M916A1 for Fire Department

[Happyland1410]

I thought I would share a few pictures of the M916A1 that we are building into a tanker for our volunteer fire department. This is one big truck that makes our M35A3 look small. We will be setting it up to carry 2000 gallons of water. We will use two 4 foot diameter 1000 gallon poly tanks to keep the center of gravity low. I will post more pictures as we make progress on this build.

 

[rtk]

Nice paint job . Are you planning on mounting a portable pump for refilling your tanks ? How will you mount your tanks ? Would it be easier to just get a used tanker for your water source . My brother started his Department with MV's from the government , so I know that it's all hands on deck and what's involved in making a tanker out of a MV! good luck , looks good so far . bob k

 

[Happyland1410]

Finally getting close to putting our tender in service. I just have to install and wire the emergency lights and put the fire department decals on the door. We changed from our original plans and used a single 2,350 gallon poly tank.

 

[Artisan]

Sweet! Nice project for the community.

Will it be in the 4th of July Parade?

It gets garaged yes?

Look into the UV stability of the tanks. The sun can kill those things.

If it is garaged all the time you will be OK I think.

Does it carry a ground "pool" / tank ?

 

[Artisan]

Look up Clearance lights code, FMSCA I think it is.

I believe I see you need clearance lights ;

A 3 Light ID bar in the rear. (over so many inches wide)
Side clearance lights.
Rear Clearance Lights

Arguable, Amber clearance lights at front of flatbed.

Load in your Reflective triangles (3) of them and have a
licensed Air Brake company sign off on the brakes...

Be sure to address reflector demand as well.

It is best to carry two small hydraulic jacks. One to get it
somewhat off the gound and another to lift it the rest of the
way to change a tire. Cheater bars, BUDD Socket and extension
tools are needed as well as a spare.

It's tough building these things to code, ask me how I know!

 

[Happyland1410]

Yes, this will be kept inside our station except when on a call. We don't yet have a drop tank. We usually just fill brush trucks or feed an engine when on a scene. We will carry 1-1/2 hose and a nozzle so that we can also fight fire from this truck if needed.

I am working on the additional lighting now. We built a light bar that goes at the back of the tank that has the 3 ID lights as well as emergency lights and LED work lights for the pump area. We also have a light bar for the back of the cab which has 3 ID lights facing the rear and more emergency lights front and back. It is hard to see in these pictures but the cab does have the factory amber clearance lights. We also have the clearance lights and more emergency lights for the sides of the bed. We plan to have this thing lit up like a Christmas Tree This will also be our truck of choice to block an accident scene on the road.

I will post more pictures as we complete this project.

Look up Clearance lights code, FMSCA I think it is.

I believe I see you need clearance lights ;

A 3 Light ID bar in the rear. (over so many inches wide)
Side clearance lights.
Rear Clearance Lights

Arguable, Amber clearance lights at front of flatbed.

Load in your Reflective triangles (3) of them and have a
licensed Air Brake company sign off on the brakes...

Be sure to address reflector demand as well.

It is best to carry two small hydraulic jacks. One to get it
somewhat off the gound and another to lift it the rest of the
way to change a tire. Cheater bars, BUDD Socket and extension
tools are needed as well as a spare.

It's tough building these things to code, ask me how I know!

 

[Happyland1410]

Just thought I would share a picture of our M916A1 at work protecting the community. I also included a picture of our M35A3 brush truck and an M978A2 from another department out on the same fire. You could see the relief on the faces of the elderly couple worried about the large grass fire approaching their house when we pulled on scene near their house with these beasts. We had 5 departments helping on this fire and no structures were lost so it was a good day.

 

[Bowmanvolfire]

Happyland1410: I would appreciate an update on this post. How is the truck working out these days? Any issues? Also, did your department sell the winch that came with it? Just curious what the market is for a 20 ton winch!

Thanks.

John
Bowman VFD