I would vote for the v10 as well. Cheaper to maintain or fix and more reliable.

 

In the newer V10's the cats are tucked way up there next to the engine block not down low where the muffler is. The DPF's and cats on Diesel's are right next to the drive shaft, nice and low to catch all kinds of crap.

 

I vote diesel.

1. Our V10 ambulance is a little lacking in power. It weighs in around 7000lbs and only sees streets. And yes, it is geared properly.

2. Emergency vehicles can apply for EPA exemptions.

http://www.epa.gov/oms/highway-diese.../420f12025.pdf

 

I think that is what I was thinking I had seen???


Sean

 

I would also go with a gasoline engine, and spec out a differential ratio of at least 4.30: or higher (numerically).

 

If your ambulance only weighs 7,000 lbs it's most like an E-series, and those never got the 3V V10. There's quite a difference between the 3V engine they put in the Super Duties after 2005 and the old 2V used in the E-series.

 

The V-10 is the most reliable engine made in the past 10 years and has the least TSB's. While the biggest snub is the gas mileage, the V-10 is still the cheapest to run when you include maintenance and fuel and initial cost of engine difference to diesel.

 

I still would go diesel, Those trucks sometimes have to idle for 12 plus hours, we bring fuel tankers in to refuel the trucks while fighting a fire, we dont drive the trucks near the fire, we are a signed an area to hold and we could be there for ever or intill we move or get relieved, I dont know what the v-10 would do when you get that thick black amber lite smoke banking down on you, it happens especially when the fire crowns and your standing underneath it, We jump in the truck or put our scott packs on. I think the gas would stall right when you need to get the heck out of there.

 

Not real sure why that would happen. Either engine needs oxygen to run, why would a gas engine behave any differently?

 

Not to answer for David, but I have heard that argument from several other people before and the line of thinking was always that diesels make their own air since they have a turbo. So even if there was no oxygen the diesel would still run. Either engine requires there to be oxygen in the atmosphere in order to have combustion though, so if the gasser will stall so will the diesel.

 

Put your hand over a running diesel's inlet, sucks your skin off may stumble a bit but it will run, do the same thing to the gas, once you lose vacuum it will stall out, Yea the smoke in the diesel will affect it but when you compare it to the gas, it will take many attempts to clear it, and god forbid it floods your stuck, and you fire guy's know what happens when that fire crowns. they wont identify the body's till it's put out.

 

With the new diesels either shutting down or going into limp mode for any reason at all I as well would vote for gas. Diesel engines have been ruined by people thinking they could make them better.

 

V10's have no trouble idling this long at all. My bucket truck truck has spent 10 hrs idling
on breakdown work without any trouble. You also do not have to worry about cylinder washing in a gas engine.

 

X2. My truck weighs 13,000 and it has no problems on on grades.

 

Problem is tankers only bring diesel, they dont make a gas fire truck yet