From the Fire Service, Inc. Facebook page:
Congratulations to Aurora -IL Fire Department Illinois on the order of their 2020 Wheeled Coach Type 1 Ambulance!
We are eager to begin the process of building an emergency vehicle your community can depend on! Thank you for your continued loyalty!
Specs: curbside forward design, squad bench action tower, IMMI retractable 4 point harnesses for occupant safety, Patented Cool Bar HVAC system, Stryker Power Load and Power Cot system and Whelen M series warning lights.
#1 by Mike G on March 29, 2020 - 12:14 PM
Anyone know what ambulance is getting this once delivered?
#2 by Rob on March 26, 2020 - 4:51 PM
Mike C, You have a lot of knowledge since you are EVT. Just curious who do you work for?
#3 by Mike C on March 26, 2020 - 4:41 PM
ttguy – I bet you’re right about the lawyers! I’m going to connect with a state trooper that I’m friends with and put an F-450 fully stocked on a scale.
#4 by ttguy on March 25, 2020 - 11:25 AM
Historically, an F-450 ambulance chassis has a 16.5k lbs. GVWR vs. the 18k lbs. GVWR rating of the F-550 (Yes, the F-550’s capacity can grow to 19.5k with the payload upgrade package, which also includes some additional frame reinforcements). The F-450 has a rear axle rated at 12k lbs. whereas the F-550 rear axle is rated at 13,660 lbs. The front axle GAWR is 7k lbs. for both models. As noted earlier, some F-450s carrying larger modules, firefighting gear, Power Loads, etc. are being pushed to their limits weight wise. In today’s litigious society, it probably is worth it to spend nearly $1k to go to the F-550. Some attorneys probably salivate at the thought that the ambulance was found or known to be overweight. From the ambulance manufacturer’s stand-point, it doesn’t make much sense to build a unit only to find out that the unit exceeds Ford’s GVW rating once the customer loads it and scales it. So again, the $1k for the additional 1,500 lbs. “legal” capacity is probably worth it. For the record, the E-350/E-450 Cutaways still exist with both now being powered by the new 7.3-liter gas engine.
#5 by Mike on March 24, 2020 - 6:43 PM
Mike C. I think a lot of it is over time these things start riding like crap as things wear out. You’re a mechanic, if I remember right. With them being close to overweight stuff wears out more quickly and can exceed the 1,000 dollar difference.
Personally I liked when the E450 was around. If the 6.0 weren’t such turds those would have been great. Short wheelbase small foot print. These rigs are getting to big and the cost is getting out of hand. Pretty soon and F500 is gonna cost over 3000,000. Also I think a lot of places aren’t keeping these long enough. You should be able to get 10 years out of these rigs.
#6 by Mike C on March 24, 2020 - 3:27 PM
I’d like some professionals opinion and thoughts. I’m seeing more and more departments switch to the F-550. The F-450 has a GVWR of 14,000 lbs and the F-550 is bumped quite substantially to 19,500 lbs. The F-550 is approximately $1,000 more. By the time the ambulance body is mounted and all equipment is onboard the F-450 is pretty close to max weight capacity and I’m well aware there is plenty of wiggle room with the F-550. Looking at things from a tax payers standpoint I don’t see the additional $1,000 worth it. I’ve never had axles fail or driveline issues with the F-450. I’d like to hear others opinions.
#7 by ttguy on March 24, 2020 - 3:13 PM
Since the 80s, I believe Aurora has utilized a variety of ambulance brands, including McCoy-Miller, E-One (when they actually produced ambulances), Horton, Med-Tec, LifeLine, and now Wheeled Coach. I wouldn’t say they have been extremely loyal to one brand for very long, at least not on the EMS side.
#8 by harry on March 22, 2020 - 9:47 PM
aurora seems very loyal to eone and wheeled coach which is awesome they have been this way since at least the 80s