From Freightliner ambulance to RV - we hope!

[rlrenz]

I always used to wonder why military vehicles had the winch on the front - so they could get "more stuck"?

Granted, with enough cable and snatch blocks you can use a front mounted winch to back up, but the primary use isn't to get YOU out, but to rescue someone else.

Maybe you should add a lever operated chain hoist to the collection so you can do some backwards pulling if necessary.

 

[Ozrockrat]

Big wheels and big trucks = quickly buried.

https://vimeo.com/180682345

 

[rossvtaylor]

Indeed, we will have a snatch block and rigging. As Oz says, we'll probably only use the winch to drag out others... 😎 And, if we need it, 12K should be plenty. Heck, we don't need to lift the ambo into a tree. And, of course, the snatch block doubles that capacity. That's what I use for wind turbine towers... plus it cuts the speed in half. Slow is good... for our use.

And, yes, we have a chain hoist. And if we really need to go backwards, we have little winchy (our new 2000 lb "ATV" winch). Haha!

All kidding aside, winches are useful. But less so than a brain. And I have Kara for that. 😜

 

[rossvtaylor]

Orzrockrat, thanks for the video. I didn't see it until after typing my last...

Your new sand mats would have come in handy there. If you got stuck there, I'd never try it with our pizza cutters. 😳

 

[rlrenz]

Just remember the old rule --

If you get stuck in 2 wheel drive, go to 4 wheel drive

If you get stuck in 4 wheel high gear, go to 4 wheel low gear

If you get stuck in 4 wheel low gear, you're stuck -- get a bulldozer

Many, MANY, moons ago, I had a D-8 Cat (model 2U for Caterpillar fans) - the guys in the shop used to call it "Bob's Cat", which threw a few truckers for a loop. One guy had just loaded up a full trailer and was pulling out when he missed a corner and wound up in sugar sand. He walked back to the shop and asked if anyone could help him - of course, one of the shop guys said they'd just get "Bob's cat", and the poor trucker grumbled that no little Bobcat would do him any good. One of the shop guys came back to find me, and I walked over to my pussycat, and started the pony engine - they told me later that the trucker looked even more unhappy when he heard the 2 cylinder pony motor starting. When I started the diesel, he still looked confused, until I drove around the corner of the building and gave him a pull.

Then there was the time I was plowing snow with it, and drove it down the block to a local pub for a burger -- but that's another story for another time.

 

[guidolyons]

�� And, if we need it, 12K should be plenty. Heck, we don't need to lift the ambo into a tree.

That only works on Land Rovers with no parking brake. :elkgrin: funny movie.

 

[doug720]

That would be difficult with a front engine rig. The front one would need to be in front of the radiator/condenser/inter cooler.

Most gas class A's are front engine and the jacks are mounted just like you noted. This is how Fleetwood - largest RV maker in the US, mounted their jacks for many years.

The jacks are also great for flats and if stuck, you can lift and block/dig as needed. I carry a couple of 4x8 blocks of wood to give a little extra height in our class A. Ours is a 4 jack system, but I know many who have 3 jack systems that work well.

 

[rossvtaylor]

The permanent jack discussion made me look, admiringly, at the crane we had on our site yesterday... we need this on the front! Not really, of course... it would interfere with the winch... and the snow plow.

 

[Ozrockrat]

The permanent jack discussion made me look, admiringly, at the crane we had on our site yesterday... we need this on the front! Not really, of course... it would interfere with the winch... and the snow plow.

View attachment 364149

This has me thinking back to Scooters suggestions of a removable jack. Would just need a receiver point at the front and a strong jack.

 

[patoz]

This has me thinking back to Scooters suggestions of a removable jack. Would just need a receiver point at the front and a strong jack.

I wonder how well a receiver and a specialized insert designed to accept a Hi-Lift Jack would work for the smaller Ford 'E' and 'F' series vehicles? The ambulance body prevents any type of portable jack, with the exception of a hydraulic bottle under the axle, from being used. If the vehicle is down in the mud, even getting a jack into position is almost impossible.

I'm planning on triple receivers in the rear, so I'm thinking the right insert would allow a Hi-Lift Jack to be used without damage to the body, to lift it up enough to get a hydraulic jack under the axle.

What do you guys think?

 

[scooter421]

Love the video! I can only hope I have my winch installed or I am not alone when that happens to me!

That front stabilizer on that crane is similar to the one on the crane I used to operate. Those types of front stabilizers are what made me think of the single center jack point for the rigs. I have not started my CAD design yet but I am still hoping to incorporate a lift point under the winch if I can. My thoughts are to have the mounting hole female rather than the male and welded flush running through the bumper.

Scooter...

 

[rossvtaylor]

Well, after a week out of state, I got to work on something I wasn't terribly looking forward to (I know, dangling preposition and all...). I'm a planner, but not in the CAD sense. I need to look, do some fitting, try and then do. After taking off the front bumper and the (rusted) thin steel angle bracket, I spent time working out extensions for the front winch and new bumper.

Until I get my shop built (another project for this weekend), I'm working in the lava cinders and using my cribbing blocks for support. First, to tack weld some extensions onto the frame rails. Here, I'm lining the first one up. These are 1/4-inch thick pieces from the stuff I cut out of the back of the ambulance, hence that odd tab sticking up. That was part of the rear lift support structure and, obviously, at one point that got bent up.



Here are both sides, welded on. I beveled both the frame ends and the channel I'm adding, then stick welded them with 7018. After that, I cut off those extra tabs and ground one of the extensions down about 1/8th of an inch so they are exactly the same length. I was careful during the installation, to make sure they're both in the same plane and level. These form the "center" of the extension assembly.



To add additional support, for both vertical (jacking, primarily...) and lateral (for side-loaded winch pull) forces I added 3-inch wide channel which runs back underneath the frame rail as far as it will go. These are drilled and bolted to the frame, with 1/2-inch grade 8 bolts, at the same place where the prior bumper support was attached.



And, looking at the end, this shows what the main assembly looks like.



Tack on the winch mount and check for fit.



Bolt the winch in, temporarily, and see if I measured this all correctly. Because the hood tilts forward, you can't mount the winch too high without having to modify the hood and grill. I do plan to shorten the tilt stop cables some, so it doesn't tilt quite as far as it does now, but this seems to have worked out just fine - this is with the hood, unmodified, tilted forward to its current stops.



I still have a bit more work to do on the frame extensions and winch mount. I've got some 1/4-inch plate for the sides, about 8-inches tall, which will tie the sides into an integral unit and help resist upwards bending forces. That plate will bolt through the frame behind the hood hinges (pics when I do that, to help explain). And, to make sure that pulling forces are spread through to something which can't tear off, I've got some thicker (3/8-inch) bar stock which will run inside the frame channel and be bolted to the front suspension leaf spring supports... those bar stock extensions will extend forward and be welded to the shackle anchor, poking through the front bumper. As this is a 12,000 pound winch, we're planning for the ability to use a snatch block if needed. I want to make sure that both the winch and the cable anchor locations are secure and pulling on the frame far enough back that we're not stressing the front (and weaker) 5 inches of frame rail.

Stand by for pics, as I get to that... after my son and I build this shop building. It's nice having a truck big enough that we can carry 16-foot lumber inside!



Happy Labor Day weekend, all.

 

[scooter421]

Great work! You are really moving along on the project, very cool. You must have measured a few times to get that just right! Are you planning to re-attach the original bumper in front of the winch?

Scooter...

 

[rossvtaylor]

Great work! You are really moving along on the project, very cool. You must have measured a few times to get that just right! Are you planning to re-attach the original bumper in front of the winch?

Scooter...

Thanks, Scooter - I did check it a few times. :smiley_drive:

As far as the bumper goes, I'm not quite sure what we'll do there. First, I'm going to finish the winch mount and get it usable. I need it to pull my 6000-pound milling machine into the shop we're building. There's a sequence to these things!

I did prop the original bumper's middle section up in front of this winch mount, to see how it looks. The opening for your foot, used to push against when pulling open the hood, lines up perfectly with the winch if we were to raise the bumper up on the mount. But, the bumper itself is taller than I'd like. I don't want it hanging down more than necessary to protect the important bits, and we'll have a guard under the radiator, but it's pretty clear that I'll have to cut it down shorter (height-wise). If we cut it, even with the addition of a top plate, I'm not sure how it will look. Plus, it has rounded/rolled contours to it instead of the more square look of others I've been looking at as examples. And, of course, looking all angular and expeditiony is important, right? So, the final answer is... we don't know and I'll need to ponder that some more. The rear bumper's going to happen first.

 

[patoz]

Happy Labor Day weekend, all.

Same to you and yours Ross!


Here is something you may, or may not, be aware of when it comes to mounting your winch. If the chrome Clutch Lever (#3) is not in the ideal location due to obstructions, accessibility, etc., it can be rotated to a more suitable angle on the housing.

All you need to do is, loosen the socket head cap screws (#9) holding the end housing assembly (#2) on, and slide it out very slightly being careful not to disengage the sun gear assembly (#13 & 30) inside. Then you can rotate the cover and lever to any position on the clock to suit your needs. Re-install the cap screws and you're done. The winch will operate fine with the lever in any position.

Here is a diagram from my Warn XD9000i winch, but the 12,000 is pretty much the same I believe.



Also, while I was in my Winch File getting the diagram, I came across this. It's one of the best guides on winches, accessories, and techniques, I have come across so far. And, between off-roading and rescue work in the Fire and EMS Service, I've been using winches for 41 years.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/Recovery/