New here - just got an Ambulance....

Dirtfarmer515

New member
Hello and thank you for all the info I've gathered off this site on ambulance conversions so far!

Long story short, we decided on an ambulance after looking at something to take on family vacations. We have a child with fairly significant health issues. One of the problems we run into is the travel time, about 2 1/2 hours is the max that she can be in a chair in our wheelchair van without needing to lay down and rest for a while. We thought about an RV, and she could lay down while we travel, but there is not a good way to safely strap her in, and it would be difficult to retrofit one to get her chair in and out. We've spent enough time in an ambulance to know that they are comfortable and safe, the bonus is they have on board suction, Oxygen and inverters made to run medical equipment. So we started the search.

After looking at several, we found this one. It's a '08 C4500 with a McCoy Miller module. The thing that really sold us on this one was that it has double doors on the side. The thought is that if this works as well as we think it will, I can install a wheel chair lift the side. With the bigger module, we can have the cot in the back, and her chair in front of that.

As for conversion, we really aren't planning a whole lot for now. I'll add a couple of TV's and a DVD Player, and some tie down track. Other than that we'll use it a while and see what we need to change.

One Question I have, is on the shore power. There are two plug ins on the divers side. Why is there two? Do they do different things?

Thanks again!

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Ozrockrat

Expedition Leader
Nice rig but man didn't they turn that front panel into swiss cheese with all those lights.

As for the plug ins. I haven't seen an ambulance with 30amp plugs before (one let alone 2). What was it used for to need the larger door and that much power.

And if I was to guess I would say they are isolated from each other and will run separate blocks of power. Also with those vents in the cabinet on the drivers side just in front of the rear tire. Does it have a genset in there or what is the purpose of that cabinet??

OK so I left you with no real answers and a lot of questions. Welcome to Expo :)
 

Dirtfarmer515

New member
I'm pretty sure the double doors is so they can load a second cot in from that side if need be. It looks like there are mounts in the floor for that.

I was kind of wondering about the same about the two plugs, maybe one runs the cab stuff like block heater, battery charger etc, and the second one is for the module?

It does not have a genset, it doesn't look like one was ever in there. That is where the inverter and suction pump is, I don't know how much heat they put off, but maybe that is part of it.

I need to tear into a little and see what I can find!
 

scootr2200

New member
Congratulations on your purchase! It looks like it should suit your needs fairly well for sure!

I am a paramedic in NC and will try to shed some light on some of your questions. My experience has been only in NC, so my reply may not hold true for services in other geographical locations.

Dual 30A shore lines- These are also used on our units here in Western NC. One is used for the HVAC in the box and the other runs the power inverter when the engine is not running.

Vents in the side of the box- These are used to vent and/or keep a neutral pressure within the box when the 'exhaust ventilation' system is activated within the box. On the switch panel in the box many times is a switch that is labeled 'exhaust'. This draws a negative pressure from inside the box and routes it outside of the box; this is especially handy for stinky smells that we want vented outside. Most of the times there is not a window that can be opened to draw in fresh air, so the exhaust system is what pulls in the air.

Gensets- Most of the time ambulances to not have or use a generator to power the box. Many trucks have large or dual alternators that are able to power the pure sine wave inverter that runs the medical equipment. If an ambulance does have a genset, many times they are what is called 'Critical Care' trucks. Those trucks are used when truly sick or critical patients are being transferred between hospitals. These patients have so many pieces of equipment that an alternator and inverter alone can not supply the demanded power.

I hope this helps you some!

Mickey
 

Dirtfarmer515

New member
Thank you! I thought the two shore lines might work something like that! I need to tear into it some and see what I can find.

Being in the medical field, can you tell me a good place to buy the O2 and medical air valves that plug in the wall or the suction canister holders and fittings?

Thanks again!
 

Rich S.

New member
that truck looks like it will suit your needs real good.
Like the long box length, heavy duty truck.
What engine?
Perhaps suggest you open up the pass through so your daughter can be part of the group, otherwise, she is alone in the back in a dark square box.
Perhaps some windows on the sides also so she can see out.
 

Dirtfarmer515

New member
that truck looks like it will suit your needs real good.
Like the long box length, heavy duty truck.
What engine?
Perhaps suggest you open up the pass through so your daughter can be part of the group, otherwise, she is alone in the back in a dark square box.
Perhaps some windows on the sides also so she can see out.

It's got the 6.6 duramax, the pass through is open, it just didn't show up in the picture. I thought about adding a window to the second side door, that help with light and seeing out.

She won't be alone the back, there will always be someone next to her for suctioning and other cares. We took it for a test ride today, she loved it and my 10 year old likes the sirens and PA!
 

Dirtfarmer515

New member
Here's something I learned that might be of use for someone, someday if they use the search function. This truck has the Link ultraride air suspension on it. With that comes a Thomas brand air compressor. The compressor number is TA-4101-12VDC.

I could hear air leaking from the box that is mounted above the air tank when the compressor shut off. The box on this truck is mounted inside the frame rails. I took off the cover to get to the pump, valves and switches. I found that the air was leaking around the head of the compressor and even out of the air cleaner port. Maybe I should have known this, but after some research, I found that they are designed to do that when they are not running. There is a check valve that keeps the air pressure from entering back into the compressor when it's not running.

So I went from thinking I was going to need a new $1000 compressor to just needing a check valve. The funny thing is that the compressor that is there is new. The ambulance service must have recently replaced it. I kind of wonder if they had the same thought I had that the compressor must be bad, when all along it was the check valve.

Anyway, thought I would share.
 

Dirtfarmer515

New member
Dual 30A shore lines- These are also used on our units here in Western NC. One is used for the HVAC in the box and the other runs the power inverter when the engine is not running.

That's exactly what they are! Got that part figured out, the rear one is for the RV style 115 volt AC unit that is under the module. The front one is for the charger/inverter.
 

rlrenz

Explorer
Thank you! I thought the two shore lines might work something like that! I need to tear into it some and see what I can find.

Being in the medical field, can you tell me a good place to buy the O2 and medical air valves that plug in the wall or the suction canister holders and fittings?

Thanks again!

You can also check with www. selecttechambulance.com - they have a good inventory, they take VISA, and they ship nearly immediately. If you don't see what you are looking for, call them and ask for "Ron". He's the parts manager. Also, try www.fostercoach.com - Foster has a listing for their surplus parts, and if they have it, the prices are a lot nicer than list.
 

rlrenz

Explorer
Welcome to the ambulance builders group.

You can also call Miller and talk to them about an owner's manual. Usually, the electrical data is the easiest to get, but if you explain what you are doing and why, they might be able to get you the entire manual. Check out their web site at www.mccoymiller.com.

Also, see if they have a dealer in your area. The dealer probably has used oxygen, etc equipment available at a better price than buying new
 
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jtpaintball70

Adventurer
Nice rig but man didn't they turn that front panel into swiss cheese with all those lights.

As for the plug ins. I haven't seen an ambulance with 30amp plugs before (one let alone 2). What was it used for to need the larger door and that much power.

And if I was to guess I would say they are isolated from each other and will run separate blocks of power. Also with those vents in the cabinet on the drivers side just in front of the rear tire. Does it have a genset in there or what is the purpose of that cabinet??

OK so I left you with no real answers and a lot of questions. Welcome to Expo :)

Some trucks wil have one plug for the mod, and one for the cab. Our Frazier units at work all have 1 30A plug to power the box, since the cab is isolated from the box completely due to them running off a genset when we are on calls.
 

Dirtfarmer515

New member
Thanks for all the help and suggestions! We are in St Louis on the maiden voyage. So far so good, I'll post some pics when we get back!
 

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