Buying & Building a Medium Ambulance into an RV – The FAM-BULANCE

[rlrenz]

Onan's parts availability is as good as John Deere -- years ago, I was given (WARNING!!!) a riding mower - and I found out why it was free. For some reason, I decided to repair and even restore it, despite it being 15 years old, every part I needed, from transmission gears to new side decals, was in stock, and I had them within a day or so of my order.

 

[Gatsma]

Onan's parts availability is as good as John Deere -- years ago, I was given (WARNING!!!) a riding mower - and I found out why it was free. For some reason, I decided to repair and even restore it, despite it being 15 years old, every part I needed, from transmission gears to new side decals, was in stock, and I had them within a day or so of my order.

And the weird part is, in spite of the money dumped into it(probably a PILE!) and the time(eons), you probably feel very satisfied over the whole thing! I know I would...cuz YOU did it, and it looks GOOD!

 

[rlrenz]

And the weird part is, in spite of the money dumped into it(probably a PILE!) and the time(eons), you probably feel very satisfied over the whole thing! I know I would...cuz YOU did it, and it looks GOOD!

It became a Holy Calling. Including OFFICIAL JD paint, decals, etc. As I recall, I was able to save the steering wheel, the tires (with new tubes, though...), and most of the bolts. It needed a new engine, transmission gears, fiberglass engine housing repairs, etc. I recall that I finally sold it a few years down the pike for less than I paid for the engine....

But, it was a therapy project that kept me mostly sane.

 

[MNtal]

Spill the beans allready about your newest Toy... :sombrero:

 

[rlrenz]

Ok- I have been prowling through CL for months looking for the perfect generator. I considered a diesel, but they don't like light loads, so the default was propane. I'll have propane on hand anyway for the cooktop, propane engines don't mind varying loads, and storage is just closing a valve. Granted, a generator is barely in my thoughts for 2014/2015, but generators are where, and when, you can find them. I had looked at the Onan Emerald series - 2 cylinder 1800 RPM gens with lots of gravity in the box, and a bit bulky, plus they are a 30 year old design. Then I thought about the Onan Microlite series -- 3600 RPM, low profile, quiet design. My engineering nature didn't like 3600 RPM, but I finally figured out that there was a lot of difference between a new design and an elderly Briggs and Stratton lawn mower engine, plus all you ever see in any RV these days is one of the Onan Microlite series generators. Commercial or top of the line custom RVs sometimes have exotic large auto-start packages, but they are very much the exception.

At any rate, I found an ad a day ago for an Onan 4000 watt Microlite generator. I called the guy, and found that his father retired from Onan some years ago, and he had been actively bidding in the annual employee's surplus auctions. He finally realized that he had several lifetimes of projects stored away, and he and his son decided to get rid of some of the pile. When I met him, he had a 15 KW Onan that he was installing a new generator on, plus a Kubota engine that was being repaired.

The story was that the Microlite was purchased as a leftover convention display, and had never been run. It had an underfloor mount, plus a section of carpeted flooring to show what the final installation would look like. The unit had never been run until he decided to sell it, so they grafted a gas tank on plus a receptacle so they could show it to possible buyers. I loused up all their plans when I saw it and immediately bought it, so they only got to demonstrate it to one person.

I stopped off at Sams Club on the way back home and bought a Marine Starting battery that was on sale for $59 -- this is the off-season for boat batteries here in MN. I unloaded it using my hydraulic die lifter, connected the battery, and hit the starter. Up and running immediately.

I'm happy, and even better, I got off for about 70% off internet sale price.

 

[NEPolarbear]

WOW!!!!
Good for you.

 

[patoz]

It looks like you did well, and that will be very good asset to your project. You should have one fine camper when it's done.

 

[rlrenz]

It looks like you did well, and that will be very good asset to your project. You should have one fine camper when it's done.

Thanks. My project in-box is overflowing right now. Here in MN, this is the panic season when all the squirrels, including me, have to run around like crazy and get ready for winter. All the lawn furniture has to be stored, hoses drained, the last of the leaves raked, etc. THEN, I can get back to the fun stuff - like finishing cleaning out the side of the garage so an ambulance can hide inside for the winter. Long about December or so, I can get back to working on generators, etc.

Now that I have retired, I figured out that I get just as much done every day as when I was working, except it takes me all day to do what I used to do in the evening.

The good news is that I can store the generator in the compartment in the ambulance that it will be installed in, so I don't loose any of my rapidly vanishing storage space int he garage.

 

[patoz]

Thanks. My project in-box is overflowing right now. Here in MN, this is the panic season when all the squirrels, including me, have to run around like crazy and get ready for winter. All the lawn furniture has to be stored, hoses drained, the last of the leaves raked, etc. THEN, I can get back to the fun stuff - like finishing cleaning out the side of the garage so an ambulance can hide inside for the winter. Long about December or so, I can get back to working on generators, etc.

In florida we don't have to worry about that, but I can't handle the heat anymore so my situation is similar but for a different reason. I'm trying to get get as much done as I can on my project now while the weather is turning cooler, but before it get too cold.

Now that I have retired, I figured out that I get just as much done every day as when I was working, except it takes me all day to do what I used to do in the evening.

As I may have mentioned already I'm retired also, a District Fire Chief with lower back problems, so again I'm in the same situation. Everything takes much longer, and all of that crawling around and under a vehicle is killing me. By the end of the day I can hardly move, but I just keep reminding myself the reward will be worth it.

 

[rlrenz]

I've reached the point that I will sometimes trade a checkbook for a wrench - I just can't do some of the things I used to do. Many moons ago, I restored Army trucks, and I didn't think anything of dropping the transfer case on a 2 1/2 ton truck. Not any more.... As the old saying goes "When you get older, your body talks to you - except the conversations NEVER start with 'Good Morning'".

I can handle the cold better than the heat (I have a unit heater in the garage...), and I've learned to do some things in the cool of the morning instead of waiting for the hottest part of the day - plus I'll be adding a 120 volt AC to the existing AC system in the ambulance, so I'll be able to plug in and do something "indoors" if it gets real ugly outside.

The only parts of the country with perfect weather have other problems --- San Francisco and San Diego have perfect weather, but no room to move, too many people, too much traffic, earthquakes, wild fires, etc. It doesn't matter where you live - there's something good, and something not so good, about everywhere in the world.

 

[rlrenz]

Here's the question of the day: Right now, the generator runs on gasoline. The carb has a built in drain valve for easy storage. I've been debating leaving it as a gasoline generator, or converting it to propane fueled. Propane will probably run about $1.45 per hour to run (assuming half load), while gasoline (using the high-vitamin content no-ethanol gas) will run about $1.80 per hour. A 100 Lb propane bottle will run this gen for about 45 hours (half load) - a 5 gallon gasoline can will run it about 10 hours.

So, for all practical purposes, propane and gasoline cost the same. A 5 gallon gas can is a lot easier to handle than a 100 Lb propane bottle, plus you can buy gasoline 24x7. Surplus dealers are selling new steel NATO 5.5 gallon gas cans for less than $40 each, and the in-use gasoline can be in a plastic boat tank (complete with hose and priming bulb).

One other option would be to add a tri-fuel package - the generator can run on either gasoline, propane, or natural gas. With the design of the Onan, it would take disconnecting the electric fuel pump and connecting the propane solenoid valve for the changeover. The Onan has a priming solenoid on the regulator that gives it a shot of propane when the starter is running, but that feature is also available from the propane conversion equipment suppliers as well.

That's where I am right now - it will run about $200-300 to convert this generator to propane, and I'm wondering if it should be converted to straight propane. If anything, the US Carburetion tri-fuel package (http://www.motorsnorkel.com/motor-s...propane-and-gasoline-conversion-kit-2142.html) sounds the most logical - this mostly consists of a propane inlet through a thicker carb gasket and a regulator - I'd add a propane solenoid valve to the package as well. The end result would be that the generator could run on propane or gasoline, and I could easily add a selector switch to switch between propane valve / fuel pump. This would let me use propane whenever I wanted to, and use gasoline if I was going to be in one place for a while -- a 5 gallon can could even sit on the ground outside the generator compartment with a hose leading inside, which would let me stretch my propane supply.

Food for thought -- Ja?

 

[Ozrockrat]

It really comes down to what you are gaining with the 200 - 300 dollar plus time investment. Personally I would leave it gasoline only buy a couple of fuel jugs for extended use. Then use the time and money on other toys for the rig. If it aint broke don't fix it.

 

[rlrenz]

It really comes down to what you are gaining with the 200 - 300 dollar plus time investment. Personally I would leave it gasoline only buy a couple of fuel jugs for extended use. Then use the time and money on other toys for the rig. If it aint broke don't fix it.

As you say - why fix what isn't broken--- I can leave it as it is for now just fine, and run it on gasoline with no difficulty. The decision to add propane can take place sometime in the future.

 

[rlrenz]

I guess the future is now--- The only parts that make up the propane capability are a propane carb, a propane demand regulator, and a propane solenoid valve. The regulator alone carries an Onan price of $319. I was prowling through EBAY this morning, and decided to check some part numbers - I found the regulator with carb for $90, and the solenoid valve with piping/etc for $85. I bought them, which also decided on the fuel of choice for the generator.





The regulator has a priming feature that consists of a solenoid valve on the regulator that connects to the starter, so when the starter is running, the regulator gives the engine a positive shot of propane. The propane shut-off solenoid valve (normally closed) connects in place of the fuel pump. I'm not too worried about the brackets/etc that mount everything - I can either come up with an alternate, or track down a dead unit at an RV repair shop and just buy the brackets.

So, I'm back to installing a 100 Lb propane tank in my old oxygen cabinet. Right now,t he cabinet has one vent in case any O2 is vented, and I'll add another at the bottom of the cabinet door since propane is heavier than air. I might even add some holes in the cabinet floor for even more ventilation if necessary.

 

[Gatsma]

Interesting how some decisions are "made" for us, huh? GREAT deal on those parts! And no gas can hassles!