Looking to build a fire fighter

[Shane]

So we spend a lot of time fighting fires.

Unfortunately there are those who take pleasure in setting other people's property alight and so this has become a winter sport for us.

This means that I have to have a filled fire unit on my vehicle - 24/7- which makes this a real PIA.

So my next option is to find a "cheap" vehicle,4x4,diesel that I can use as a dedicated Fire Truck and then make some useful modifications to this end.

On my list of potential vehicles is:.
1. Hilux SFA (speed is not a major requirement)
2. Nissan Safari
3. Old cruiser (but damn they expensive!)

One of my pet peeves is that every boertjie has his way of approaching these fires and there's usually very little organised structure - which often leads to flare ups and having to go back to areas already covered.

So I intend on building a trailer with a second unit on - so that we can have minimum 2 fire units at any point - which also helps with safety.

So if you happen to have a chassis/cab laying around for cheap - or know of one - please let me know.

Feel free to add any practical suggestions to the list above - always open to ideas.

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[Mad Manny]

How much water could it carry, assuming the other equipment is a few hundred lbs.

How much water could the trailer carry?

[Bugger]

Mate of mine used a Bay window Kombi.
Amazing how capable those things ate off road even though 2wd and can take a good load of water carry capacity

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[Wave]

For some inspiration research take a look here:

https://rmw.co.za

These guys have some decent fire fighting equipment for trailers

[Woolf]

You might find some useful info here

https://www.4x4community.co.za/forum/sh ... irefighter

[jakeslouw]

Nissan Safari was never available here in diesel, only with the L28 inline 2.8 petrol, but if you can find one for a decent price, a retro-fit of an RD28 engine will only cost around R30k.

[jakeslouw]

As for a fire fighting trailer versus a bakkie-based tank and pump? depends on the terrain. I wouldn't like to tow 1 ton+ worth of trailer up a mountain track.........

[Shane]

How much water could it carry, assuming the other equipment is a few hundred lbs.

How much water could the trailer carry?

Manny typically units carry between 500 - 650l of water. So work on 1t to be safe.

On the trailer I would custom build an 850l tank.

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[Shane]

As for a fire fighting trailer versus a bakkie-based tank and pump? depends on the terrain. I wouldn't like to tow 1 ton+ worth of trailer up a mountain track.........

Jakes you're perfectly correct.

However we are in the free state which is fairly flat in our area. I would factor in some easy means of unhitching the trailer when necessary.

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[FWM]

A mate of mine who also lives in the Freestate have had good success with wireless leaf blowers. Have you considered that yet?
Maybe as a backup.
Those big fires in heavy wind will still require water.

[Shane]

We already have some guys using leaf blowers.

I'm not a fan as nowadays everyone seems to be going the "cheap" route as fire units are quite expensive.

Blowers are an option when the terrain is unaccessible to vehicles - or when used as sweepers (ie covering the back to prevent any possibility of the fire starring up again where you've already extinguished).

When there is a moderate wind, or the grass is fairly matted - I have found that blowers are fairly useless as a PRIMARY device.

We did a fire last week and the wind was pumping so one of the chaps was forced to stand upwind of the flames (ie. blowing from the burnt section to the flames). I eventually told him to bugger off as he was blowimg embers into the grass further spreading the flames and being counter productive.

The other issue with blowers is that they create way more smoke than water. So visibilty as well as "breathable" air becomes severely compromised.

But in the koppies and for short grass they work fairly well.


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[Mad Manny]

Can 850L of water do much fire fighting?

[Shane]

By itself - no, but when you have 6 - 10 vehicles all carrying that amount it works.

Also depends on the conditions on the day .

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[BushWacker]

Shane ,
I think you need to establish a set-up to suit
the particular fire-fighting predicaments faced in your
own area/lands.
Ive seen farmers with water tanks variously mounted
on both 4*4 Bakkies (often LRs!) and trailers w single and double axles
Bakkies are probly limited to 1.5tons (1.5kL!) of water or less whereas you can probably have double that vol on a 1 or 2 axle trailer.
On farms in Zambia we generally had both and trailer tanks were usually towed by small general purpose tractor (old blue Fordson !) .
Having more than one mobile water tank also means more than one point of attack and relaying refills etc
Cant remember much detail wrt pumps etc.

As often in life main thing is prevention and readiness
Cut and maintain fire breaks and mow road edges,
and ensure tanks are kept full and equipment accessible and ready.
Farm I was on had Dams for refilling and the irrigation
Systems that could also be tapped for filling bowsers etc
Need quick refill time … not via a hosepipe !

[grips]

Most of the guys in our are went from bakkie based firefighters to Samil 20 and Buffel 4x4. Carry up to 3000l of water

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