Considering early 2000 LMTV for FD high water rescue work, question...

[troyken]

Researching this vehicle shows fording depth of 30" about for 15 minutes without "major service" Do any of you veterans have real world experience with this "service" ? What does it entail?
I have not been able to find details in any TM. . We plan to add military fording kit and raised exhaust kit. We also require a liftgate in the rear. Any experience with make or model compatible with this truck?

We are replacing a 1975 M813 that served us well even in salt water but rust and age have made it unreliable for emergency duty

It seems that fording depths consider flowing water ( river crossing), That is not our situation .

Thanks in advance.

 

[Ronmar]

Major service probably entails changing ALL the lower gearbox fluids.

They ran all the vents to threaded bosses, or they have threaded ports or already have hose barbs. There are if i recall correctly 13 vents?

Those could all be routed up to a air box up near the snorkel, and if sealed batteries were used you would not have to worry about water intrusion until the drivers nose went underwater

From a practical standpoint, i would not want to take water level over the alternator, and would probably want to do a little wiring work before i took it as deep as the battery box and starter...

 

[NDT]

General Truck Body Co of Houston TX makes this for LMTVs.

If you open all the gear cases after fording and find no water intrusion, you are good to go.

Be sure to train your guys about hitting the fan off switch before entering water.

 

[troyken]

Thanks for the information. We appreciate the input.

 

[NDT]

Based on the extreme difficulties we had getting senior citizens and dogs up and down ladders etc, I came up with this folding stair attachment. So far nobody has smashed it, which is this design’s achilles heel.

 

[troyken]

That's a great idea! We looked at a nearby truck with a platform with stairs but yours is much better. We have found in the "perfect storm" and Hurricane Sandy that a lift gate allows us to back into deep water right up to cars or steps and load and lift people directly. It works great for non ambulatory people . We are concerned that we may not be able to mount a liftgate similar to our Thieman WT-20 to this truck as it doesn't seem to have the frame overhang that the M813 has.

 

[NDT]

The quotes for installed lift gates years ago were 5 digits, more than the city could go for. Hate to think what they would be now with the huge steel tariff increases we are seeing in manufacturing.

 

[troyken]

Yes, we had a number of around 18k for a new WT20, installed. We will have a fabricator/ welder look at remounting the old one.