Ambulance recovery. Bought without any details and then road trip across the country.
- Thread starter Ozrockrat
- Start date
Ozrockrat
Expedition Leader
I like the little machine and it is worth the trouble. It actually makes an espresso with a fair crux. Also they have ones which take the Nespresso pods. But in my campers I also carry a Nespresso machine and enough inverter/batteries/solar to run it as well as a little generator in case the batteries are run down. The bigger problem with the Nespresso machines is that they really pulse the current draw which sucks the guts out of a generator (Honda EU2000 needs to have the econo switch turned off to run my Pixie).
So in summary the little Minipresso works for me with my travels now. Usually the hotel rooms have a coffee maker of some description and if you run it once to flush the crap out then run the water through twice it is acceptable.
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java
Expedition Leader
Thanks! I have a nespresso machine I intended to put in our truck. I did run it on a kill a watt thing and saw the pulses, it's almost 100% of my inverter power, but it's supposed to be able to do 200% in short bursts so I am hopeful it will run. Wiring all that up this week I hope.
Thanks for the info!
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Ozrockrat
Expedition Leader
As for the light bars I will agree with Bob. All the medium duty rigs I have had are bolted through the roof. The Ford rigs were mounted to the module. Given the number of holes they punch through the skin for antennas, GPS puck, Lights its a wonder they don't fill up every time it rains. But all those holes make it easier to run your solar cables etc.
Now all I need to know is what is the sharks fin on the top of the new rig?? Photo to follow (when it gets back below 100).
Now all I need to know is what is the sharks fin on the top of the new rig?? Photo to follow (when it gets back below 100).
Ozrockrat
Expedition Leader
One other thing I didn't mention. When traveling by myself I have a guideline for getting enough rest. I know that I will push myself too hard and without the logbook police keeping an eye on me it is easy to just keep motoring. So my guidelines are:
1- Make sure you have a place to have a good rest. A sleeping pad/bag in the back is fine if you can be cool, quiet and comfortable enough to get good rest.
2- 8 hours from throttle to throttle. Even if I am awake I will take some downtime in the morning to catch up with other duties (family and forum posts
). I know if pushed I can go for days on power naps but why put you body through that if not necessary.
3- Try to have one meal per day. Sit down and eat rather than drive and eat. (didn't work out that well for me this time as it resulted in 2 doses of food induced stool liquification so maybe I need to be more selective in my eating choices)
1- Make sure you have a place to have a good rest. A sleeping pad/bag in the back is fine if you can be cool, quiet and comfortable enough to get good rest.
2- 8 hours from throttle to throttle. Even if I am awake I will take some downtime in the morning to catch up with other duties (family and forum posts
). I know if pushed I can go for days on power naps but why put you body through that if not necessary.3- Try to have one meal per day. Sit down and eat rather than drive and eat. (didn't work out that well for me this time as it resulted in 2 doses of food induced stool liquification so maybe I need to be more selective in my eating choices)
rlrenz
Explorer
The shark fin is probably an antenna - I've seen versions that are UHF and that are VHF
Deshet
Adventurer
This is just to provide some background on purchasing vehicles sight unseen on the other side of the country and how I go about getting them.
I live in Phoenix and it seems like all the medium duty ambulances are on the east coast. So for the 3rd time I find myself buying a truck 200 + miles away without a mechanics report or being able to see, drive or test it in any way.
This one is a 2005 Freightliner M2 106 with a Cat C7. 150,000 miles and the only description was "just removed from service condition fair". A question to the selling authority also got the reply "yes it does run" to the string of questions I asked.
But it's mine now and luckily I work all over the country and happened to be working within a couple of hundred miles of the truck.
I packed my essential toolkit (more details to follow) and headed out.
The basics of my toolkit include:
3/8 and 1/2 harbor freight lightweight sockets.
3/8 and 1/2 non metallic ratchets (oops they were in Australia so this time it was solid metal ones).
Fluke multimeter. (Also sometimes use a Klien AC/DC ammeter especially useful for chasing down parasitic loads)
Screw driver (11 in 1)
Pliers and cutters
Crimpers
Special tort sockets for Freightliner seat and seat belt bolts.
Silver leaf VMSpec adapter and windows tablet with monitoring software.
Nexiq adapter and windows tablet (different version of windows to monitor) with diagnostic software loaded.
Bag of various ram mounts
Bag of USB and other power adapters.
Espresso machine.
Various connectors, tape, screws,
Set of Metrinch wrenches
AC refill adapter.
Adjustable wrench 6" and 10"
Channel locks small set.
A few spare Rok Straps to lash things down and tie cupboard doors shut to stop them banging.
Carpenters rule with standard and metric.
Center punch
Step bits
Heat shrink and solder.
Infrared thermometer
Various bits of industrial strength velcro and alcohol wipes (keeping doors shut, mounting electronics and cupholders etc)
Various ziplock bags. (keeping stuff together and grabbing snack stuff from the hotel breakfast)
One of the spares I carry is the air valve/switch for the airride seats. It is a generic part available on ebay for about $25 but if you go to a stealership they want about $75 if they have then in stock). It takes 5 minutes max to fit them and makes a world of difference if the seat doesn't deflate on you every 5 minutes.
*** After this trip I will also be taking a suspension damper for the seat. All 3 trucks have had shot dampers and you end up pogo-ing down the road after big bumps. All the dealers I dropped into to try and buy a replacement did not stock them. Once again they are available at 1/2 price from the internet and you will probably change them out anyway. Take your VIN to the local dealership before you go to pick the truck up and they can give you the seat type (on delivery date) and a part number for the switch and damper.
AAA card (bloody useless this time as they would not cover this rig as a motorhome and this one wasn't actually titled as a motorhome to be fair).
Credit card (take a couple. US Bank kindly shut one of mine down for suspicious transactions in multiple states without calling me)
If I am buying a non fleet maintained vehicle I will get an oil/filters change before heading out. If you do get an oil change take an oil sample bottle with you to the shop and get them to give you a mid stream sample (i.e. 1/2 way through the drain cycle). These guys will send you the sample bottles free and you just pay when you get it analysed. . If the vehicle (diesel) has been sitting for a while I will also get the fuel filters changed. I didn't follow my own advice here assuming that the city would of been up to date on the servicing. When having an in depth look over the engine when I got home I discovered the primary fuel filter was from Feb 2012. It doesn't pay to assume!!!!
Most importantly an attitude that expects it will be a bucket of pus and a horrible trip home. Then everything is on the up from there.
You barely beat me on this auction. I did not feel that it was worth spending anymore money on it.
I did not read your entire thread but It is in good shape. It will need batteries as they are completely dead.
There is a interstate battery that sells group 31 blems just a few minutes away from where the ambulance is parked.
If you need help let me know.
Ozrockrat
Expedition Leader
Thanks for the offer of help. I would of taken you up on it last Friday when AAA wouldn't send anyone to jump start it. Even when I offered to pay and have them send the battery guy so I could buy a couple.
But luckily they came back to life enough to get me home. I am not expecting great life out of them but they are doing OK for now.
Better luck with the next auction.
But luckily they came back to life enough to get me home. I am not expecting great life out of them but they are doing OK for now.
Better luck with the next auction.
Ozrockrat
Expedition Leader
Just to add to the travel misery I got a call yesterday that they wanted me in San Diego so I jumped in the Yella rig (only one that fits the motorcycle on the back at the moment) and drove across today. So I managed a coast to coast in medium duty ambulances within 7 days.
The other bit of news is that my daughter and son in law now want the DOANR rig instead of Old Yella so looks like Old Yella is back on the market and I need to keep chasing a donor engine.
The other bit of news is that my daughter and son in law now want the DOANR rig instead of Old Yella so looks like Old Yella is back on the market and I need to keep chasing a donor engine.
patoz
Expedition Leader
Well, look at it this way. Now you won't have to worry yourself to death trying to decide whether to use DOANR as a donor vehicle, keeping it intact and using it as it is, or converting it into a trailer rig.
The problem solved itself!
zuke
Adventurer
HAHA! Well, When you come out here to the mid-atlantic coast for another DOANR next month, be sure to let me know ahead of time and I'll meet you at the rig with some jumper cables....