Good morning/afternoon/evening everyone,

Hi everyone, I'm John. I'm a new member to the forum. I'll search around the forum for information, but I wanted to post regarding my search for a good disaster response vehicle. I know the question, "which truck should I get?" has been asked 10,642,395.7 times, but I have a particular use-case in mind that may diverge from the everyday. I volunteer with two disaster response teams. We respond to disasters around the country (most recently I deployed to eastern Kentucky for the flooding but unfortunately couldn't make it to Florida for the hurricanes) and I need a vehicle capable of handling adverse driving conditions, that's off-road capable, with plenty of power (preference for gas engine right now) and storage capacity. I currently drive a 2001 GMC Yukon Denali, which has 237,000 miles on it and is a bit questionable in the field. It's held up pretty well on two deployments, but it's about time to upgrade. I'm considering a factory F-150 Tremor or F250 with Tremor package versus getting a base truck and adding aftermarket upgrades. I guess part of the question is F150 or F250, part of the question is if the F250 is available with the Torsen differential, and part of the question is why F150/250 over a Tundra or a Suburban (I know there are many reasons)? This truck is going to be used as a daily driver/family car, but may be called upon to pull towing duty of our disaster trailer (no pun intended), medical evac/transport, emergent responses (I'm an EMT and resident doc), and accessing people in hard-to-reach places...

I initially had been considering a Tundra, but as I've been researching, it just doesn't seem to be the best option, as it may be good off-road, but doesn't have many of the internal upgrades. I don't care too much about creature comforts, but it'd be nice if my family didn't have to suffer from my asceticism. The Suburban (or Expedition) which I've owned before, is great for hauling people and stuff, but it seems that, even with Chevy's Z71 package and additional upgrades, those are better as luxury people carriers than as response vehicles. So, I wanted to ask here and see if anyone had any experiences in this realm and could offer guidance. I like the idea of the Tremor package as it seems to be a decent mix of daily vehicle and off-road capable vehicle. I'm just not sure if the 150 or 250 would be the better option. Built as I'd like, they're both about the same price, though from what I've heard, the 5.0L V8 is more reliable in the F150 than the 3.6L EcoBoost V6? Is that the case?


Anyway, again, I do plan to peruse the forums but I'd appreciate any thoughts!

Thanks,

John

 

Hi John,
Having worked on ambulances, you might inquire from your local Rescue Squad or Fire Dept what equip you might want to order or have an upfitter perform.

A 4WD is definitely in the picture, then how much weight it can safely haul and the type fuel you would require also gets into the pix.
A diesel would definitely be able to accommodate the electrical requirements and long term reliability. You would certainly need something bigger than a 150 maybe a 350.
Having been in this field you would know better than most folks just what you want to be able to do and it is always better to have more weight carrying capability than overwork and overload something like a 150 or 250.
As you know you are talking some big bucks to get this right. What do you think?

 

Hi Hanky,

Thanks for your reply. Price is certainly a factor (as a resident I work more hours than full docs but don’t get paid anywhere near their salary yet) though I’m prepared to spend some to get what I need. With that in mind, talking to local rescue squads is a good idea. In thinking about this over night, I think towing capacity is going to be less important to me than off-road capability (a f150 currently tows the trailer), and I’ll need to carry tools and medical kit, a generator and stuff like that, but probably won’t need to carry lots of heavy stuff (not hauling loads of logs or rubble or anything). Thus, mobility, and ability to get to people through mud, water, debris, snow, et cetera is probably more essential?

I’m still debating gas versus diesel, and wouldn’t be adverse to a 250 or even 350.

thanks! John

 

Something I always remember, an oxygen tank alone is pretty heavy requires some room to keep in upright position . Don't know if this would be a concern in your case..

One other thing to keep in mind, a 150 is a car with a pick up body (1/2 ton)
A 250 is like a 3/4 ton and a 350 is like a 1 ton As you know there will always be something extra that needs to go with you. Weight and space add up pretty quick.

No fun getting to a site and wishing you had taken this or that. Funny how addl weight and capacity always finds something to fill it.

If you need to bring your own water, no problem.

 

A diesel will provide 30-50 percent more miles on a tank of fuel. Question is at a response center whether gasoline or diesel is easier to find. The large 36- gal fuel tank with a diesel engine is only an option for the F-250 and F-350 trucks.

For a gas powered vehicle I would opt for the F-150 with the max tow package that provides for towing up to a 11,000 lb trailer load and comes with the 36-gallon gas tank. I would spend the $750 for the 7.2kw Pro Power Onboard that provides power for tools and lights and pumps and even hot plates, and can take the place of a small portable generator.

The 3.5 eco boost provides very good fuel economy and is as reliable as any gas engine. Diesel engines are the least reliable with their more complex emissions controls and use of DEF (DEF heater and DEF pump and NOx sensor problems).

The Tremor adds nothing over an XLT with the 4WD package in terms of functional performance. The Ram Rebel does add meaningful upgrades for off-road use. Ram also has the option of a larger gas tank.

I would also want the truck modified for deep water with a snorkel for the air intake and vent hoses for the differentials and other mods.