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A few months back we were asked an unusual question…. “How can I keep the stereo loud & the party lights bright in my Fire engine?” Excuse me? I’m sorry I must be hearing things for a second I thought you said Fire engine.

Well yes he did, he had a ‘retired’ fire engine & had converted it into a Limousine for parties & functions. But he was coming up against an obstacle, by the end of the evening the excess drain on the battery left the engine not starting. A predicament when you have 15 + girls waiting to go home.

After 3 auto electrical companies couldn’t help, Tony sat down, thought outside of the box and took on the challenge, so here comes the technical bit:

As the fire engine runs a 24 volt circuit and the stereo/lights and TV’s run on 12 volts an ordinary 24volt to 12 volt dropper was out of the question. To run all this on a 12 volt circuit with lots of start / stops to the city centre and the odd photo shoot with engine off could be up to 45 minutes. The vehicle would need at least 3 leisure batteries to take the strain of the power drain.

Having this on the main circuit of 24 volts and teeing off the 12 side of the twin batteries is not the correct way of doing things. An advisable way would be to wire up a 12 volt alternator and fit it to the engine allowing the new alternator to charge the 3 leisure batteries and to be independent of the truck 24volt circuit.

This would allow efficient charging of both the 24 volt and 12 volt circuit, giving longer life of the batteries. And not having to charge the batteries before and after the fire engine would have to go out, which was the case before.

The result: One bright, loud fire engine, one happy customer and many more fantastic parties to come.

Chariots of fire can provide fully equipped Fire Engine Limousines with Red Leather Seating, Fibre Optic Lighting, Mirrored ceiling with Mood Lighting TV, DVD, Sound System and Champagne Bar. Great for a Hen/Stag night, Anniversary, Birthday, Sporting or Corporate events. You can also book for your child’s birthday party with a ride in our fully operational Fire Engine. They can adapt any party to suit your requirements. To find out more take a look at www.chariotsoffire-bristol.co.uk/