MOC: 4x4 Fire Support Vehicle

[SeaKing61]

Hey everyone, this is my 5-wide version of 7942 trying to retain Lego's building style. It's my first attempt at a 5-wide vehicle and I took a lot of inspiration from RalphS's fantastic cars and trucks. I'm currently revamping my fire service, starting with this truck. I'm now working on a fire engine similar to my local fire brigade's Scania Water Tenders.

The vehicle with equipment stored on the back

Right side with 2 storage compartments.

Planning to put a number plate sticker on the white plates. Ignore the hair...

I want to incorporate a socket for towing into the back but I'm not sure how to do it so it's centred. Any ideas?

The SNOT grill and bullbar. Very poor technique, attached to the main chassis with just one stud.

The various equipment that can be placed in the compartments or stashed precariously on the flatbed.

Water tender I built as an aside, which i'd like my 4x4 to tow.

C&C very welcome, be brutal

Thanks for looking,

Laurie

[The Cobra]

I like it; yet it's a bit too long to have 4 wheels only (and I'd get rid of the white pieces; red and gray all the way).

[Rick]

What type of vehicle is it based on? For a 4 x 4 pickup it looks way too long, and for an American truck - which I initially thought it was based on - it isn't wide enough for my taste. However, I really like the transitions you made between 4- and 5-wide. I like the technique used for the tank trailer: it's something I've seen before, but it's a really nice technique with those rounded slopes.

[prateek]

Good job, but IMO, it's too long. I like how you fit all the accesories on the back

[SeaKing61]

It's not based on anything really, besides a bigger version of 7945. It kind of reminds me of the fuel truck from Town plan now I've built it and it's actually the same length.

It looked too long to me too. I was considering removing the 2 2x2.5x2 storage boxes from the middle and shortening the whole thing 2 studs but that would mess up the transition from the 4 wide cab to the 5 wide flatbed. I'll have a go and see how it looks. I may shorten the actual bed too.

For the tank trailer I used this piece:

Thanks,

Laurie

[Darth Legolas]

I don't pay much attention to city, so this is a revelation to me. 5-wide is a great idea for trucks. It maintains the shape but adds so much more room for detail and awesomeness! I think I've just been inspired!

Very nice MOC you have there! I love the yellow barriers and water thingies! They look good when loaded together.

5-wide... who'da thunk it?

Edited January 10, 2010 by Darth Legolas

[Rick]

It indeed looks a little like the Town Plan tanker. I initially thought you were going for something like this.

For the tank trailer I used this piece:

Ah, that's even simpler. I thought you used these: . Still looks really good though!

Edited January 10, 2010 by Rick

[Ralph_S]

Hey everyone, this is my 5-wide version of 7942 trying to retain Lego's building style. It's my first attempt at a 5-wide vehicle and I took a lot of inspiration from RalphS's fantastic cars and trucks. I'm currently revamping my fire service, starting with this truck. I'm now working on a fire engine similar to my local fire brigade's Scania Water Tenders.

C&C very welcome, be brutal

Thanks for looking,

Laurie

It's always nice to know some of the things I do inspire other builders to try something they haven't done before.

I think it would look better if it were a bit shorter. As other people mention it looks a wee bit long, certainly compared to the width.

I also think it would look better with a bit more ground clearance. It's the third or fourth time in less than a week that I make this comment You could do that quite simply by adding one more plate between the plates that the wheels are connected to and the rest of the body. Lego tend to use the 'Slope Brick 45 6 x 1 Double Inverted with Open Center' for the sides of some of their vehicles and those work well if the wheelbase is short. You've used it as well for the side of your truck and while it lines up nicely with the front mudguard, it looks awkward at the back.

I love the equipment you've piled on the back and the piece you've used for the hood. In fact, the whole front of the car looks butch and that is always a good thing

I don't pay much attention to city, so this is a revelation to me. 5-wide is a great idea for trucks. It maintains the shape but adds so much more room for detail and awesomeness! I think I've just been inspired!

Very nice MOC you have there! I love the yellow barriers and water thingies! They look good when loaded together.

5-wide... who'da thunk it?

Another convertee! I started doing it more than two years ago and I was by no means the first. This size fits very well together with most of the trucks in the City range.

Cheers,

Ralph

[ACCURATEin]

The water tender is a nice addition to go along with the truck.

[SeaKing61]

I've always admired 5-wide MOCs that I've seen, Darth Legolas, but this is my first attempt. It's well worth a try.

Ralph_S, I've regretted using that brick ever since I put it in. It looks even more awkward now I've shortened the truck. I might have to use some snot and a cheeseslope to replace it I think. It's hard to get those wheelarches looking good without some kind of inverted slope. Originally there was gonna be more clearance. I had to bring it down so that the bottom of the chassis lines up with the bottom of the SNOT front. I considered bumping up the front a plate but it looks terrible in my opinion. It's just gonna ahve to stay that way unless I can find a solution. It does make it look more like a lowrider than a 4x4 though. Let's just say Snoop Dogg's joined the Fire Brigade.

I've been busy modifying the truck to make it shorter. I've made 4 different versions for you all to consider.

Version 1

For version 1 I've removed the 2 studs of storage from between the cabin and bed and brought the rear forwards. The rest remains unchanged.

Version 2

For version 2 I've shortened the bed 1 stud too and modified the rearside of the rear wheel arches. I've had to remove the 1x2 inverted 45 slope, not sure how easy it would be to neaten up the gaps at the back, perhaps with a SNOT cheeseslope applied somehow. There are a lot of plates in the structure there to allow the odd width. I've had to move the grey storage compartment too to the front right of the bed.

Version 3

Version 3 remains mostly identical to version 2 except I've moved the storage to the middle of the bed.

Version 4

Version 4 has the cab moved forwards 1 stud. This means there's no space for a steering wheel though. This has the same bed as version 3 but with the storage compartment moved forward 1 stud to cover the transition between cab and bed. This is quite messy in the transition. I could extend the bed forwards 1 stud but that would mean it overlapped with the footplates on the side.

On all of the models it looks awkward around the mudguards but that's unavoidable without a major redesign, which may well be in order.

Please tell me what you think and which you prefer; each one is something of a compromise.

Laurie

[Rick]

Version 2 looks best to me. I like the placement of the cabinet over the placement in version 3. The problem Ralph S mentions with the double slope 1 x 6 with cutout becemes more apparent now. So you may want to redesign the chassis a little...

[SeaKing61]

Short of a major remodelling of the chassis this is the best I can do. I've added a 1x2 45 slope to run parallel to the inverted slope. This leaves a little gap though as well as a more gaping hole around the mudguard. This is beginning to look more and more like an SUV rather than a pickup truck. I think it's gonna need a pretty major overhaul once I've decided on the length. I'll prob redesign the front and try to shave a plate or 2 off the bottom of the chassis.

Cheers,

Laurie

Edited January 10, 2010 by SeaKing61

[SeaKing61]

Well, this is the 7th version of my 4x4. Hopefully it looks more like a pick-up now. I'm still not quite happy with it. The front needs adjusting at the bottom and the rear is a tad plain. I'm sure someone'll be able to help me out. I'm still looking for a way to attach a towhook onto the back. Anyone still able to keep track?

Thanks for looking,

Laurie

[AllanSmith]

I'm still looking for a way to attach a towhook onto the back.

Click here to see my solution to towing hook

[lightningtiger]

My two cents worth now, 'SeaKing61' your final redesign is the best, perfect shape - looks great !

Fantastic pick up truck - I could see this in yellow for the construction site or even black or some other colour for the farmer.

Great job 'SeaKing61' !

[Laureano]

My two cents worth now, 'SeaKing61' your final redesign is the best, perfect shape - looks great !

I agree, the redesign is very good!

congratulations for you mew moc!

regards

Rodrigo Laureano

[Rick]

That last version looks just about right. Nice job.

[Ralph_S]

That latest version definitely is the best. I agree. It looks a bit more compact and tidy. Attaching a tow hitch to something that is an odd number of studs wide can be an issue, because the standard ones are either attached to a 2x2 plate or a 1x4 plate.

If you have one of the 1x4 ones, you could remove the odd-width lower part of the rear bumper and replace it with the four wide plate (attached with two jumper plates). However, on your vehicle this would mean you'd have to come up with some different taillights as the plate and jumper plates to connect it would be too close to the ground if you were to mount them below the lights.

The alternative, and probably your best bet, is inserting the 2x2 plate between the taillights and attaching it with jumper plates at the top and bottom. You will end up with a gap of half of suds between the lights and the plate, but I wouldn't view that as a major issue.

The only odd-wide vehicle that I've built with a trailer was a pickup truck with a boat trailer.

I built the truck. My friend Ed Diment built the trailer and the boat.

We gave up on LEGO's standard system. Instead the hitch was built with a technic plate and a technic pin with towball. The trailer attaches from the top using another technic part.

Since the technic plate has an odd width, there are no issues with attaching it.

Cheers,

Ralph

[SeaKing61]

Not the prettiest or strongest solution but I've come up with something. 2 of these separated by 2 plates height hold the standard lego trailer ball in place. It's pretty weak and won't hold it against gravity but it'll put it along fine. I'm trying different tops to see if I can strengthen the attachment.

Cheers,

Laurie

EDIT: I've just tried it with this as the top and it's much stronger. Not as aesthetically pleasing as your solution Ralph but it's strong enough to hold against gravity and compatible with the standard TLG trailers which is what I was aiming for. Just playing around with colours now.

Edited January 11, 2010 by SeaKing61

[Ralph_S]

If it works it's all good.

Cheers,

Ralph