Ambulance Conversion - New Modifications.

[tgreening]

$30k? Yeahhhh. As far as the "cost of 4x4 conversion" comment. There is a reason the bulk of Ambo conversions done here are of the E-series by FAR, and people are willing to spend the money to get 4x4 in them. It would be much easier to pick up a rig like yours to camper convert, yet the vast majority of people don't do it. Ever wonder why?

It's already 4x4. So? It's still a 14 yr old truck with a gutted box on the back which makes it not much more to the average joe than a utility truck. I sold an '08 F-450 that was way more truck tan an '02', absolutely spotless, and didn't expect to get $30k out of it.

Good luck with your sale guy, but I'm guessing general consensus is you're just a bit north of unrealistic price wise.

 

[patoz]

.
I guess your truck is a type III without 4x4?!

Bob's truck is a Medium Duty Rescue, which is much larger than a Type I.

 

[rlrenz]

Bob's truck is a Medium Duty Rescue, which is much larger than a Type I.

View attachment 323643

Right, Pat. It's based on an FL-60 Freightliner with a Cummins engine. The module is 14 ft long, and the vehicle weighs 14,800 Lbs, plus an additional 5100 Lbs for personnel and equipment. It's licensed for 21,000 Gross.

It's 2 wheel drive - I used to restore military trucks (3/4 ton up to 2 1/2 ton) and I learned that if you get stuck in 2 wheel-drive, you can get out in 4 wheel-drive, but if you get stuck is 4 WD, you're stuck. At my age, I don't have any interest in conducting "Vehicle Recovery" operations any more, and I'm going to limit my off-roading to nothing worse than gravel. At a certain point in life, some things "just ain't fun no more".

 

[tgreening]

Right, Pat. It's based on an FL-60 Freightliner with a Cummins engine. The module is 14 ft long, and the vehicle weighs 14,800 Lbs, plus an additional 5100 Lbs for personnel and equipment. It's licensed for 21,000 Gross.

It's 2 wheel drive - I used to restore military trucks (3/4 ton up to 2 1/2 ton) and I learned that if you get stuck in 2 wheel-drive, you can get out in 4 wheel-drive, but if you get stuck is 4 WD, you're stuck. At my age, I don't have any interest in conducting "Vehicle Recovery" operations any more, and I'm going to limit my off-roading to nothing worse than gravel. At a certain point in life, some things "just ain't fun no more".

Best way to use 4x4 is go wheeling in 2wd. When you get stuck put her in 4x4, turn around, and head out. Most folks hit the 4x switch and keep going. That just gets you stuck deeper in the jungle.

Still, that thing would ooze all kinds of bad-assery with a set of Rockwells under it and some appropriate meats.

 

[patoz]

Best way to use 4x4 is go wheeling in 2wd. When you get stuck put her in 4x4, turn around, and head out. Most folks hit the 4x switch and keep going. That just gets you stuck deeper in the jungle.

Still, that thing would ooze all kinds of bad-assery with a set of Rockwells under it and some appropriate meats.

Tom, that has always been my philosophy too. One some occasions when I was out with a club I was in, I would run in 4H if the road was pretty muddy, but always saved 4L and the winch for emergencies.

 

[mk216v]

Tom, that has always been my philosophy too. One some occasions when I was out with a club I was in, I would run in 4H if the road was pretty muddy, but always saved 4L and the winch for emergencies.

THIS!! :26_7_2:

 

[mk216v]

Lottsa luck at that price - you may have priced yourself out of the market.

I paid just over $20,000 for my refurbished Medic Master/Freightliner ambulance when I bought it from Global Emergency Vehicles - that included changing all the fluids & filters, a new 270 amp alternator, a new air compressor, a new air conditioning compressor, a new Vanner inverter/charger, two new mounted/balanced tires, all the red/blue light lenses replaced with clear/amber, all the "ambulance" lettering removed (as per PA law, and all the electrical systems checked out. The ambulance met all the requirements to be approved as an operational ambulance.

I went that route to save time and money -- the dealer could get a better price on the things that were replaced than I could (price a 270 amp alternator sometime...), and I wanted as good a chance as I could that I'd be able to drive it more than 2000 miles back home.

Best of luck on your sale.

:bowdown: to GEV. Boy have they seemed to have their isht together, and by reading your account Bob, I don't think I'd ever buy an ambo from any other company.


So yzeevy, maybe I missed it but did you add something to your Type1 to account for the significant price increase over what it was(still is last I saw) advertised on the ambo site?

 

[tgreening]

Just in case I get the urge for another, whats this ambo site you keep mentioning?

 

[mk216v]

Just in case I get the urge for another, whats this ambo site you keep mentioning?

I have almost 20 of them. Do you want me to list all of them for ya?

 

[bobrenz]

Probably the best known is www.ambulancetrader.com - you can also check with any ambulance dealers in your area for trade-ins.

 

[yzeevy]

Painting the E lights plastic cover

Well, after the slight morning excitement, I'm "back in business".
.
I have decided to reinstall the lights.
Turns out that the silicon is still soft and I can easily remove the aluminum pieces
which I didn't like them from the beginning.
.
The thing is that I need to paint the Amber, Red and Blue plastic covers.
Regular paint will completely block any light from going thru (right?) so I wonder if
someone used COLORED LACQUER ? ! ?

 

[bobrenz]

Back when I drove military vehicles, you could drive until 2 wheel wouldn't go any farther, then 4 wheel until you couldn't go any farther, them 4 wheel low transfer until you couldn't go any farther. Since your PTO winch was on the front, you could drag the truck even farther. And that's why you NEVER drove off road unless you had more than one vehicle in your group.

MANY, many moons ago, I also had a D-8 dozer. Now that was fun to drive off road. Another fun off road rig is an Army M88 recovery vehicle. That's a little extreme for most folks, but boy were they fun to drive

 

[patoz]

Well, after the slight morning excitement, I'm "back in business".
.
I have decided to reinstall the lights.
Turns out that the silicon is still soft and I can easily remove the aluminum pieces
which I didn't like them from the beginning.
.
The thing is that I need to paint the Amber, Red and Blue plastic covers.
Regular paint will completely block any light from going thru (right?) so I wonder if
someone used COLORED LACQUER ? ! ?

Lacquer is too 'hot' and will more than likely dissolve or soften the acrylic lenses.

Why do you need to destroy the lenses by painting them? Painted lenses are the ugliest things I've ever seen.


Send me those and I'll send you some old ones you can paint.

 

[bobrenz]

We used to dye light bulbs for railroad passenger car night lights with a colored lacquer. I think it used analine dye in the lacquer instead of pigment.

I don't think that you can coat a red or blue lens with anything that will make them look like they aren't red or blue. Your only option will probably be to replace the lenses with clear/amber, or paint them white or black and make them opaque.

 

[bobrenz]

Good idea, Pat