Unit 401 Formerly Tanker 1
401 is a 1966 Kaiser 2-1/2 ton 6X6 "deuce and a half" with a 1000 gallon tank. Since it was our first tanker, we originally called it "Tanker 1".
This is what it looked like the last time we took a snapshot. Not much different, except that we installed big mirrors, moved the beacons to the rear, and put a light bar on the cab. We've since moved this lightbar to 501 and put a simple beacon back on this truck, but who can keep up with all this stuff?
We really didn't have to do very much to this truck to start using it. It was in magnificent condition when we received it from Forestry. We really hated painting over the desert camoflauge scheme.
We did feel the need, though, to improve the plumbing to make it more suitable for our purpose.
photo by Bill Beall, January 2002 When the 250 GPM PTO-powered pump shelled, we installed an 11-HP Hale 25FB 300 GPM pump, a donation from Oilton Volunteer Firefighter's Association (Oilton Fire Department).
The pump is mounted beneath the panel in front of the rear wheels, and pressurizes the manifold shown in the above photo. We built the manifold using a length of 4" square tubing, and from it we can supply 1 1/2", 2", and 2 1/2" outlets, along with a hose reel that we plan to install in the rear compartment. We can also fill the tanks on this truck through the manifold. This arrangement works so well that we installed a similar one on 301 , and plan to re-fit 302 likewise.
Our intention is to replace the pump on this truck with a bigger one (bigger is better - you CANNOT have too much pump on a fire truck), and move the 11-HP pump to one of our grass rigs.
Anyone riding in this truck for even a short period of time will usually remark that installing a muffler would also be an excellent idea. Conversations in the cab usually run something like this:
"We've got to turn left up here."
"Huh?"
"I SAID WE NEED TO TURN LEFT RIGHT HERE!"
"WHAT?"
"WE SHOULD HAVE TURNED LEFT BACK THERE!"
"AREN'T WE SUPPOSED TO TURN LEFT UP HERE SOMEWHERE?"
We also noted (almost immediately) that it was extremely difficult to hear the radio in this truck, and in August, 1999, we solved that problem by jacking a "Y" adapter and a $19.95 set of Radio Shack scanner (mono) headphones into the radio speaker outlet. Duh.
This truck has a White Multifuel engine (as do all of our "deuces"), so if we're out somewhere and we can't find any diesel fuel, we can fill it up with unleaded. Or kerosene, for that matter.
As this truck was a ragtop, we scavenged this hardtop off of an old mid 50's (GMC?) 6x6 at the Forestry salvage and made it fit. Kind of. Since then, we've seen several Kaisers with original hard tops. Go figure.
