Fire Truck Refurbs with Bulldog Fire Apparatus

On Rig Recon Live, hosts Bruce Quick and Jason Witmier talk with Jason Davis of Bulldog about fire apparatus refurbishments and how “refurb” can range from repainting and reconfiguring compartments to new chassis, rebuilt engines/transmissions, aerial teardown/inspection, and even replacing frame rails. Davis explains Bulldog’s process involving sales, in-house engineering, fabrication, and paint, noting that refurbs often reveal hidden issues like corrosion only found after disassembly, requiring clear upfront communication. They discuss re-chassis projects, typically using Spartan, with raw chassis lead times around six months to a year, plus complications from modern emissions packaging and multiplex electrical systems that may not interface with older body controls. Savings versus new can be roughly 20–40% depending on scope, and they close with top considerations: budget, trusted vendor capability, and timeline.Chapter Markers:00:00 Refurb Demand Rising01:30 Rig Recon Live Intro01:54 Meet Jason Davis03:20 What Refurb Really Means05:33 Common Refurb Types07:03 Rechassis Process07:59 Hidden Surprises Found09:43 Chassis Lead Times10:43 Cost Versus New Rig13:38 Codes Emissions Wiring17:58 Paint Matching Pitfalls20:21 Fabrication Capabilities23:35 Facilities Storage Workflow25:31 Misconceptions Frame Rails28:47 Top Three Takeaways32:34 Final Thoughts Wrap UpMore - https://rigrecon.com/podcast/Send us Fan Mail