Good call, Mr. Blake. One reason it is difficult to build a crew cab on this chassis! The Econic was originally designed for garbage trucks, and it is not well adapted to fire truck applications, despite the fact that London has bought many of them for TL and ALP roles.
I'd disagree Rob - as London and every other fire service using the low entry cab has proven. They work rather well, but alas the bodywork does have to sit a bit further back than normal. The only time it goes wrong is when you try and make it a crew cab..
Added by Will on 03 November 2023.
Will You seem to agree with me, actually. My point was indeed that the Econic is not ideal for a crew cab application, unless you really need to have a low height unit. Incidentally, the same is true for the new Scania “ forward entry” low profile cab, which is featured on London’s latest aerials, including the 6O metre ones. One advantage these cabs do have is that in their standard height versions they can seat four crew members, as the engine housing is set back far enough. On rescues this can be an advantage, as it means a four person crew can ride without any need for a traditional crew cab design.
Added by John Macrae on 17 July 2012.