Take this for what you will, as I’m certainly no expert in engines, but we’re glad we ended up with a Duramax. Under the driver’s seat, there is another battery that is wired as an emergency start battery. As long as it runs, I’m happy. Once you’ve made contact with the seller and are seriously considering the vehicle, you should do two things: Once you’ve found and purchased your used ambulance, it’s time for the fun part! I want a coachbuilt (not panel van) body, reliable mechanicals and through-cab-to-rear access. He was very helpful and showed us were the fuel stop for the heater is too and the key feature of the battery isolator…and some more of the nuances. The drivetrain is usually assumed to be two wheel drive (2×4 / 2wd), so sometimes this is left out of listings. Primarily for North American market ambulances. This usually runs between $150-$200. They’re heavier and can have extra headroom, sometimes up to to 74 inches. We used SVT, whose details we found in the ambulance on a sticker: They had rated her originally into a higher category, when she started her life as an ambulance. 2019 Ram ProMaster 1500 conversion/camper Black 136" New York $ 57,900. I need to stop bank the van and remove what is unnecessary. Ambulance Camper Conversions UK has 3,167 members. Featured Ambulance Conversions Gallery. Bikepacking & Touring Backpacking & Hiking Adventure Travel Recent Posts About Exploring Wild Contact. But in theory, if you want both 4×4 and a walkthrough and can only find one, it should be cheaper to add the walkthrough than convert to 4wd. Now, full disclosure, we haven’t actually done the conversion yet! Tom Miller found a 1989 F350 diesel dually army ambulance and transformed it (with no building experience, mind you) into a fantastic family camper/bug out vehicle! We ended up getting a two wheel drive, and we have tentative plans to have it converted to 4×4 (more on this below). We only sell direct health authority ambulances from most of the health authorites and NHS trusts in the UK. We have been busy over the past number of years creating bespoke camper van conversions for our customers and thought it was high time we shared some of our work with you. RECLASS AGAINAs soon as the V5 is back, it needs to be sent back to the DVLA with the plating certificate to get it recategorised to a vehicle of GVW 3,500kg- it will become an LGV, aka light goods vehicle. Which is better for the environment? And the Ford engine name is just branding. The year listed will correspond to the year the vehicle was made, just like any used vehicle. From talking to a couple fabrication shops and watching YouTube videos, it seems possible in theory to add a walkthrough for a few thousand dollars or less. 4×4 Ambulance Camper RV Conversion Ambulance Network, Inc. 2020-12-10T13:54:00-05:00 4×4 AMBULANCE CAMPER RV CONVERSION For over 25 years, Ambunet has been a leader in used ambulance sales. Another option is to make your own arrangements via a rideshare program or otherwise. However, that step is wired to an alarm: if the engine is on then there is an ear-deafening beep. Another challenge is that on models without walkthroughs, there’s sometimes a console in the cab that would get in the way of an added doorway. The ambulance itself is a … We were told it could run a few thousand dollars to get an ambulance “shipped” (hire someone to drive it) across the country. A HEARTBROKEN adventurer left with nothing after splitting with his fiancée has now converted an old ambulance into a camper van to travel the world. As we work through the project I’ll be sharing what we learn. Here we share our stories. Campulances require only a few modifications to be camper reader. You’ll also need to find a diesel mechanic if you need work done, because not every mechanic works on diesel engines. There is an Eberspacher heater in the ambulance. 3. Mercedes Sprinter ambulance camper conversion. Buying a motorhome or campervan was expensive, but the self-build conversion route was complicated. Or being able to drive away from a campsite under sketchy circumstances without going outside. Without further ado, here’s an overview of what to look for in a used ambulance for your camper conversion project. And for another, it suits us because it’s weird delightfully quirky. In particular, the Duramax 6.6 liter engine seems universally worshipped as reliable and long-lasting. Sadly, I only learnt the particulars of the battery and sneaky things draining it after I’d spend £150 on replacing glow plugs and having other bits looked at. Sadly, the old insulation we had... Hey, Welcome to Campervan Owner, a site born out of our wanderlust and budgetary constraints, which led us to buy an ambulance and convert her to campervan. Philadelphia $ 47,000. See more ideas about ambulance, camper, camper conversion. Campervan Conversions. The make and model of the engine is sometimes included in the listing title, otherwise it’ll be in the listing content. These names will be less familiar, for example Medtec, Horton, Road Rescue, Wheeled Coach, AEV, McCoy Miller. Transform an old ambulance from Elite Ambulance Sales into a custom camper experience. Examples are Powerstroke 7.3 L (Ford) and Duramax 6.6 L. The type of fuel, either diesel or gasoline, is often included in the listing but rarely the title. That’s quite a disparity, I know! I didn’t initially expect the engine type to be a big deal. A skylight on a campervan brings in brilliant light and is great for ventilation too. You can do this online in the UK. Look forward to reading more! 2,495 cc. But, we have big plans, and are making good progress on planning out the project. Budget will usually be the biggest consideration here, but there are a few other things that can come up. An engine is an engine, right? My husband and I are starting a camper conversion of… wait for it…. But more importantly, ambulance camper conversions are a relatively affordable way to approach to the increasingly popular world of van conversions. By Gypsy Van Man March, 2011 (Editor’s note: This is a post made to the Yahoo group Vandwellers by Gypsy Van Man. This kind of shop can also do other modifications you might want, like a lift, front bumper, and rugged exterior coating, at the same time. The seller. Buy direct from auction and cut out the middle man and save thousands on your next motorhome or camper conversion by buying an ambulance. Why an ambulance? We love travelling and as I found myself travelling often on my own with the children, we gradually traded up from tent to caravan. The latter was taken out pretty quickly and one of the seats had to be repositioned, as it was blocking the aisle from the drivers cabin to the back. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies, but this does not affect the price the reader pays for any products and services. The Ford Powerstroke 7.3 is supposedly better, but still not as good as the Duramax. For a fee, they reviewed the weighbridge paperwork and our work and provided us with an official certificate for her new, slimmer weight. Fortunately we ended up buying locally from Craigslist, but while shopping around we asked about the possibility of shipping. If I didn't have... Campervan Insulation with Closed Cell Matting. Here, for your used ambulance shopping pleasure, is a list of websites that list used ambulances: Now that you’ve found some listings of potential ambulances for your camper conversion, what the heck do those descriptions mean? You often see DIY conversions (and even some pro converters) using carpet or wood lining. Now, I just need to figure out how to remove these and put them back nicely, if we decide to improve the insulation. image courtesy of @ambulance_conversion. The best part of ambulance RV conversions is that you don’t have to turn around to head back to your hotel or RV stationed at a camping site. Ian … The driver’s cabin has some very strong (not very atmospheric) LED light strips. Jan 31, 2016 - Explore Marco A. The occasional type 3 Ford E-350 or 450 might pop up, and it might have a walkthrough, but I bet it will get snapped up fast by someone else looking to do a camper conversion! RECLASSI had to get it recategorised from PSV (public service vehicle) to private HGV, just to tax it (Note: private HGV is important, so you don’t have to have a tachograph). On the other hand, the Ford Powerstroke 6.4 and especially the 6.0 are, well, not liked as much. Due to increased fraudulent activities on and off Facebook we now require you … We chose a retired ambulance as our base vehicle, because we thought it would be easier to convert; … But, we’re learning! These will be easy to keep clean, whatever my messy, constantly muddy kids throw at it. Before Conversion. So far the thing is just taking up space in the driveway of a very patient family member. I start work that daunting task on Monday ? Common models are Freightliner, International, and Kodiak. Hi Again the 2 switches in the LHS of the photo above how does this work you said you go chatting to a mechanic in an ambulance service centre, Licence category D is for PSV / PCV vehicles, not for vehicles over 3.5t. It’s worth doing some research. Sometimes my posts contain affiliate links, and if you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. In the ambulance, all our windows that we could ever need were in. The ambulance was designed by a semi-retired engineer at Criftin’s Campers in North Shropshire, UK. 1972. You’d need to cut two holes and seal around the opening with some kind of flexible rubber or plastic. Two of our rear windows even have opening sections, which is rare in vans, even passenger vans. The dimensions of the ambulance box (we’re talking about types 1 and 3 here) vary based on manufacturer and model, but are usually in the neighborhood of: That width and length are going to feel pretty roomy compared to a standard cargo van conversion, so the most important number is going to be the height. It’s obvious in hindsight, but it took us a little while to parse the titles so we could skim through them quickly and know if we were interested. One of those tasks, again, that people do not look forward to. Goto the DVLA site for this. We never set out to purchase an ambulance but when we found this one, it was love at first sight. These all add up to extra time and cost on the conversion. Copyright 2020 Exploring Wild, All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy. You will, inevitably, end up spending a fair amount of time in there. Campy Van is long, almost 6.4m and, with the rear windows obscured, thus a full reversing camera is a great feature to have! I only recommend and link to products I know and love. Check out their work below. They’re a bit heavier than class III’s. It turns out that some kinds of ambulances are perfect for a camper conversion, while others have some drawbacks, and there are many factors to consider. But, the process of perusing online listings was essential for learning what kind of ambulance we wanted and what a reasonable price range might look like. The van also has a reverse warning beep… that can be switched off. The seller may be willing to drive it to a mechanic in their area (it should be someone chosen by you, not them, for maximum neutrality), or you may need to get a mobile mechanic to come to the seller. Ambulances are complicated, and it seems common for at least some little thing to need fixing. As with buying any used vehicle, newer is better and older is cheaper. more about the negative bits about a campervan conversion with an ex-ambulance as the base vehicle. It’s easy to get in via the sliding door, there is a slide-out step. One of our favorite modern retired ambulance conversions is this design by Steve and Eva. It depends, but newer diesel engines are definitely better than older ones. Finally, the odometer mileage will be listed as it would with any used vehicle. Our ambulance came panelled and insulated. Not something I expected, but something I have had to resort to using because I didn’t know about the Tip above, of having to isolate the battery so extra ambulancey bits don’t drain your primary battery. In the end, we opted for a self-build campervan conversion. . We chose a retired ambulance as our base vehicle, because we thought it would be easier to convert; having insulation, lighting and heating already installed. Also note that there’s usually a section down the middle of the ceiling with grab bars and lights, which takes an additional 1-2 inches out of the headroom in the center. The “Fambulance” as he calls it, has been outfit to meet his family of three’s needs for weekend trips and in case of a real “bug out” survival scenario. I would think it’s best to check with the shop that will do the work before committing to an unusual model. 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