f550 v10 fire truck

[MECHANIC88115]

Hello guys,

Well, We have completed the f550 fire truck project. I will post pic's as soon as I get them together. Just to refresh everyone on it, it is a red 2002 f550, crew cab, 4x4, V10!!!!!, 4.88ls, auto, air conditioning, koenig work bed, 300 gallons water, and other stuff I can't think of, I can say that for did there homework when designing these, not once did we ask, where can we bolt this, or hook this wire, there was always a spot when needed. The thing I find funny about it is ford decided to govern the f550 v10 at 85 instead of 95. but oh well, 85 is plenty. The power of the v10 is increadble, it don't even know the load is on it, and rides better than the chevy one ton I have. I will try to post the pic's soon, if you email me I will email them to you, or if they would like to put them somewere on here, let me know. If you have any questions ask, I will be glad to awnser them. Hope all is well, Mason

[F-250 Hoss]

I'm all for the gas engines...and I own one myself...but I must admit I'm surprised that you guys chose the V-10 over the PSD. What was the reasoning behind that?? Especially in the 550.

[MECHANIC88115]

Well Hoss, we chose the v10 for several reasons, one the noise of the diesel is to much for a rescue truck for us, there is enough noise going on without haveing to listen to the diesel, and so noone brings it up or ambulance is a 93 with the 454. Another reason, is that $5000 is alot of other stuff on a fire truck. The v10 is as much if not more powerful than the psd(go ahead I am braced for it). I do not like the psd(personal experience), and we could figure no way to justify the expence. Even with the load I got a 0-60 time of 14.35, that is pretty darn good, I don't think the psd would do that. I will try to weigh the truck so you guys will know what it weighs. Go ahead guys, ask away, I can awnser it, so sum it up, the v10 is a better engine, for what we do,and I personally feel tht it is enough engine for anything the truck will do, it will go speed limits doing anything, and have not hit any wind(80mph gust) that it would not do 85 easy. hope all is well, Mason

[f250hd22]

The F-550 is an awesome platform for a fire truck. I work for the BLM (Bureau of Land Mangement if ya didn't know) and we use F-550 4x4's for all of our light engines that we use for initial attack on brush fires. Ours all have the PSD, but Oregon Dept of Forestry uses the same truck with a V-10. Our F-550's with S&S fiberglass bodies, 300 gallon tank, 3 fire fighters, and equipment weighs around 14,000 pounds. I've been impressed with what the F-550 will take in abuse. I wish a couple of our engines would have the V-10 so I could drive one. Either engine is a extremely capable of doing what we want.

[ibuytoys]

The V-10 is an excellent engine and the F-550 is one hell of a truck! Congratulations on your new rig! -ibuytoys

[MECHANIC88115]

We are the only fire dept here, that has a v10, everyone else went with the psd, and one of our niegbors just got a new ambulance with the 8.1 chevy in it(That thing will run!!!!!!!). I think, but just a guess, that ours is going to clock in at about 16k, we don't have the diesel, but we do have all of the jaws of life(The heavy stuff), all our suplies for car wrecks, and extrications, and the bed is not fiber glass, it is steel, plus some medical equipment. The f550 is one tough truck, and besides that, it rides better than my dads two jeeps, and my chevy oneton. I like the 4.88 gears, with od it is not wound out at 85(2700rpm I think), and has plenty of power, I do wish the governer was at 95 instead of 85, but 85 is probably plenty. Hope all is well, Mason

[SCOOBY14B]

To each their own. I think you would get better service and life out of the PSD. I have been working on and specing apparatus of all sizes (ambulances, LD rescues, HD rescues, engines, aerials, etc.)for 10 years. We just took delivery of 2 EVI/F-550 Squads/ ladder tenders. Fully equipped with hydraulic tools, ladder company tools. med supplies, four men with gear and packs, stokes, airbags etc...they are only barely within weight limits. They are crewcab 2wd. They have a custom/ factory winch bumper with 12k winch, no generator, no water, no pump. I know the psd adds weight, but the V10 would be an absolute dog with this load. The PSD is working to move it. Our trucks are governed at 75 mph. All our apparatus are governed at 75mph max. Engines and aerials are governed between 56mph and 70 mph depending on manufacturer. 75mph is MORE than fast enough for a fully loaded fire apparatus traveling emergency.

I wish y'all luck with your truck. I find it odd that you have departments with gas powered ambulances. I know several years ago it was against kkk-1822 regualtions that an emergency ambulance be gasoline powered. They must have changed it.

Anyway...any questions fire away.

BTW...what was the cost of your truck?

Ours with equipment was right at $130,000+

[MECHANIC88115]

Hello,

The v10 is for sure not a dog, it is just as strong as the psd. I tested both, and several fire depts. in the county have the psd, the v10 is faster even with pushing the crew cab, and 4X4. We have 300 gallons of water, generator, all rescue tools, grass fire equipment, structure fire support equipment, and ambulance support equipment. The truck with equipment cost the dept probably 40 to 50 thousand, we built it ourselves. Our ambulance is a 1993 chevy type 1 and it has the 454 gas, the full time dept here tried to get a v10 ford ambulance, but the manufacture would not do it, so they had to get a psd. One will do 89mph, the other will do 104mph. Our fellow firedept to the west just bought a 2002 ambulance I have not heard who manufactured it, but it is a 2k2 chevy 4X4 type 1, with the 8.1(496) engine, and it governs out at 99. While we are on ambulances, I bet you don't see alot of depts running type 1. We got the first one in the county, and now there is 3 others, and the full time dept is switching over to completely type 1. We only put 12,000 miles on the 77 dodge this truck replaces so longivity is not an issue, and we couldn't care less about millage, but just so you know it is doing right at 10 right now. Our ambulance does 9. I like the psd, but not for what we are doing, it just is not workable. This truck wieghs about 16,500, and I think the gvw is 17,500 our is it 19.5 I can't remember for sure, I will look tomorrow.

[SCOOBY14B]

All our department has are Type I's. We currently have seven Type I Ford F-350's (reserves), 11 Freightliner Medium Duty Type I's, and four Navistar MD Type I's.

As far as miles I was talking about longevity. Our last fleet of Navistars got around 300,000 before being replaced. The ambulance at my station is 8 months old and just turned 29,000 miles today. Our engine is only 7 months old and has 21,000 miles.

Our department of 23 stations ran just over 80,000 calls last year and are expecting to top 90,000 this year. We really pile the miles on trucks.

Our squads are expected to put about 40,000-50,000 miles a year on them. Hope to run them front line for about 2.5-4 years.

[f250hd22]

The V-10 is far from a dog. And no I'm not biast towards the V-10. I used to own a stroker. I've seen seen the Oregon Dept of Forestry V-10's get up and move. They are faster than our 550's with the PSD. As far as longevity our engines go aroung 50,000 then they are retired or put in to reserve service. The V-10 is capable of that by far. If you want to talk about a truck that couldn't get out of its own way, then drive a 7.3 IDI around with that weight on it. Our 97 PSD's are rated at 225 hp and 425 ft lb of torque. The V-10 is 310hp and 425 ft lb ot torque. Our 97's will move the 12-14,000 around easily up steep grades doing 65. So by the numbers, the V-10 isn't going to be too sluggish by any means. Rick

[MECHANIC88115]

the v10, is plenty capable of what these trucks require. The fact that we only put about 15 to 20 thousand miles on a truck in 30 years, means that there would have never been a way to make the psd pay for itself, and besides, the psd is slower, when you have 25 to 50 miles of open road to cover to get to a car wreck or house fire, then you want to run, and not have to listen to the psd setting on the rpm limiter all the time. That is why we got the v10. We have responded on mutual aid over 70 miles away, at that distance, you need to be able to go faster than 75. And about trafic, you meet maybe one car in that distance, so you have the road to yourself most the time. I am not surprised you are running type 1, I think most every one will switch to that from III's. It is a much more comfortable vehicle, and the drivers are more comfortable in a pickup, that a van. As for the diesel, if there is any way around it, our dept. will never run a diesel ambulance, the guys just don't like to listen to them on a scene, and they are slower. We put 50k on our last ambulance, so we never worry about millage or longivity(it was a 460, we still miss it.) Thanks for the replies, Mason