For nearly 110 years, Marion Body Works has been manufacturing some of the toughest, most durable fire apparatuses on the planet. When it comes to building a tough truck that always performs under the harshest of conditions, we can certainly teach you a thing or two. In order to build an apparatus that stands up to corrosion and the long-term effects of daily use, it all starts with the materials and manufacturing techniques used during the manufacturing process.
To help you select an apparatus that will work great, look great, and won’t break down or rust; make sure it’s built using these 4 manufacturing techniques that protect your truck from corrosion:
1. All Aluminum/Stainless Steel Truck Bodies
When building a fire apparatus that can withstand corrosion, the best place to start is by using materials that are completely rust resistant. Seems simple enough, right? Well, at Marion Body Works, we have more than 50 years of experience building all aluminum emergency vehicles. In fact, no other manufacturer in the U.S. has been doing it for as long as we have! By using high-grade extruded aluminum for our truck bodies, you can rest easy knowing your truck is rust resistant from the start.
However, if aluminum isn’t your department’s style, Marion can also build your apparatus using industrial strength stainless steel. Though both materials offer their strengths and weaknesses, stainless steel is extremely durable and extremely resistant to corrosion.
2. Paint Finish
In order to add that extra bit of protection to your aluminum/stainless steel truck body, you have to make sure your truck has the proper primer and paint finish. As a matter of fact, at Marion, we pride ourselves on having one of the toughest finishes in the business! For starters, all of our truck bodies are painted before they’re placed on the chassis, so every nook and cranny receives full coats of primer and finish. Not only that, but every hole is punched before any paint is applied, guaranteeing 100% coverage.
3. Wheel Well Welds
Now there’s a tongue twister for ya! When dirt and salt spin off of your tires at high speeds, this wet, corrosive muck has no place to go except for getting lodged in your wheel well. To help fortify this area of frequent abuse, Marion is the only builder in the industry that solidly welds these seams to prevent corrosion.
4. Drip Rails
When your apparatuses are known for spraying thousands of gallons of water, preventing corrosion isn’t an easy task. That being said, it can also be difficult to keep all your equipment dry. When water collects on your roll-up storage compartment doors, water can fall off of the panels and onto your dry gear when the door slides upwards. To help prevent water from collecting in these dry areas, each Marion apparatus comes equipped with protective drip rails that can divert unwanted water out of your compartments.
Want to learn more about how Marion Body Works is able to produce some the toughest, most corrosion resistant fire apparatuses in the industry? Make sure you check out our free guide, “6 Reasons to Choose an All Aluminum Fire Apparatus”.
