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Sterling Bullet or F-550?
We are buying a non-transport rescue and are not sure about the chassis. No one we know runs a Sterling, and we have heard rummors that thier health as a company is not the best (but the Ford took a bailout so how really knows?) We need to hear for people who run sterling bullets (perferably who run both!) and give us straight dope.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Glenn.D.C_15 on
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To clear the air about the whole bail out thing. Ford has $9 Billion is cash reserves. The only reason they were up there because if the other 2 big companies take a dive, Ford will go down with them, because they use much of the same suppliers for some of their parts. So if they go down, inevitably, in the long run, so will Ford.
As for choosing one, it depends, they are both heavy duty trucks. It also depends on what you are doing with it. If there is lots of off road, I'd say the Sterling, because they are a little bit of a heavier duty truck, but if it is normal every day use, just go with the 550.
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Permalink Reply by Oldman on
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Sterling is gone. Ford diesels are trash. Chevy has the Allison Transmission in their 5500s, which is better suited for hydraulic generators etc. And there is Dodge.
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Permalink Reply by Trainer on
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I’m going to have to do some checking but am pretty sure Ford owns Sterling. As for who will survive, I think all will, in one form or another. International is the only one sitting in the cat bird seat, besides Mercedes they are the only truck MFG to make the tier 4 motors and even they expect a 45% drop in sales this year. I honestly feel when it’s all said and done only Freightliner, International and Mercedes will make commercial chassis.
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Permalink Reply by bob breckner on
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Looking at the engines Sterling uses I would guess they are owned by Mercedes-Benz. They also own Freightliner.
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10-4 on the powerstroke being junk, Navistar built it, but Fords better idea was oil fired injectors. Both MFG’s are in a big time pissin match, don’t know who is at fault, but the motor was built to Fords specs. I believe you can now get the Chrysler Cummins in the ford, not sure about the Allison. Chevy has never stood behind their front suspension/axel for use in the fire service, that’s why there rare, but the new 4500 and up are promising. In my opinion, ya I know everyone’s got one, the 550 is still a pickup, and the sterling is not. Pete’s, KW’s, Freightliners and Navistar’s are all good choices, Navistar may have an edge here as this is what you can get through a state bid, unless your from Illinois where our governor doesn’t want to pay the bills.
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Yes but Ford bought controlling interest in Cummins a few years back, just to get that motor. After the purchase it was realized that Chrysler had an exclusive contract with Cummins for and I can’t remember the exclusive part but has use for 99years. Cummins as of 09 is available in Fords. I’m pretty sure Navistar has all but severed ties with ford over non-payment for motors delivered, plus the fact poor Ford engineering is holding Navistar responsible for warrantee, this will be tied up in court for some time.
I had never seen the bullet model, sure looks familiar:)
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Permalink Reply by 4RC1 on
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The Sterling Bullet is a dodge, that was the whole problm. The Dodge went up to a 3500 and then the bullets was the 4500 and 5500
The problem we ran into with GM was that the 5500s are the top kicks and we did want that style of cab.
I just wish that there was a 5500 Tundra crew cab&chassis available......
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Nice thought, but we have several problems the prevent us from buying "big rig" trucks. Our dept is a small town volly, and we have a tool shed size station house. We have 4 rigs total: engine,tanker/pumper,rescue,&brush. No way possible to justify the $ for a truck that big. Call volume is under 300. We cant fit a crew cab with anything over a 12ft body on it, hence the 550/bullet. If it we up to me I would have a Striker!
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All of those would be sweet, I also failed to mention that our department is in rural NH so we need an intermediate off road capability, which again brought us to the two we are looking at. Additionaly, the chassis will be convereted to a brush truck and our rescue body remounted on a new chassis a few years down the road as well. Good suggestions though...I should have been more specific on why we were interested in just those 2
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