How many ex-firetrucks?

k8icu · Post by **k8icu** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 7:25 pm

I can't say for sure, but here are the clues....

My truck after it left the military had the bed removed and some other type of bed mounted on it....maybe a pump?.... The truck was painted fire engine red and then white over the red. (The red was ontop of the strata blue and then the white on top of red and then brown (when jimbob got it) ontop of the white.

There was a series of pullys welded under the frame for maybe a winch of some type. The frame has holes burned in with a torch that where made when the other bed was mounted. Converted to 12V also. Many switches added to the dash.

So I can only guess that it was used by a FD for brush fire work or maybe by the US Forest Service??

TRACTORg25 · Post by **TRACTORg25** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:37 am

Mine served with the USFS than was sent to South Saulty volunteer FD in Alabama. I called and spoke with the Chief had a long conversation about the truck. It too had the bed removed, a ton of switches added to the dash, partial 12volt conversion. Which made the truck hard to start. It served as a brush truck/ wildland. They had removed the winch and changed the pto to operate the pump. When they returned to truck they kept the pto. It was painted red.

HWooldridge · Post by **HWooldridge** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:52 pm

I've owned 4 (only have one now) and all were Texas small town VFD brush trucks. Two came from Seguin, one from Alton and one from the Tyler area - it's actually not that unusual to still see them in the smaller departments that have small budgets (and LOTS more places have 2-1/2 ton trucks from the 1970's). Stonewall had an active truck until about 6 years ago when they auctioned it off and probably made more than they paid for it. La Vernia still has one parked outside the FD headquarters but I do not know if it runs. The old trucks are continually being retired because parts are hard to get and some of the younger guys can't work on them (points and condenser, whuzzat?) or drive at a reasonable speed. One problem I've seen is that folks think they'll go 60 mph with 250 gallons of water on the back and BAM! there goes the rear pumpkin or a rod. One of the two I got from Seguin had blown two rear ends with the same driver - rather than switch men, they bought a new Ford...go figure.

DaveO · Post by **DaveO** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:45 pm

Mine was FD from one of the small towns around Anchorage.

Caldwelljj0 · Post by **Caldwelljj0** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 6:05 pm

Mine was a fire truck with the Martinsburg, PA FD. It is still all painted up and has the siren, but no lights.

PO62880 · Post by **PO62880** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 3:31 am

Mine was a firetruck as well. It served as a brush truck for the Boylston Fire Dept in Mass

mattveeder · Post by **mattveeder** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 4:43 pm

I am beginning to belive mine was owned by a fd but was never a fire truck as you would know it. It was red and yellow or atleast some of it was. But the wires were never modified and there are no signs of holes or modifications to the bed.

Rich · Post by **Rich** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 5:48 pm

The m37s that I own were purchased by Horry County SC. One of the trucks was with the Horry County Civil Defense Agency, and the other truck belonged to the Aynor Vol Rescue Squad.
Rich Szklany

jbxx · Post by **jbxx** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 5:50 pm

Mine was a brush truck for Two-Rock volunteers .
http://flickr.com/photos/18977553@N02/1 ... 038739805/

J.B.

Rich · Post by **Rich** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 5:53 pm

Also there are 2 M37s that I know of that are still in service. The first one belongs to the Level Cross Fire Dept in Randleman NC. The other truck belongs to the Franklinville Vol Fire Dept in Franklinville NC.
Rich Szklany

rickv100 · Post by **rickv100** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 8:15 pm

I looked at the Cape May/Wildwood NAS M37 as well. Nick the red one up near Cape May Court House was across from a campground, at a garage. The owner kept it under a car port.

Rick

Nickathome · Post by **Nickathome** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 3:41 am

rickv100 wrote:I looked at the Cape May/Wildwood NAS M37 as well. Nick the red one up near Cape May Court House was across from a campground, at a garage. The owner kept it under a car port.

Rick

Yep, that's the one. I hoped to get hold of the guy but wasn't able to. I wanted to see if he'd sell me the canvas top from it. However I made out better going with a new one anyway. Whatever happened to that truck I wonder.

rickv100 · Post by **rickv100** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 8:01 am

Not sure, the one I have was a former CD truck (big CD sticker on side) that I bought from near Sea Isle City in the early 90's.

I paid too much for it but I was young and just into M37's at the time. I have learned alot in tearing it down and putting it back together.

Rick

neverfinished · Post by **neverfinished** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 2:54 pm

My AF 53 served with the Stayton,OR FD as a brush truck until I bought it at auction in 94. During preview, I heard a couple of young guys looking it over and planning their "monster truck". They were the only other bidders,but I was determined not to let them chop up a nice M-37.An M211 brush truck was also sold there. One of my 51's was a brush truck with Marion County,OR FD #1. After welding up countless holes in both beds,I know why FD practices are called "drills".

VROD02 · Post by **VROD02** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 8:34 am

#1 was unionville Mo. vol. fire dept.
#2 Il. dept. of civil defense "ready rifles"

Weren't all these fire trucks property of forestry and then leased out to fire depts for a buck?

How many ex-firetrucks?

Fire truck

Cape May firetruck

Re: Cape May firetruck