# Vent About Your Rig



## Simusid (Nov 16, 2011)

This might belong in the lounge because I'm just venting, but I'll start a thread here anyway.  We have a brand new (10k Miles) International.  I know sometimes you have to work the bugs out but in general I'll say I'm not very happy with it.  The ride sways like mad and it's been out of service a couple of times to fix that.  

Now it smells like rotton eggs in the cab from the battery compartment and the batteries are warm (not hot).  While sitting on shore power with the key in "accessory" the ammeter shows a draw of 30 amps!   that is nuts!  and here's the weird thing.... if you open the door to the box and all the lights come on, the load drops to 14 amps.  Close the door, back to 30 amps.

$230K not well spent.   How I wish we could have bought another GMC 4500   

So what's bugging you about your rig?


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## d0nk3yk0n9 (Nov 16, 2011)

We discovered the other day that one of our trucks is for some inexplicable reason set up so that everything *except* the chargers for the portable radios runs off of the shore line if it's plugged in. Of course, we only found this out when someone tried to start the truck and the battery was dead.

It's getting sent out for rewiring as we speak.


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## ah2388 (Nov 16, 2011)

We purchased 2 new ambulances in late 2010/early 2011.  The first thing I recognized after putting them in service, was that the sharps container(only large one in the ambulance), is placed along the rear wall of the ambulance.  That is, if you are starting an IV on the bench seat(passenger side of the ambulance), and are right handed, you have to initiate access and then turn across your body away from the patient in order to dispose of the sharp.  Unfortunately, despite progressive efforts to ensure that sharps are properly disposed of, we are seeing an increasing incidence of IV catheters being left on the seat or the floor.


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## shfd739 (Nov 16, 2011)

Simusid said:


> $230K not well spent.   How I wish we could have bought another GMC 4500
> 
> So what's bugging you about your rig?



$230k for an ambulance??? Thats freaking nuts. That buys a decent fire truck. I really dont see the reason for using medium duty trucks as 911 units.

My only complaint is that my Expedition has the 4.6 V8. Wish it had the 5.4 motor...needs more power.


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## Devilz311 (Nov 16, 2011)

Everything in our new series of trucks is perfect, with the exception of the POS Ram Mounts for the Toughbooks. There are much better options IMO.


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## Simusid (Nov 16, 2011)

shfd739 said:


> $230k for an ambulance??? Thats freaking nuts. That buys a decent fire truck. I really dont see the reason for using medium duty trucks as 911 units.
> 
> My only complaint is that my Expedition has the 4.6 V8. Wish it had the 5.4 motor...needs more power.



well yeah it is a lot but then again it does have a custom paint job


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## Everett (Nov 16, 2011)

simusid said:


> well yeah it is a lot but then again it does have a custom paint job



lmfao love it!!


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## traumaluv2011 (Nov 16, 2011)

Simusid said:


> well yeah it is a lot but then again it does have a custom paint job



That is the greatest thing I have ever seen!


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## FourLoko (Nov 16, 2011)

Our rigs are based on shift. The "nice" rig (Sprinter) I get to drive on Friday and Saturday needs new tires in a bad way. Hard and barely 1-2mm of tread left.

Of course they tires are "on order" per the supervisor but are still not on the rig over a week later.


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## Tigger (Nov 16, 2011)

FourLoko said:


> Our rigs are based on shift. The "nice" rig (Sprinter) I get to drive on Friday and Saturday needs new tires in a bad way. Hard and barely 1-2mm of tread left.
> 
> Of course they tires are "on order" per the supervisor but are still not on the rig over a week later.



Tires make a huge different. The truck everyone hated had bad tires and was like steering a ship in big seas on the highway. Suddenly new tires appeared and now no one says anything.

We started getting new AEV trucks that have a better interior layout and six point harnesses that are nice, but the powers got be got rid of the LED lights and sweet dual tone sirens :sad:  Oh well, shiny new trucks are shiny new trucks.


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## Nerd13 (Nov 17, 2011)

The rig I've been in lately has some sort of weird wiring bug. The climate control system has a mind of its own and a whole bank of lights decides when it will turn on and off. Can't really complain though, it's a very nice rig otherwise...


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## lawndartcatcher (Nov 17, 2011)

The driver's side door once fell off my rig...while I was driving it...over a bridge.

My service puts a lot of cash into their rigs. I think the biggest complaint I'd have is that people don't take care of them. Someone put their foot into the stereo in the other rig (the other one on my shift) and broke it. Management said "No one's going to fess up? Fine. this is why we can't have nice things.". That crew has to sing to each other during those long transports.

When I was a call guy we had a 350+ pound crew member break the driver's seat on the new volly ambulance. Turns out he had broken it by slam dancing into it while driving back from a call. He quietly backed the rig into the station and left, never telling anyone.


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## shfd739 (Nov 17, 2011)

lawndartcatcher said:


> The driver's side door once fell off my rig...while I was driving it...over a bridge.
> 
> My service puts a lot of cash into their rigs. I think the biggest complaint I'd have is that people don't take care of them. Someone put their foot into the stereo in the other rig (the other one on my shift) and broke it. Management said "No one's going to fess up? Fine. this is why we can't have nice things.". That crew has to sing to each other during those long transports.
> 
> When I was a call guy we had a 350+ pound crew member break the driver's seat on the new volly ambulance. Turns out he had broken it by slam dancing into it while driving back from a call. He quietly backed the rig into the station and left, never telling anyone.



Kicked the stereo and broke a seat by goofing off? Surely they were fired or nearly fired.


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## Cawolf86 (Nov 17, 2011)

We have cool air horns in our rigs - but a couple of them have leaky compressors. So every hour, even after not using the horn - the compressor will go off. They are super loud and rumble-like while recharging the horn. Fun.


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## lawndartcatcher (Nov 17, 2011)

shfd739 said:


> Kicked the stereo and broke a seat by goofing off? Surely they were fired or nearly fired.



You'd think so, wouldn't you?


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## HotelCo (Nov 17, 2011)

Cup holders near the dog house (the big thing that houses the sirens and switches in between the seats), instead of attached to the sliding door behind the seats. 

Oh, and some of our new trucks could be a bit roomier up front...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## tssemt2010 (Nov 17, 2011)

probably the fact that engine/transmission must get to operating temperature before goin anywhere or else the truck wont go over 30mph until it gets up to operating temperature. running emergency traffic going 30mph is pretty embarassing


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## Nervegas (Dec 1, 2011)

Honestly, the only things that bother me about our sprinters are the fact that our E-lights are set to the most useless flash patterns, and the back only has two red lights that blink on and off, makes the truck nearly invisible during the day, and the fact that we have the swivel chairs instead of a bench, so patient care is interesting on 911 runs. there are other minor things, but the trucks do drive well and have some get up and go to them.


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## mycrofft (Dec 1, 2011)

*At Flintstone's Ambulance Service...*

...we had what we called "semi-mods", basically a Dodge van chopped behind the front seat and a re-cabineted SUV body put on.  Eventually everything came loose or stopped working, the most fun one being the stamped metal single piece front seat mounts. The seatbelts (no shoulder harness back then) bolted to the floor. Good thing, I went to get out once, opened the door and the the inboard side of the seat pedestal tore loose of its bolts. The two remaining bolts (outboard) had partially chewed through the heavy sheet iron pedestals. Essentially only the seat belts were holding the seat in place.


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## RocketMedic (Dec 11, 2011)

Our supervisor nailed a deer with 'my' rig, so after the rebuild, the right headlight goes in circles around its field of travel. Really annoying most of the time.


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## Handsome Robb (Dec 11, 2011)

If you take our units out of park with the parking brake on you get to listen to a wonderful shrill alarm to tell you the parking brake is on. 

The unit I was in today has an electrical bug so every time you shift out of park you get a quick taste of that wonderful sound, parking brake or no parking brake. :wacko:


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## rmabrey (Dec 11, 2011)

My only complaint is other crews not taking care of trucks. We generally share a truck with another crew that likes to leave tourniquets and electrode leads on the bench seat. I prefer for things to be organized and clean. 

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk


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## exodus (Dec 11, 2011)

I want my usual rig back  i hate not having wifi in our rig. 


---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=33.707504,-116.264980


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## lightsandsirens5 (Dec 11, 2011)

exodus said:


> I want my usual rig back  i hate not having wifi in our rig.
> 
> 
> ---
> I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=33.707504,-116.264980



wifi? You have got to be kidding me!


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## DesertMedic66 (Dec 11, 2011)

lightsandsirens5 said:


> wifi? You have got to be kidding me!



Haha. The WiFis are protected so we can't use our personal stuff from them. The WiFi is for our company toughbooks. So it's used for Mapping/GPS, CAD, and ePCR. But they have a plug in for a cat5 cable in the modem allowing crews to use personal stuff (mostly just laptops for Netflix during down time).


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## usalsfyre (Dec 11, 2011)

Other than the @&$! side mount cot, my truck is not too bad. I do wish it had WiFi like my last service, it would make echarting much faster.


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## Meursault (Dec 11, 2011)

Some of our newer trucks have backup sensors, which give a variety of tones and text-to-speech readouts of the distance through a speaker just behind the driver's head. The sensors were mounted on the back step, and thanks to time, salt, and the inevitable backing accidents, most of them have fallen off or been knocked askew. 

Now, every time you shift into reverse, you hear, "Two feet *beepbeepbeepbeep* Two feet...." or, "Object in blind area. *horrible noises* Object in blind area." regardless of what's actually behind you. Annoying, distracting, and it makes me a bit paranoid.



tssemt2010 said:


> probably the fact that engine/transmission must get to operating temperature before goin anywhere or else the truck wont go over 30mph until it gets up to operating temperature. running emergency traffic going 30mph is pretty embarassing



Yeah, same here for a lot of the older trucks. Generally, I pull out of the garage, turn onto a nice long road, and if it doesn't shift out of first after the first mile, I turn around and try to convince a supervisor to give me a better one.


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## adamjh3 (Dec 12, 2011)

I've never worked on a truck with less than 150k miles. My two usual trucks have over 300k. 

One is missing the armrest on the passenger side, and it won't go to the lowest fan speed for the climate control, so there's always air blasting at at least medium. 

The hand sanitizer pump on one is missing entirely and the other's is broken so that you need to bribe it in to working. I usually end up using the wipes instead anyway. 

I have to fight tooth and nail for equipment including BP cuffs, pen lights, and PCRs. 

The eject button on the tape deck for one is missing, so you need to jostle your O2 wrench in there to get your tape out. 

Someone blew the speakers out on one, so everything I listen to is horribly distorted. 

The holes in the doghouse where the cables for the MDT used to protrude love to eat pens more than anything else. 

If I don't start one immediately when I get to station (usually 15 minutes early) and leave it on through our allotted 20 minutes to check the rig post shift start it won't go over 10mph when we leave the station.

Cruise control doesn't work on one. 

Neither has a working e-brake. 

Both have the step on the back below the bumper canted at an angle due to people backing into various objects. 

There are dents-o'-plenty on each rig. 

All the stickers are peeling off on both. 

The mirror on the passenger side of one slowly migrates in and has to be readjusted 10+ times a day.

We're lucky if we get money to wash the rigs more than once a month, I make do with.

The off-going crew is worthless and leaves the rig in disrepair, management is unresponsive to complaints. 

I could go on...


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## Sodapop (Dec 12, 2011)

adamjh3 said:


> I've never worked on a truck with less than 150k miles. My two usual trucks have over 300k.
> 
> One is missing the armrest on the passenger side, and it won't go to the lowest fan speed for the climate control, so there's always air blasting at at least medium.
> 
> ...



Wow that does not sound like a decent working enviroment. Granted it has been many years since I was on a rig but when I was the company had great equipment and crews took pride in them and took good care. My biggest complaint was being in the type II's when posting as they are cramped and always felt heat from the engine through the cover.

Sent from my mobile on tap talk please excuse the typos


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## tssemt2010 (Dec 12, 2011)

leaking rear main seal in our rig at the moment, company just got 2 new ambulance but they are vans, i am too tall for a van, and not having enough storage, or room to start an IV on the right arm is pretty damn annoying


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## truetiger (Dec 12, 2011)

We rotate rigs but some of the highlights include:
1) Sirens with only 1 tone.
2) Arm rests broken off.
3) Rig won't do more than 10mph until its nice and warmed up
4) Lack of electric O2.


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## usalsfyre (Dec 12, 2011)

truetiger said:


> We rotate rigs but some of the highlights include:
> 4) Lack of electric O2.


This makes a highlight reel? 

I've had more without this than with it.


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## Tigger (Dec 14, 2011)

As long as my rig doesn't look like any of these, I think I'm good.

http://www.houstontx.gov/health/EMS/photos.html


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## exodus (Dec 14, 2011)

Tigger said:


> As long as my rig doesn't look like any of these, I think I'm good.
> 
> http://www.houstontx.gov/health/EMS/photos.html



Those can't be legit photos?


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## shfd739 (Dec 14, 2011)

truetiger said:


> 3) Rig won't do more than 10mph until its nice and warmed up



This is nearly every higher mileage Powerstroke on the road and not that big of a deal. 




Sent from my electronic overbearing life controller


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## shfd739 (Dec 14, 2011)

exodus said:


> Those can't be legit photos?



It's private services in Houston. Those are just the tip of the iceberg. 


Sent from my electronic overbearing life controller


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## Joe (Dec 20, 2011)

wow those houston rigs are pretty bad... looks like someone hit a low tree branch on a couple of the pics...

as far as my rig goes if we are using a gps it has to be pluged in to the 12volt in the pt compartment and the cord hung through the little divider door. same goes for charging cell phones etc. the mdt has been down since i started but is suposed to be fixed this week before we get back on. (kinda hoping it takes longer, makes a perfect place to mount the gps) were missing random stuff on the dash (12volt, random switches that i cant figure out) driver side arm rest broken and missing. worked with a fill in partner last shift and for some reason there is a really high pitched whine and sounds like the fan is on hyperspeed when accelerating now. :/


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## Amberlamps916 (Dec 22, 2011)

Those pictures of private Houston rigs were ridiculous! I'm glad inspections are done periodically to prevent that sort of stuff.


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