Belafonte Reboot....Ambulance to 4x4 Camper Conversion
- Thread starter tgreening
- Start date
I figured they'd end up like the tail lights. They come off easy enough but the plugs are captive in the mounts, so it's either let them dangle or cut off all the plugs and have to splice them back in. I wasn't really keen on the splicing or the dangling so opted for the taping.
Yep the diamond plate will end up black. The base color is going to be a desert sand-ish color, which got me to thinking. I'm wondering if I'm going to end up with some shading because I'm painting over white, and that big fat stripe is red.
Beyond that I dont really have a "design". Artistically challenged doesn't even begin to cover it, which is why I'm starting with the tried and true base color / black out the bottom design.
I'm all ears for ideas.
patoz
Expedition Leader
I figured they'd end up like the tail lights. They come off easy enough but the plugs are captive in the mounts, so it's either let them dangle or cut off all the plugs and have to splice them back in. I wasn't really keen on the splicing or the dangling so opted for the taping.
Yep the diamond plate will end up black. The base color is going to be a desert sand-ish color, which got me to thinking. I'm wondering if I'm going to end up with some shading because I'm painting over white, and that big fat stripe is red.
Beyond that I dont really have a "design". Artistically challenged doesn't even begin to cover it, which is why I'm starting with the tried and true base color / black out the bottom design.
I'm all ears for ideas.
Unless you have some really weird setup, all Whelen 9" x 7" light-heads have a 6" pigtail on them, which terminates in a three pin Molex connector. Depending on the type of bulb, only two leads may be used. This connector is plugged into it's matching half which is connected to the wiring harness, and are very easily unplugged. They are designed that way for easy and rapid replacement. Since our vehicles are only one year apart, I imagine WC mounted your's like they did mine, and drilled the mounting holes free handed. So if you do remove all of them at once, I would suggest you mark them somehow to indicate which hole they came out of.
Sorry, can't help you on the design...I'm not very artistic either!
Tapped.
Doubt I'll pull the lights. They're already taped off, and there's 15 of the buggers.
huskyhauler
Adventurer
I would HIGHLY recommend pulling the lights off. The light housings are sizeable chunk of the body and if you decide to do something else with the lights down at a later point, the old white paint could potentially be visible. The lights are held on by 4 self-tapping screws. They are really quick to pull off with a screw gun.
If you're going through all the trouble of painting the whole thing, I would take the extra 10 minutes to pull the lights off.
huskyhauler
Adventurer
As for uses of the lights themselves, I've been brainstorming on turning a couple into windows/skylights to direct some light into the box. I also plan to mount outdoor speakers into the cavities of the lights on the passenger side lights and the rear lights at some point.
rlrenz
Explorer
And if you pull them, there will be a strong chance that many of the existing screw threads will be stripped, and you'll have the fun of repairing them. Whelen's instructions say to use a #10 sheet metal screw to install them, but builders more often used self-tapping 10-32 machine screws, and they don't have a lot of thread holding them in. I've tried retapping them with a 10-32 tap and using a regular 10-32 machine screw, but the original threads are usually a little oversize, so that doesn't work.
luthj
Engineer In Residence
10-32 or 10-24 rivnuts would probably be a good fix. IF you have access to the back side a rivet or bond in nutplate could be used. (the rivet ones can be bonded with urethane adhesive).
I love my rivnut tool. The rivnuts are incredibly useful for anchoring stuff to the vehicle body. No screwing around with nuts in blind spots!
Here is a good tool.
http://amzn.to/2bin7oC
10-24 rivnuts
http://amzn.to/2aWXhUY
Flush mount rivnuts are also available, you just need to slightly countersink the sheet metal. For fiberglas/plastic Plus Nuts work great. They have a larger split body for maximum holding power in softer materials.
patoz
Expedition Leader
Tom, it's really very simple.
I replaced my old ones with brand new Whelen 900 series light heads, and they came with nylon inserts for the holes. I just had to drill out the old holes to .25", and insert the anchors. No more difficult than mounting a picture on your living room wall.
Just pick up some good quality anchors, and you should be good to go!
FDM2012
Adventurer
Tough call on whether to pull them or not. You would be glad you did, but geez, it's just one more thing. Or 15, rather.....
I am also wondering if you taped off the inside of the doors, so that you can spray the door edges. Top, side and bottoms.
Might be hokey looking to have the skin one color and the door edges white. Just wondering.....
Either way, I bet it turns out pretty sharp. You have waaaay more attention to detail than I do!! I am more of a scuff
and rattle can it type of guy... lol
I am also wondering if you taped off the inside of the doors, so that you can spray the door edges. Top, side and bottoms.
Might be hokey looking to have the skin one color and the door edges white. Just wondering.....
Either way, I bet it turns out pretty sharp. You have waaaay more attention to detail than I do!! I am more of a scuff
and rattle can it type of guy... lol
Ok, you guys win...
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The good news is...none of that hole stripping issue that was mentioned. Everything came right out golden. The bad news is...not a one of those lights had a plug on it. Every one was attached via screw terminal that had 24 yrs worth of various levels of stubbornness in coming off. In the end I only destroyed one light, but I might be able to fix.
This right here demonstrates how these Ambo builders are light years ahead of the rv industry when it comes to construction. Every light had its connection protected by a section of tubing tie wrapped in place. I doubt the thought ever even crossed anyones mind among the rv builders.
[/URL][/IMG]
The good news is...none of that hole stripping issue that was mentioned. Everything came right out golden. The bad news is...not a one of those lights had a plug on it. Every one was attached via screw terminal that had 24 yrs worth of various levels of stubbornness in coming off. In the end I only destroyed one light, but I might be able to fix.
This right here demonstrates how these Ambo builders are light years ahead of the rv industry when it comes to construction. Every light had its connection protected by a section of tubing tie wrapped in place. I doubt the thought ever even crossed anyones mind among the rv builders.
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Bikersmurf
Expedition Leader
Ambulance building is a highly competitive, spare no expense (well almost) business. Quality work is a high priority, and contracts can be worth millions... and there will be repeat customers. In BC, the province buys all the rigs, they are buying more every year, and replace them around 140k miles or ten years. Disappoint the province, and they'll loose a big contract... and there aren't many players. At more than $100k a piece, the budget is very different from the what the average guy buying an RV has to spend. I've got a relative who was involved in buying them... he said the crews wanted nothing but a Crestline/Ford... Companies even loaned them Sprinters and other setups to try to convince them... but no game.
RVs, on the other hand, if well built would likely never wear out. The guy buying a new one is looking for the lightest on he can for the least amount of money. The buyer will likely want a different one in 5 years and then the quality becomes someone else's problem.
RVs, on the other hand, if well built would likely never wear out. The guy buying a new one is looking for the lightest on he can for the least amount of money. The buyer will likely want a different one in 5 years and then the quality becomes someone else's problem.