# Wheeled Coach



## Cardiac12030 (Dec 28, 2008)

Could anyone tell me what they think of the Wheeled Coach Ambulance. Good or bad?


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## JPINFV (Dec 29, 2008)

I've used Wheeled Coach Crusaders (type 2s), custom series type 3s, and Citimedic type 3s. Personally, I don't think they stand up to abuse too well. It could be that they were given more abuse than one could reasonably expect units to put up with (low moral, high call volume). I also want to slap with a wet noodle who ever got the bright idea that the on/off swith for the HVAC system in the back should only be up front instead of front and back.


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## Cardiac12030 (Dec 30, 2008)

*Thanks*

Thanks for the input. You could not have summed it up better. I have used older WC and didn't like them. We currently use Road Rescue and I think that they make a very nice rig. We shall see how the bean counter's proceed.


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## KEVD18 (Dec 30, 2008)

imnsho, they are the worst product in the market. they are poorly designed, dont hold up to the rigors of daily use, and have extremely poor functionality.

then again, im not a fan of any of the cookie cutter trucks. aev, roach coach, those crestline abominations used up in canada, mctoys. theyre all crap.

if it doesnt say horton, keep it. i can deal with braun too.


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## JPINFV (Dec 30, 2008)

KEVD18 said:


> imnsho, they are the worst product in the market. they are poorly designed, dont hold up to the rigors of daily use, and have extremely poor functionality.
> 
> then again, im not a fan of any of the cookie cutter trucks. aev, roach coach, those crestline abominations used up in canada, mctoys. theyre all crap.
> 
> if it doesnt say horton, keep it. i can deal with braun too.



Have you had a chance to work with Leader brand ambulances? 

Oh, and Horton? One of the best units at my old company was a Horton type 3 with over 300k miles on it. It was a sad day when they retired it.


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## Flight-LP (Dec 30, 2008)

Horton, Braun, or Eurocopter.................My personal favorites.

Currently stuck with a POS Frazer. If one is available, I'll usually transport by SUV before I use the ambulance. Easier to maneuver on these narrow and winding roads, plus it gives a better ride.


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## reaper (Dec 30, 2008)

It is all personal preference. I will take a Frazer over a POS Horton, any day!


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## FF894 (Dec 30, 2008)

Horton?  Are you guys crazy?  Having worked in 3 over there years and knowing of others in the area, they have all had significant and consistent electical problems.  The interiors dont last worth a damn.  The HVAC system has yet to work correctly. The cabinityr is cheap and has had to be replaced more times than I can count.  No good.  Also worked in a few Osages- so far so good, but the designs are less than desirable.  Interior is not exactly user friendly.


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## 41 Duck (Dec 30, 2008)

We've had no problems with our Horton box.  The POS 6.0 liter pushing the thing, however, has been nothing but a nightmare.  Our next bus may be Horton, may be Braun, but it WILL NOT be a 6.0 liter.  Nor will it be one of these ridiculous Sprinters I've been seeing flitting around town with the transport companies.  Gah.  What kind of abomination is THAT?  


Later!

--Coop


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## reaper (Dec 30, 2008)

Your in luck, They stopped making the 6.0L!


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## firemedickyle (Dec 30, 2008)

Our service has used Wheeled Coach for the past 10-12 years, until recently we switched to Osage Ambulance Inc. One reason of many we switched was because the sales rep didn't seem interesed in serving our service. He wouldn't ever return the bosses phone calls etc.......  

My experience with the boxes is as follows:
HVAC systems constantly experiencing problems - There either not cooling or heating, whatever the season my be. 

Wiring issues with light bars and overhead lights in the box. 

I would go with Wheeled Coach again.... I have only dealt with Osage and Wheeled Coach.


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## 41 Duck (Dec 30, 2008)

Reaper: You sure?  According to the literature I have on the 2009 chassis, the 6.0 is the only diesel listed in the E-series.


Later!

--Coop


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## EMT007 (Dec 31, 2008)

We've used Leader ambulances exclusively for the last 20 or so years, but now that we're (finally) moving on to Type III ambulances, we just received our first Wheeled Coach (on a Chevy chasis, so we don't have to deal with the absolute POS Ford engine). Not much to say about it yet, but it looks like a good product. 
LAFD uses Wheeled Coach exclusively (hundreds of rigs) and I haven't heard any complaints from them, so it can't be that bad lol.


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## KEVD18 (Dec 31, 2008)

your logic is flawed. lafd is a huge dept. huge depts need to do everything on the cheap. they dont get to buy high end top quality units, since they do need hundreds. to see what quality products are being used, you would look towards the smaller depts that can afford to build the best fleet.


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## Kendall (Jan 1, 2009)

KEVD18 said:


> then again, im not a fan of any of the cookie cutter trucks. aev, roach coach, t*hose crestline abominations used up in canada*, mctoys. theyre all crap.



Imho, Crestlines are the Cadillac of modern ambulances. Have you worked on one?


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## reaper (Jan 2, 2009)

41 Duck said:


> Reaper: You sure?  According to the literature I have on the 2009 chassis, the 6.0 is the only diesel listed in the E-series.
> 
> 
> Later!
> ...



OK, you are using the E-series. I know all F-series have switched to the 6.4L. They may still have the 6.0L in some of the E-series!


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## FF894 (Jan 2, 2009)

Was just advised that the rear door handle fell off one of the Horton's...  Can only open from inside.


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## Grady_emt (Jan 3, 2009)

We have one truck that only opens from the outside.   You have to open the vent window, slide the screen up and slip your hand out to open it.  Or just be like me and ambulate throught he curbside door.


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## JPINFV (Jan 3, 2009)

Just checking because the curb side door was "broken" on one of my ambulances on Tuesday. By chance, is the child's lock on?


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## FF894 (Jan 3, 2009)

Nope - door handle literally fell off on highway :unsure: and there is now a hole.  The doors constantly have issues not closing right or really difficult to open, especially this time of year when salt and sand get in there.


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## eric2068 (Jan 4, 2009)

My baby is a 2003 E-450 Wheeled Coach Type 3, and I love my baby. She's got 147,000 miles on her, and she runs like a scalded dog. She rides smooth in the back, and comfy in the front. I ridden in Collins, Osage, Lifeline, Mccoy Miller (the worst),AEV (second worst),  Horton, and I have to say, Wheeld Coach is the best.


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## chadwick (Jan 7, 2009)

*Well...*

I work out of 5 different Wheeled Coach Ambulances at one job and 4 Osage and 3 Taylor Made at my other job. We have minor problems out of the Osage and Wheeled Coach units but nothing too bad, most of them are pushing 200-250,000 miles. EC 1 (WC) is the newest and when I started it literally had 5000 miles on it. Taylor Made is by far the worst ambulance manufacturer that I have ever had to deal with. All of them have leaks around the back doors, the roof in the cab squeeks extremely loud in two of them, the bulbs blow all the time, one of them coasts down hill faster than it will run with the pedal on the floor. Everytime they make one of them an ALS truck, the monitor overloads it and the entire truck goes nuts. We are hoping to get the money together for a couple of Osage boxes this year so we can upgrade our aging fleet.


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## lightsandsirens5 (Jan 7, 2009)

If it ain't North Star/Braun it ain't no good. Also I cant stand rigs built on a van frame. Ford F-350/Chevy 3500s are the only way to go. But that's just my (not so) humble opinion.


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## lightsandsirens5 (Jan 7, 2009)

JPINFV said:


> Just checking because the curb side door was "broken" on one of my ambulances on Tuesday. By chance, is the child's lock on?



Child lock? On an ambulance?!? I can see it now:
Ambulance Mfg. Companys to install child lock on ambulance doors after psyco EMT tries to jump out on highway.


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## tydek07 (Jan 8, 2009)

The company I work for uses Osage. We have always had Fords, but just recently switched over to Chevy   Got our first Chevy yesterday!! Waahoo, I am excited... the interior of the cab is nice and really comfortable. I just cannot wait until we get more of the Chevy's to work in...

But yah, we use Osage. There doesnt seem to be many problems, nothing major anyway, with the Osage Ambulance. Minor electrical problems are about as bad as things get.

Take Care,


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## emt9577 (Jan 17, 2009)

*wheeled coach.*

The service I work for in the last 2 years has bought 80 of the type II stock series crusader.  With 70 of them being fords, and 10 being chevys. We have had really good luck with wheeled coach. The crews like them, granted the could use a little more room in the back, and the chevys could use more room up front. The fords have had the normal 6.0 problems, and the chevys are having constant emissions problems, ranging from DPF filters to Plugged up intake manifolds and turbos being full of carbon.  Other than that its just been minor things that wheeled coach took care of promptly. We had one of our 2006 wheeled coach crusaders involved in a roll-over, driver fell asleep at the wheel, and everybody managed to walk away. The medic who was sleeping on the cot went and got checked out, and was ok.  The truck itself held up remarkably well.  I would reccommend wheeled coach to anyone looking for a decent cost -effective ambulance. Sure they arent all custom trucks, but they get the job done, and for a fleet that has expanded as much as ours has in the last 3 years, and they have held up to our abuse.


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## emt9577 (Feb 14, 2009)

Wheeled coaches are pretty decent rigs. They arent a top of the line custom truck, but they do get the job done.  We operate almost 90 Wheeled Coach Type II that are no older than 3 years that are pretty reliable. Sure they do ahve problems with the FORD side meaniong the motors. But other than that they are pretty reliable. I havent had any major electrical problems, a couple minor issues with the veneer on the cabinets cracking, and plastic panels cracking after very rough abuse. We actually had one of the roll over about 7 months ago, with the medic asleep on the cot with no major injuries to the crew.  The driver fell asleep at the wheel.  The truck was totaled, however the back was still intact. The front left floorboard was pushed up by the front left tire on impact. And also both A posts were severely deformed. But everyone survived.  I personally like them.  Now if only they still came with the 7.3 and not the 6.0


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## emtfarva (Feb 14, 2009)

AEV, Horton and Leader is the same company.


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