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Permalink Reply by Jeff Wright on February 10, 2011 at 9:29pm

Check with your local auto seat cover shop they should be able to help you. Keep your money in your local business is not a bad thing either. Just be sure to put some type a weight in the end of the cover that hangs off the back of the hose bed, the wind will cause it to flop and over time it will fray it out. We had to replace ours and if you use LDH you can't install a hose bed cover, the fitting have to have room to come out of the bed.... Hope this was helpful

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Permalink Reply by Russ on February 10, 2011 at 10:09pm

Try a boat Bimini top maker they are tough and sunbrella frabric resists the elements pretty good

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Permalink Reply by Oldman on February 11, 2011 at 11:49am

"if you use LDH you can't install a hose bed cover"

Really? I wonder what we've been doing all these years.

Phillip,

Check to see if there are any tent or awning manufactures in your area.

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Permalink Reply by 55 TRUCK on February 11, 2011 at 2:36pm

We don't use hosebed covers. Some of our Engines have partial covers. This prevents wind from catching under the hose yet allows for quik lay outs. Remember the NFPA makse suggestions not Laws. Use the money you save on the hosebed cover for somthing your Dept. truely needs.
Hope this helps.
God Bless

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Permalink Reply by phillip hice on February 11, 2011 at 5:10pm

Thought a law had been passed ,that you did have to start covering it , or CHIEF did. He has been wrong before , if you belive that. LOL .

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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on February 11, 2011 at 6:02pm

Our engines all have custom made tarps with turn snap button fasteners, along the outer edges of the front and sides of the top of the rig. The tarp hangs down the back and is fastened there likewise.

The Jaffrey Valve is mounted on the tailboard and preconnected to the 5" LDH. Wrap the hydrant and go, never had a problem laying in with the tarp.

55 Truck - The NFPA makes more than suggestions. It develops industry best practices (Standards) and, in a situation where a department was found to have NOT followed NFPA Standards that resulted in injuries or death they could be found liable in civil (tort) court.

Use the money you save on the hosebed cover for somthing your Dept. truely needs.
http://articles.cnn.com/2010-01-29/us/massachusetts.fire.hose.death...
http://www.wtae.com/news/3667741/detail.html
http://www.wtae.com/news/9851399/detail.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41380769/ns/local_news-corpus_christi_tx/
I'm guessing additional insurance coverage.

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Permalink Reply by capcityff on February 11, 2011 at 6:06pm

We don't use covers either. I know the other big cities out here also don't.(Baltimore, NYC, Boston, PG County)

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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on February 11, 2011 at 6:16pm

Well yeah, you guys are stuck in traffic most times and travel half a dozen blocks or so to the next call at a breakneck 15-20mph (on light traffic days)

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Permalink Reply by capcityff on February 11, 2011 at 6:57pm

Very true. It's rare that I'm ever on a highway. It's another one of those things that really depend on the actual department.

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Permalink Reply by Firefighter30 on February 11, 2011 at 9:14pm

"if you use LDH you can't install a hose bed cover, the fitting have to have room to come out of the bed"

So i'm not a 100% clear Jeff on what you mean by this statement....cause as you can see in this picture, i've tried to hilight where on our hosebed we have our LDH, which is 4" or 5", and we have no problem with the hose our the couplings coming off, all u do is unhook the back flap and flip it up and get at 'er......sorry about my cheezy paint skills.....

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Permalink Reply by Billy Terry on February 11, 2011 at 11:26pm

There are some laws out there that require all loads be secured. In Alberta there was a law passed that all loads, no matter the size, are to be secured and/or covered to prevent anything from falling off during transport. The best thing to do is check the local laws for this before deciding on using a full or partial cover, or no cover at all.

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Permalink Reply by Timothy Bullard on February 12, 2011 at 1:09pm

All good stuff. The issue beyond preference of cover/don't cover is, ensuring ALL equipment on our apparatus is secured to not come off until we want it to, and then come off quickly and safely. Cover those bases first, before you worry about covering your hosebed.

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