Ambulance Camper/ Expedition Rig Conversion FAQ

[huskyhauler]

Or find an ambo on the west coast?

West Coast Best Coast! The SW is dry, and while the NW has rain, there's little salt and you don't have to shovel your precipitation!

 

[huskyhauler]

That is slick! I was looking at putting one of those on the inside, then just a cooktop outside. Loving the little tray shelf on the right. Where is your propane stored? The rear compartments are usually the right size for a tank or two, but the idea of being rear ended then having a tank explode keeps me up at night.

Have you looked at the mirror flush mounts? Two of those would probably work.

I currently use a standard 20 lb propane tank sold at home improvement stores that I moonlight as my home BBQ propane source. I have it strapped down in the rearmost, driver side, outside compartment during transit. I'm not too worried about being rear ended with it in there. As far as I'm concerned there is little difference between being rear ended in an ambulance and being rear ended in a standard vehicle while transporting the tank in the trunk. If someone is going to hit me hard enough at a stoplight to crash through the rig and rupture the tank, well, we're all in a world of hurt anyway.

I should elaborate on my current setup. My goal was to have the oven/stove combo sit on a sliding tray in that same outdoor compartment. However, the compartment isn't tall enough for the tray and oven to sit on top of the sliders, and the wheel arch intrudes into the space required for the sliders to mount on the side of the tray and oven. My simply solution was to use some scrap wood and build a shelf secured by four angle brackets, two on each door, with wholes in the outermost brackets for carriage bolts to sit in and clamp down with wing nuts.

For larger tailgates and cookouts we set up a larger grill next to the oven and run a propane tree to split between the two. It's not a permanent solution but it allows us to be very mobile and flexible in how we set up. If it's nice weather, we cook outside. If it's driving rain we cook inside or set up a shelter off the back of the ambulance with sidewalls.

 

[cjken]

More pics of your M/M module swap?
Length of module? What length was your original module?
And you're 138"WB or 158"?

138" WB






That's about all the pics I can find of the box swap.

 

[patoz]

I'll bet that was a job! Looking good though...

 

[cjken]

It was actually not so bad.
Alex offered to drive down to help, I also had a local friend who had a free day to help. So I told my friend I would get it unbolted and ready for the day he was available...
I got mostly unbolted then torched the 1 or 2 that would not budge.
So then I was like "well I'll just lift it up a bit." So up it came. Just high enough to separate it.
At this point It took sometime to get my rear bumper sorted out.

Once that was done. I decided to lift the box some more as I had my friend lined up for the next day. After lifting it to the proper height I still had plenty of daylight. I figured I would just see if I could roll the cab and chassis out. It came out easily.
At that point I figured I would swap the small tires for the 37's to see if the unit 308 would fit underneath.
It looked like it was going to be just the right fit with the smaller tires. So I carefully drove it under.
Somehow the mounting holes ended up being lined up within 1/4-1/2 or an inch of the mounting bolts.
Without much effort I slowly lowered it and manipulated it into place on the frame.
My friend showed up the next day and was shocked it was on.
We put the 37's back on and finished bolting it up!
So it ended up being basically a solo job.

 

[flightcancled]

Makes me think about building my rig out and when the time comes for 4x4 buying a newer cut-away E350 7.3PS and sending that to UJoint before doing a box swap. The fiberglass extension will add some drama.

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[mk216v]

Wow that's impressive!

Downside to sending to UJOR without the module is that they wouldn't know the exact axle weights to be able to order the optimal Atlas leaf springs.

 

[patoz]

Maybe Alex could get specific instructions first on exactly what and where to weigh his before the box is removed. Then Chris could compare those measurements to set up the rear springs when he installs them.

Just a thought...

 

[mk216v]

Maybe Alex could get specific instructions first on exactly what and where to weigh his before the box is removed. Then Chris could compare those measurements to set up the rear springs when he installs them.

Just a thought...

He could probably get close with current axle weights, but if he can get axle weights after you're finished, would be most optimal.

 

[cjken]

Makes me think about building my rig out and when the time comes for 4x4 buying a newer cut-away E350 7.3PS and sending that to UJoint before doing a box swap. The fiberglass extension will add some drama.

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Sounds like a great idea Alex.
I think the IDI will be disappointing once you get it on larger tires coupled with the fact that you are running a long wheelbase and wide box. Having both an IDI and PSD I can tell you that there is a big difference in power. The simplicity of the IDI is the one selling point in terms of ease of repair, but the PSD feels soo much better!!

 

[tgreening]

I can tell you without a doubt the idi will be disappointing, because I'm freakin disappointed!

With 37" tires and the stock 4.10 gears it's a slug. Seriously. Parts ordered to do a locker/4.88 gear swap which should help quite a bit, but I still see it lacking in the ooomph dept. I expect a turbo addition to be next after the gears. I'm actually ok with this route because when it's all done it will be a mechanical 7.3 with a mechanical turbo system. Not as easy to make power on as the computer systems, but its a simple, reliable, mechanical system.



Way better to have when the SHTF and the emp bombs start fallin everywhere!

 

[flightcancled]

See that's the entire pro- IDI thing right there. ONCE you get over the hump it's a beast. Or it should be... I'm excited to hear how it goes.

Lockers? What exactly are you planning to do with that thing!?

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[tgreening]

IMO, iffin it aint got lockers, it aint gots fo'wheel drive. Seriously though. Without lockers it's still pretty easy to go no where. As muddy as Expo East was traction was more difficult than it needed to be, especially with something this heavy.

Turbo might take a while. Rear gear/locker first just to make sure 4.88s are going to get it done because I'm not 100% they're the right choice. If so then the front will follow. Then I'll give the turbo some thought.

 

[patoz]

10-4 on that Tom! Without a Locker, it's very rare that all four wheels are actually powered at the same time, unless you're on flat level ground and nothing is slipping.

Back in my much younger and poorer days I used to race 4WDs, and none of us could afford a locker, so we all learned the hard way.

 

[cjken]

Are you planning on doing an air locker? Although not often needed it would be nice to have
Is there a turbo kit for the IDI specifically for vans?

I put a new steering box in today. Mine had some slop in it.
It was a pain, took more time then I expected probably mostly due to my incompetence, but it was a good learning experience. I've never done a steering box before except on a jeep, but that was a lot easier to get at.
The PS lines were hard to maneuver on to the new box. I also fought with the shaft a bit there really was no good angle to tap it back on to the splines. I finally dug up a long metal rod and was able to tap it from above. I'm sure there is an easier way, but I did not discover it.