The Disadvantages of Modifying an Old Ambulance

[Ambulance RV]

Just spent the last month researching and educating myself on this before buying my 1995 Ford E350 type3  box style on this past monday and driving home from Seattle to Sacramento

Friends and others tried hard to steer my towards a RV instead but just didnt make sense to me and here is things I considered

RVs are made of very thin wood or even particle board covered in thin sheet aluminum. Not much structural strength to start with, and if at any point you have a water either leak in from outside, or from condensation from inside (De-Humidifiers always good idea in small spaces)  moisture will create dry rot and molds and weaken RV walls and structural strength

Ambulances are made to a much higher government standard for safety with big thick Aluminum I beams  that create a very structurally tough box that is tough to hurt.
And doesn't rust!

An ambulance fits in most stand parking lot spaces which makes Boondocking easier. The bigger RVs and buses taking up 2or 3 spots grab business managers attention much quicker to get you asked to leave.

Most Ambulances have 110 volts to the rear, so adding Coffee makers,TVs, Microwaves etc is very easy with on board inverted built in with extra batteries standard.

They have a ton of built in storage cabinets inside already to put food, clothes, etc. And Tons of outside storage boxes for tools, chairs etc also.
This was huge part of my decision.

All storage areas have automatic on lights that make searching in them much easier.  And outside lights are also automatic when you open doors etc they turn on and boom your not standing in the dark instantly.

Mine is a 7.3 Turbo Powerstroke Diesel which is the most desirable engine that routinely  go 5-600,000 miles. I am at 180,000 so tons of life left

If bought from Fire Dept etc the usually include all Maintenance records and get fluids and filters changed every 5,000 so well taken care of.

Problem with Insurance is real. I learned you do NOT say "Ambulance" The word freaks them out LOL. Say box van, fixed the problem right off.

The commercial tag can be an issue also but here in Ca. if I get Refrigerator,Sink, Stove, Microwave I can have reclassified as RV and drops registration by 4-500 a year because Commercial have to pay by weight (mine is 10,500) and RVs do not.

I have fallen in love with it and the idea enough I am selling off all my unneeded personal items and moving into mine so travel is much easier and I and dumping $2,500 a month in rent, utilities, etc down to roughly $300 a month

Could not find a community for all of us Ambulance lovers so I am building one since I already have 10 years exp on another car forum. It is brand new and pretty empty so far as I build it, but hopefully other will come and post projects etc and help me build it to share info like this with anyone interested in Converted Ambulances.

Just remember it is only two weeks old and still being built

Brian - www.AmbulanceRV.com

 

[rvpopeye]

Welcome aboard Brian !
Do a site search for a member name Baloo and thread called My Ambo.

 

[Ambulance RV]

Welcome aboard Brian !
Do a site search for a member name Baloo and thread called My Ambo.

Thanks so much

I have seen it and messaged Baloo, and the Ambo is amazing

Thanks for the help and hope to talk with more Ambo lovers

 

[LowTech]

There is quite a collection of Ambo /camper owners on the Expo Portal. I follow several threads there. I also have several friends that have them and will one day sell a converted shuttle bus I have and get one to replace it.

www.DirtTrackTravelers.com

 

[Baloo]

See next post, this one was a mistake

 

[Baloo]

You know you guys are suppose to tell me about these threads! As the self proclaimed "Ambo" guy I can shed some light on this topic. Here are my thoughts:

Insurance- Commercial Policy, no way around it, in most cases no full coverage is offered. I had to have mine inspected by Progressive prior to getting my current policy.

Registration- this is what ultimately led to me changing the chassis to get a non-Ambulance title. Some states require commercial truck inspections and DOT will not leave you alone.

Weight- mine tips the scales around 16,000 pounds.

Maintaining- it is a big heavy diesel truck, 7 gallons of oil, 15 gallons of coolant, 3 gallons of gear oil, 2.5 gallons of transmission fluid, 1 gallon of power steering fluid, 6 filters and 23 grease fittings. The parts are heavy and expensive, tires are stupid expensive for 22.5 rims. I have lots of tools and had to buy even bigger tools to work on this rig.

Wiring- it is wired to be an emergency vehicle, so you will rewire some if not all of it.

Technical Support- Mine was made by Road Rescue, and they have been awesome in providing information from the original build sheets and wiring diagrams. However, I have heard horror stories how some manufactures offer zero help.

Repairs- So the cool part, the Box is aluminum. The bad part, the Box is aluminum. Why is this bad? I can weld steel all day long, but would have to spend a mint on a welder to work with aluminum. I have paid a few welding shops for repairs and modifications. You have to be careful on what fasteners you use to avoid dissimilar metal corrosion.

Mind you I love my Ambo, it is my hobby. People always try to make a big deal about how people died in it and what not. My answer is that people were saved by it as well. I can not even begin to think of how many hours have gone into this thing, but if I had to do it again, I would! It is one tough rig. All my co-workers and fellow guardsmen know me as the guy with the ambulance. It is definitely a different choice of vehicle. It takes a special person to work with one and make it work for them. The Ambo made the ideal camper for me, and continues to transform into the ever changing picture I have in my head.

As far as the original E350 van chassis, it was just plain worn out, the engine (7.3L IDI diesel) ran well, but used oil and was getting up their in age. Every moving part had three times the normal wear a non-ambulance of the same age would have. They are road hard and since the operator doesn't own it, they generally don't care.

The cool part; my Ambo cost $142,000 when it was new. I could never have afford that for one, but all that money made one heck of a vehicle. I paid $1,812 for it ten years ago. Don't ask what I have in it now, I try not to think about that.







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[Ambulance RV]

Great post Baloo

You have far more experience at Ambos than  I do as a two month owner LOL

Here is a couple of my experiences so far from California, knowing things can vary state to state etc

Insurance
I did have trouble getting insurance to drive my new Ambo home from Washington state upon purchase asking for insurance for an "ex-ambo", this term killed any hopes of getting coverage with my current insurance company

I called my seller who coached me to never say Ambulance, instead call it a Ford E-450 "box van" instead.  I did this approach and got FULL coverage first call with a large Insurance company that is "Nationwide"

Registration
In research and calling to verify with DMV I can add a sink, refrigerator, stove-top, and microwave and then get it inspected and re-specified as a RV instead of commercial vehicle. Which will save on Commercial requirements, weight fees, etc to the tune of $3-400 a yr
Have not finished this process yet but certainly hope it works this smoothly

I LOVE my ambo like you and cant believe others are not taking advantage of these vehicles more often, but hope AmbulanceRV.com helps it grow and gives enthusiasts a place to find Ambo specific info, tech, etc

Merry Christmas

 

[CraigL]

Bleach-... It's Funny, I saw a couple in a 4x4 converted Ambulance today at Island Beach State Park,NJ on the beach surf fishing.  Never seen one in my neck of the woods before.  Wanted to ask them about it but couldn't catch up with them.

I saw a 4x4 ambulance (turbodiesel) and jumped on it --*after confirming 4x4 functioned A-OK. Then I sprayed every inch with a bleach soln, just in case. 
It'll last 400k+, if maintained. Has 53k mi, with lots more hours idling. Insulation is patchy; will add; wiring has to be confirmed and checked for open hot wires (they cut out equip).
After upgrading mechanically, its expected to get 17mpg. Very HD, but stealthy only near hospitals. Awesome storage and doors! I'm home!

 

[Ambulance RV]

I saw a 4x4 ambulance (turbodiesel) and jumped on it --*after confirming 4x4 functioned A-OK. Then I sprayed every inch with a bleach soln, just in case. 
It'll last 400k+, if maintained. Has 53k mi, with lots more hours idling. Insulation is patchy; will add; wiring has to be confirmed and checked for open hot wires (they cut out equip).
After upgrading mechanically, its expected to get 17mpg. Very HD, but stealthy only near hospitals. Awesome storage and doors! I'm home!

Congrats to you and welcome to the Ambo community

Lots of us over at community in my signature come check it out

 

[CraigL]

(snip).....After upgrading mechanically, its expected to get 17mpg. ...

As to *disadvantages:
•If there's no walkthru, this can be a difficult addition, unless its gutted, and the cabinets are a major feature of this vehicle type. So you may be visible on entering the module at stealth sites
•the installed house batteries are limited, as inuse, the engine is still idling or raised rpm on demand, so an upgrade is reqd; they are usu not isolated from the starter circuit, and can thus drain all; 
•there is usu an inverter, but usu only 1000W; 
•a converter is included for shore power charging, but a separate controller is reqd for solar
•usu no place for a spare tire, tho an exterior cabinet can house it
•amber and most red flashers must be replaced to clear lenses; 
•shallow departure angle
•markings must be modified physically
•insulation is rarely complete, zero IR and moisture barriers
•urban units are often more worn than miles or years indicate
•electronics must be understood to know what can be eliminated
•module builder may be dismissive to requests for info or wiring chart
•height is often only 5'8", tho floor can be lowered in limited places
•may have limited visibility, esp aft and passenger rear: cameras reqd

 

[CraigL]

BTW, if you cannot stand up, you can easily get around on a wheeled chair, and put your pants on while standing in the stairwell. I'll be taking the Drivers side rear compartment for a shower, so standing there (85"), and I'll (eventually) be popping the top for 2°story sleeping.

 

[Ambulance RV]

Did a search and nothing came up.
Ambulances have lots of storage.  A bed surface.  A metal divider between driver and back.

What are the disadvantages of modifying an old ambulance to live in?

Hi bigsallysmom good questions for sure
Ambos are good conversion with the back half already 110v and extra separate batteries,so it can run household appliances etc with Inverter.
They are well maintained by fire and emt dept with records to show. Built to a much stricter standard than RVs that are thin wood and sheetmetal that get dryrot all the time. Tons of inside and outside storage. Most are Diesel so good for 400-500,000 miles when sold usually at around 150-200,000. You can get much more info on everything Ambo at AmbulanceRV.com too   Good Luck

 

[Ambulance RV]

Baloo

Do you have a contact person/email?   I am getting no replies from Road Rescue and could use the help if possible

Thanks

 

[Baloo]

Baloo

Do you have a contact person/email?   I am getting no replies from Road Rescue and could use the help if possible

Thanks

Since I bought mine they have changed ownership and are now part of E-one services. They are no longer located in Missouri, South Carolina I think. Ever since the moved, the customer service has gone down hill, as well as the quality of their rigs


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[Baloo]

When I read the title of this topic, I begin to think of all I have been through with the ambo. I really don't think there is a disadvantage to modifying an old ambulance. They just require a bit more planning and some slightly above average skills to bring to life. There are challenges, but not really disadvantages. There, I had to get that off my chest!


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[rvpopeye]

Baloo
You're definitely at least in the above average skills league!

 

[Ambulance RV]

When I read the title of this topic, I begin to think of all I have been through with the ambo. I really don't think there is a disadvantage to modifying an old ambulance. They just require a bit more planning and some slightly above average skills to bring to life. There are challenges, but not really disadvantages. There, I had to get that off my chest!


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Agree 100%!!

Love mine and cant imagine using a flimsy RV with paperthin board and wood subject to dryrot

 

[CraigL]

Check out how the ambulance module is *tested ---for govt specs? [unimaginable in any RV]
"...dropped from a height of 130 feet onto a corner" of the module. Those're tough! Some, like mine, which spent most of its life in a hanger at a (now closed) base in Texas --have seen little ghost-busting.
Yes, its a huge leg-up from an empty box. However, the insulation in mine is 3" bats stuffed into a 2" space. (Suboptimal or naïve: increased conduction). I'm adding IR foil, 2" rigid foam, and rubber matting under a fresh surface fascia.

 

[hepcat]

I'm not much one usually for doing DIY build-outs on vans, box trucks, or busses... but if I didn't already have a Kodiak-based super-c motorhome, I'd be all over this!

2008 Kodiak chassis ambulance

 

[Dgorila1]

As a former paid firefighter/medic I can attest to how used and abused any emergency vehicle gets driven. They are not built on any special chassis, just a stock heavy truck chassis.  They are well worn when most agencies finally sell them off. Don't get me started about the lack of proper disinfection in cleaning them. Most are traveling Petri dishes!