NSW Rural Fire Sevice Defender Prototype

[Treads]

RFS Engineering services have produced this baby for assessment by Brigades.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/873.jpg

I remember doing an evaluation of the new Land Cruiser Strikers when they came out and made a recommendation to have a look at the new Defender. Maybe they listened?

[spudboy]

Extended the cab by 300mm or so? A bit like the TD5's that Telstra had built.

[James]

I hope that they go ahead and produce a lot more.

Why oh why don’t Land Rover produce a Big Cab at the factory?
They would be so much more practical and you would have room for your legs.

[Bushie]

So that would be the culmination of this project,

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/90-110-130-defender-county/149691-130-post1674612.html?highlight=extended#post1674343

Unfortunately (but fortunately for him :D) the engineer took a voluntary redundancy, so I wasn't able to keep track of the project.

Martyn

[sid]

Came across a photo of a new Cat 9 prototype for the NSW RFS. Still in planning stages by the sound of it, but I've heard the engineering dept have been having troubles with the current weight limitations of the Landcruiser turbo diesel V8 models, ie. no bullbar able to be fitted, can't carry much water etc.

Anyway, pic below from the NSW RFS site, only one unfortunately. Would be great to see a transition back to the LR as a Cat 9 (light unit) model. All I've spoken to locally who still use the old Defender chassis for the Cat 9 still have a soft spot for it.


https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/971.jpg

[sid]

Just saw this has already been posted. Whoops.

[sid]

This will be interesting. A lot of consternation at the moment with weight issues on the Landcruiser v8 diesel light units from RFS. No bullbar able to be fitted and limited gear onboard.
Perhaps this will fix that.

[digger]

MORGAN with SA CFS has a 130 dual cab fire unit.

Once they learned to "drive it like you stole it" its been very popular with them. :)

(was called a 14 (as in 1000 ltr 4wd) but now as holds about 600ltr is called a QRV (Quick response vehicle) )

[sid]

Once they learned to "drive it like you stole it" its been very popular with them. :)




That's the mantra with all RFS vehicles isn't it?

[minibloodhound]

This is a prototype that Mercedes is trying to sell to the RFS, based on the army 6x6.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/931.jpg

[flagg]

6x6 kind of misses the point of a cat 9 though... A cat 7 Isuzu isn't much bigger and would be a lot more useful when you arrived.. Hell it would also have a better turning circle!!!



The thought of having to turn that g wagon around on a fire trail doesn't put a smile on my face.

[towe0609]

MORGAN with SA CFS has a 130 dual cab fire unit.

Once they learned to "drive it like you stole it" its been very popular with them. :)

(was called a 14 (as in 1000 ltr 4wd) but now as holds about 600ltr is called a QRV (Quick response vehicle) )

Anything like this (http://www.aulro.com/afvb/members-rides/120052-towe0609s-130-dual-cab-jaffa.html#post1399049)? Ex Gloucester NSW RFS Dual Cab 130

[sid]

This is a prototype that Mercedes is trying to sell to the RFS, based on the army 6x6.


Wow, looks nice. We've found recently that with a lot of the fires up here (New England NSW) the Cat 9s have been pretty handy. Haven't seen many Cat 1s out and about at incidents, mainly 9s and 7s. I guess with dual axles you'd be able to carry a little more water? Dual cab would be handy too.

[juddy]

Looks good the Merc, I bet its about a trillion $ more expensive than the Defender. And whats with the AMG chrome Bar?

[Davehoos]

new policy is headed toward Cat 9 and Cat 7-bulk tanker.
same way we operated before the boof heads took over.

I have an old handme down crew cab Cat 7 transporter and the unit has a CAT 1 support [only 2 drivers].the Cat2 we had is a better choice.
with the aging of volenteers we now need more light vehicles.

Isuzu FTS-CAT 1.not suitable for off made roads and the new update truck is worse.I got one stuck on a river bank this week reversing into draft water to teach the new apprentice how to hook up.
drained the tank and moved rock to get out.
they are permanent 4X4 with a 3rd diff.thought I broke another axle.

this year we done 650KM in the canter Cat7 versus aprox 100Km a year. doing patrol work.
we had one personell fall out of the Cat 1 due o the high off the ground.

received a new Toyota 9-2010 build for another unit-one each for 50% of our local units-all the active units.
Cat 9 comes with a ecu reset cord to limp home.

weights-JOKE-engineering coming up in a few weeks to reweigh--and for some reason they set up in a shed and the trucks are transported so they can be driven onto tiny scales.I think if they are serious in policing the 90% max rule they turn up at the stations.

[woody]

RFS Engineering services have produced this baby for assessment by Brigades.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/873.jpg

I remember doing an evaluation of the new Land Cruiser Strikers when they came out and made a recommendation to have a look at the new Defender. Maybe they listened?


I would love to have one of these in our area.

woody

[Sitec]

We've also got a Tdi powered 130 here in the SA CFS, I've seen it a few times up at the Mt Crawford airstrip and on other 'events' around the area. Very clean vehicle. Will try and find a pic and add it to this thread! Like that extra 200 mm!

[Basil135]

We've also got a Tdi powered 130 here in the SA CFS, I've seen it a few times up at the Mt Crawford airstrip and on other 'events' around the area. Very clean vehicle. Will try and find a pic and add it to this thread! Like that extra 200 mm!

I have got some pics of it on my other computer.

Saw it at the Gawler Show a couple years back. It is the tender for the aerial support.

And, it is probably working right now... :(

[dromader driver]

The local brigade has both a patrol and cruiser. patrol was very good in sand on bribie island but the cruiser gives everyone a sore back. both close to max weight

Try turning that Merc around on a fire trail.....

[ashtrans]

This looks neat,

I can't seem to find a website for RFS engineering services,

If anyone could point me in the right direction it would be appreciated,

Thanks Dave

[ezyrama]

Saw this last time I was down at Ulmurra in Northern NSW, stayed at the pub for a mate's birthday on the bikes. They had 2 of them there. Found it again on street view.
That Xtra Cab is a cracka though!

[Bushie]

This looks neat,

I can't seem to find a website for RFS engineering services,

If anyone could point me in the right direction it would be appreciated,

Thanks Dave

NSW Rural Fire Service facebook is the only place I have found it, only the single pic that has been posted here.

Martyn

[29dinosaur]

Word from those testing is that it's not looking real good vs the cruisers they've been trialling it against... :wasntme:

[Bushie]

There's still a few RFS Landys around

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/05/856.jpg
This one was outside the Incident Management Centre at Coonabarabran while I was there doing some fire investigation.
Taken late afternoon on the iPhone so not the best quality


Martyn

[Davehoos]

we replaced Y60 patrol with landcruisers.before that was ser3 with slip ons.

the leave spring patrol TD42 would run rings around the cruiser on the job.
it didn't need wide tyres and the brakes worked.

but to quote a driver today the cruiser has frightening grunt for responding compared to the patrol.

the few cruisers we have had have engine concerns-its a shame the old straight 6 wasn't fitted for OZ.but as a Japanese car the drivers seat is good and the controls are simple.

landrover has no hope of winning against cruiser-very few people like the drivers position an mechanics don't like the idea of 25+ year old mechano set defenders on the fleet...some of our vehicles they are talking about extending the service life more.