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Featured Rig
January-February 2004
Crown Firecoach "Super
Tender"
(Custom conversion from 1975 aerial ladder truck)
Super Tender Specs:
Owner: CFE member Mike McDonald, Escondido,
CA
Conversion By: McDonald-Western Heavy Equipment, Valley Center,
CA
Tractor Power: Cummins Diesel
Pump: 2000 GPM
Tank: 8,500
gallons
Original Crown Firecoach Specs:
Owner:
San Diego Fire Department
Manufacturer: Crown Coach, Los Angeles,
CA
Model: Firecoach Aerial (CF-100-85D)
Year: 1975
Serial
No.: F1753
Powerplant: Cummins 855 Diesel
Aerial: 100' Maxim,
rear-mounted
This unique Crown Firecoach
conversion was originally conceived by Mike McDonald over 5 years ago
with the tractor design based upon one originally constructed by Crown
Coach for the Los Angeles City Fire Department (see photo below). That
1960 Crown was the only 3-axle tractor unit ever made by Crown (all
aerial ladder tractors were 2-axle). It was destroyed early in its
career by a vegetation fire and never replaced by L.A.F.D.
The Super Tender tractor was
constructed from a 1975 Crown Firecoach 100 foot rear-mount ladder truck
(S/N F1753) which originally served the San Diego Fire Department (see
photo below). The ladder and body were removed, the frame was cut down,
and a fifth wheel was added. The pump, pump-panel, hose reels and
compartments came from a 1969 Crown pumper (S/N F1608), ex L.A. County
FD (originally from the old Azusa FD). To complete the tractor, a 18,000
lb. front axle was added, along with a hydraulically operated Stang
monitor. Large diameter flex hoses connect the 8,500 gallon polished
aluminum tank to the tractor-mounted monitor, pump and tank fill. The
unit has five 2-1/2 inch discharges and two side and two rear
air-actuated sprays. It is capable of pumping 2000 GPM from the PTO
pump. The tank can be filled from the top, rear inlet, or the pump
panel. Polished aluminum wheels and custom graphics complete the unit.
The Super Tender is fully
functional fire-fighting apparatus available under contract to both the
California Department of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service. It is
numbered "9349" and given the local designator of "Super Tender 7-2",
for San Diego County CDF Battalion-7 (Monte Vista Ranger Unit, Valley
Center Area).
(Click on photos to see bigger images; use your back
button to return to this page)
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Above,
Chuck Madderom's photo of Crown Firecoach S/N F1753, shown in
service as San Diego F.D. Truck 8. It was one of two identical
trucks with 100-foot rear-mount Maxim ladders purchased by San
Diego in 1967, the sister rig being Crown S/N F1754. F1753 was
acquired by Mike McDonald in 2000. |
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The idea
for the Crown Super Tender tractor came from this 1960, 3-axle
tractor (S/N F1223) used by the Los Angeles City Fire Department
to pull a "lowboy" transport trailer. It was mostly used to haul
one of the LAFD's fire bulldozers, but could also be called to
transport a broken down fire vehicle if one of the departments tow
trucks could not manage it. The Crown fire-dozer transport met an
untimely end at a brush fire when it was overrun by the flames and
destroyed. |
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Above, left and right: work on the conversion
first began in May, 2000. The first step was to remove the aerial
ladder from the truck (Mike Mcdonald still has it if anyone is in
need of a 100-foot ladder). The front bumper was also removed for
rechroming. Typical of most surplus San Diego rigs, the unit was
in poor cosmetic condition. |
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After being put on the back burner for some
time, the project was finally completed in late 2003. Above left,
the Firecoach cab with a fresh coast of paint. Above right, final
work is underway on the tractor. |
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Above left, the body of the former ladder
truck now sits in a field with other parts-rigs. Above right, the
pump, compartments, hose reels, etc, used for the Super Tender
came from this parts donator Crown, an ex-LA County/ex-Azusa 1969
pumper (S/N F1608). |
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The Super Tender made its CFE debut at the
Code 3 Toy Run in Los Angeles in December,
2003. |
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