woodhe1, Nice fire truck!! really like the dually's and diamondplate trim. you cant just sneak great shots like these into the gallery without posting something i found it by accident.
Dan, Thanks for the nice comments. My family and friends are starting to think I'll never come out of my second childhood. The possibilities for these minis are limited to ones imagination. dan woodliff woodysminitrucks.com
Woodhe1, "second childhood"?????, I'm still in my first ('bout 50 year now). I still be likin' me some firetrucks. That is one sweet little truck. I'd be setting fires (still playing with matches) all day long - just so I could drive that truck to put them out. Thanks for the pix.........later, slim
Is that from a fire department here in Northern IL that has that are did you put that together for s***s and giggles?? It looks pretty cool, I like the Turbo Turf hydroseeder in the back for pumping..
fire truck Danish, I put the truck together ... not for s**ts and giggles (maybe a little) but to sell. I have a trailer for it and hope to get that part of it done today. dan woodysminitrucks.com
No foam. I'll find out soon if there is a demand or not. This is speculation that got a little pricey. dan woodysminitrucks.com
Is the diamond plate real or heavy duty abs plastic? Did you cut it out of a plate? I found diamond plate on line. One would have to cut it to dimension from a 2' x 6' section. Many rocker panels I saw are actually plastic. Some of the diamond plate packages like from Cabela's have reviews that say the adhesive will not stick to the paint of the vehicle.
I like the pre runner style front bars too. did you fab those or is someone making them? i think i should have something like that for the terrain that i've been in. just might stop the end over end rollover that i'm a bit concerned about
All the diamond plate is 1/8" aluminum. The door panels were cut from plate stock. Forming for the trim (top of the sides) was done by a local sheet metal company in Rockford, IL. I had them form up enough for 5 trucks. The rear fenders, front and rear bumpers were made by Overkill Off-Road in Winnebago, IL. They were pretty pricey but they are nice. dan woodysminitrucks.com
Being a career firefighter myself, I can appreciate this fine work of art. It looks great and would do a great job of wildland fire suppression for rural departments or areas with urban interface. I am a bit concerned about the load carrying capabilities of the ATV Tires. I know that there is not much available for these trucks in regards to tires that give them the off-road traction that is needed with an adequate load rating that is desired. I hope that tire manufacturers see the need for this and introduce a line of aggressive DOT approved tires in the 12"-13" range to fill the order. The dual rears will help, however water weighs roughly 8.33 pounds per gallon. If that is a 100 gallon tank, then the water weight, tank and plumbing alone is pushing 1000 lbs , not including the pump, hose reel, steel skid pack framework and any additional tools. I cannot determine from one picture what all you have done or added to this truck in order to strengthen it's load carrying capacity, but it definately looks the part. Please don't think that I am criticizing here. I think it looks awesome and functional! I first began my introduction into the fire service in a very rural and wooded portion of south central Indiana. Wildland firefighting was a normal and regular part of the various types of calls that we responded too. I can recall responding to brush and field fires ranging in size from 1/4 acre to 400 acres. We would typically use a 3/4 ton chasis with HD springs or a 1 ton chasis Pickup for our brush rigs. There were times that you could not get the trucks where you would like to, due to the remote locations of some fires. There is definately a market for something like this is the fire service. Having something that could be trailored to an incident by another larger fire apparatus and off loaded for use where it's small profile and agility would allow it to gain access to small and often times overgrown fire trails is State Foresty Areas, would be a big plus. I have seen similar versions of a quick attack wildland fire suppression vehicle using Kawasaki Mules or Polaris Rangers at our Fire Department Instructor Conference here in Indianapolis every spring, however the weight carrying capacity is always the limiting factor. I think that if it can handle the full weight of its cargo and a full crew, then the possiblities of its use in wildland firefighting are vast. I would love to have one!
Archer-Andy, Thanks for the comments and concerns. I too was concerned about the added weight. I choose the rims and tires with that in mind. An additional leaf spring was added in the rear. This week (weather permiting), the tank will be filled and I'll drive around the back 40 (try to stick it). There is a lot of low wet ground to test it out on. 3 local Fire Departments will have it this month for a few days. I will need their imput for future improvements. dan woodysminitrucks.com
"Project Mini Pumper" I think you have a great thing going here Dan to fill a need that most, if not all, rural fire departments have. I commend you on your willingness to demo a most beautiful truck to your local fire departments for a realistic job performance evaluation. I don't know that I could do that after spending so many hours and so much money building it, however it will most likely provide some very valuable input after the testing. I hope that the fire departments will also be very respectful of your efforts and be realistic in their testing as well and not create a "thrash session" for this, first of its kind, prototype. I really am impressed with the looks and functionality of this wildland mini pumper. I ask that you keep us informed of both your testing and that of the local departments. Please have someone take lots of pictures and some video of this little beast in action if at all possible to post up. In my opinion, this is the most interesting developement to come out of a mini truck as of yet. I may be a bit biased in my beliefs. I will be standing by, as you have really peaked my interest now!op: Best of luck with "Project Mini Pumper" from your now biggest fan. Thanks, Andrew
Excellent looking truck! Like others here, I'm still in my childhood, too. I bought a Deckvan firetruck just because it was cool! It, too, was a bit pricey, but well worth it. Talk about an attention getter! I don't know if I'll ever sell it, but it'll be fun to keep around. Since the Deckvan doesn't have any bed space left with the pump in the back, I was going to build a "water wagon" to pull behind it, too. I'm envisioning a really nice "parade rig" for the local VFD's that will also have some usefulness if needed. Keep up the good work and keep us posted on the "field trials!"
Fire truck Jason, Hopefully this will be gone before "Milk Days" in Harvard, IL. I would like to have a similar truck in their parade. Volunteer Fire Departments from this area participate in it. I think it would be great to give the kids a "light misting" while cruising the parade route. dan woodysminitrucks.com
Nice rig for most brush fires and haveing used Lil squirt on two fires 55 to 75 gals is plenty for a rig this size most UTV fire rigs have provisions to carry a stokes basket with a patient in the back along with the fire fighting package I mocked it up but havent built it do to cost
fire truck Building new ones mainly ... I'll attach a picture or two. The used truck goes to parades mainly. The used one is a little tight when they have their gear on. dan
duals The dually setup is built in Sweden. They are about $1000 a pair without tires. I have my demo set available for $750
Brush Skid Unit This unit is manufactured by KimTek. 75 gal of water/5 gal foam. PM me if your interested in my demo unit (never had fluids in it). There are photos of this unit at www.woodysminitrucks.com (under brush truck)
Boy, Dan I can't get over how perfect those Suzuki Shuttle vans on your site look for rural mail delivery. I bet our local carrier would love it!
contact KimTek directly https://www.kimtekresearch.com/index.php Tel: (888) 546-8358 ,Fax: (802) 754-2300 , E-mail: sales@kimtekresearch.com ,Address: 326 Industrial Park Lane, Orleans, VT 05860
