Belafonte Reboot....Ambulance to 4x4 Camper Conversion

[patoz]

Pat you are correct, I don't have the amber light. My guess is yours is there just because, and ambo builders love sticking lights everywhere.

The red light is a marker / trun signal for me. Yours I'm guessing will be the same.

After looking at hundreds of pictures of ambulances of all brands on the Net, the few that do have the forward facing light are clear, so that leads me to believe it's just a light to illuminate the running board, and is probably tied into the interior dome light circuit so it comes on when the door is opened.

The round red one is ugly since all of the other lights are rectangular, but I guess I'll have to keep it considering what it does. Maybe I can change it out for a nice rectangular LED one.

Thanks Tom this is a big help!

 

[flightcancled]

Round hole at the bottom of the box sounds like it would be better repurposed as a vent or fill for something.


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[Ozrockrat]

Amber light in front - I looked at the pictures Tony took and you don't even have this light. The only other one I found it on is Tribe of Five's rig, and his is clear. At first I thought it may be a side (width) clearance light, but his being clear rules that out. So maybe it's just a courtesy light for the running boards.

Mine has clear ones and they come on with the interior light and shine on the running boards.

 

[patoz]

Mine has clear ones and they come on with the interior light and shine on the running boards.

Well, that pretty much confirms it then, thanks!

 

[patoz]

Take a look at a used ambulance sales web site, and see what the ambulances they have that are about the age of yours have for lighting. Every ambulance is built to the same GSA KKK- standard so they can qualify for Federal grants, and the designs are pretty similar. Also, track down a copy of KKK-A-1822E through a Google search, and check out the FIGURES section, probably about page 87 or so, then check for which type of ambulance you have, and see what they recommend for lighting. If you have a module connected to a van-type body, it's probably a Type-3. Any lighting outside what is shown in KKK was probably optional.

rlrenz,

Tom and I both have a Type III Ambulance, and one of the first things I did when I got mine was download the latest version of the KKK-A-1822 standard, which is 'E' dated August 1, 2007. Here is the link if case anyone else needs it. http://www.sysign.com/Ref_Files/KKK-A-1822F.pdf .

Neither of those lights are mentioned in the standard, so they were probably just added by Wheeled Coach as additional lighting.

Thanks for the info...

 

[tgreening]

Not much to report, but I did get my molle panels mounted.

Overall shot.

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Stuff on the molle panel is Med 1st aid kit on the left, Small IFAK on the right, Zombie killin' knife to the right. Underneath is a general organizer pouch and Ham Radio HT. There's actually a pair but I didn't have the other one on there yet.

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This one is mounted with the velcro side out instead of the molle. This will have stuff I can just rip off if need be. The little pouch on the left has a Leatherman Wave in it, and the pouch can be ripped off and belt mounted. The pouch on the right is the same thing and houses a small but fairly potent led flashlight. Other stuff to follow but I haven't gotten the pouches yet.

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The molle panel stuff is mounted using Molle Sticks which are quick release. Basically they unsnap and just pull up and out releasing the pouches they mount. I know it's all a bit geeky but...I don't care!


I'm being a complete nancy about the conversion, but cold weather is such a freakin motivation killer, and the last time I pulled it into my big garage and left my truck out (wont fit in the house garage) it dumped a ton of snow on it and that just really grinds my gears. Can't bring myself to leave it sit out.

 

[flightcancled]

Nancy!

I'm a firm believer that a clean truck is a sad truck, and cold builds character. However freezing hands while being under a truck is a total misery. Can't blame you too much.


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[tgreening]

Nancy!

I'm a firm believer that a clean truck is a sad truck, and cold builds character. However freezing hands while being under a truck is a total misery. Can't blame you too much.


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And I'm a firm believer in a truck that's never been assaulted with winter road salt is a happy long lasting truck. My last truck was 11 yrs old when I sold it and didn't have a speck of rust on it. Inside, outside, or underneath. Living its whole life in middle-of-the-rust-belt Ohio, that's no mean feat.

My current truck I traveled all the way to Houston to get because I wanted rust free and didn't see that happening buying used in Ohio. I had to buy a used truck because I wanted an '08-'10 F-450 since the '11+ model years were neutered in my book.

The van isn't going to be so lucky when it's done. It's going to be an outside dog and learn to love winter salt.

Probably what I'll end up doing is taking my truck to my shop and store it there, bring home one of my shop trucks as a temp winter beater, and stuff the van into my detached to do the work.

Cold did build character. Unfortunately the character it built is a grumpy-*** turd head when he has to work outside in the cold.

 

[patoz]

At least you guys have garages with a concrete floor to work in. All I have is two broken strips of concrete that passed as a driveway back in the 60's. They are uneven with sand and weeds in between them, and my creeper is a piece of cardboard. Hot in the summer and cold in the winter, with no protection from the sun, wind, or rain. Can't leave any tools or materials out because they will be in a pawn shop before noon the next day. Of course I could be chest deep in snow like Alex was!

It's supposed to be 50*- 60* and clear tomorrow (finally), so maybe I can get a few things done on mine.

 

[tgreening]

It's supposed to be 50*- 60* and clear tomorrow (finally), so maybe I can get a few things done on mine.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Cold in the winter? I'll be lucky to bust mid 30's tomorrow. Sissy.

 

[patoz]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Cold in the winter? I'll be lucky to bust mid 30's tomorrow. Sissy.

Yeah, but you're probably used to wearing shoes, socks, and long pants. I only wear t-shirts, shorts, and sandals! But, it does get down in the 20's every now and then, and a snowflake or two every three or four years.

It's been drizzling rain, cold and windy for the last 4 - 5 days, which makes it hard to get started on anything when you're out in the open. Ten years ago I didn't mind it so much, but at 61 y/o it's a lot easier to just go back inside and wait for better weather.

It looks like you and Alex both have some pretty bad stuff headed your way.

 

[patoz]

BTW, does your rig have the same u-bolt & block setup with airbags that mine has? Mine has what looks like homemade 1.5" blocks made out of two pieces of .75 steel, possibly from some heaver springs, as lift blocks. I'm just wondering if this was done by Wheeled Coach or later on by some county mechanic due to weak springs.

 

[tgreening]

I don't believe I have any airbags under there. I can't remember for sure but I'm a fairly big fan of bags for load carrying so I would think if they were there I'd remember. The spring packs I've never actually looked at. To me it looks like a shade tree lift, but since it passed through a 3rd party upfitter before hitting the streets who knows. Not the way I would do it, but I've seen a whole lot worse.

I stopped to look at a lifted dodge at a toll road travel plaza once and the owner came out while I was doing it. I could tell by the look on his face he was all like "yeah buddy, you wish it was yours". I didnt bother to tell him that I thought anybody who thought 3 stacked 4" blocks was a good idea for a lift was an idiot and I was looking at it in sheer amazement of the idiocy involved. Not only in the back which is bad enough, but even on the steer axle. That was downright criminal, but boy he sure was Hillbilly Proud.

 

[patoz]

Chris at Ujoint Offroad sells a 2" kit that is setup like mine, but uses a single cast block on each side. He says it's to add to the 4" spring kit to make the rear sit a little higher than the front.

Part # RB002

I've seen some setups like that dodge also, and not only is it unsafe they have no idea how much wear and tear it's putting on the drive train and other suspension components.

 

[java]

BTW, does your rig have the same u-bolt & block setup with airbags that mine has? Mine has what looks like homemade 1.5" blocks made out of two pieces of .75 steel, possibly from some heaver springs, as lift blocks. I'm just wondering if this was done by Wheeled Coach or later on by some county mechanic due to weak springs.

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Not to hijack this thread too much, But is that really the leaf pack off your Ambo? My RV has a spring pack thats like 10 leaves....