Would an Ex-Ambulance make a good camper ?
Discussion
Was wondering whether an ex-ambulance would make a good camper conversion.
Pros.
Seem to be cheap to buy.
Should have been well maintained.
Already well insulated.
Good access sides/rear.
Fibreglass rear bodies (I think?)
Might be able to sell some of the stuff out the back ?
Cons.
High mileage.
Looks like an ambulance.
Heavy ?
Lots of extra/wiring electrics ?
Thoughts ........please.
Pros.
Seem to be cheap to buy.
Should have been well maintained.
Already well insulated.
Good access sides/rear.
Fibreglass rear bodies (I think?)
Might be able to sell some of the stuff out the back ?
Cons.
High mileage.
Looks like an ambulance.
Heavy ?
Lots of extra/wiring electrics ?
Thoughts ........please.
I’m a First Responder with the Ambulance Service and there’s no way I’d touch a decommissioned Ambulance. I’ve called for too many hot backups to know what the vans smell like when they arrive at a job.............if ever you want a lesson in what brakes, clutch and gearboxes smell like when they’ve been thrashed, just check out an Ambulance which has done a cross-country gig to get to a big sick person. That would put you off ever looking at them.
Yes, they’ve been well maintained, but they’ve also been absolutely driven to within an inch of their lives and very frequently pranged by the younger crew members and broken.
Yes, they’ve been well maintained, but they’ve also been absolutely driven to within an inch of their lives and very frequently pranged by the younger crew members and broken.
the main thing is what type of ambulance? if its got air suspension, stay clear (mostly UVG coachbuilders). WAS made big boxy ones, which are well made, but heavy. newer vehicles are more obvious van conversions, fiats, Sprinters and VW.
main concerns for me would be knackered seats (constantly adjusted, fabric torn, bolsters squashed etc), worn seat belts (always getting shut in doors!), hinge side of doors will always be bent and rusty (the wind catches them and swings them open!). Servicing/ tyres/clutches etc should be well looked after, but don't be surprised if parts are from a variety of different motors (less so with newer vehicles, but older 90's to 10's vehicles were often scavenged).
The good is the obvious coach build, diesel heating, hopefully air con in the back, well fitted cupboards, but be aware that if these are broken parts can be a pain, often they have overly complicated mechanisms that have been over filled and rammed shut many times. Drawers for example often have weird bearing runners, which dry out and jam. Cupboards may also be strange sizes (Oxygen for example is tall and shallow, good for fishing rods maybe?).
depending on age, you may not require it, but certainly the bigger ambulances will be over 3.5tonne so you'll require C1 category driving licence (7.5tonne).
Electrics... some dealers rip it out, this is bad. there should be a "genesys" panel in the front to control the flashing lights/ interior lights/ air con etc. I've seen a few re use the wires and hook the flashing light feed up to other equipment.
to summarise, know what you're taking on, buy a good one and you'll get a good van for cheap. but coach built vehicles are a pain, and if it needs work, parts will basically have to be custom made, also it looks like an ambulance.
main concerns for me would be knackered seats (constantly adjusted, fabric torn, bolsters squashed etc), worn seat belts (always getting shut in doors!), hinge side of doors will always be bent and rusty (the wind catches them and swings them open!). Servicing/ tyres/clutches etc should be well looked after, but don't be surprised if parts are from a variety of different motors (less so with newer vehicles, but older 90's to 10's vehicles were often scavenged).
The good is the obvious coach build, diesel heating, hopefully air con in the back, well fitted cupboards, but be aware that if these are broken parts can be a pain, often they have overly complicated mechanisms that have been over filled and rammed shut many times. Drawers for example often have weird bearing runners, which dry out and jam. Cupboards may also be strange sizes (Oxygen for example is tall and shallow, good for fishing rods maybe?).
depending on age, you may not require it, but certainly the bigger ambulances will be over 3.5tonne so you'll require C1 category driving licence (7.5tonne).
Electrics... some dealers rip it out, this is bad. there should be a "genesys" panel in the front to control the flashing lights/ interior lights/ air con etc. I've seen a few re use the wires and hook the flashing light feed up to other equipment.
to summarise, know what you're taking on, buy a good one and you'll get a good van for cheap. but coach built vehicles are a pain, and if it needs work, parts will basically have to be custom made, also it looks like an ambulance.
Spuffington said:
I’m a First Responder with the Ambulance Service and there’s no way I’d touch a decommissioned Ambulance. I’ve called for too many hot backups to know what the vans smell like when they arrive at a job.............if ever you want a lesson in what brakes, clutch and gearboxes smell like when they’ve been thrashed, just check out an Ambulance which has done a cross-country gig to get to a big sick person. That would put you off ever looking at them.
Yes, they’ve been well maintained, but they’ve also been absolutely driven to within an inch of their lives and very frequently pranged by the younger crew members and broken.
For every ‘hot backup’ you’ve called in, there’s many hundreds on ordinary driving going on. Consumables will be replaced as they wear. Yes, they’ve been well maintained, but they’ve also been absolutely driven to within an inch of their lives and very frequently pranged by the younger crew members and broken.
Biggest concern would be the astronomical mileages they do.
Badda said:
Spuffington said:
I’m a First Responder with the Ambulance Service and there’s no way I’d touch a decommissioned Ambulance. I’ve called for too many hot backups to know what the vans smell like when they arrive at a job.............if ever you want a lesson in what brakes, clutch and gearboxes smell like when they’ve been thrashed, just check out an Ambulance which has done a cross-country gig to get to a big sick person. That would put you off ever looking at them.
Yes, they’ve been well maintained, but they’ve also been absolutely driven to within an inch of their lives and very frequently pranged by the younger crew members and broken.
For every ‘hot backup’ you’ve called in, there’s many hundreds on ordinary driving going on. Consumables will be replaced as they wear. Yes, they’ve been well maintained, but they’ve also been absolutely driven to within an inch of their lives and very frequently pranged by the younger crew members and broken.
Biggest concern would be the astronomical mileages they do.
Yes, consumables will be changed, but the engines and gearboxes have had VERY hard lives.
But you get what you pay for and at 4-6k, they’re a lot of truck for the money - just that they’ve been driven hard.
SimonTheSailor said:
Apparantly nobody does in an ambulance.
They can only die in hospital.
Not sure where you got that from - ROLE (Recognition Of Life Extinct) can be done anywhere by any Clinician qualified to make the call. They can only die in hospital.
Even if that weren’t the case, plenty of bodies would’ve been carried.
Spuffington said:
SimonTheSailor said:
Apparantly nobody does in an ambulance.
They can only die in hospital.
Not sure where you got that from - ROLE (Recognition Of Life Extinct) can be done anywhere by any Clinician qualified to make the call. They can only die in hospital.
Even if that weren’t the case, plenty of bodies would’ve been carried.
I wouldn't want one as a camper.
Saw one once when we were on Black Rock sands in our VW Bay. Load of youngsters with it and I thought at the time it was a pretty cool camper vehicle especially as they had altered the light-bar sign over the cab to read 'AMBiANCE' instead of 'ambulance'.
Incidentally, since I sold the camper I have been camping down at Santa Pod with my son and his mate and used my LWB Transit window fitting van and that was a much better camper than my VW ever was !!
Incidentally, since I sold the camper I have been camping down at Santa Pod with my son and his mate and used my LWB Transit window fitting van and that was a much better camper than my VW ever was !!
SimonTheSailor said:
Was wondering whether an ex-ambulance would make a good camper conversion.
Pros.
Seem to be cheap to buy.
Should have been well maintained.
Already well insulated.
Good access sides/rear.
Fibreglass rear bodies (I think?)
Might be able to sell some of the stuff out the back ?
Cons.
High mileage.
Looks like an ambulance.
Heavy ?
Lots of extra/wiring electrics ?
Thoughts ........please.
currently converting one myself....got it on 1st November 2018, super happy with it... got mine from an online auction in wales which I wouldn't recommend as a friend from Northampton got one with less mileage, long MOT from a local private place much cheaper than mine (mine, delivered, was about £4.5k with 300k miles is 2007... my friend's is also 2007 I think it's about 200k miles on it...)Pros.
Seem to be cheap to buy.
Should have been well maintained.
Already well insulated.
Good access sides/rear.
Fibreglass rear bodies (I think?)
Might be able to sell some of the stuff out the back ?
Cons.
High mileage.
Looks like an ambulance.
Heavy ?
Lots of extra/wiring electrics ?
Thoughts ........please.
I've replaced all the electrics "carnation system" with just plain fuse boxes and relays... won't lie it was a piece of work but, in my option, def worth it.... everything else on your pros/cons list I believe is spot on... remember you also get diesel heater (worth a grand), air con, the rear is actually aluminium (form what I can tell)... selling the stuff is not as easy as it seems but the Project Amber guy mentioned before apparently managed to make a grand selling his stuff...
let me know if you have any specific questions to it I might be able to help with...
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