Are you sure this is a Dodge? It looks like a Renault logo....
Added by on 25 August 2005.
Hello Iain,
I would have to agree with the person that has sent you this comment, I know a little about fire vehicles, and yes in this photo the vehicle shown does look like a Dodge.
Added by unknown on 19 October 2005.
This is a Renault/Dodge G13 /HCB Angus. Renualt took over Dodge back in the 80's
Why does the Defence Fire Service always go for very odd, almost one off appliance designs? This must be an expensive way to procure machines.
Surely it would make greater economic sense to tag the MOD requirement onto a big long term civilian contract like the previous London Volvo/Saxon one.
Or do DFS pumps have such unique requirements that they are entirely unlike normal domestic pumps?
I'd be surprised if MOD goes for rebodying. As BLACK MAFFIA implys it's probably cheaper to add a separate body to an "as delivered cab chassis", hence the looks.
Is that not what all modern UK fire appliances are(including Dennis), except the cabs are often built to fir the exisiting cab better?
Added by Lewis Sweeney on 20 May 2008.
Yes, that's what makes this example odd, (and ugly). It has a standard cab, not a crew cab -ie- the crew compartment is part of the body, which is not coachbuilt integrally with, or close to the body. Presumably less work for the bodybuilder, less cash from the buyer, and zero communication between those up front and those in the back!
If this one's still on the run spares must be difficult to find, as both the Dodge G13 and HCB Angus are both sadly long gone. Or does MOD hold vast stocks of relevant spares?
Interesting comments on the MOD. When in the RAF I suffered the Mk 8 airfield foam tender, Bedford RL body and engine, Jaguar pump engine and lockers had to be open to stop the Jag overheating! Yes they build to budget with a few exceptions, whoever thinks these machines up isnt a fireman!
this was on station at kineton wen there second away volvo's water tank split. My mate who's stationed there said year's ago the army brought truck chassis's and throw the body onto it.Its real high of the ground and they couldn't wait to see the back of it.
I think the bodies are a standard design,possibly rebodied, RAF Sealand had a WrT a Bedford TL chassis cab with an identical crew/kit body on the run in late 90's.
The original Ford D series in 1966 also used the factory tilt cab. The rear window was taken out and replaced by a rubber shroud to keep the rain out. There was no problem for the OIC to talk to the crew, and the rear cab offered more headroom and seat width than the coachbuilt extended four door tilt cabs on later versions. The 13.5 meter ladder could also be accommodated in a way which allowed the standard Ford cab to be tilted to check levels. Admittedly very ugly, but less expensive and entirely practical.
I thinl the 1st modern Ford to appear was the Merryweather Marksmanabout 1970 Lancs had a batch of 10 or 12 then went onto the mass produced ones. Am I right in thinking Glousteshire were the only brigade to run the low cost cab?
Gloucestershire bought the first ones - I think there were eight. These were petrol D600s. Other brigades later bought either D600s or diesel D1014s, but I am not sure about bodybuilders. Carmichael built a few D series with their own cab, also used on Commer, Dodge and Albion chassis, so the whole spectrum was covered. D series TLs and Snorkels used the standard 2 door cab, as did Gloucestershire's original foam tender. Some D series were also built under license in Turkey and used as fire trucks, but I never heard of any of them having crew cabs.
The ex RAF Sealand appliance to this design is now preserved by Merseyside Fire Museum along with a salvage tender ex Liverpool salvage Cops this tender also had the same design crew cab separate from the front cab.
Any idea who built the bodywork as I have found the salvege tenders were built by a firm called HARWIN the one with the separate cab being a Bedford TL60 shown as a Bedford-Harwin and registered EKF395Y.the same firm did the bodywork on a number of ford salvage tenders as well but with intergrated crew cab.
Added by Marcel Sloover on 25 August 2005.