wtf why is the hoodline at chest height
we have mansfield bars but nothin' doin' the same at the front?
this post was submitted on 06 Jun 2026
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Yeah, all it needed was extra madmax spikes at the end. Seriously, what was that designed for? Like breaching walls or toppling trees?
Def not overall road safety.
Also brush fires might not require driving at speed through intersections (accidents of any sort cause longer delays).
(And, tho not the issue at hand - headlights at car roof level too, wtf. At 1.6m (5ft3in) Cooper Countryman aren't that small.)
Seriously, what was that designed for?
Being hit by other vehicles while stopped on a roadway, usually. Especially if there is a highway nearby.
People have this tendency to get distracted by the blinking lights or a car accident, and drift toward it. The truck is positioned between traffic and where people are working so if it does get hit, the entire crew isn't turned into mush instantly.
That's not correct then, doesn't explain the lack of front mansfield bar or why the bumper is so high.
An impact with a vehicle is the same regardless who does the ramming/who is stationary.
(With your reasoning the impact would have been the same, just more ppl killed. So I don't think it's that.)
Having ridiculous ground clearance isn't a design chosen for traffic (impact) reasons.
I misunderstood your question then, sorry.
If you're referring to height, these trucks are a base model fire truck that get modified at order. That particular truck I think is a KME. One of their big claims is around supporting a tight turning radius, and I'm pretty sure thats one that LAFD buys. The same model may carry incredibly different weights, so its designed to the same base but can accommodate a rather wide variety of weights and tires as a result, and a length from around 30' to 75' (very roughly), with the chassis staying mostly the same, but the body accommodating either just 2 in the cab (short one) or an additional 6 or 8 in the back (long one). The only big change is around the weight which can change drastically based on people + equipment, which would then change the tire size & type to accommodate.
Considering this is California, that same truck could be used for brush - and yes, making it through larger vegetation - as well as highways or cities.
Just to mention - the "mad max bumper" is because the bumpers are used for preconnects, intake inlets for drafting, storage for chains, jaws, etc, as well as towing connections, and even ground sweeps on corners. Its all utility design.
Edit: Source here is me, I used to put wet stuff on the red stuff, not engineer the trucks. Others will definitely be more qualified to explain that portion, I'm just noting how these things get ordered from a base design meant to be versatile.
This is why you don't play music so loud that you can't hear a siren.
And the reason the rest of us have to suffer sirens that are louder than they need to be, is so that they need to be loud enough to penetrate all the soundproofing
And now drivers are all wearing earphones
Why does a truck with a fixed chassis rail at that height not have front-underrun protection below it? This is a serious design flaw.