4th gen observations.

[Wayne M.]

I've always got my eyes open. In my area I see lots of new Rams being set up as landscape rigs, flatbeds, and other medium applications. A bud gets a medium truck trade magazine, and as of 2/14 Ram has 48~%share in the market- clobbering Ford.
Today's sighting takes the cake, and what prompted this post. I saw a Dunbar armored car going opposite on the expressway. This was a Ram C&C nose with the usual armored body incorporated into the cowl back. Sort of like a schoolbus. This was a neck snapper, and I have the peepers peeled. Dunbar usually uses international or Ford class 6 medium chassis. This is testimony for the Ram's stoutness.

 

[rscurtis]

Makes sense to me. You don't need two or three trucks to keep one on the road, and the odds are pretty good the engine won't be spread all over the dealer's shop 6 months after you bought it.

 

[Wayne M.]

Ha! That's great. At the job, I'm now doing a 6.0 complete engine. This one let a head gasket go at 4800 hours. The 6.4 pump/ injector job I did came out pretty good, but that was a huge amount of work.
Point is, the value on these trucks become inverted in short order!

 

[Ram4Sam]

Sounds like the Fords give you quite a bit of job security........:-laf

Sam

 

[Wayne M.]

Sounds like the Fords give you quite a bit of job security........:-laf

Sam

Well, more now than before. What's worse is that they (my bosses) seem to want me to be the local guy to handle these jobs and I'm getting to know them more than I'd like. Lol. It does pay the bills. If you've got patience and can peel an onion, it ain't too bad.

 

[Wayne M.]

Pardon. I'll have to flip it later.

 

[jgillott]

Pardon. I'll have to flip it later.

Don't bother. It makes me dizzy looking at that no matter which direction you turn it.

I'm seeing more and more Ram chassis under ambulances and Mini Pumper/Attack trucks. The guys that are running them seem to really like them. Our station here just got a new F550 Attack/Light Rescue. Nice truck for the time being. I haven't driven it yet and I have no Idea how it will hold up under the run really hard cold, Idle or PTO for an hour, and then shut off conditions. Time will tell.

 

[Wayne M.]

Flipped.

j, I'd love to see those applications, so if you're allowed to post some pictures, please do! The FDNY has a few 5500 C&C bucket trucks that are under hard usage. I'm hearing the tradesmen using them are happy. Here's a thread I put up a while back that shows the bucket truck. I don't know who member BigDaneDiesel is, but he must work for the upfitter.

The new F550, open the hood and have a look around. I've been doing some self training on that sucka too. The 6.7 is a reverse flow engine where the exhaust is in the valley, and the plastic rocker covers have intake ducts built in to manifold the incoming air in where the exhaust would be. Also under the left battery, there's a air to WATER intercooler/ exchanger. They don't sound too manly, but they're real smooth, and got power.

It's a shame GM no longer has a horse in this race

 

[JR]

Is a Cummins an option in the F550s? I've always wondered why the Cummins were fitted into the MDT Fords but they never made their way into the light duty segment.

I've seen more and more ambulances with the Ram cab. Local VFD just bought a new brush fire truck (don't know what theyre actually called). It is a Ram C&C as well.

 

[Wayne M.]

JR, please snag some shots of that unit if you could. The F550 is the biggest pickup based truck aka Super duty, ford has. These all have one engine, much like our Dodges. So depending on the year, it's a 7.3, 6.0, 6.4, or the current 6.7 which is fords in house diesel engine. The F650 begins the true medium series, and with that the engine choices open up.

 

[NIsaacs]

The F650 begins the true medium series, and with that the engine choices open up.

Not anymore, Ford Powerstroke 6.7 only:{

PS: As of 2016

Nick

 

[gtoli]

Winslow Fire has a new Ram based Rescue. This replaced the Ford that went through several engines and spent more time in the shop than in use. I'll try and snap a couple pics for you Wayne.

 

[DonFitzwater]

Ford fanboys are claiming reliability out of the newish 6.7 but I didn't see it when I had one......I still see plenty of them scattered across the shop floor at the local Ford dealership to prove it.

I'm glad to hear the Dodge is sticking it where the sun don't shine. Ford needs a good turd sandwich.

 

[mpaulson]

One thing I'd like to ask those in the know on C&C trucks. I've got the one in the signature below, and my business partner bought a 2014 5500 with 4.44 gears and we are about the same weight within a few thousand of 25000# total and his truck just brutally sucks I. The power dept. He went from a 08 3500 that had 350 hp 650 tq, so this should have been a step up with the 350 hp and 750 tq, but he's in fourth gear on every hill and losing 30 Kim's/hr where I can hold my speed. Is this normal for the power curve on a C&C truck?

 

[Wingate]

Ford fanboys are claiming reliability out of the newish 6.7 but I didn't see it when I had one......I still see plenty of them scattered across the shop floor at the local Ford dealership to prove it.

I'm glad to hear the Dodge is sticking it where the sun don't shine. Ford needs a good turd sandwich.

they can claim anything... Weve got a fleet of 2011-2013 Ford F550s that prove otherwise.
The engine is worse than the 6.0L ever thought about being. Even the local Ford service department has admitted that.

 

[JR]

Which truck are you referring to Wayne?

 

[Wayne M.]

Which truck are you referring to Wayne?

Any and all 4th gen trucks doing vocational work. That's what I'd like this to be about. You mentioned a new BFU at your firehouse? I'm waiting to see another Dunbar Ram. Hopefully parked.

 

[jgillott]

Wayne

I snapped a picture of this one in South Carolina last fall.

Only I would take pictures of rescue units while on vacation.

 

[Wayne M.]

HA! You're not the only one. If I see any type of neat or unusual equipment, I'm all over it- especially when I travel. I remember when you first put that up, thanks for re posting here. You're dealing with a guy here who worked on skimmer boats- don't get much weirder than that.

 

[JR]

Next time they have it sitting out I will stop and take a pic. It is generally tucked away in the firehouse.

So does anybody know WHY the Cummins was never available in the light duty segment? If the barriers were broken in the MDT segment why not the light duty?