for living here in MI. Also, a 6" lift is not that drastic these days.
But the OP is FAR from Michigan, in fact Im the only one so far to comment here thats in MI, so maybe we need to pitch in for glasses for John
Zapp Brannigan
Lifetime VIP Donor
One thought would be to have sufficient "lower" on the vehicle body, since the Pegasus will be a lot higher than most standard vehicles visibility in mirrors due to it being lifted, have lights in the grille or lower on body to make sure lighting is at a reasonable visible height to catch the mirrors of vehicles you are approaching.
Go for it, I have a 14 Ram 2500 with a 3" lift and 35" tires. My current setup is 2 split color SOS ghosts on the grill, 2 mini phantoms in windshield, federal cuda signal master on back rack, 2 split color cannons in reverse light location and a sm2000 controller headliner mounted keypad. In my garage is a box of goodies from FEVER that I haven't had time to install yet, Apollo dual color visor will replace the mini phantoms, dual color Apollo 800 will replace my cuda traffic advisor and 4200 controller with storm pro and Bluetooth will replace my sm2000
bullfrog4ever
Member
Go for it. As others said, make sure you have proper lighting in the right spot so drivers can see it. I don't see a problem with it as long as its adequately lit and you don't drive like an a**.
I have a neighboring department that has a F350 brush truck with a 9" lift. Granted it's response vehicle, but if you only see it pull up in the rear view mirror, unlit, it looks like joe-smo with a big friggin truck.
If lit correctly, there should be no issue.
My 2 cents...
I have a neighboring department that has a F350 brush truck with a 9" lift. Granted it's response vehicle, but if you only see it pull up in the rear view mirror, unlit, it looks like joe-smo with a big friggin truck.
If lit correctly, there should be no issue.
My 2 cents...
I realize now that comment sounds bad and could be interpreted differently than I intended. I didn't mean it negatively but if it came off like that I apologize. I completely agree with you.
Thanks for all the input guys - I went out and did some measurements yesterday on where the truck SHOULD sit height wise once the lift is on...It's really not going to be that drastic. With that said, I'm going to keep the pegasus in the windshield and mount my cobra 600 in the opening in the lower bumper. I think that should cover my lower level warning quite nicely. The back, I plan on mounting 4 T6s under the tailgate and syncing them up with two red and two yellow modules.
JohnMarcson
Administrator
I guess typing Michigan instead of Florida is my "Freudian state slip". I must consider them the same level of frightening to drive in. Actually I had five tabs/windows open and was trying to add a joke line to the post and looked at the wrong OP to get the location to put in the joke. Maybe I'm getting too old to multitask....
No matter what frighting state you call home, follow your dept rules and local laws and there is nothing wrong with lighting this vehicle, just plan it out and keep it purpose based.
No matter what frighting state you call home, follow your dept rules and local laws and there is nothing wrong with lighting this vehicle, just plan it out and keep it purpose based.
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pdk9
Member
just remember to focus your lighting in the grill area b/c that's what ppl are going to see as the primary warning. Honestly, I'd see some of the T6 in favor of some new widelux for the grill. Otherwise, I'd stick the cobra in the grill and use the T6 for perimeter warning (ie running boards, rear LP, etc). The way to be professional is to not drive like a douche & to not go overboard with 800 lights flickering on seizure patterns (just remember that proper sync is your friend & more is not always better).
If its gonna be significantly taller than other vehicles, make sure you have solid low-level warning, and whatever top warning you have (i.e. Pegasus) should have a slow flash pattern that's particularly oriented toward long-range warning, cause it's gonna be useless up close if your headlights are the tallest thing people are gonna see in their mirrors.
TritonBoulder47
Member
Mine wasn't as lifted as yours is going to be, but this is what I did with my 95 Tahoe... (3" body lift with custom Z71 Suspension upgrade, about 5-6" overall lift with the larger tires)
Whelen 9622 12 Strobe Edge
Whelen Dual Talon (below RVM)
Whelen MirrorBeams with LIN-6s
Whelen TIR-3s
Your best bet is to mount something front and low, like in the lower grill or fog lights...
Whelen 9622 12 Strobe Edge
Whelen Dual Talon (below RVM)
Whelen MirrorBeams with LIN-6s
Whelen TIR-3s
Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I finished wiring the main power distribution block up today and wired the pegasus in just so I can have something if needed for now. I'll be looking at mounting the cobra either on the lower bumper where there is a cutout where it would fit perfectly, or behind the grille. The rear, I would like to have 4 T6s total back there - 2 on a LP bracket and 2 mounted under the tailgate. Have them sync'd up in a semi-X pattern and slow alternating. I've got all the lights and parts. Just finding the time to do it all is my problem at the moment.
Wow. What an ignorant comment. Just because it isn't a common plarform doesn't mean its a wacker. It all depends on the lighting is done, as well as the function of the vehicle.
I don't think that he meant any disrespect towards volunteers. But while you believe its an asshole comment to dog a volunteer for using a less than desirable vehicle (which i agree with), i would say the same could be said for someone who sees "whacker" because he decided to upfit his lifted truck.
If you want people to pull over and you want to be treated like an emergency vehicle, then act like it. To be honest, if I see a lifted truck coming up behind me with lights and sirens, I'm not sure what I would do. My first thought would be some high school kid messing around.
Just my two cents.
tsquale
Lifetime VIP Donor
In the last town I lived in, that was the case on several occasions unfortunately.
7d9_z28
New Member
If you have high school kids in your area driving BRAND new lifted trucks, I'm moving to your neighborhood. Sounds like money grows on trees. Rich kids at my school (in a very nice/fairly wealthy area on Lake Michigan) just drove their parents Mercedes to school.
I'm just a standard civilian, but, if I see ANYTHING behind me with lights and sirens, I move over. Its the damn law and its common sense/respect. Volunteers drive their own vehicles, just because a VFF has a nice lifted truck doesn't mean he isn't in a hurry to put out a fire. If you don't pull over for an emergency vehicle just because YOU don't like the way it looks, you are an idiot and interrupting a possible life saving event.
You sir, can suck a lemon.
The same could be said for volunteers who use every day sedans or SUV's. (like the Kia's mentioned earlier). Just because its not a typical emergency vehicle platform, does not mean it should be dis regarded as such. One of the Battalion chief vehicles I built, an ford F-250 has a leveling kit with a winch bumper. From the front it looks like a standard lifted F-250. So your telling me if you saw it in your rear view mirror running code 3 you wouldn't get out of the way just because its not what you would consider an emergency vehicle platform? Not very smart.
Just my two cents.
bullfrog4ever
Member
I would end up having a problem with many drivers in my area if this was the case, as we have several members that have lifted trucks, new and old, that respond.
But, luckily, many people already know and many departments in our area are still volunteer or volunteer/full time departments, so 99.9% of drivers thankfully pull over for us. I've always been taught to give right away to the volunteers since I was little. Long before it was required law to give right of way to us.
Eric1249
Member
Way way back I had a Ford Escort GT. Big old Firebeam in the windshield. I stopped to visit a friend at his work. Lady came in an she said that she was in a hurry because she was in a no parking zone in front of a cop. Well she was parked in front of my car. Besides being kind of funny I think people just react to lights. I think if you have it lite well and drive reasonably you should be fine. I have a Ford Explorer with bigger tires then normal and quick lift shocks, and a brush guard and the trucker crowd thinks its a squad.
I read comments about lights being too low or too high on the front of a vehicle. Such as the comments about leds in the fog lights on a Charger. Well if I am driving my girlfriends car and if a squad was behind me and I couldn't see his fog lights, damn he would be too close if he is running hot. Sorry for the rant.
I have seen lifted grass/brush trucks. How is that different?
I read comments about lights being too low or too high on the front of a vehicle. Such as the comments about leds in the fog lights on a Charger. Well if I am driving my girlfriends car and if a squad was behind me and I couldn't see his fog lights, damn he would be too close if he is running hot. Sorry for the rant.
I have seen lifted grass/brush trucks. How is that different?
I'm not trying to start a pissing match here. OP asked for opinions on the subject, and I gave mine. No need to argue with me about it. Never said I wouldn't pull over, just said my first reaction would be to not know what to do and I would think someone is messing with me. Like tsquale said, more and more impersonators and HS kids have this stuff and are dicking around.
I also come from an area that disallows Fire/EMS POVs across many counties.
I also come from an area that disallows Fire/EMS POVs across many counties.
theroofable
Member
I'm pretty sure I would pull over, because that's what the law says. When something is behind me or I hear a siren, I don't take 5 minutes to decide if the vehicle is worthy of pulling over for. Come on.
Ya, not trying to start any drama here guys - I've since got my truck back with the lift. While it sits higher than most normal vehicles, I believe my Pegasus and the cobra 600 I'm going to mount in the lower bumper opening will work just fine.
Eric1249
Member
Station 3
Member
7d9_z28
New Member
You could smoke the T6 lenses and put them alot of places without them being tacky. The main arm of the mirrors being black, would be nice with smoked lenses and black bezels. Plus all that room between the tow hooks, not sure if they sync to the 600 but still.. How much room is between the toolbox lid and the top of the bed side? I mounted T6 on mine and they fit perfectly but my box is not an ultra low profile one.
My toolbox is too low pro to mount the T6s to. I need some side/intersection coverage and more rear warning - but I don't know if I want to drill under the tailgate to mount some or what I want to do at this point. The front is real well lit, so that's covered.