Commercial Chassis: Pierce Vs. E-one

[htvfd13]

For those depts that have a Pierce or E-one commercial chassis, my dept.recieved a grant and are looking for depts that have these trucks to give us some feedback. Pros-Cons ect...Thanks for the feedback in advance. I'll post an email address later on this evening.

HTVFD

[htvfd13]

You can send emails to [email protected]

thanks

[Resq14]

Would I be incorrect in saying both Pierce and E-One essentially use the same commercial chassis lines?

I know they have their lower end custom chassis lines (Contender, etc), but for true commercial chassis choices, aren't they the same?

[Rayr49]

Pierce normally builds on Kenworth or International. E-1 seems to be International. Both build "factory" four door cabs.

You should probably base your decision on chassis by visiting other departments with similiar chassis. You can then decide which cabs have the best layout for your needs.

Which chassis manufacturer has the best service facility in your area? This should also be a prime factor. You don't want to take the vehicle long distances for service or wait an excessive amount of time for parts.

Stay Safe
IACOJ

[mfdbuff871]

both pierce & e-one will build a apparatus on any commerical chassis no one apparatus builter uses one type of commerical chassis over another i have seen both e-one and pierce use kenworth,freightliner,international,peterbuilt, ETC ETC its all up to the dept to spec out what they want for a commerical chassis

[htvfd13]

Thanks guys for the comments. We are pretty well set on a Freightliner, the question we have now is what are your thoughts on each of the bodies. We have heard good things about both and abd things from second hand. Any comments on this would be great.

Thanks

[orangebuster]

Are those the only two companies you are looking at? If so why?

STILL STANDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[LACAPT]

We bought an E-one on a Freightliner FL107 about 5 years ago. Big mistake compared to a custom chassis. Would never do it again, keep your money until you can afford a custom. Custom is built better and stronger they ride nicer, handle better, for the extra it costs its worth it They make the chassis wider so the tank sits down for better and lower weight displacement and you will find that a custom will probably last you longer than a commercial one.
Just my humble opinion

[Rescue101]

Wider isn't always better

Wider isn't always better depending on your response area.I have several areas that a "Custom"won't fit into.My advise would be to attend a trade show if one is within driving distance.You can compare many vehicles in one area,it allows you to make informed choices.You can see how different mfgs do things,also look at who's going to service your new apparatus.We recently specced a new vehicle using the above method,and it was very helpful to look at different "floorplans"which we then incorporated into our spec.Good luck,T.C.

[htvfd13]

Pierce and E-one are the 2 that we are looking at. Why?...well Out of the the 9 fire depts. in our county 7 of them have Pierce or E-one Engines, compatability. Another reason well is the old school of thinking. Stay with what we know. I know those aren't very good reasons. As for a custom, that doesn't fit the needs of our dept and isn't really cost effective. If it wasn't for this grant we wouldn't be able to get anw engine for many years to come on our own. We want to get the best truck for our money and a commerical chassis allows us to be more cost effective. Our dept doest run every day, or even every week, so a commercial should last us a very long time and hold up for us (with care). I have attend FDIC in Indy this year and viewed some of these trucks. We have talked with both reps in our area and the E-one rep seems to have it together more then the Pierce rep and the service side should be about the same. Thanks for all the helpfull comments, keep them coming.

HTVFD

[Engine153]

I am always confused by thoughts such as those presented by Rescue101. Pumper bodies from Pierce, E-ONE and most others, with the exception on Pierce's HDRP, are 96 inches wide. It doesn't matter if is on a custom or commercial chassis. The custom cab is also 96 inches wide. So if a custom cab is "too wide" then how will this same width body fit in a given spot using a commercial cab? Maybe I'm missing something. The perception is that if the narrow frontend of a commercial cab will fit through a space, then the entire truck will fit. I see some manufacturers are now using 101 inch bodies even on a commercial chassis. How will that truck fit into those areas that are too wide for a custom cab? Just some food for thought.

[neiowa]

Originally posted by LACAPT
We bought an E-one on a Freightliner FL107 about 5 years ago. Big mistake compared to a custom chassis. Would never do it again, keep your money until you can afford a custom. Custom is built better and stronger they ride nicer, handle better, for the extra it costs its worth it They make the chassis wider so the tank sits down for better and lower weight displacement and you will find that a custom will probably last you longer than a commercial one.
Just my humble opinion

Please enlighten with specifics. A Class8 truck is good for a couple million miles. Seems to be adequate for a typical fire dept for the next 50-60 years. A medium or heavy truck consists of an assembly of assorted commercial components. You spec what brand/model of axles, brakes, springs/suspension, steering you want (and can afford). Fire truck mfg purchase out of the same parts box. Built stronger? How? Chassis wider? - hows that work? Same 96" max width and dual tires (frame has to fit between). Curb weight is function of components spec + equipment + WATER TANK SIZE. You want a lighter truck? Reduce tank size or equipment load.

[Rescue101]

153,I fail to see your confusion.I plainly stated I had response areas a Custom wouldn't fit in and I do.I'm not telling you that a SFO or an equivalent wouldn't fit just that your AVERAGE Custom won't.We just ordered a new Custom and there are certain areas of town that the old 78 International will be the attack piece and the Custom will haul water.Like it or not commercials will sometimes go where the bigger trucks won't.Think about it for a minute,how many fully geared FFs fit in a commercial chassis?Usually about two in a two door or four in a four door,comfortably.How many in a custom?Where do you suppose that extra space comes from?In probably 80% of the country it is a non-issue,in my space it can be a MAJOR issue.As our respondent was asking for opinions,I threw out that what the vehicle is being bought to do had better be a "fit"for the area it is going to work in.You will also find if you look around a bit,that Custom chassis TEND to have considerably less body ground clearance than a commercial.Does it matter?Not to me,I'll tow either one out.T.C.

[NickSBFD6]

Originally posted by neiowa


Please enlighten with specifics. A Class8 truck is good for a couple million miles. Seems to be adequate for a typical fire dept for the next 50-60 years. A medium or heavy truck consists of an assembly of assorted commercial components. You spec what brand/model of axles, brakes, springs/suspension, steering you want (and can afford). Fire truck mfg purchase out of the same parts box. Built stronger? How? Chassis wider? - hows that work? Same 96" max width and dual tires (frame has to fit between). Curb weight is function of components spec + equipment + WATER TANK SIZE. You want a lighter truck? Reduce tank size or equipment load.

Ive never understood this line of thinking either. I drive for a living, we put 75-100 thousand miles on a truck a year. The problem I see is that departments put too small a chassis under a 30-40 thousand pound pumper. If you're looking at Freightliners, consider something like a Fl112 instead of the Fl70 or 80, or business class. With the larger truck you can spec larger engines with minimal increase in the trucks physical size.

And I'm with Rescue 101 on this one (hey, us Maine boys gotta stick together.) Sure a customn cab is 96 or 102" wide, now add mirrors, grab rails, lights and other things. and now your "narrow" custom pumper is a foot wider than a comparable commercial. Ground clearence is the biggie, for towns with alot of rural roads and camp style driveways, a custom just won't do it.

DON'T get me wrong, I love our custom trucks. Our department has 3 customs and our tanker is a commercial. But I realize there are pleanty of needs for a commercial cab too, and shouldn't be set aside for the "bargain" trucks.

-Nick

[Fire304]

Originally posted by NickSBFD6
The problem I see is that departments put too small a chassis under a 30-40 thousand pound pumper.

AMEN!

The problem with commercial chassie ratings (IMHO) is that while the truck might be rated as a 36,000lbs GVWR, very few commercial trucks spend their lives at full capacity. My oil truck is rated 36,000 and 2-4 times a day it sees a full load, but that's probably only 5% of its on the road time and less than 1% of its total life. A fire engine sits very close (if not over) its GVWR almost 100% of the time (the only time it will ever not be heavy is driving back from a fire with an empty water tank, if your FD allows that practice). An FD I used to belong to had an International chassie that used to break leaf springs (no BS!) sitting in the barn. When they talked about beefing up the suspension (truck was way out of warrenty before this all happened) there was concern that the frame might be damaged if the springs were too stiff.

Custom rigs start with heavier frames and suspension. Our rescue pumper is a single screw at 53,000lbs, a commercial chassie that heavy would most likely be a tandem, and again not designed for 100% duty cycle.

It comes down to the old saying, you get what you pay for. I know some FD's just can't afford to buy Custom, but you get a lot of bang for your buck if you do.