Throwback Thursday - South Bristol, ME - 1986 Metalfab Pumper

Today's featured unit for Throwback Thursday is a Metalfab Pumper manufactured for the South Bristol, ME Fire Department.  This truck was delivered to the department on October 24, 1986. This was the first unit to be delivered in Maine.

This unit was a 1000 US GPM Pump with 1000 US Gallons of water. The body and tank were made of steel. There was a 10" dump valve on the valve with a step above it. The hose bed was lined with Versa-Tile. This unit had a 3600 Watt Inverter installed.

Spotlight Option - In Bumper Storage

  You can never have enough storage space on a Fire Truck.  Storage space is always at a premium.  When you extend the front bumper of the chassis, you open up a lot of storage options. 

  There are numerous different ways you can configure the storage in an extended front bumper.  Pictured above is how one department decided to utilize the storage.  In the center compartment is a hose well for a pre-connected 1-1/2" hose line.  They also have one storage compartment outboard of the chassis frame rails on each side of the bumper.  These wing compartments will be utilized for the storage of miscellaneous equipment.  On this truck, instead of using deck plate doors to secure the equipment and hose in the compartments, a red webbing will be used.  The webbing has the advantages of being able to see within the compartment without removing the webbing and it also allows for air flow in the compartments to assist in drying equipment.

  Does your department have an unique storage layout in the extended bumper of your trucks?

Exterior Sun Visors

One of the options I like to include on the majority of the quotations I prepare using a commercial cab is an exterior sun visor.   The exterior sun visor can either be polished stainless steel or painted.  The painted sun visor comes painted and installed from the chassis manufacturer to match the color of the chassis cab or in the case of a two tone cab, it usually comes in the same color of the upper portion of the chassis.  That being said, the sun visor can be ordered in any color desired.



Personally, I find this option really dresses up the exterior of the cab.  It is also a fairly inexpensive option when ordered with the chassis.  It is usually priced under $500.00 from the chassis manufacturer.  This comes completely installed, painted, and complete with built in clearance lights in the front face of the visor.



 

The most common statement I hear concerning the exterior sun visors is that most people believe that come with the chassis as a standard.  That is definitely not the case.  If you desire the exterior sun visor, ensure that you let your body builder know prior to ordering the chassis.  You can also review the chassis specifications prior to order, to ensure that it is included.  If you receive the chassis without the sun visor and wish to have one installed after the chassis is received by the body builder, it would be a fairly expensive addition.  The cost of installing the sun visor post receipt of the chassis would be upwards of $1,500.00.  

 

The exterior sun visor is a great option to inexpensively dress up the exterior of the unit.