Ridgehound Delivery No. 1: A Model 1 Built for Rutherford County Fire and Rescue
Our first delivery under the Ridgehound name is headed to Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This Model 1 was built for Rutherford County Fire and Rescue, and it is also the first truck we have ever sent to Tennessee. Jordan walks through the whole truck in the video below and points out what makes this build different.
The truck was under contract before we changed our name from SeaWestern. When the build schedule lined up, we knew it would be delivery number one, and it carries a plate on the headliner that says so. It arrives turnkey in black over red fleet match paint with a real gold leaf engine turned stripe and the department’s graphics already applied.
The front end
The Buckstop bumper with the Outback brush guard holds a Warn 16.5ti winch loaded with synthetic line and a Factor 55 UltraHook, plus an Akron 3462 forestry monitor. Underneath is our super single conversion on Buckstop aluminum wheels, using the stage three kit with Radflo remote reservoir shocks for a better ride off road. A hammer texture black diamond plate overlay protects the front of the body from rocks and debris, and corner scene lights angle out to light up the ditch on both sides.
Water, hose and foam
A large auxiliary water level gauge faces forward so the person at the end of a hose line can always see how much water is left. Hannay reels carry 125 feet of 1 inch hose, and two preconnects ride on top of the truck. Their valves sit up top, so we added Akron Navigator controllers on the pump panel to run them from the ground. The UPF poly tank holds 441 gallons with an integrated foam cell and a lifetime warranty, and the truck runs a Trident foam system.
A pump set up for volume
Every Ridgehound truck runs a Darley pump. Most Model 1 builds use a higher pressure pump, but this one has a pump head built for volume because that is how Rutherford County plans to use it. It is driven by a 24 horsepower Kubota diesel that runs off the chassis fuel tank, so the crew only has one fuel to manage. Darley EGOV controls are on the rear panel with a smaller version in the cab. The plumbing is welded stainless with Victaulic couplings so it can be taken apart for service, and every label on the panel is etched instead of printed on a decal.
Storage and lighting
The Model 1 transverse compartments combine an underbody box and a top box into one, with notched front corners that make room for long tools through the center of the truck. Compartments have adjustable shelves and FRC SunStrip lighting. Baja Designs S8 light bars sit on top, and the scene and work lights can be switched on or off from either the cab or the pump panel. The rear apron box carries two sections of suction hose with the strainer already attached, and the spare tire rides on top with a folding hoist to get it down.
In the cab
The vehicle specific console keeps everything within reach: in cab pump control, the Whelen CenCom Core siren controller, an armrest and a cup holder. The department will install its own radios when the truck gets home.
Thanks to the crew at Rutherford County Fire and Rescue. They were a great group to build for, and we are glad this was the truck that got to be number one.
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