My custom project for my other truck

[RSTrans]

This is the new logo I came up with
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h212/ts2046/002.jpg

The control boxes, I removed the cupholder and put them in there. It was a perfect fit almost like it was made to be that way. The gap is for the Arrowstik Control Box that I am waiting on to come from Wisconsin
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h212/ts2046/010.jpg

Front view
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h212/ts2046/011.jpg

Rear
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h212/ts2046/007.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h212/ts2046/006.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h212/ts2046/003.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h212/ts2046/005.jpg

Not a bad little project and I am impressed with my results. I designed, built, painted, installed and wired this thing over the last couple of weekends. I am going to make atleast two more. One for my brother and one for our other truck. I am also working on some custom stuff for my Kenworth too. I'll get some pics once I have it finished.

[BANANA Unit #1]

Nice looking SD! Is that your new truck? Is there a way to take all that off easily for when you want to go out on the town with the rig?

[RSTrans]

It's all hard wired and bolted in place. It could be taken out but I'd just assume leave it alone. I bought this truck back in February and I have finally just had the time to get what I needed done to it. I need it now more than ever with it being Fire Season here in So. Cal. Plus there is a need for it. I have a set of Whelen Strobes that I am going to put in the head lights and tail lights, plus I am going to order a siren, red lenses and red strobes for when we go out to fires with fire equipment. It will be legal for me to have it then, all other times the red lights will have to be covered and I'll keep the Amber lenses on the rotators since its only four screws per side to swap the lenses. I also will be adding a tool/transfer tank and pump combo to the bed. I am looking at a 95 gallon tank with a 20 GPM pump. The one I want is square and will fit between the fenders and not be up on the side of the bed. I am also making a custom sign for the front of my KW that will always be there and some special Murray ramps so I can hook up easily and roll.

[BANANA Unit #1]

Sounds like you're doing everything except putting some meaty off road tires on the truck! What are you avg. with these new diesels going down the highway for mpg's? I've got a new 09 F150 and for a gas V8 I've been seeing between 15.5-16.2 though some friends are claiming their SD's are getting better than that.

[RSTrans]

On the HWY before the rack I was getting about 27 now that I have that extra wind resistance about 23. City is still 13-14 depending on traffic. I wont add the off-road tires, I dont like chewing up the gelcoat on my boat by slinging rocks so Ill leave the stock tires there. My buddy has a 08 250 with a diesel same set up as me except his truck is lifted with big tires he gets 10 mpg city and 13 hwy no matter what. But then again he doesnt use the cruise control and never stays at a constant speed. If I had my choice of motors in this truck I would of prefered to have gotten a Cummins because they seem to be even better with fuel mileage than the Internationals. My 97 F-350 was getting 17.5 loaded, empty, hwy, city, and towing all the time, it never changed.

[Big_Dave]

Check out these tires for your pickup.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/GDT-752937300

Goodyear's Workhorse Extra Grip tires help handle the tough demands of gravel roads and heavy commercial use. These tires feature two steel belts to help provide outstanding strength and long-lasting tread wear, and reduced rolling resistance to help provide fuel economy. The Goodyear Workhorse Extra Grip tires' rugged tread design and strong tread rubber help resist block chipping, chunking, and tearing, especially on gravel or rocky roads.
I put them on my '96 Dodge Ram 2500. Ran them in every condition/environment here in MN, IA & SD. Never had a problem with 'em. They wear like iron and aren't 'noisy' like an off road tire when you're going down the highway at 70 mph.

I tried finding them on the Goodyear website, but they don't have them listed there from what I can see. :wtf:

Oh, nice lookin' ride! :cheers: Too bad it's a Ford. :harhar: :rofl: j/k ;)

I like your logo on the door.

[Kranky 1]

Very nice work, RS!!!!

Great attention to detail in the fabrication, nice looking welds, nice job all around.

So, you're getting a control box from Wiscaaaansin, eh?

Hope you specified that the controls were to be labeled in English instead of "'Scaaansinese".

Have you had the "flames from the tailpipe" condition when your DPF is regenerating on that SD? I heard some of the new Fords with the IH diesels were doing that, never heard if Ford solved the problem or not.

.

[RSTrans]

Mine hasn't done that but I have burned the living hell out of some poor guy on a crotch rocket that was cutting between cars in traffic when it kicked in to that mode. I had my windows down and I heard this scream and looked to see what it was and it was this guy wearing shorts and flip flops rubbing his leg. Luckily he didn't say or do anything just kept riding but I know that stung. The exhaust temp hits almost 4k degrees when it does that. As far as I know Ford and International have gotten that problem fixed as I have not heard any recent problems with them. My truck only has 5400 miles on it, so I'm sure for now things will be fine.

Yeah that control head is coming from up there I should have it hopefully today. It will be in english I saw what I was ordering when I bought it. You have to love E-bay, I didn't feel like spending 150 on a new one.

[Aaron]

In my classes with USFS and CDF they tell us no red lites and sirens we are not fire we're contractors.

[RSTrans]

Aaron, my brother and I are Wildland Fire Fighters. According to our Battalion Chief from Monte Vista as long as we are responding to a fire we are allowed to have Red Lights on our trucks, other wise they must be only amber and the red lights must be covered. I am going to have to further research this, but that was my understanding that I was allowed to have them.

I did finally get my Arrowstik control box so I got that installed and it works like a champ. Tomorrow I'll work on the strobes. I didn't feel like dealing with that cluster tonight, looks too complicated. I may make it wait until the weekend.

[Aaron]

Let me ask this, are you contractors or a fire company, if a fire company then you might be able to, but as a contractor then to my knowledge you can't, but cal fire says that you can not have any markings on vehicles that say fire or emergency, but usfs doesn't say anything about it and a lot of the contractors have emergency fire equipment on magnetic signs that they put on for an incident, when running for usfs, I can see where it might help, one of the CHP's on 126 stopped us in water trucks with gear in the baskets on top and we're dressed in nomex and this moron asks us what were doing and where were going.

[RSTrans]

I had a similar issue in 07 with the Witch Fire. CHP wouldn't let me through and I'm like WTF?!? does it look like I am doing something that i should not be doing? My tender had been doushed by the Aerial Tanker that saved my butt earlier in the day. We had gotten over run and we had to deploy our shake and bake bags, I was never happier in my life to hear that Plane come in for a bombing run right on top of us. Yet he still wouldnt let me through even with proper ID and all that good stuff I had with me. All I wanted to do was go back to fire camp get a hot meal and try to get some sleep after a hellacious 12 hr shift. That is why I am going to have Red lights for Emergency use instead of the Amber ones that I had. I will have to do some research to find out more about it as things have changed or there may be different rules in different jurisdictions.

[Big_Dave]

You do realize that a video (truck drivers are mesmerized by flashing lights :explain: :p ), is required once you get your project completed, right? :p :rofl:

[Aaron]

Lucky you, I've run tender for 25 yrs and haven't had to pull the two man pup tent out yet, and the new ones are 350.00 give or take, mandatory for next yr. with usfs, cdf allready mandates them.