Did something dumb today.

firefighter ontheside · July 03, 2021, 08:09:43 AM

Quote from: btulloh on June 30, 2021, 08:28:35 PM
Did they really fix it or just pretend to fix it? Hard to have confidence in the dealer under those circumstances.

Good question. The recall simply involved checking the torque spec. My guess is that once they got the truck they looked into the recall and realized it was easy to do.

Old Greenhorn · July 03, 2021, 08:43:52 AM

It always tweaked me the way dealerships would give no priority to the "E" vehicles. Our dealer used to leave our ambulances out in their lot for days at a time time in the winter, they refused to pull it in the shop overnight, freezing anything inside that would freeze, they never put a landline on to keep things charged (there are a lot of 'systems' in an ambulance that require power), and then call us to pick it up and we would find everything flat dead, the service work poorly done or half done, and it would need to go back again. A lot of times we just did the work ourselves to save the hassle and lost time. Not every department has back up equipment, so taking a rig out of service is a burden on the community and neighboring agencies.
I was once friendly with an agency up north, right on the St. Lawrence river which had spec'ed out and bought a very fancy ALS rig, it was a large chassis job with a lot of custom work done to handle the unique aspects of their response area, it carried and supported a lot more gear than a normal ALS rig. But the brand new unit came with a lot of brand new factory issues (shorts, open grounds, lights wired wrong, intermittent connections, mechanical issues, etc). Every time they found a new problem they had to take it to Syracuse for service, over an hour away and using two drivers and two vehicles each way. Every time it was there for a week or more. I think it took them 4 months to get it 'mostly right'.
"E" vehicles are built to different standards and require a lot more maintenance because the risk is much higher for someone getting hurt if there is a failure. For instance, did you know that the cab of a firetruck must support the entire weight of that vehicle (loaded) when it is upside down on it's roof without buckling? Having said that, I wish the manufacturers would keep that in mind when they build and test these things. I don't think I have ever seen a new rig get delivered and then not have any issues within days, weeks, or months that did not require fixing or rework. Most times it is small, but sometimes people nearly got killed because of sloppy work or poor engineering or shoddy quality control.

Crusarius · July 03, 2021, 09:48:37 PM

Funny you bring that up. Our new 4wd light rescue truck came with the wires powering the entire box ziptied to the front driveshaft. First thing we did when we put the truck into service was lock the front hubs.

Bet you can all see where that went

brand new truck just put into service taken out of service instantly!

sawguy21 · July 03, 2021, 10:17:03 PM

Well, that wasn't very bright! :

Old Greenhorn · July 03, 2021, 10:30:54 PM

OK, well I have never seen or heard of something that incompetent, but you made my point, in part. The next question is, how long did/will it take the builder to make it right and get you new rig in service? If they did that, I have have to wonder what you are going to find down the road. If I were an officer in your company, I would have my guys going over every inch now looking at every wire connection on every terminal strip, checking underneath and checking every bolt for tightness, then giving a list to the department lawyer. I'd want them to have their techs in the station at 9am Monday morning and not leave until you accept the truck.
Nothing enrages me more than this. These folks have completely forgotten that they are building vehicles that are used to save lives and property, but more importantly they are to keep the firefighters on them safe as they do the most difficult work. When trucks get people killed because they were put together poorly, that is unforgiveable.
I don't suppose you could share the builder's name? Maybe in a PM? I'd like to pass the word around so others are aware.

Crusarius · July 04, 2021, 03:09:13 PM

Some ways I would like to tell everyone but since they did make it right I choose not to spread bad publicity for one persons mistakes.

However they have not been the best service ppl but are the only game in town for us.

I think it took us another month to get the truck back in service.

But right after we had it back the chief was playing with the light tower mounted on top of the truck. Forgot to put it down and backed into the building. Boom! theres goes light tower #1

doc henderson · July 04, 2021, 03:18:20 PM

Quote from: sawguy21 on July 03, 2021, 10:17:03 PM
Well, that wasn't very bright! :

literally!

8)

Crusarius · July 04, 2021, 03:19:27 PM

Quote from: doc henderson on July 04, 2021, 03:18:20 PM
Quote from: sawguy21 on July 03, 2021, 10:17:03 PM
Well, that wasn't very bright! :
literally! 8)

Neither was the light tower

Nebraska · July 05, 2021, 07:49:50 AM

I tried to rejoin the wheel falling off
of the trailer club yesterday. I turned onto a South bound highway bringing my boat back home and felt a vibration, slowed down and got to a good spot to pull off and two lug nuts were gone. :

Tightened the remaining three, stole one from the opposite side and drove slowly back toward home. Kept stopping and checking every couple miles. Fortunately one of the farms stores was open and a five pack of lug nuts was obtained as well as a new tire and rim. Last half of the ride was fine. I should have checked them a few miles into the trip home. Had the tire wrench handy... Much better than falling clear off though..

Old Greenhorn · July 05, 2021, 08:01:25 AM

Kick Save, And a BEAUTY! 8)

Nebraska · July 05, 2021, 09:38:26 AM

Dumb thing was is I know I was the one who had the wheel off of that side early last spring..... I swear I put the impact wrench on it after I let the jack down. The rim was on the side that shucked a bearing in Fargo last summer when my buddy that owns the other half of the boat had it up in Minnesota fishing... don't know if it messed it up then, oh well it's got a nifty new one now...

Resonator · July 05, 2021, 01:24:23 PM

Quotemy buddy that owns the other half of the boat

So it's a partner-ship? ??? ;D

doc henderson · July 05, 2021, 09:13:21 PM

:D :D :D :D

Wudman · July 06, 2021, 06:38:25 PM

It was my turn today........for the second time in 30+ year career, I had to call somebody to retrieve me. I was looking at a road that I am moving my contractor onto to fix. It had been chewed up pretty good. I slid over in a set of ruts and there I stayed. Reached under my toolbox for my shovel and it was not there.......maybe for the best as it was well north of 90 and I didn't have any water in the truck as I was just "riding and looking". Of course I didn't have any cell service. I walked about a mile back to a hill and was able to text my wife. She called my Brother-in-Law that lived a few miles from where I was stuck. I couldn't place a voice call, but he found me in short order. Winched me out with a 9,000 pound "Badlands" winch and then had to self recover as he couldn't move out of his tracks. Since there are no pictures, I guess it really didn't happen. Note to self......remember how to walk when things get rough. Second note to self......fix the 4 wheeler so you can ride into those places.

Wud

firefighter ontheside · July 06, 2021, 07:31:59 PM

Oh man, that's embarrassing. I'm glad I've never gotten my truck stuck and had to call my neighbor to come pull me out or have to call the local FD and have them come and pull me out with a brush truck.

sawguy21 · July 06, 2021, 08:43:02 PM

Sure. :D

Nebraska · July 06, 2021, 08:47:33 PM

Stuck, out of fuel, never....

Crusarius · July 06, 2021, 09:05:47 PM

I dunno what you guys are talking about. I have never been stuck. Just slightly delayed

https://rockmodified.com/me/woody0054.JPG

Old Greenhorn · July 06, 2021, 09:30:43 PM

Stuck? No. Just detained pending mitigation.

Southside · July 06, 2021, 09:47:28 PM

At first was wondering how you found a mud hole there Wud, not sure they exist right now - maybe after Friday. Like the others I am sure glad I never had the frost come out of the road 50 miles in the woods and sink my truck to the frame while I had to wait for a 50,000 lb wheel loader to come and pull me out, in the days before cell phones where you had to call on a radio that everyone in scanner land listened to, yup - glad that never happened.

Wudman · July 06, 2021, 10:18:24 PM

I was up in the northern frontier where they had 5 1/2 inches last week. The water was really irrelevant. The tires were in the air with with the frame bottomed out. DANG big tired 4 wheeling crowd did me in.

Wud

WDH · July 07, 2021, 08:58:13 AM

3rd note to ~~self~~ Wudman: Discretion is the better part of valor.

firefighter ontheside · July 09, 2021, 04:57:57 PM

Today I went to install bookcases and a desk I built. Everything was going great until I told my son to go get the air hose so we could install base trim. He said, in a voice that worried me, is it in the truck. It was a voice that suggested to me that he had not seen a hose. No hose. No base trim or any other trim installed. I would have run to the store and bought a new hose, but I also was going to have to go back to install crown mold, so we just finished for the day. I have an extra air hose because of the last time I forgot to bring one. I also have an extra 18 gauge brad nailer from when I forgot to bring that.

sawguy21 · July 09, 2021, 05:15:59 PM

I hate it when that happens. :D

KenMac · July 09, 2021, 09:57:14 PM

This is in no way the dumbest thing I've done but today I loaded my tractor on my trailer to go to a small driveway repair job in the morning. Then I decided I'd probably be wise to fuel the truck up. About half way to the station I realized I didn't have my billfold with me. Only took an extra 20 minutes to turn around and start over. At least no blood was shed. :-[