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

[rlrenz]

Now that winter is calming down a little, I've been doing some ebay'ing. I found a Zico folding step and a Vanner inverter on bid, I went for them, and I got both of them for a LOT less than new. Life is good (today--). The folding step is designed to support a 500 Lb load, and to deploy from folded in less than 4 seconds - it also weighed more than 80 Lbs packaged for shipping, so it's going to be fun to work with. It was made about 2006 according to the paperwork, and was designed for a 5-relay controller and limit switches. It didn't have a control module with it, so I can either build a 5-relay panel, or adapt the new no-limit switch controller to it. The deciding price will be the price of the new style controller- if it isn't any more than $100, I'll go with the new controller - if it's more, then I'll use relays.

I tried it on the bench, and it deployed in about 2 seconds. Impressive.

There isn't a lot to fasten it to other than the steps themselves. I think I might lay a piece of 3/8" aluminum deck plate over the existing bottom step (silicone to seal the corners) which will give me enough beef to use 3/8" flat head machine screws through from the top, and stainless lock nuts underneath.

The Vanner is a standard ambulance 1050 watt inverter, except this version doesn't have a charger built into it.

 

[Ozrockrat]

I like that step . More details please sir?

 

[patoz]

Christmas came early to your house...or is it your birthday? :coffeedrink:

 

[rlrenz]

I was lucky enough to find a new set of these steps that were leftovers from an ambulance builder who was probably cleaning out the stockroom.

The steps are made by the Zimatic company. They specialize is building all kinds of interesting (and pricey) equipment for ambulances and fire trucks. Everything from hose racks to oxygen bottle lifts are available. The step is designed for a 500 pound load. Check out http://www.ziamatic.com/product/retractable-vehicle-step/ for more details and a PDF of the installation data. Mine was designed for about a 10" drop, so I"ll probably shorten up the 4 suspension links to wind up about halfway between the existing step and the ground. They offer a 7 1/2" version, but it wasn't on ebay. The step lights in the Zico photos aren't standard, but they can be easily added by the installer.

A few years ago, the design used 5 relays and 2 limit switches, but now they use an InPower control module. I need a control module, so I'll buy the InPower if it's no more than about $100, otherwise, it's build-a-controller-time. This version was from about 2010 and has new limit switches installed, so I can go either with either controller.



They are available from the Fire Store (http://www.thefirestore.com/store/category.aspx/categoryId/2180/Zico-Vehicle-Steps/#/orderby/8) - but there is a lot of sticker shock:



When I bought mine, there were two of the Zico steps listed - I didn't see any today.

One bit of nice info I found today -- check out the web site for "Cleer Vision Windows" (https://www.cleervision.com/). They supply windows to RVs and to ambulances. The ambulance section lists the standard sizes, window tints, and that they have frames available for installed thicknesses from 1/8 - 2 13/16". I looked, and a tinted ambulance window runs about $200, with some fluctuation for size.

 

[patoz]

I like that step . More details please sir?

Bevan, I've already got dibs on the next set that comes along! :agree:

The only reason he got that set is because while we were trying to decide if either one of us wanted them, he placed a bid and I wasn't going to bid against him. Besides, he found them so that was only right.

At first we thought they would hang down too far, but after seeing the side profile, I think they will work out fine.

 

[rlrenz]

Christmas came early to your house...or is it your birthday? :coffeedrink:

Birthday in this case -- my wife tried to budge both boxes when she saw them on the steps, then she gave up. The Vanner was only 20 # or so, but the Zico steps in the packaging was about 36x36x14", and weighed more than 80 #. I filled my recyclable dumpster with cardboard, and the trash dumpster with chunks of foam packaging - but the bottom line is that it came though shipping just fine, and UPS wasn't able to damage it -

 

[Ozrockrat]

Ok Pat you get the next set. I don't think they will be low enough for me once I lift the truck up enough to fit the MRAP axles under. Might need a sky hook!

 

[rlrenz]

Bevan, I've already got dibs on the next set that comes along! :agree:

The only reason he got that set is because while we were trying to decide if either one of us wanted them, he placed a bid and I wasn't going to bid against him. Besides, he found them so that was only right.

At first we thought they would hang down too far, but after seeing the side profile, I thinks they will work out fine.

Right Pat - if there had been 2 sets , we would each have one. I saw it posted in the morning, and bid a little later, with a high enough reserve that I KNEW I'd get it, and I did -- with shipping included, it only ran $177.00. And by the way -- They didn't make ANY money on the shipping - they only charged $34! If I had hauled that lump to UPS, it would have run me well over $100 for shipping.

 

[patoz]

Ok Pat you get the next set. I don't think they will be low enough for me once I lift the truck up enough to fit the MRAP axles under. Might need a sky hook!

Since you're using MRAP axels, maybe these will work...



• 2" dual mounting holes for tough, no shake mounting
• 27" wide, 24" tall, 9" x 24" treads
• Steel construction, matte sand paint
• Weight: 186 pounds, including the crate!



http://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/us-military-heavy-duty-steps-new?a=1943729

 

[rlrenz]

If those things weigh 186#, they're not aluminum....

 

[patoz]

If those things weigh 186#, they're not aluminum....

That's including the shipping crate, but still that's pretty heavy.

 

[SGNellett]

Let us move beyond plumbing to radios. The cab radio in the beast works fine parked, or driving through town, but on the highway, the driver can just forgeddaboudit (sp?). The cab's speakers, a pair of mighty 4" wonders, live in the upper front corners of the cab. I replaced them when I bought the vehicle, but even new speakers don't do a lot for the distance between the driver and the speakers multiplied by the noise level at speed.

The radio's rear channel is also connected to the speakers back in the module, and I believe that the radio's primary purpose is to provide music/etc for the patient. If the connecting door between the module and the cab is closed, the ride in back is amazingly quiet (no siren screaming test has been conducted, at least by me).

As part of my overall plan, I intend to install a Sirius-capable radio in the module that will also provide audio for a TV and for a DVD player. Unless I manage to track down a radio with the capabilities that I want at a price that I can justify, I'll have to adapt an off-the-shelf radio. This means that the cab radio won't be connected to the module any more, and that will leave the rear channels on the cab radio available.

I had been considering some sort of headset, except the boys-in-blue may frown on wearing a headset while driving. Then, Pat suggested some sort of a head rest speaker installation, but the Bostrom seats in the cab do not lend themselves to a headrest.

I finally realized that it is very common to see an ambulance with speakers for the 2-way radios installed behind the driver's head so he can hear them. Problem solution? I dug through my collection of 2-way radios, and found a nice inventory of both Motorola and Kenwood 2-way radio speakers. Even though the Kenwoods are rated at 40 watts (at 4 ohms) each, I'm going to dig through Crutchfield (or similar) to see what's available with a decent frequency response (I'm old enough that I have hearing loss, so an audiophile system it totally wasted on me). The 4" Freightliner factory speakers will be my standard of comparison.

The frequency response data for Kenwood and Motorola speakers might be available on-line somewhere, but I'm probably going to base my decision on what they sound like to me.

The plan now is to install 2 speakers behind the driver, and probably 2 more behind the passenger's seat.

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Finally, something I might be able to contribute to in this thread! Look into the speakers used in a recent Jeep Wrangler to mount overhead, should give you good clean sound look reasonable and not require any re-inventing the wheel or serious fab work to install..

 

[SGNellett]

Pat Ozment sent me a collection of unique projects, and I thought you gents might appreciate at least two of them:

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I'm pretty sure that second one is photoshopped, IJS...

 

[patoz]

I'm pretty sure that second one is photoshopped, IJS...

Of course it is, but we won't tell those who can't figure it out on their own. It's more fun that way! :coffeedrink:

 

[rlrenz]

Photoshopped or not -- still fun to see!