Road speed on new ambulance

C

Captain 24

Forum Probie
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Our service recently puchased a Dodge 4500 type1 4x4 the truck is a pretty good truck but the biggest complant is that the road speed is set at about 78 mph. The bad side to that is that we work a lot on the interstate and at that speed we almot get run over. So the question is does any one know how to adjust the speed?
 
Captain 24 said:
Our service recently puchased a Dodge 4500 type1 4x4 the truck is a pretty good truck but the biggest complant is that the road speed is set at about 78 mph. The bad side to that is that we work a lot on the interstate and at that speed we almot get run over. So the question is does any one know how to adjust the speed?
Click to expand...

Jack it up and put huge tires on it.


Seriously, you would have to re-program the computer. Better not try anything yourself though. Have your service contact a Dodge dealership and see if they will do it for you.

Do you really want this very large and heavy vehicle going 80+MPH? Somebody obviously thought 78MPH was fast enough for the size and weight.
 
Number 1 that is plenty fast for a top heavy ambulance. Second it would void warranty to adjust governor.
 
lol....

aerodynamics on those are horrible. Those are the sprinter ambulances correct? really really top heavy? I think max should be 90. thats fast enough but not too fast. NOTE: thats if we're talking bout a highway/interstate that usually has fast traveling vehicles (i know in CA the I-5... people usually run 80-85mph w/o traffic).
 
No that's not the spinter what it is the dodge version of the 450 modles and on its size it only is a 96 box. Its only 4 inches wider than the standered type 1. Also the dodge dealer won't touch it. Was just wondering if anyone else is running one.
 
Captain 24 said:
Also the dodge dealer won't touch it.
Click to expand...

And no else with a brain will either as they would assume liability for any wreck determined to have speed as a factor.
 
When i say the Dodge dealer wont touch i mean they wont service it or work on an componet on it. I also found the reson for the speed restriction its a saftey that the fed gov put on these trucks running the 19.5 tire so that includes the Dodge, Ford, & Chevy
 
If it's a federal restriction it sounds like it would be a federal offense to attempt to adjust it. No we don't run them however I can't say that I've ever traveled or wanted to travel faster than 78 in the first place.
 
It's not a federal issue. I've been well passed 78 in an ambulance.
 
It's probably the governor. I think our chevy type IIIs are governed in the mid 80s, and they're pretty massive. I would assume the vehicle is capable of moving faster, but honestly, do you really need to?
 
rmellish said:
It's probably the governor. I think our chevy type IIIs are governed in the mid 80s, and they're pretty massive. I would assume the vehicle is capable of moving faster, but honestly, do you really need to?
Click to expand...

As is usually the case, its not the going that is the problem, its the stopping and the turning that gets you into trouble.
 
To answer to some about is that not fast enough well yes if your the boss, but to the guy in the field no since the interstate speed is 75mph. I also found that the Dodge is set at 78, Ford F450 is at 80, and the Chevy 4500 is at 82.
 
Captain 24 said:
To answer to some about is that not fast enough well yes if your the boss, but to the guy in the field no since the interstate speed is 75mph. I also found that the Dodge is set at 78, Ford F450 is at 80, and the Chevy 4500 is at 82.
Click to expand...

Give one good reason why you need to exceed the speed limit in the first place.
 
I thought that there where some people that ran emergent calls that showed a need for a quick responce or transport. We are located 50 miles to the closest facility and helicopters arnt always around is was just wondering if anyone has a truck like this and was looking for a fix. But I guess most pepole just do nonemergent transports.
 
ok 50 miles

75mph=40 mins
80mph=37.5 mins
85mph=35 mins


So by exceeding the speed limit by 10mph, you gain only 5 mins over the entire trip. not worth the risk IMO. That truck has a 16,500 lb GVWR. Between 75mph and 85mph, you increase your stopping distance by almost 100ft (average calculation). Emergent transport or not, never a good reason to exceed the speed limit.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Yes we all no the stats, we know the danger, but there is no difference in danger weither your speeding our crossing a intersection when the light is red. I was just trying to see if any service has this truck i know there is a lot of these out there. I was just at the AEV plant to look at our newest one being built, so someone is going to be surprised.
 
Captain 24 said:
I thought that there where some people that ran emergent calls that showed a need for a quick responce or transport. We are located 50 miles to the closest facility and helicopters arnt always around is was just wondering if anyone has a truck like this and was looking for a fix. But I guess most pepole just do nonemergent transports.
Click to expand...

It will depend highly on the education and confidence level of the provider in the back. If the provider is a danger to the patient then you as the driver might want to drive faster than the speed of light. So, are your EMT(P)s grossly incompetent? Are you providing only BLS service? Are you ALS that can only function like BLS?

If you have limited protocols and are clueless about how to stabilize a patient then you might want to work on the education rather than the speed of the truck.

If you are traveling at a high rate of speed, there will be no working on that patient for whatever length of time you are moving. Only a fool would not have themselves seat belted securely at that rate of speed in a big truck. Thus, driving at a high rate of speed will be very detrimental to the patient.

And, if you crash, nobody benefits.

To answer to some about is that not fast enough well yes if your the boss, but to the guy in the field no since the interstate speed is 75mph.
Click to expand...
If your boss wanted the truck to go faster, he/she probably could have ordered it without the governor. Fuel economy might also be on his/her mind since if they can some will continuously exceed speed recommendations regardless of the call. Do you plan on tampering with this truck without informing the administrators of your company?

You screw with that truck against the advice of the warranty or manufacturers recommendations, you may be screwing with the liability and livelihood of your company as well as its employees.

Slow down, get a proper education for providing good patient care and get everyone safely to the hospital.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
First of all dont start by degradding any of they staff that might work here. that said. You really need to do aliitle more reaserch on trucks. When that truck was speced at the time no one new that truck had a govener set at that level. when the dealer delveried it, it was the first time they had drove a 09. Only in 09 did this happened the only reason any of these truck are set like that is a fed standered stating the 19.5 tire is load rated not speed rated. Also you are talking to some of the adminatration the other reason we are looking to change the govener is that the truck stays at red line all the time and it kicks out of overdrive. The Dodge dealer did not now this either untill this truck arrived.
 
Captain 24 said:
First of all dont start by degradding any of they staff that might work here. that said.
Click to expand...

I am not the one degrading your staff, you are.

So far you have done nothing but ramble on about wanting to go real fast but have not given one good reason for doing so. Thus, one can only take your avoidance of patient care issues as not being able to provide an appropriate level of care. I usually hear comments like yours from strictly BLS crews who have little other choice but to drive real fast to the hospital or some departments that have relied too much on medic mill training and not education.

Safety first and not your ego to have a real fast truck to brag about.
 
First of all I see you only read what you want and don't read the whole message. I explaned the main reason I asked for the speed change and do not talk about my staff ever we all perform to the state standered just like eveyone else does in the state or country they practice in. Its not the speed I'm
Worried about it was if any on else had the same truck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top