Ambulance Camper/ Expedition Rig Conversion FAQ

Sylvanus41

New member
Thanks, fellows! I'll digest slowly - and take pictures.

For tomorrow, it's removing the lettering and disconnecting the light bar and siren (making sure to label the wires!).

I'll also try getting McCoy Miller on the phone and do some more googling for wiring schematics from other years/ambulances.

Keith
 

bobrenz

Observer
Warning, warning....

When you remove the lettering, make haste slowly. It's very common for a clear coat to be sprayed over the vinyl lettering to better hold it in place. DO NOT CHARGE AHEAD with a razor blade, or you can turn a smooth paint job into a lunar landscape with plenty of gouges. Use a thin putty knife / scraper and a heat gun to soften the letter's adhesive. Adhesive residue will come off with minersl spirits or auto body prep-sol.

It's common practice to leave the STAR OF LIFE symbol on the roof since it can't be seen from the ground.

The "racing stripes", etc are also usually left. Only the ambulance-specific lettrring/symbols are normally removed
 

bobrenz

Observer
Me again -- usually, the siren has a plug connector for all its wiring-pull the plug and its dead. The lightbar is usually on a 30-40 amp circuit breaker, but the on-off panel switch may have a fuse on the circuit lesding to the lightbar relay- if all else fails, just remove the wire leading to the lightbar.
 

patoz

Expedition Leader
Just to clarify what Bob said about using a heat gun, only a small amount of heat is required to soften the adhesive. Too much heat and the vinyl lettering will stretch and tear very easily, and even worse could cause damage to the paint itself. The gun should be set fairly low, use a hairdryer, or even doing it on a warm sunny day with the lettering directly in the sunlight will also work.

I used a razor scraper very carefully in some areas, and a stiff plastic scraper in others with great success. I bought my ambulance from a county auction and when I went to preview it, it looked good, but when I went to the actual auction to bid on it, the 'yard monkeys' had almost destroyed the paint job. The supervisor stated it could not leave the yard with any county markings on it, so he had them 'remove' what was necessary.

Here is what they did...

IMAG0569.jpg


And here is what I did using the proper methods. The white streak is a reflection, not a scrape.

IMAG0571.jpg

Patience is the key, but once you get the technique down it will go pretty fast.
 

huskyhauler

Adventurer
Goo-gone and a microfiber towel is also good for removing the decal glue residue.

Also, self-tapping screws are going to be your best friend during the build.
 

mk216v

Der Chef der Fahrzeuge
Two of the most knowledgeable ambo guys right here, patoz and rlrenz/bobrenz(2 names eh Bob? :p )!!!

-Jeremy
 

rlrenz

Explorer
Like all of us, we can hang all kinds of titles and descriptions to out names as life goes on - a veritable alphabet soup of letters awaits.

Consider your own case, Pat. "DoD District Fire Chief/EMT (Retired)" could be turned into: DoDDFC/EMT-RTD, or something comparable.

Lets see, I once signed up to be an internet minister, so that's worth a few letters all by itself. I'm a retired professional engineer, so there would be more letters there as well. I belong to some professional societies (left overs from my working days, such as the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME)), so there would be a few more letters if I wanted to add them. I'm getting a HAM license, so some more letters would be available. And the list goes on.

At a certain point, we'd have to use both sides of a business card to include all the possibilities...

Ciao -
 

patoz

Expedition Leader
I just like one thing after my name, and that is 'Retired'! Besides, when we're all taking that long dirt nap, none of that will matter anyway!
 

Sylvanus41

New member
Thanks for all the insights and hints and such so far. This forum is great!

I began a thread - hopefully the right way in the right place:

It's over in Other Custom Expedition Camper - under Sylvan Sanctum.
 

patoz

Expedition Leader
Thanks for all the insights and hints and such so far. This forum is great!

I began a thread - hopefully the right way in the right place:

It's over in Other Custom Expedition Camper - under Sylvan Sanctum.


Headed to the new thread... :smiley_drive:
 

clarkh

Observer
Hey guys, picked up an E450 PL Custom a few weeks ago. As I remove ambulance related stuff (inside and out), what is worth trying to sell? Some of this stuff you'll see on ebay and CL, just curious if it's worth the time trying to sell. I have limited space to store.

Thanks!
 

patoz

Expedition Leader
Hey guys, picked up an E450 PL Custom a few weeks ago. As I remove ambulance related stuff (inside and out), what is worth trying to sell? Some of this stuff you'll see on ebay and CL, just curious if it's worth the time trying to sell. I have limited space to store.

Thanks!

First thing you do is send me a PM with a list of what you have, so I can have first choice! :coffeedrink: What year is it, and do you have any pictures yet?

To answer your question, yes everything has value, but only to someone who has a need for these particular items. It also depends on your location and what shipping would cost.

Most City and County EMS Services use new parts due to liability problems, but some smaller private organizations may utilize used parts anyway. Most of the ambulance owners on here are doing the same thing you are, and don't have a use for the items you will be removing. In my case, I'm a retired District Fire Chief/EMT and I'm keeping mine pretty much looking like an ambulance, so I'm always looking for things like LED lighting, especially the clear scene lights, aluminum and chrome trim, I need a new rear bumper, etc.

You didn't ask for it, but my only advise to you at this point is don't be in too big of a rush to start ripping things out and cutting holes in it. Read as much as you can on here about the other builds people have done, and think things through very carefully. Don't forget about future modifications or upgrades either. Once you have determined your needs and have a working plan, at least in your head, then start modifying it. I know you said storage space was very limited, but a lot of those pieces you will be removing such as cabinet sections, doors, trim pieces, etc. can be used later on and they are hard to find elsewhere.

Good luck and let's hear from you!
 

Forum statistics

Threads
188,008
Messages
2,901,045
Members
229,320
Latest member
SMBRoamer
Top