Story on Unimogs (and Tatras) used in fighting wildfires

[GlobalMonkey]

Tatra 815

Hey Tomas, how come almost all the pics. you show of your "competion" are trucks working the wild wild west of the Canadian oil patch, where sometimes the roads you have to haul on they hold you back with Cats, cause you can't brake hard enough to hold your self back. We build equipment for almost every company you show there, www.wellquip.ca

We mean no disrespect. The industry standard C500 Kenworth is an impressive piece of equipment in and of its own right. With that said, before choosing Tatra as our marque brand, we researched every heavy truck manufacturer world-wide and in the harshest of off-road environments the Tatra is superior. Pound for pound, muddy road for muddy road, the Tatra will simply outperform everything else. This is why militaries and fire departments around the world use them when nothing else will get the job done.

Your website states: "WellQuip prides itself in reaching beyond the conventional in providing cutting edge solutions for oilfield servicing, and drilling equipment." We, at Tatra Trucks USA, would like to work with you to develope an oilfield servicing solution that reaches beyond the conventional. How about a collective effort to put a Tatra 815 8x8 rig-up truck to work in the field in western Canada?
Thanks, Tomas

 

[GlobalMonkey]

Tatra in India

Interesting....Tatras have been extensively used by the Indian military establishment and now is also manufactured here in India and is also offered for sale to civilians. It starts at $11000 for the 6x6. Sturdy workhorses and built to last.

I think you are missing one "0" in the price of Tatra in India. Brand new 2008 Tatra 815 6x6 sells in Europe today for $170,000. Or am I wrong?
Tomas

 

[Doin_It]

Tomas - Thanks for the offer, our fearless leader and CEO, is on a personal level with the majority owner of Tatra, and when in Czech. stays with him in his castle (an actual old stone castle) Any of our trucks going into the European market unless stated, we push and build on Tatra.

 

[kellymoe]

Great story. The fire season is upon us in California and the West. Unless we get cooler temps and precip. soon we are in for a nasty season.

My department bought two Hummers several years ago to use for brush patrols. They have 300 gallon tanks and pumps on board. As soon as we received them one of our captains decides to see if he could climb a near by hill with it to see what it was capable of. Near the top he lost traction and started rolling back. He turned the wheel and sent the Hummer into a roll. He rolled it several times before it came to a stop He got out and declared that it was a POS. We kept them for several seasons but eventually sold them. We now have Super Duty Fords as our Wild-land trucks.

 

[LRNAD90]

As soon as we received them one of our captains decides to see if he could climb a near by hill with it to see what it was capable of. Near the top he lost traction and started rolling back. He turned the wheel and sent the Hummer into a roll. He rolled it several times before it came to a stop He got out and declared that it was a POS.

He must have been like this guy, and 'knew' you can't roll a hummer...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2cZXAie4lU

 

[Ron B]

Great story. The fire season is upon us in California and the West. Unless we get cooler temps and precip. soon we are in for a nasty season.

My department bought two Hummers several years ago to use for brush patrols. They have 300 gallon tanks and pumps on board. As soon as we received them one of our captains decides to see if he could climb a near by hill with it to see what it was capable of. Near the top he lost traction and started rolling back. He turned the wheel and sent the Hummer into a roll. He rolled it several times before it came to a stop He got out and declared that it was a POS. We kept them for several seasons but eventually sold them. We now have Super Duty Fords as our Wild-land trucks.

Sounds like driver error to me -- I'm always amazed seeing inexperienced drivers in h1's stuck on easy obstacles, if you know how to drive one they will go anywhere they'll fit. It's rare to see one upside down -- they almost always stop in their flat sides. Where were the 300 gal tanks located? Man that's alot of fuel (2300 lbs).

 

[762X39]

They have 300 gallon tanks and pumps on board. As soon as we received them one of our captains decides to see if he could climb a near by hill with it to see what it was capable of. Near the top he lost traction and started rolling back. He turned the wheel and sent the Hummer into a roll. He rolled it several times before it came to a stop He got out and declared that it was a POS.

Sounds like this guy did everything wrong. I kinda like hummers although I bought a Mog instead. With or without a 300 gallon tank in the back it should be pretty easy to roll one on a hill when you turn the wheel and let it roll instead of carefully backing down the way you came, I think that is cross country (off pavement) driving 101.

 

[kellymoe]

Sounds like driver error to me -- I'm always amazed seeing inexperienced drivers in h1's stuck on easy obstacles, if you know how to drive one they will go anywhere they'll fit. It's rare to see one upside down -- they almost always stop in their flat sides. Where were the 300 gal tanks located? Man that's alot of fuel (2300 lbs).

It was absolutely driver error. Firemen aren't known for being humble and owning up to mistakes

 

[Saline]

Say it ain't so! Hey, who hung my turnout coat on the pump panel??