Urea And Idle Question.

[jungledave]

The company I work for is looking real hard at replacing several of our Ford F550s early because they spend a fair amount of time getting engines and turbos replaced, I can't imagine the amounto of money we have lost on these trucks. Oh yea, I am a Journeyman lineman and these 550s are used as bucket trucks. Well anyhow they will be looking at the 2011 and 2012 Dodge 5500s. I currently drive a 5500 08 dodge that has had absoluteoy no problems for 40000 miles.



When and what year will Dodge go to the Urea system and how will the urea trucks do that idle for extended times ??????? Thanks in advance.

 

[Powder Extreme]

They are already using urea in the 4500 & 5500 trucks. If anything, the urea trucks will idle better than the current egr heavy pickup. The problem with idling is clogging the dpf. Using the idle up feature will help keep the temps up and the soot down.

 

[RustyJC]

The current cab and chassis trucks use the SCR (urea) system. According to Dodge, the reason they went to SCR on the cab and chassis was specifically what you state - the different duty cycle of the cab and chassis applications. The SCR system can handle extended idle cycles as typically found in ambulance, wrecker, (and, yes, bucket truck) service.



Rusty

 

[jungledave]

They are already using urea in the 4500 & 5500 trucks. If anything, the urea trucks will idle better than the current egr heavy pickup. The problem with idling is clogging the dpf. Using the idle up feature will help keep the temps up and the soot down.

Thanks Powder and Rusty. My operation manager will be happy to hear this. Maybe we ought to have the 550s converted to cummins with the DPFs. They are actually going to keep the dodges for 200k and the fords will all be way less than 100k. Anyone know how much it would cost and who in the Colorado Springs area could do a cummins conversion in a f550???

 

[Bill Stockard]

Maybe we ought to have the 550s converted to cummins with the DPFs. They are actually going to keep the dodges for 200k and the fords will all be way less than 100k. Anyone know how much it would cost and who in the Colorado Springs area could do a cummins conversion in a f550???

If you find anyone willing to do the change, which I doubt, you will probably find it less expensive to replace the F550s. Our local electric utility has at least one Dodge 5500 bucket truck and I see it working all over town. From the length of time I've seen it in service, I imagine it is either a '08 or a '09 year model which doesn't use urea. You might suggest to your company to check with other utility companies if they are using Dodge 5500s and what kind of service they are receiving.



Bill

 

[jungledave]

If you find anyone willing to do the change, which I doubt, you will probably find it less expensive to replace the F550s. Our local electric utility has at least one Dodge 5500 bucket truck and I see it working all over town. From the length of time I've seen it in service, I imagine it is either a '08 or a '09 year model which doesn't use urea. You might suggest to your company to check with other utility companies if they are using Dodge 5500s and what kind of service they are receiving.



Bill

Well we don't have any choise on the fords since they are in the shop as much as in the feild. My 5500 dodge goes into regen about once a month and the fords are daily. The last engine replaced on the fords was paid for by us. I heard it was over 13k. The fords also break radiators when you twist the truck crossing ditches. We had a brand new f550 being delivered to us from Oklahoma that lost an engine in central Kansas with 300 miles because it diluted the oil. The bad thing is it takes several months to take the utility bodies and booms pedistals and outrigers off the 550s to put on the dodges. I don't know of any one out there that has a urea truck to ask about. Thanks

 

[WMoroni]

I farm out of mine. Only 3000 miles so far. Used 35% of my urea fill so far. Averaging about 14 mpg. I do a lot of under 25mph driving but no sit and idle. I'm sure with a bucket the truck would be idled up most of the time to run the hydraulics. Any way so far zero trouble.

 

[HBarlow]

Well we don't have any choise on the fords since they are in the shop as much as in the feild. My 5500 dodge goes into regen about once a month and the fords are daily. The last engine replaced on the fords was paid for by us. I heard it was over 13k. The fords also break radiators when you twist the truck crossing ditches. We had a brand new f550 being delivered to us from Oklahoma that lost an engine in central Kansas with 300 miles because it diluted the oil. The bad thing is it takes several months to take the utility bodies and booms pedistals and outrigers off the 550s to put on the dodges. I don't know of any one out there that has a urea truck to ask about. Thanks

Ford truck tales are never ending bad news. I've seen two more broken down on area highways with stock trailers in tow in the last two months.

 

[HBarlow]

If you find anyone willing to do the change, which I doubt, you will probably find it less expensive to replace the F550s. Our local electric utility has at least one Dodge 5500 bucket truck and I see it working all over town. From the length of time I've seen it in service, I imagine it is either a '08 or a '09 year model which doesn't use urea. You might suggest to your company to check with other utility companies if they are using Dodge 5500s and what kind of service they are receiving.

Bill

My local electrical coop, Lighthouse Electric, has at least one also. The young man who services my area drives one. He likes it but it doesn't have a lot of miles on it yet as they've only had it a couple of months.

I think they dumped late model Furd bucket trucs, probably for the same reason described above.

 

[jungledave]

My local electrical coop, Lighthouse Electric, has at least one also. The young man who services my area drives one. He likes it but it doesn't have a lot of miles on it yet as they've only had it a couple of months.



I think they dumped late model Furd bucket trucs, probably for the same reason described above.

Cool. I work for an REA here. Sounds, so far, like we won't have too much trouble. My Line super is really worried. It is AMAZING how we haven't had any issues with the Dodges so far. Our last 4 new service buckets are Dodges.