FLATBED STYLE WILDLAND FIRE BODIES

Reliable Fire Products builds this style of truck built on Class 3 thru Class 5 chassis of your choice.  It is best suited for the dedicated purpose of fighting grass fires but can carry quite a bit of equipment to back up additional operations or act as a vehicular rescue truck.  Fire Departments usually purchase flatbed style wildland units for the following benefits:

• Maneuverability
• Turning Radius
• Minimal Body/Maximum Water
• Dedicated Use Requiring Minimal Equipment
• 4 Wheel Drive Capability for Off Road Use
• Ability to Fight Fire "On the Run"
• Ease of Remounting Body to a New Chassis
• Ease of Reconfiguring Existing Body for New Mission

(Click Here to see more pictures of this type of unit.  The linked page will take a while to load.)

Here are just some of the features that set our Wildland trucks apart from the competition! (Click on the feature for more detail.)

• Quality Construction
• Aluminum Extrusion Body
•  Water Tank
• CET Fire Pump
• Engineered Electrical System
• PPG Paint /7 Year Warranty   
   

Quality Construction
If you take the time to read through the descriptions of the features that are explained below, you will see that Reliable Fire Products has taken the time to carefully design and build this apparatus to the highest quality standards.  It did not start out as chalk lines on a floor or dimensions scribbled down while measuring somebody else's body.  As with all of their products, it started out as, and continues to be, a labor of love.  Reliable truly wants to build the highest quality product they can within a reasonable price frame.

There are many ways to save money when building fire apparatus and not all of them are good.  Some methods only help the builder and hurt the customer.  Reliable Fire Products has chosen a different route.  The entire apparatus is designed to be able to build efficiently where it will benefit customers and the bottom line.  If something might save on the bottom line but will adversely affect the quality of the apparatus, it will not even be considered.  Reliable Fire Products' philosophy is to save the customer money in every way possible without affecting the quality of the final product.

Further, since only stainless steel nuts, bolts and screws are used, you will not be wasting your time replacing rusted fasteners on units under warranty.  By only using the highest quality wiring products and best practice wiring methods, they can avoid the frustrating electrical problems that plague some customers.

Regarding welding, Reliable subscribes to the old adage, "It takes less time to do it right the first time than to redo it."  Consequently, all welds are performed by a certified welder. 

Aluminum Body
Most flatbed bodies that are currently available are constructed with very little structural material.  The majority of the parts used are simply sheet material that has been formed into a channel or angle.  Yes, that method saves a little on weight but, it also sacrifices strength.  Just take a look at one of these "off the shelf" flatbeds that have been in use for a couple of years.  Unfortunately, most fire departments expect their equipment to last a lot longer than four or five years.

Reliable has chosen to build with heavy duty 6061-T6 aluminum extrusions for the entire flatbed structure.  Two sizes of channel are used: 5" x 2.75" x .190" and 4" x 2.25" x .190".  Extruded angles measuring 2" x 2" x .25" complete the list of materials used for the structure.  The use of lightweight aluminum provides for an extremely strong structure that can still flex when necessary. 

Water Tank
In keeping with the goal of top quality components, Reliable only uses co-polymer, polypropylene water tanks.  The standard size is 300 gallons.  Should you wish to use a chassis with less capacity than a "Super Duty" there is a 250 gallon model available.

Since the water tank is not protected from the sun on wildland apparatus, the plastic used in building the tank is UV stabilized to ensure a pleasing appearance and maximum performance for the life of the apparatus.  Additionally, the plastic is black in color to prevent sunlight from causing algae growth in the water.

A panel at the rear of the tank is translucent from the top to the bottom to allow the operator to instantly see how much water is available.  This type of tank gauge will never let you down and will never require replacement bulbs or a new electronic readout.

CET Fire Pump   
The standard pump is a CET model PFP-20hpHND-MR, midrange model.  It is rated as follows:

   300 GPM @   50 PSI
   190 GPM @ 100 PSI
   100 GPM @ 150 PSI
     45 GPM @ 200 PSI

The engine is a Honda 20 horsepower model with electric start and recoil backup.  A marine style fuel tank supplies enough fuel for extended operations and is detachable so additional tanks can be filled and ready when needed.

An exhaust primer is integral with the pump and is guaranteed to be capable of a 20 foot lift.

This pump has always been one of our best sellers  We have found it to be very reliable due to the Honda engine.  The wide range of capabilities makes it a great fit for almost any fire ground requirement one can expect from a portable pump.

PPG Paint With Seven Year Warranty
Once all major components have been installed and removed, the body is prepared for paint.  The reason to install the components first is to ensure a full paint film beneath these items.  By avoiding masking the body we avoid the edges caused by masking tape.  These edges are a great area for corrosion to start so we simply eliminate the possibility of them becoming a problem years down the road.

Even though Reliable follows PPG guidelines to the "T" and uses the best quality supplies in the preparation and painting process, problems might still occur.  In fact, Murphy's Law is more at home in the fire service than any other occupation we are aware of.  This is when the value of the PPG 7 year warranty really can be appreciated.  No matter where you live, there is bound to be a PPG authorized warranty repair center nearby.  Your truck can be repaired locally, saving on down time and travel.

1-800-264-0017  Call us today!

Copyright © 2006 David's Fire Equipment
Last modified: 02/02/22