A work horse for all tasks
Published: 01 September, 2008
It does exactly what its name says – the Multicar is a multipurpose vehicle that can go virtually anywhere.
That is why the Fumo M30 on a 4x4 chassis is currently one of the most popular choices for European fire services, according to Brian Croll, manager (municipal applications) for Multicar. “Apart from being compact, Multicar offers an excellent power to weight ratio. It has a 5.2 tonne gross vehicle weight, therefore the payload is very good, and the vehicle is still compact whilst maintaining its off road capabilities.”
The size of the Multicar is comparable to a Land Rover, but size can be deceptive and there is the option of a five-person crew cab instead of the regular two-person cab. Croll emphasises that Multicar can offer various different specifications in terms of cab design, ranging from the very basic to a luxurious haven with comfortable seats, air conditioning and climate control.
Two different types of transmission are available: manual or hydrostatic. Hydrostatic transmission is similar to automatic, giving the user full control hydraulically through a hydrostat transmission, which is similar to an automatic gearbox.
Multicar’s environmental credentials are impressive because it is equipped with a Euro4 Turbo Diesel, 145 HP Iveco engine with a three-litre capacity, and features a self-recycling exhaust system.
“Multicar’s competitive edge lies in its size. And because it has been designed as a multi functional vehicle we have many more options available than any of our competitors. We also have more different models in our range than other vehicles. One of the best features in my opinion is that it has the ability to carry its own weight in usable capacity,” explains Croll.
The wading depth of the standard Multicar is 65 cm and the company can provide a vehicle designed especially according to an FRS’s requirements, including hydraulic supply that ranges from 120 litre systems right up to 300 bar.
Another multifunctional aspect of Multicar is the choice of demountable body, which Croll says is popular with many fire services. A socket-and-ball system on the chassis allows brigades to interchange the special bodies. One such chassis builder is German-based company Reinex, a manufacturer of high/low pressure water systems for cleaning applications. It has come up with an innovative solution for firefighters.
As a result of feedback from several South European countries Reinex developed a demountable firefighting unit on a Multicar chassis for wildfire applications and narrow city precinct. The Greek fire service has been an important client of Reinex and Multicar, and it owns several different types of Multicar chassis, including the Fumo and M26 chassis.
Recently, Reinex delivered 16 new vehicles to the Greek fire service. The Greek unit is powered by the Multicar hydraulic PTO and features a low-pressure pump and a middle pressure pump. The low pressure pump (800 lpm) is an original fire extinguisher pump from Ziegler, which can be used to fill the watertank and for firefighting at eight bar. The middle pressure unit is solely used for firefighting at 40 bar at 150 lpm. Joerg Pfretzschner, sales manager for Reinex, adds that the middle pressure system is more cost effective and delivers a very effective fog spray.
The unit also features a 40-metre hose reel which is manually as well as hydraulically driven, and the body can be designed in a bespoke manner. “We have developed several different units over the years. It depends on what the fire brigade wants and the options are unlimited. With the low pressure unit, for instance, we can build in an MSR Firedos foam proportioning system in order to create a good quality foam,” concludes Pfretzschner.
