More often than not, the engine compartments of fire-fighting vehicles contained the most powerful engines that were available at any given point in time. A less serious disadvantage at the time was the limited range, given the fire brigades' radius of action at the time. It equipped its 19 fire stations with standardized combinations consisting of an LF 16 fire-fighting crew vehicle, a TLF 16 pump water tender and a DL 30 turntable ladder. From then on, bodies for pump water tenders with tanks were supplied by Schlingmann and without tanks by Ziegler. To achieve this they fit a special axle/ diff, tow bar and gearbox so if you are looking for the ultimate towing vehicle then this is it - its power and comfort is amazing, I towed my 3400kg boat to Spain with it last year and it was a breeze I took the same boat previously with a new Ford Ranger Wildtrak and the Sprinter was far superior in every way. The high center console gives a sporty, cockpit-like feel, the instruments are clear and crisp, and the materials are, as usual for Audi, fantastic. Also the 2000 model gives the possibility to up or down lift the steering wheel and has the AMG forged letters on the brakes calipers.
Looking at the exterior of Mercedes X-Class it is clear that the model won’t be much different from Concept X-Class which was presented some time ago. According to sources, 2018 X-Class is going to be presented before the year ends. Later this month, Mercedes-Benz is going to unveil four minibus models at the IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover. In the same year, Daimler exhibited such a motorized fire-fighting unit - already equipped with a two-cylinder 4 hp unit - at the 13th German fire brigades' convention in Hanover. The diverse and often extreme challenges encountered in fire fighting, rescue operations and disaster aid place the highest demands not only on those companies which specialize on fire engine superstructures - the right chassis also has to be available for every purpose. With superstructures from Metz and Bachert, the vehicles served as pump water tenders with and without tanks, dry-agent tenders and airport fire-fighting vehicles (LF 16, TLF 16 and TroLF 16), as well as as emergency tenders, hose carriers and rescue vehicles.
The first motorized fire engine fleet in Germany, put into operation by Hanover's fire brigade in 1902, consisted of two vehicles with electric motors and a steam-powered pump whose steam engine also drove the vehicle. Gottlieb Daimler realized the major advantage of his fire pump with gasoline engine drive: its instant readiness for operation. A single-cylinder 1 hp engine operating at 180 rpm was connected by means of a reduction gear to a piston pump made by the renowned fire pump manufacturer Heinrich Kurtz from Stuttgart. These were replaced almost exclusively by cab-over-engine chassis MB 1017, 1019, 1222 and 1224 AF on which the Hamburg fire brigade had its vehicles set up. In the new cab-over-engine vehicles, the engine vanished under the cab floor. The gasoline engine had already been invented but the fire brigades continued to use horse-drawn carriages exclusively in the early 20th century. The popular L 911 was designed for a gross weight of nine tons and powered by a 110 hp engine.
Electric drive also posed a weight problem because of the onboard batteries. The foot brake operated as an outer shoe brake on the drive shaft, the handbrake via outer shoes on the rear wheels. Scientific studies indicate that around 25 percent of all serious accidents occurring on motorways are caused by overtired drivers. This gave rise to an alarming rolling motion on rapid cornering, but for the gentlemen drivers of the day this was nothing unusual - it was, after all, merely a throwback to the days of the horse-drawn carriage. Above all, high speeds call for powerful engines. The LF 322 chassis for a gross weight of ten tons and with engines developing 110, later 126 hp proved to be the most versatile. In 1984, Daimler-Benz launched the Light Class, its models 709 - 1320 covering the gross weight range from 6.5 to 13 tons. Despite far-reaching standardization of fire-fighting vehicles, chassis model ranges and the superstructures of Bachert, Metz, Schlingmann or Ziegler provided fire brigades with an immensely broad choice of vehicles with different dimensions and weight ratings, output ratings and fire-fighting equipment. The Sprinter Crew starts just over $45,000, while the Passenger model starts just over $48,000.
