Search results

If you want lights, radios, and anything with a motor to operate correctly, it needs to have 12 volts AT THE ITEM. The factors affecting this are the amperage needed, the length of wire, and the size (gauge) of the wire. If my refrigerator was installed next to the fuse panel, I could probably...

If anybody has halogen warning lights, and you convert to an LED bulb (Amazon, ebay), remenber to save your halogen bulbs. Why? These little bulbs sell for about $35 new, and used for $5-10 each. If you plan to convert down the road, your existing halogen fixtures aren't designed for an LED...

Been chopping into some cabinets. I need to install my 12 volt marine refrigerator and a Broan electric heater. The Broan is rated at 1500 watts, but I'm only going to run it at 750 watts. That will give me about 2500 BTU, which will be plenty for my non-winter usage. The refrigerator's...

In case anyone's curious, here are drawings for the curb side, the road side, and the roof for my Medic Master

It cost me some bucks, but I now have the complete build package of drawings for my ambulance -- framing, cabinets, compartments, electrical schematics and wire lists, and a full set of American LaFrance's wire color codes and numbering conventions. I started plowing through them tonight, and...

Just when I'm convinced I'll never track down the official owner's manual for the truck---- I find that the gent who was the Medic Master Chief Engineer when the company closed down has all the build records. I believe he also has the capability to re-program the VMUX systems. I just ordered a...

Very nice! Steel or aluminum? I had some Whelen light buckets that were about your depth, but a little shorter and longer. After I looked at making custom buckets, I lucked out and found 4 Whelen scene LED lights for the sides, and a pair of Tecniq K90 scene lights for the rear. I found Whelen...

Springtime! That wonderful time of year when stuff that's been hiding in the garage all winter gets sorted (after I dust with an air hose...). I found 4"air vents that I'd thought were long gone -- I put them with the ones I bought when I couldn't find them. I now have 11... A pair of air...

It sounds like your battery disconnect relay may always be partly ON, possibly from a short that's feeding the relay control power line. The rear heat may be doing the same. Time to trace wiring with a volt meter or test light! Your ambulance wiring should be labeled regularly along each wire...

Probably all emergency vehicles have multiple parasitic power draws, ranging from radios to cell phone chargers to rechargable portable lights. As a result, vehicle batteries can go flat within 2-3 weeks. Even though a battery disconnect switch can avoid the problem, emergency vehicles are...

Pat and I emailed daily, with a few phone calls from time to time. He definitely was a positive influence on the building of expedition vehicles -- he was turning the module from a Wheeled Coach ambulance into a hurricane-escape trailer, complete with a custom made heavy duty trailer frame. "The...

Pat had medical issues that increasingly limited his mobility, but he still did what he could to help others. His experience as a fire chief for the DoD meant that the right way was the only way. He is missed by the many people he helped.

Whatever it is beats me. I checked with my ambulance electrician friend, and he's at a blank as well -- he commented that he never had to do much with the VMUX equipment except sometimes replace modules. I'll keep on asking other friends.

Considering their workmanship, shorter cables would probably mean wire nuts.... I checked with my friends, and the answer seems to be that that circuit is used to collapse the suspension so the loading height wouldcomply with KKK requirements. They used an odd way to say it, though.

That glob of wire reminds me of some radio installations I've worked with. Apparently, some installers are terrified of cutting wires, so they just stuff them wherever they fit.

I've never heard of it, but I'll dig into my drawings, and I'll ask a friend who's an ambulance electrician. What are you going to do with your VMUX gear when you remove it? I've seen new on ebay, but used might be a little difficult to sell. Ambulance companies would only want new, so your...

I've been getting the same grumbles from my wife -- you may have also solved my problem as well!

I found and joined a new Facebook group today: Used Ambulance And Equipment For Sale. The group is for buyers and sellers of ambulances and emergency vehicle equipment -- I took a look, and there are quite a few Type 1 and medium units listed. Even though some of the units listed are ready to...

I learned about his passing from his ex-wife's brother, who apparently joined one of the facebook ambulance groups just to post Pat's death. I mentioned all the time, energy, the thought that went into Pat's project, and he mentioned that there was a possibility that he would work to complete...

Pat and I used to bounce ideas off each other, and we both wound up changing plans after we'd talked ideas through. He will definitely be missed by everyone who knew him.