Pierce's New Velocity And Impel Chasis

[dano8696]

When I first saw the new chassis online I didn't like it at all.... but yesterday I had the chance to see it in person and let me tell you it's a very practical /comfortable truck, I took some pictures for your viewing pleasure they can be seen at the gallery link i posted below

http://noxen.net/usr/dano/

[Weruj1]

thanks for the pics ! VERY COOL indeed.......

[Bones42]

Granted it's only a picture, but that sure looks like very little space near the pedals.

[dano8696]

the pedals are retracted in the picture, they adjust up or down, like some luxury vehicles. another feature (which i tought was quite funny) was that the velocity has a keyless entry remote like a car and has a keypad next to the drivers door for entry

[firefightergtp]

I have about 60+ pictures of the new velocity chassis, anyone have an easy way to host them???

[Chauffeur6]

I have about 60+ pictures of the new velocity chassis, anyone have an easy way to host them???

Sign up for a free account at photobucket.com

[CaptainS]

I keep hearing about all of this room in the new chassis, how much longer did they have to make the cab to accomidate this?

[stickhead6]

Totally agree with the room?? Where?? From what I see they still have to do a LFD cab to achieve the leg room offered by other manufacturers MFD. Build a MFD and then show us how much additional legroom there is.
Fluid checks, you still do them from in the cab, why can't they be achieved as Spartan has done from the front.
Flat floor, my interpretation of a flat floor is flat from one side to the other. I just looked at the new FFA 2007 EPA compliant chassis this week, that is a flat floor 100" wide cab, there are no raises in the floor. Flat floor from one side to the other!!
I think that some is advertising hype that people get sucked into.
And yes my dept. has several Pierce units in house.

[BoxAlarm187]

The standard length of the Velocity is 70" versus the standard length of the Dash, which is/was 67". The doghouse and motor were moved ahead 9", which gives the additional footroom in the rear, but it also means you have to have the "bulge" in the front. The Impels standard length is 60" with a 70" cab optional.

Stickhead, I don't follow what you mean about checking the fluids. One of the specific features of the Velocity/Impel is that the fluid checks are done under the hood that lifts up (between the windshield and grill). No dripping fluids on the interior, and no lifting the cab.

[pumper8032]

I think this is a good development, being from Australia and having done several ride alongs, I have to say our European based chassis offer better comfort levels BUT your custom chassis are the bees knees when it comes to room and ability to store small gear. I think the only downfall is the sheer size of your rigs, ours pale in comparison (see link)

http://www.fire-brigade.asn.au/Stati...tation_Code=20


But as for our volunteer department trucks!!!

http://www.fire-brigade.asn.au/Stati...tion_Code=ECHG


But getting back to this new chassis, well done, looks are not important, the chassis is only for getting you from A - B, so long as it does that well for the time you plan to have it, thats all you can ask, and if it looks ugly but makes your job easier, go for it!! Although I am still uneasy about the new electrical systems, but it seems to be the way of the future.

[firefightergtp]

I think another point of interest is the fact that the cab has actually gotten WIDER, from 96" dash cab to the new 100" velocity

[stickhead6]

BoxAlarm 187 I may have been mistaken, but when I was sitting in the rear of the unit in Dallas, there was an access door for checking the fluids off the rear of the engine doghouse. I thought it strange that they would go to all the work of the redesign and leave the checks still in the cab.

[todd3603]

Transmission and oil are still checked through an access panel on the rear of the dog house. The front hood gives access to windshield washer, coolant, ect. The premise was "all" fluids could be checked without raising the cab

As far as room, it was already mentioned that the engine was shifted forward ten inches to give more room in the back. The back of the cab, with the standard Velocity length and redesign, is very roomy.

With the 100" cab, two of the added inches are to the doghouse itself, the other two inches were added to the officer side. With the two inches and the angle cut doghouse, the officer side feels much better than our other Pierce chassis' (Saber, Dash, Arrow). Additionally, their is about six inches of additional room forward of the officer seat (foot room). Still not as much room as a person would want, but better and workable. If a department utilizes the Pierce one eleven mirrors, the Velocity apparatus is still eight inches narrower that a standard mirrored 96" chassis.

[thetatooisreal]

300% more floor space

Last week the local Pierce dealer had the Velocity chassis on display and I got to see it again. The rep said that the 70" Velocity cab has 300% more "floor space" in the rear cab area than the 67" Dash had. I'm 5'11" and could not touch my feet on the rear of the engine tunnel while sitting in the forward facing SCBA seat of the Velocity. On the topic of checking all fluids from the front hatch of a Spartan, I heard it can be done but that the dip stick is seven or eight feet long and very difficult to use. True or not I do not know. The access door and dip stick location on the Velocity look very easy to use. It looks like the only reason to tilt the cab would be to check or maintain the batteries. My department requires battery maintenance once a week. Only tilting the cab one day out of seven seems like a win/win to me.

[Chauffeur6]

On the topic of checking all fluids from the front hatch of a Spartan, I heard it can be done but that the dip stick is seven or eight feet long and very difficult to use. True or not I do not know.

True. How else could it be long enough to reach the oil pan and the tranny fluid pan from the front of the truck? They have to be that long.

There is nothing wrong with the Pierce having it in two locations, it's still easy to check and it keeps the length of the dipsticks reasonable. I have to say though, we have two Lance II chassis from 1994 and 1997, which had all the fluid checks and fills in an exterior compartment on the passenger side of the cab, but they went away from that for some reason with the 2000 series chassis. Not sure why, seemed like going backwards to me. Oh by the way, the Pierce multiplexed cabs have fluid level sensors for the oil, tranny fluid, coolant and power steering fluid built into the Command Zone system. Not that I'd rely on that completely, but it is nice to have anyway.