SOLD—5/4 ton Chevrolet Square Body CUCV Ambulance for Expedition Camper $12k OBO

dubiousgarage

New member
5/4 ton Chevrolet Square Body CUCV M1010 Ambulance for Expedition Camper

Located: San Rafael, CA just North of San Francisco

Price: $14k or best offer

I’m going to regret this but our plans have changed and it’s time to put this rare truck up for sale. It will make an incredible back-country overland rig for someone.

It’s an ex military Chevrolet CUCV m1010 ambulance body with all the bones for world class expedition camper including an insulated double wall camping box and 5/4 ton running gear.

It’s been stored in climate controlled Oregon firehouse for 23 years and has 30k miles. It’s a time capsule. So the specs:

1985 Square Body Chevrolet
- 30k miles (very low)
- 5/4 ton (yes more than a 1 ton!)
- 6.2L Detroit Diesel V8. Old school no electronics non turbo diesel (can even run off straight vegetable oil.) but
- Bullet proof legendary drivetrain:
- TH-400 transmission
- NP-208 transfer case
- Rear 14 Bolt 4.56 Axel with Detroit Locker Diff
- Front Dana 60 Axel with locking hubs (axels alone are work $3k alone)
- Insulated! aluminum box, overbuilt! (with enough structural strength to mounts beds and cabinets to the walls)
- Locking pass-thru door from cab to van back (go from sleeping to driving without going outside)
- “Good” but not great white and black paint scheme — more neutral than matte camo
- it’s been converted to 12v from 24 though most of 24v parts and second alternator remain.
- Ca registered as 1985 diesel so it never needs to be smogged, install any engine you want and its CA reg-ed)
- Fits up to a 33” tire without a lift (or go for it and make a monster camper with a 4” lift humvee 36” tires)
- Install in a bed and sink w running water and reg it as an RV (cheaper).

Needs:
- The AC compressor’s clutch is broken so it’s belt has been removed. Needs a new compressor to get the large truck unit running (most seem to remove it).
- Tires work but are old, I’d put new on but next owner can pick what size to go with, if stock 30” 235/85/R16 or something larger like 33’s or lift it with 35’s or 37’s. Done a bunch of research and happy to share what I’ve learned.


History:
- Ex military
- decommissioned in 1999 and given to an Oregon firehouse.
- Sat inside climate controlled until end of March.
- Friend of a friend bought at auction non running and had shipped to Bay Area.
- I bough from him and replaced the batteries and battery wiring, changed the oil and fuel filter, drained and put in fresh diesel and started it up.
- Plan was to turn it into an van life expedition camper with my daughter but she’s now going to school abroad in the fall and we don’t have time for this scale of project.
- Now patiently waiting for its adventure.

Dimensions

Truck outside:
Wide: 80”. (6’8”)
Height: 100” (8’ 4”)
Long: 224” (18’ 8”)

Box inside:
106.5” (8’ 10.5”) long
75” (6’ 3”) wide
65” (5’ 5”) height

(I’m 5,9” and comfortably stoop in the back. My daughter is shorter and can stand. Could comfortably sleep side to side which is fantastic, not length wise)

Back Double Door opening (smaller then inside)
72” (6’) wide
56.26” (4’ 8”) height

Back Single Door opening
35.5” (2’ 11”)wide
56.26” (4’ 8”) height
Pass Thru Door in cab:
21” wide
37” tall

Search words:
Chevy Chevrolet k10, k20, k30, c10, c20, c30, 1 ton, one ton, dually, Silverado
Overland, safari, bugout, camper, sleeper, adventure vehicle, vanlife, van conversion, sprinter, 4x4, 4wd, four wheel drive, van Mitsubishi Fuso, canter, Land Rover, westy, westfalia, vanagon , vw syncro, delica, airstream, school bus conversion, schoolie, Sprinter, Ford Transit, ram, biodiesel, Cooking oil, veggie oil, grease car,
 

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Last edited:

ExpoMike

Well-known member
FYI - if anyone buys this and wants the pass side interior box for inside the ambo box, I have that removed from mine and they can have it for free!
 

dubiousgarage

New member
9400 lbs. GVWR
ExpoMike is very knowledgeable about m1010’s and has already been super helpful answering questions for me about capabilities of truck, tires etc.

Tag says 9450lbs

current weight unloaded is actually 6340lbs (had to weight it to CA register). Guessing difference is all ambulance stuff that was removed.

so up to 3110 lbs depending on your safety factor
 

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dubiousgarage

New member
106" long x 75" wide x 65" tall. I did a roof raise on mine, which got me to 72" tall. Pics in my build thread.
Outside:
Have added these to advert as pretty important:

Truck outside:
Wide: 80”. (6’8”)
Height: 100” (8’ 4”)
Long: 224” (18’ 8”)

Box inside:
106.5” (8’ 10.5”) long
75” (6’ 3”) wide
65” (5’ 5”) height

Back Double Door opening (smaller then inside)
72” (6’) wide
56.26” (4’ 8”) height

Back Single Door opening
35.5” (2’ 11”)wide
56.26” (4’ 8”) height
Pass Thru Door in cab:
21” wide
37” tall
 

ExpoMike

Well-known member
Hahaha... I always seem to forget about that extra 50 lbs.

Fully gutted (i.e. no interior panels, wiring, etc.) mine came in at 6180 lbs. The A/C unit on the box is said to be about 200 lbs. so in theory, without that, you would be under 6000 lbs.
 

dubiousgarage

New member
Hahaha... I always seem to forget about that extra 50 lbs.

Fully gutted (i.e. no interior panels, wiring, etc.) mine came in at 6180 lbs. The A/C unit on the box is said to be about 200 lbs. so in theory, without that, you would be under 6000 lbs.

Mike’s math is right on. My 6340 includes roof AC unit & compressor, as well as interior aluminum panels in back and second 24v alternator which isn’t hooked up and really could be removed. Just to keep a this record useful for the future, I did put 2 lighter modern batteries in it which probably saves another 50-60lbs over the 6TL’s and provide more CCA and only a little less amphrs.
 

dubiousgarage

New member
5/4 ton Chevrolet Square Body CUCV M1010 Ambulance for Expedition Camper

Located: San Rafael, CA just North of San Francisco

Price: $14k or best offer

I’m going to regret this but our plans have changed and it’s time to put this rare truck up for sale. It will make an incredible back-country overland rig for someone.

It’s an ex military Chevrolet CUCV m1010 ambulance body with all the bones for world class expedition camper including an insulated double wall camping box and 5/4 ton running gear.

It’s been stored in climate controlled Oregon firehouse for 23 years and has 30k miles. It’s a time capsule. So the specs:

1985 Square Body Chevrolet
- 30k miles (very low)
- 5/4 ton (yes more than a 1 ton!)
- 6.2L Detroit Diesel V8. Old school no electronics non turbo diesel (can even run off straight vegetable oil.) but
- Bullet proof legendary drivetrain:
- TH-400 transmission
- NP-208 transfer case
- Rear 14 Bolt 4.56 Axel with Detroit Locker Diff
- Front Dana 60 Axel with locking hubs (axels alone are work $3k alone)
- Insulated! aluminum box, overbuilt! (with enough structural strength to mounts beds and cabinets to the walls)
- Locking pass-thru door from cab to van back (go from sleeping to driving without going outside)
- “Good” but not great white and black paint scheme — more neutral than matte camo
- it’s been converted to 12v from 24 though most of 24v parts and second alternator remain.
- Ca registered as 1985 diesel so it never needs to be smogged, install any engine you want and its CA reg-ed)
- Fits up to a 33” tire without a lift (or go for it and make a monster camper with a 4” lift humvee 36” tires)
- Install in a bed and sink w running water and reg it as an RV (cheaper).

Needs:
- The AC compressor’s clutch is broken so it’s belt has been removed. Needs a new compressor to get the large truck unit running (most seem to remove it).
- Tires work but are old, I’d put new on but next owner can pick what size to go with, if stock 30” 235/85/R16 or something larger like 33’s or lift it with 35’s or 37’s. Done a bunch of research and happy to share what I’ve learned.


History:
- Ex military
- decommissioned in 1999 and given to an Oregon firehouse.
- Sat inside climate controlled until end of March.
- Friend of a friend bought at auction non running and had shipped to Bay Area.
- I bough from him and replaced the batteries and battery wiring, changed the oil and fuel filter, drained and put in fresh diesel and started it up.
- Plan was to turn it into an van life expedition camper with my daughter but she’s now going to school abroad in the fall and we don’t have time for this scale of project.
- Now patiently waiting for its adventure.

Dimensions

Truck outside:
Wide: 80”. (6’8”)
Height: 100” (8’ 4”)
Long: 224” (18’ 8”)

Box inside:
106.5” (8’ 10.5”) long
75” (6’ 3”) wide
65” (5’ 5”) height

(I’m 5,9” and comfortably stoop in the back. My daughter is shorter and can stand. Could comfortably sleep side to side which is fantastic, not length wise)

Back Double Door opening (smaller then inside)
72” (6’) wide
56.26” (4’ 8”) height

Back Single Door opening
35.5” (2’ 11”)wide
56.26” (4’ 8”) height
Pass Thru Door in cab:
21” wide
37” tall

Search words:
Chevy Chevrolet k10, k20, k30, c10, c20, c30, 1 ton, one ton, dually, Silverado
Overland, safari, bugout, camper, sleeper, adventure vehicle, vanlife, van conversion, sprinter, 4x4, 4wd, four wheel drive, van Mitsubishi Fuso, canter, Land Rover, westy, westfalia, vanagon , vw syncro, delica, airstream, school bus conversion, schoolie, Sprinter, Ford Transit, ram, biodiesel, Cooking oil, veggie oil, grease car,
Just lowered price to $12k, seems a bit more fitting + my daughter needs to get her money out.
 

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