"The Crummy" 2006 F450 fire crew buggy

[DirtWhiskey]

Now you have me calling about gears. LOL
I called Randy's ring and pinion and they told me they don't make a Yukon higher than 4:88 for a Dana S110.
East coast gear supply says Dana makes an aftermarket 5:38 and 6:14 for the S110 and only the 5:38 for the super 60.
I found the 6:17 gears on the DBL site. Made by them with limited applications.

Gears - DBL Design

At DBL Design, we know gear conversion is crucial for heavy-duty truck work. Some might say it's unnecessary, but we know better. Here's the lowdown:

www.dbldesign.com

Looking at my notes I got my s110 5.38 gear set from Drivetrain America. I got the super 60 front 5.38 set from Yukon with their zip locker. Also I did call Nitro Gear in January and they are not cutting the 5.38 set anymore even though they put it on their big 4x4 axles swapped motorhome.

 

[simple]

I got a quote back from East Coast Gear and also spoke with a shop that sets up axles. I came up with a rough estimate of $10k to switch to super singles. Wheels x 5 = $2500, Tires x 5 = $2500, gear change $3500 and $1500 for fenders, lift blocks and incidentals. Currently the truck needs new rear tires and 19.5's are not inexpensive either. Les Schwab quoted $1900 for 4 Toyo m920's.

 

[danneskjold]

Looking at my notes I got my s110 5.38 gear set from Drivetrain America. I got the super 60 front 5.38 set from Yukon with their zip locker. Also I did call Nitro Gear in January and they are not cutting the 5.38 set anymore even though they put it on their big 4x4 axles swapped motorhome.

That’s weird, they quoted me in August on it. If you’re motivated I would try and contact Carl there as they did an F550 with 5.38 as recently as December (posted on their IG).

 

[DirtWhiskey]

That’s weird, they quoted me in August on it. If you’re motivated I would try and contact Carl there as they did an F550 with 5.38 as recently as December (posted on their IG).

Might be true. Alas, they straight up told me "no" on the 5.38 set in January so I took their word for it and moved on.

 

[simple]

Summer has flown by and this project has been on the back burner. Over the past couple months I have been focused on getting the truck in better shape and getting it cleaned up. It's not the glamorous side of a build but had to be done. It's got new tires and shocks and a rebuilt driver seat. 14 years of gravel road dust cleaned out of the cab. Removed the bus seats from the box and hosed out the inside (literally). Removed the 2cycle gas tank and cleaned all the dirt and out out of the rear storage compartment.

 

[simple]

After some time I've started noodling on a different layout for the interior. I moved the bathroom to the front corner and will have the queen bed east/west across the back.

The bed will be split in half so that it is a lounge couch during the day and pull out at night.

The dinette will also convert to a 50x80 bed and be partially covered by the slide out bed at night. With this layout the dinette has the option of staying in place and allowing someone to use the table with the main bed deployed. Also if someone is sleeping on the converted dinette their feet will be covered but there will be plenty of openness around their head.

The sink and cooktop in the galley will also not be covered by the bed allowing for use.

I like the bathroom at the door because it will also be a closet that wet coats and shoes can be placed in upon entry.

 

[OverlandFT]

Looks like a much improved layout from your first design. Really, the only downside would be losing the vertical space on the "garage". What if the bed folded out? Back and seat cushion could be 50/50 split to make a decent mattress. Or you could take out the upper half of the rear wall and leave the full size bed stationary. (just providing advice you didn't ask for lol).

 

[simple]

LOL. I appreciate the suggestions. I spent some time discussing different layouts with my wife and I think yet again it's going to shift. I'm scaling back the amount of work to be a more entry level build to begin with. Can always add more in the future.

This layout keeps the whole garage as is. It will be a multi sport flexible space. I tested the opening and can fairly easily fit MTN bikes in through the back door if I remove the front wheels. The floor in the garage will be one giant shower pan so it can be a shower if necessary and also allow wet gear to drain. I can also set a porta pot in there emergency use.

The fold down upper bed is still 30x80". The lower bed is a queen size futon. The space at the end of the bed will leave room for a boot tray and coat hooks.









Boot tray

 

[simple]

There will also be 3 underbody storage boxes added. Just ordered two 36's" and a 24". I imagine these will be used to stash things like leveling blocks, fire wood, camp chairs, and a grill.

 

[java]

In my old truck, the steps made a great spot for the boots, I had a small hole in the bottom step, under the step itself, so it would drain as snow etc melted off the boots. Clutters the stairs a little, but worked well.

Don't under estimate the usefulness of hooks! We have the 3m stock on ones all over, helps dry wet stuff, hang a helmet, sunglasses, a fry pan etc.

Underbody storage is good. I have two, one holds the steps and level blocks, the other is fluids, a cheap tow strap for dragging logs out of the way, extra heater fuel, and my shore power connections.

 

[simple]

Things have shifted and I am moving on to a different project so this one is for sale.

Ford F450 4x4 with camper box SOLD

Ready for your build out and adventure. I started the project and am now shifting gears to a different project. Location: Bellingham WA Price: $16,950 Miles: 131k 2006 Ford F450 4x4, manual trans, V-10, Carco box. Cool old fire fighter crew transport. New tires (with snowflake rating), shocks...

expeditionportal.com

 

[eporter]

Hey this thing is pretty cool, I always wondered about a fire buggy vs. an ambo build. What's the new project direction you're going in? Did it come down to seating? I'm looking to fit a family of 4, seems like a crew cab would be best, but those might not exist with the crew box. I saw a crew cab ambo once, it was loooong.

 

[simple]

Hey this thing is pretty cool, I always wondered about a fire buggy vs. an ambo build. What's the new project direction you're going in? Did it come down to seating? I'm looking to fit a family of 4, seems like a crew cab would be best, but those might not exist with the crew box. I saw a crew cab ambo once, it was loooong.

Yes, I'm switching to a crew cab truck with slide in camper. It wont be as cool as this truck but will be more comfortable seating for 2 adults a kid and dog.

 

[eporter]

Yes, I'm switching to a crew cab truck with slide in camper. It wont be as cool as this truck but will be more comfortable seating for 2 adults a kid and dog.

I get it, that makes a lot of sense. I have seen these crew boxes and ambo boxes for sale by themselves, there's definitely an opportunity there to bolt one onto a crew cab truck. But, that's a lot more work than adding a prefab camper.