Looking for where to start

[CihaPet]

I've recently gotten deeply interested in the prospects to finding an ambulance to convert to a camper/rv/etc...
Definitely looking to simply adapt (use what's there) to the ambulance than 'gut and build'.
I have a ways to go before I'm even ready to pull the trigger on purchasing, but definitely want to start planning and figuring this out.

 

[user 22017]

Welcome Chia

 

[peteg59]

Welcome to the site.

The keys to finding the "right" ambulance are body condition and overall mechanical condition.
Much the same as buying a used car.

If you're good at evaluating both, you'll likely have little trouble finding the "right" unit to convert.

If you're not familiar with the ambulance platform maybe find someone who is, to help you find what you're looking for.

Then the fun begins!

Good luck going forward and post pics if you get something...

 

[bullfrog]

Choosing a vehicle is a very personal thing. It usually is best to do some experimenting camping get an idea of what will work for you. It often comes down to how much space you need. Reliability and your mechanical skills, where and how much you intend to travel and of course your budget. If space is a concern and only short trips are the norm school buses and ambulances can be a solution. When vehicles maintenance and fuel prices are high you see more Toyota Prius as they require little preparation/modification to be livable. Welcome and research the site as well as ask advice!

 

[eDJ_]

At the bottom of this post are a couple of links to websites designed to help newcomers. Whether it is a Van, Utility Trailer, or Ca there are ideas presented that may be helpful.
The bottom link is helpful for planning a trip or for once you are out there on the road, to offer safety, convenience, and comfort. Take some time with them, it will be a good investment in yourself.

 

[RoamerRV428]

can't plan ahead too much about the build til ya truly have the floorplan of the vehicle you are gonna build-out and modify.

So it is kinda cart before the horse, but if you have an idea on a design based on an ambulance type common floorplan you can start to dream how ya want it set up ya know.

what length of vehicle you buy is important for your indoor structures etc but basic planning you can think about but research the ambulance vehicle prices out there, what floorplans you are seeing, how they are being sold, maybe get one 'pre-gutted' who knows LOL best of luck researching

 

[CihaPet]

I'm not thinking so much about details as I am checklists and prioritizing the things that are needed over the specific items and specific layouts.

 

[RvNaut]

Beyond the vehicle and the build, is many months of research by reading so many posts and watching tons of videos. Do not focus on the rig to the exclusion of the lifestyle. .. Good Luck.

 

[LoupGarou]

Get whatever you can source insurance coverage on. You'll need coverage for, during and after the build.

 

[bullfrog]

Once you know how much space you need to sleep comfortably then you can start to look at other “necessities” and how you can fit them in the newest and most reliable vehicle, trailer or RV you can afford and insure in the state you choose to use as a residence. Make sure you know the rules and requirements of that state as it will affect what you can legally live in and put on the road.

 

[WanderingRose]

A suggestion I have read here, and which I think is excellent, is to mark out with tape the layout of your prospective vehicle, then use that to plan space usage.

And don’t forget vertical space, using hooks and other storage solutions on your walls.

 

[jacqueg]

I'm not thinking so much about details as I am checklists and prioritizing the things that are needed over the specific items and specific layouts.

For ANY vehicle and for ANY kind of traveling/camping, the ONE thing you must be sure to have is a comfortable bed. Everything else is optional, and depends on your own needs/preferences.

Why are you so sure you want an ambulance? They are heavy for their size, and gas is pretty expensive.

 

[RvNaut]

A suggestion I have read here, and which I think is excellent, is to mark out with tape the layout of your prospective vehicle, then use that to plan space usage.

And don’t forget vertical space, using hooks and other storage solutions on your walls.

...Why not take it one step further and roughly build partions and other cabinet pieces out of cardboard as a mock up??

 

[bullfrog]

Our house had 12” square tiles on the kitchen floor I often used as a rough reference that worked well.

 

[LargeMarge]

I've recently gotten deeply interested in... prospects of finding an ambulance... a camper...want to start planning...

.
a)
I encourage you to want to start planning.
I also encourage you to want to continue planning.
.
b)
2003, for our next rig, we crafted our RequirementsStatement on a brown paper grocery-bag.
Within minutes, our path was clear:
* home-built instead of a factory RecreateVehicle
* a commercial 'million-mile' chassis instead of a light-duty grocery-getter
* substantially greater GVWR and GCWR than the stoutest RV-style rigs.
.
I wonder if your planning could benefit from less focus on the type of vehicle?
I wonder if your proposed use might determine the type and style of vehicle?
For example, your RequirementsStatement might initially state:
* this one time at van-camp, we had so much fun doing...
* this one time at van-camp, all the 'cool' kids have side-pipes on their rigs, so I want...
* this one time at van-camp, all the 'cool' kids have technology out the wazoo, so I want...
Well, you get the picture.
.
Could your RequirementsStatement include your experience camping?
Might your RequirementsStatement include your proposed use:
* full-time live-aboard... at van-camp?
* a few weekends annually... at van-camp?
* mobile B&B... at van-camp?
* cooking and catering at black-tie cloth-napkin ritzy affairs, such as van-camp?
* doing the van-camp circuit with other van-camp folk?
* using the rig as an alternative to on-line match-maker sites... at van-camp?
.
c)
Now, some folks see a retired ambulance as a chunky sluggish truck with limited head-room and a smallish interior.
.
Do you think you might travel narrow trails to your favorite fishing spot?
Could the resulting scratches and inevitable dents impact your later acceptance in an urban setting?
.
If your target-camp is pretending to 'stealth' next to a government office or government school, do you suppose nobody would notice nor care?
This seems to be the fondest hopes of the urban 'stealth' crowd...
.
d)
I think if I was me, I might think my planning would include chumming-up to folks with rigs similar to those you think could work for you.
The old 'chat-up' to reveal the good and not-so-good [auto-correct insists on making my 'd' into an 'f'... 'not-so-goof' (could this be algo wisdom shining through?)]?
.
During your chat-up, might you be looking at your ideal rig... at the ideal time for the owner to sell, by-passing your 'want to start planning' and conversion phases?
Stranger things happen...
... at van-camp!

 

[D'L]

In choosing my vehicle I thought of my priorities for a long time. Realized that I did not intend or need to live in the vehicle. I do need one I can sleep in while travelling or camping if a tent is not right for that place.
I wanted to get a transit van for this but I know I don't want to have to drive a van, even the small transit, all the time with less visibility to the outside and taking up more space and using a lot more gas, just to have more room for the trips I want to take. So instead I decided on a SUV and watched YouTube videos to find out if you can make one work for this and found you could.

So then I got the SUV that gets the best gas mileage and has the best reputation and is a model that people can typically drive to over 200,000 miles. It will be crowded in the back and I am still working on the best arrangement, but the gas mileage I am currently getting makes me pretty happy. And knowing it won't guzzle gas makes it a lot more likely that I will take those road trips.

Chia pet do you already have a fair bit of experience living in a vehicle? Wondering why an ambulance.
I wouldn't choose that myself because they are driven like crazy, fast starts and stops and so on and a used one may not be in the good shape that one might find in a van only used for deliveries.

Just my thoughts, not that I am an experienced vandweller!

 

[CihaPet]

For ANY vehicle and for ANY kind of traveling/camping, the ONE thing you must be sure to have is a comfortable bed. Everything else is optional, and depends on your own needs/preferences.

Why are you so sure you want an ambulance? They are heavy for their size, and gas is pretty expensive.

For similar reasons that I've seen others who have chosen them. With relatively few modifications, they are ready to go. Solid construction.

 

[CihaPet]

...Why not take it one step further and roughly build partions and other cabinet pieces out of cardboard as a mock up??

Go back to your childhood! Carboard box forts! LOL

 

[RvNaut]

Go back to your childhood! Cardboard box forts! LOL

I have been watching a Yacht Build, where they are doing the above with Luan to build it out and get the fitting tight, and also to make sure the design they have on paper and 3D actually works and doesn't take out shins etc...


Isn't what we do out here, very much like the cushion and blanket forts... tucking ourselves away in our little abodes, safe a and secure in our comfy worlds?

 

[minivanFred]

I've recently gotten deeply interested in the prospects to finding an ambulance to convert to a camper/rv/etc...
Definitely looking to simply adapt (use what's there) to the ambulance than 'gut and build'.
I have a ways to go before I'm even ready to pull the trigger on purchasing, but definitely want to start planning and figuring this out.

When I was exploring the options I tried renting UHaul vans to try out both the cargo type and the sprinter type and then a box truck for 2-3 days.