2003 E350 Ambulance Conversion - 7.3 PSD, Quigley 4x4 - Bend, Oregon - SOLD

jlcanterbury

Active member
-SOLD-

The time has come to sell my self-converted ambulance camper. I acquired this vehicle in December 2019 after a very long search for the right platform to build a capable off grid camper. I don't need to go over the merits of an ambulance box on this forum, but it was an obvious choice for me. An incredibly high quality aluminum box mounted onto a solid E350 4x4 van with the 7.3l diesel.

I started the conversion project in 2020 (I had some time off around then, don't remember why). I have traveled in, upgraded, and optimized the vehicle since then. The current version represents my ideal off-grid camper setup. Lightweight, relatively small at under 20' total length, incredibly capable on all terrain, and with ample storage and payload capacity. Hot water, shower, fridge, stove top, A/C, kitchen table, and a convertible couch/bed complete the interior build and turn this ambulance into a comfortable dwelling unit that can go almost anywhere.

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Details:
7.3l PSD 175k miles
Quigley 4x4 Conversion
Automatic Transmission
Wheeled Coach Ambulance Box
265/75r16 BFG Ko2 Tires mounted on 16" steel OEM rims- near new condition (6 new BFG tires, plus a full size spare in the rear box)

Dimensions:
under 8' wide
under 20' length
under 9' tall
(small sizing means it is within nearly all size restrictions placed on larger RVs, campers, etc.)
Rear box interior dimensions: 134" long, 87" wide
68" interior height in rear box. 78" interior standing height at kitchen/shower cutout
138" Wheel Base
9,500lb curb weight

Camper Build Components:
Dometic Fridge Freezer Combo 12v Stainless Steel
Kuuma Hot Water tank with heat exchange looped into coolant system. 6 gallons on demand hot water, heated by driving.
Sureflow 12v water Pump, in-line Expansion tank
20 gallon fresh water tank + 6 gallon hot water tank + Extra water storage
Dometic 2 burger propane Stove Top
Stainless Steel Sink
Stainless Steel Faucet, with hot/cold tap/sprayer. (also used as shower head)
6 gallon gray water tank directly under sink.
2x 12v Vent Fans in top rear of box for effective air movement, switched to panel.
Diesel heater installed into exterior box and vented into living area. independent diesel fuel tank. (Can also be plumbed into main diesel tank)

Shower:
Custom stainless steel shower pan fabricated and installed to create convertible shower space in front of sink.
The original ambulance floor was cut out to increase shower/kitchen standing area height.
Custom wood drain made from durable IPE hardwood
Magnet snap-in shower curtain closure system
Adjustable shower head, sink head used for shower

Convertible bed/couch:
Custom convertible bed with slide-out frame. 3 available modes, Couch, daybed, or queen bed.
3 storage bins fit under couch.
Custom couch cushions made with 6” foam and custom sewn canvas covers.
Fold up dining table.
Custom curtains and window insulating covers in matching natural canvas.
Custom headliner in matching natural canvas.
3-zone interior LED lighting.
120v AC Unit installed, and vented out of the upper ambulance box

Power System:
400ah reserve battery capacity
3,000w pure sine wave inverter, and additional 1050 watt pure sine wave inverter
Bluetti AC300 + B300 Modular expandable lithium battery system
The decision with this build was to leave the original ambulance power system intact, with additional camper build components being separated to their own fuse box and switch panel.
The existing ambulance electrical system is proven, high quality, and well documented .
The shortcoming for off-grid camper use, however, is that ambulance systems are designed to operate under engine idle, or plugged into 120v shore power. The lead-acid battery system does not like to be drawn-down and discharged. So, we use the lithium battery pack to ALWAYS keep the lead-acid batteries at their correct voltage, and to directly power auxiliary components.
Power draw is placed on the lithium pack that is designed for continuous deep draws and recharging with a long lifespan of those cycles.
The lithium pack can be charged by solar, fast alternator charge, or by looping into ambulance inverter.
The additional lithium provides redundancy, protects the starting and house batteries, and provides 300ah or more of additional capacity.

Additional Features:
Backup camera with front and rear facing cameras.
Pass-through from front cab to rear box, with sliding access door.
Lots of interior storage (multiple side cabinets, kitchen pantry/cupboard, vanity cabinet w/mirror, plus 3 storage totes under couch/bed)
Lots of locking exterior storage. Supplies, tools, gear, or additional build components.
High quality build materials.
Ambulance box is all aluminum so it will never rust.
The aluminum box itself is solid, utilitarian, lightweight, and built to a higher standard than any RV builder (IMO).
Entire roof is one continuous sheet of aluminum, no seams or holes (other than originally installed ambo antenna hole). No leaks!
Fully insulated box. Very comfortable in all seasons, very quiet inside when closed up.
Nearly all additional build components used baltic birch plywood or high density fiberboard. (all waterproof).
Waterproof laminate flooring.

I am sure to have forgotten some details in this listing. Lots of time, energy, money, and excitement have gone into this build process. I'm proud of the result, and while the camper build certainly is not perfect, I think it's a high quality build at a good value.

Located in Bend, Oregon.
Please let me know if you have any questions.

I will be adding some additional photos and details soon. I am offering this vehicle for sale on expedition portal first, before I place it elsewhere. I have learned an incredible amount from these forums, not only specific to this vehicle build, but to all things expedition vehicle and adventure travel related. Thanks for checking it out!

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jlcanterbury

Active member
That's a fantastic looking interior and a nicely spec'd ambo! Good luck with sale.

Not shopping but purely curious, what's the interior height?

I appreciate the kind words. And for the great question, as I did intend to list that info!

The interior height of the rear box is 68"

Generous for an ambulance box of this era, but not quite tall enough to stand for some.
My significant other stands at 5'7" and can walk around back there at full posture.
I am 6'1" however, and cannot fully stand in the back. I find it quite manageable. I walk around with a slight forward head tilt, and don't find that I need to spend much time standing up back there anyways.

The shower pan cutout does however deliver a total of 78" of headroom in that area. This is intentionally placed at the kitchen area, so that I can comfortably stand while cooking or showering.
 

jlcanterbury

Active member
I got a question about the convertible couch/bed. Here are a few images and some info.
Custom fabricated extendable frame, and 3 custom made and upholstered 6" mattresses.
A sliding slatted bed frame allows the couch to be extended.
The couch has 3 modes. Couch (33"), daybed (49"), and fully pulled out bed (66" - in between queen and king bed size).
These is additional storage under the couch with 3 included storage totes.
It's a super versatile setup that can change with your needs.

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jlcanterbury

Active member
A little highlight on STORAGE!

In a world where I witness so many "overlanders" competing for how much extra gear, cargo boxes, etc, they can hang off the side of their vehicle... I wanted something different. Nothing dragging in the wind, or dangling as a target for thieves. The vehicle also flies under the radar as a 'service vehicle', making covert camping more possible when needed.

The ambulance itself has multiple very large locking storage boxes accessible from the outside of the vehicle. These are insanely high quality, all aluminum, and all keyed alike. I replaced about half of the paddle handles to make sure all locks worked/used the same key. These boxes already house some build components, and the rear driver box holds a spare tire and a spare can of diesel. Ample room remains for more gear/build compoents, etc.

The inside of the vehicle has a TON more storage options, including:
-4 large interior storage cabinets with sliding doors. We use 2 of them for clothing, and the other 2 are filled with stacking Sidio Crates, which happen to fit perfectly (included)
-3 cabinets above kitchen. We use 2 for pantry/kitchen gear, and the one above the sink is intended as a little vanity/medicine cabinet area, with a mirror installed on inside of door.
-3 storage totes under bed for extra storage
-2 Storage cubbies underneath bench. One with sliding door. Additional sealed storage organizer under bench (also slides out and doubles as extra seat for dinette)
-Multiple shelves and lots of counter space for unpacking and organizing the space when parked at camp
 

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securis

Member
Damn, this is sick. Beautiful build, nice work.

Does the air conditioning run off of the solar/lithium/inverter?

And I assume there are AC outlets to plug things like a Starlink into?
 

jlcanterbury

Active member
Damn, this is sick. Beautiful build, nice work.

Does the air conditioning run off of the solar/lithium/inverter?

And I assume there are AC outlets to plug things like a Starlink into?
Yes, the AC is powered by 110v. There are multiple 110v plugs throughout the vehicle, powered by the 2 on-board inverters. Over 5,000 watts of pure-sine wave inverter AC power are available.

I did not want to put a hole in the solid aluminum roof panel. So I installed this unit and vented it out of the side of the box. It can be run as a fan/vent/ or AC.
 
Last edited:

jlcanterbury

Active member
A few more details about the shower.

The shower curtain itself takes up no space, stows in the kitchen compartment, and unrolls for use. High strength magnets are installed into the ceiling, and corresponding hooks on the shower curtain snap securely into place. Install time, 1 minute.
Shower with the door closed (door itself is waterproof, diamond plate, and a window that can open to vent). Or, shower with the door open at camp.

The sink faucet hose extends out to be used as the shower head. The sprayer provides great pressure and an efficient flow rate for low water consumption. It can attach to an adjustable mount to stay put inside the shower. Hot water provided by engine-heated exchange tank.

As stated, the floor section in front of the sink was lowered and a custom stainless steel shower pan installed, with a center drain. I place a catch below this at camp, but it could also be plumbed to a gray tank, or let drain freely below if/when appropriate. Custom-made IPE wood floor slats cover the shower floor, provides good entry point to clean up/rinse off, throw dirty shoes and gear, etc.

I'm super happy with how this setup turned out. It doesn't use up any extra space, it sets up in seconds, and it provides a very functional and comfortable full size shower stall. The entry also works great as a tiny mud room general cleaning area.
 

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