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Acela Straya 4X4 Fire Truck Brings Military Prowess for Extreme Off-Road Missions

If mixing the performance of an Isuzu best-in-class truck chassis with features that were previously only available for military vehicles sounds like an awesome idea, that’s because it is. Acela Truck Company used its military expertise to turn an Isuzu chassis into the first WUI custom-designed 4x4 fire truck that can handle extreme off-highway operations.
The Acela Straya 4x4 is an innovative fire truck with military-grade performance 6 photos
Photo: Acela Truck Company
Acela Straya 4x4 ChassisAcela Straya 4x4 ChassisAcela Straya 4x4 ChassisAcela Straya 4x4 ChassisAcela Straya 4x4 Fire Truck
First of all, what is WUI? The U.S. Fire Administration defines the wildland urban interface (WUI) as the transition zone where human structures intermingle with underdeveloped wildland. As the first-ever purpose-built WUI fire truck chassis, the Acela Straya 4x4 is meant to provide high mobility and performance for challenging operations where conventional fire trucks might not have easy access.

This beast is just as comfortable on sandy, swampy, or snowy terrain as it is on the highway. It boasts 41-inch military tires, Driver-Controlled Differential Lockers (DCDL) and claims to be the only commercial vehicle chassis in North America to integrate an onboard Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS). This is a feature that only military tactical vehicles boasted until now, allowing the on-demand adjustment of tire pressure from 95 to 17 PSI.

Thanks to these capabilities, the Straya 4x4 can access and handle extreme terrain like a military tracked vehicle.

The Straya can even handle difficult flood rescue tasks, thanks to a 19.6-inch ground clearance and 41 inches of water fording capability. It also claims to offer much better visibility and maneuverability compared to other truck chassis, due to its optimal chassis frame real estate-to-wheelbase ratio, and a very small turning radius (49.9 feet/15 meters).

This powerful vehicle claiming to be the first of its kind was apparently inspired by Isuzu Australia's 4x4 fire trucks. Acela integrated military-grade capabilities onto the Isuzu NRR base cab and chassis and the result exceeded expectations.

Those who want to take a closer look at this powerful vehicle, can visit the FDIC International (Fire Department Instructors Conference) in Indianapolis, where it will be on display until the end of this month.
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About the author: Otilia Drăgan
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Otilia believes that if it’s eco, green, or groundbreaking, people should know about it (especially if it's got wheels or wings). Working in online media for over five years, she's gained a deeper perspective on how people everywhere can inspire each other.
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