The ultimate in pumpers? Pierce enhances pumper trucks with Ultimate Configuration; elimination of pump housing offers wide range of benefits

Diesel Progress North American Edition, Sept, 2007 by Dawn M. Geske

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Following on the heels of its recent Velocity custom fire truck introduction, and adding to its growing list of more than 25 new products within the last five years, Pierce Manufacturing, Appleton, Wis., has introduced the new Pierce Ultimate Configuration (PUC). With PUC, Pierce has eliminated the pump housing of a fire truck, which not only results in more storage space but also provides easier access for maintenance and allows for greater maneuverability of the vehicle.

"The fact that we've been able to eliminate the bulky pump house on a fire truck is a remarkable accomplishment," said John Randjelovic, Pierce president and executive vice president at parent company Oshkosh Truck. "The PUC design makes better use of the available space onboard, which changes the way the truck is used and allows firefighters to do their job better and more safely. We consider this to be the biggest innovation since the development of the first custom fire chassis."

The new vehicle configuration can be installed on Pierce's Velocity, Impel, Quantum and Arrow XT custom chassis, which offer a range of eight to 10 passenger pumper truck variations with up to 24,000 lb. front and 58,000 lb. rear GVW ratings. The four chassis options are available with Caterpillar, Cummins or Detroit Diesel engines in medium and big block platforms rated 340 to 525 hp. Transmissions are Allison EVS3000 and 4000 automatics.

In any of these chassis combinations, the PUC moves the water pump housing underneath the cab segment, which in a conventional pumper truck extends 48 to 72 in. into the midsection of the chassis. Relocating the assembly allows the pump to be driven off the rear engine PTO, which Pierce said is common in the construction industry on equipment such as concrete mixers, log haulers and brick and block trucks. Using the rear PTO produces a higher horsepower and torque rating, Pierce said, which drives the pump at a full 1500 gpm from draft and uses a live power source for standard pump and roll capacity.

PUC also integrates a new two-step operation of the pump system, which previously required a series of gears for operation. Single-touch operation of the water-foam compressed air foam system (CAFS) and lever-style valve controls, which Pierce said makes opening/closing valves easier, have also been incorporated, along with a Pierce pressure governor with a built-in water gauge and 10-character message display. Tank capacity on the pump system is 1600 gal. with a 1500 gpm range.

Maintenance on the trucks was improved, as access to the pump and its plumbing are now reachable by tilting the cab. This is a significant enhancement to the truck, according to Pierce, as maintenance crews are no longer required to slide under the vehicle to service these components. This cuts service time from days to hours, Pierce said.

By freeing up the midsection of the truck from the pump housing, Pierce was also able to integrate additional storage, now offering 500 cu.ft. of space on its longest body configuration and up to 400 cu.ft, in the mid-sized vehicles. Hose beds, crosslays and ladder access were also rerouted and lowered for better ergonomics and the pump operator is located next to the hose connections rather than above.

Pierce was also able to optimize the maneuverability of the PUC trucks, which are configurable with 172 to 212 in. wheelbases, depending on body size. A new fold-up rear work platform was installed into the tailboard compartment and keeps the truck's overall length to a minimum. This, Pierce said, improves the truck's angle of departure and is coupled with 45[degrees] cramp angle for shorter turn radius.

Pierce offers the PUC trucks with a six-year pump warranty and a 10-year structural warranty. The vehicles will also continue to retain traditional Pierce features such as side roll and frontal impact protection, Electronic Stability Control, tire protection and the Control Zone operator panel.