From Freightliner ambulance to RV - we hope!
- Thread starter rossvtaylor
- Start date
patoz
Expedition Leader
rossvtaylor
Adventurer
Funny, but that's almost exactly what I told Kara. We have a transfer switch on our house, with a small critical load panel powered by a propane generator. It's small, though... just enough to run some important circuits. The ambulance generator, with its continuous duty cycle and 8kW output, would be great. We can park close enough.
rossvtaylor
Adventurer
I agree... this thing must weigh a thousand pounds. But, the rig handled and drove fine - so we're going to leave it as is. It may come in handy!
patoz
Expedition Leader
Great, just think of it as a 'twofer'! Since it runs on diesel and it's on a vehicle, just think of it as getting a large mobile standby generator, in addition to a camper!
8K may run your central A/C also, if you keep other loads to a minimum.
rossvtaylor
Adventurer
Okay, it's Monday morning. I left Philly on Friday, at about 3pm, and arrived in Scottsdale, AZ last night at almost 10pm. Whew...
Here are a few pics:
The interior is in wonderfully great shape. Kara and I are really impressed with the build quality. Regular RVs and campers just aren't made like this...
My first stop was at a Walmart, to buy a cot and sleeping bag. I tied the cot to those foot rests, so it wouldn't slide around, and it worked great when I needed my naps.
The ambulance seems so big... until I parked next to the semis.
I slept off the freeway, at the most remote off-ramp I could find, and woke up to a beautiful sunrise. The rig's been great - no surprises.
I didn't have time to do much poking around, so I haven't exposed the hidden manufacturer's labeling that I read about (near the passenger's feet, somewhere). So, I don't know which Allison transmission model I've got. But, I was so happy to find that it's already set up as a 6 speed. The mode function appears to be disabled, but my reading seems to reveal that it's not very helpful anyway. This things shifts great and worked well downhills, too. I like the button shifting.
At 75mph cruise, the engine's at just about 2100 RPM. I found that my fuel economy increased dramatically if I stayed near 60. I calculated one stretch at about 12 mpg, but I also had one at 8.8 mpg. That low one was a hilly region of NM, running 75+ with a really strong and gusty headwind. My average, and what we'll use for trip planning, was a solid 10 mpg. At the 1860-miles-traveled mark, I'd bought 184 gallons of diesel. I'm not sure how big the tank is - any idea, guys? When I'd get down 35 gallons, the gauge was pretty close to E. I didn't have a stick or anything to check the remaining fuel level, at that point, and I didn't want to run it dry, of course... I think we'll want to add some additional fuel capacity, at some point.
My only "complaints" were that the rig didn't have cruise control (more on that in a moment...) and that the driver's seat is really bouncy. As in, hit your head on the roof bouncy. It seems that the hydraulic dampener (AKA, the shock) needs replacement, so I ordered a new one. But, besides that minor issue, the seats are in great shape and my back and bottom sides fared really well during the 2000+ mile shake-down trip.
Now, about that cruise control... you can all laugh at me... Kara sure did...
During the vehicle orientation at Global Emergency Vehicles, they showed me the buttons on the dash and how they worked. They pressed one button to its "on" position, then hit "set" on the other button and the engine went into high idle. I knew the reason for this, but they were great about explaining its purpose (to keep the batteries charged while parked at a scene, with all the stuff running). Now, that first button is labeled "CRUISE" and the other one is labeled "SET/RESUME." I just assumed they had re-purposed the cruise control buttons for this function. Well, I drove for 1200 miles, cramping my calf and foot on the accelerator while bouncing in the air-ride-but-not-dampened seat. Finally, I'd had enough and thought I'd see if the "high idle" function would keep me at cruise speed. I'm embarrassed to admit that the normal cruise control functions work just fine. Everything... push the button one way to increment up 1 mph, the other way to reduce speed... resume function... all of it. So, I kicked myself in the bouncing *** and cruised along the next 1200 miles in cramp-free comfort. It made the driving so much more enjoyable.
I gave Kara the tour last night and she's really impressed. We're both sad that she couldn't come pick it up with me, but she'll get her turn. She's the creative genius here. She's already considering bed layouts and cooking locations. We'd like to see what some of you have done. Who's taking their rigs to the Expo this weekend? Some show-and-tell would be helpful.
I'll post more of the component pics later. Thanks, all!
Ross and Kara
EDIT: Just to clarify my use of the word "complaint" above, in reference to the seat shock absorber. GEV was fantastic to work with and I couldn't be more pleased. My use of "complaint" was not with them, at all... just something I need to address. Had this been a normal GEV sale, they would have taken 3 weeks to go through everything pre-pick-up. They would have replaced every burnt bulb, fixed any emergency equipment issues, and replaced this shock. In this case, they did all the vehicle mechanical work on ours and I felt comfortable driving it cross-country. It's got 4 new batteries, engine and underbody undercoating/rust-proofing, fresh drivetrain service, and a few other things. But a 3-week wait didn't work with our timing, so we worked out an "as is" arrangement with a small discount. All in all, we couldn't be more pleased.
Here are a few pics:
The interior is in wonderfully great shape. Kara and I are really impressed with the build quality. Regular RVs and campers just aren't made like this...
My first stop was at a Walmart, to buy a cot and sleeping bag. I tied the cot to those foot rests, so it wouldn't slide around, and it worked great when I needed my naps.
The ambulance seems so big... until I parked next to the semis.
I slept off the freeway, at the most remote off-ramp I could find, and woke up to a beautiful sunrise. The rig's been great - no surprises.
I didn't have time to do much poking around, so I haven't exposed the hidden manufacturer's labeling that I read about (near the passenger's feet, somewhere). So, I don't know which Allison transmission model I've got. But, I was so happy to find that it's already set up as a 6 speed. The mode function appears to be disabled, but my reading seems to reveal that it's not very helpful anyway. This things shifts great and worked well downhills, too. I like the button shifting.
At 75mph cruise, the engine's at just about 2100 RPM. I found that my fuel economy increased dramatically if I stayed near 60. I calculated one stretch at about 12 mpg, but I also had one at 8.8 mpg. That low one was a hilly region of NM, running 75+ with a really strong and gusty headwind. My average, and what we'll use for trip planning, was a solid 10 mpg. At the 1860-miles-traveled mark, I'd bought 184 gallons of diesel. I'm not sure how big the tank is - any idea, guys? When I'd get down 35 gallons, the gauge was pretty close to E. I didn't have a stick or anything to check the remaining fuel level, at that point, and I didn't want to run it dry, of course... I think we'll want to add some additional fuel capacity, at some point.
My only "complaints" were that the rig didn't have cruise control (more on that in a moment...) and that the driver's seat is really bouncy. As in, hit your head on the roof bouncy. It seems that the hydraulic dampener (AKA, the shock) needs replacement, so I ordered a new one. But, besides that minor issue, the seats are in great shape and my back and bottom sides fared really well during the 2000+ mile shake-down trip.
Now, about that cruise control... you can all laugh at me... Kara sure did...
During the vehicle orientation at Global Emergency Vehicles, they showed me the buttons on the dash and how they worked. They pressed one button to its "on" position, then hit "set" on the other button and the engine went into high idle. I knew the reason for this, but they were great about explaining its purpose (to keep the batteries charged while parked at a scene, with all the stuff running). Now, that first button is labeled "CRUISE" and the other one is labeled "SET/RESUME." I just assumed they had re-purposed the cruise control buttons for this function. Well, I drove for 1200 miles, cramping my calf and foot on the accelerator while bouncing in the air-ride-but-not-dampened seat. Finally, I'd had enough and thought I'd see if the "high idle" function would keep me at cruise speed. I'm embarrassed to admit that the normal cruise control functions work just fine. Everything... push the button one way to increment up 1 mph, the other way to reduce speed... resume function... all of it. So, I kicked myself in the bouncing *** and cruised along the next 1200 miles in cramp-free comfort. It made the driving so much more enjoyable.
I gave Kara the tour last night and she's really impressed. We're both sad that she couldn't come pick it up with me, but she'll get her turn. She's the creative genius here. She's already considering bed layouts and cooking locations. We'd like to see what some of you have done. Who's taking their rigs to the Expo this weekend? Some show-and-tell would be helpful.
I'll post more of the component pics later. Thanks, all!
Ross and Kara
EDIT: Just to clarify my use of the word "complaint" above, in reference to the seat shock absorber. GEV was fantastic to work with and I couldn't be more pleased. My use of "complaint" was not with them, at all... just something I need to address. Had this been a normal GEV sale, they would have taken 3 weeks to go through everything pre-pick-up. They would have replaced every burnt bulb, fixed any emergency equipment issues, and replaced this shock. In this case, they did all the vehicle mechanical work on ours and I felt comfortable driving it cross-country. It's got 4 new batteries, engine and underbody undercoating/rust-proofing, fresh drivetrain service, and a few other things. But a 3-week wait didn't work with our timing, so we worked out an "as is" arrangement with a small discount. All in all, we couldn't be more pleased.
Last edited:
karaltaylor
New member
I was laughing WITH, not AT!
So pleased that it has ALL the amenities!And, yes, I'm very impressed with how solid it is, inside and out! Definitely not the little bits of tissue paper and twigs and dryer lint that so many "ordinary" RVs seem to be made of...
So excited about this project, and looking forward to collecting ideas! Thanks to everyone for all the help so far!
Ozrockrat
Expedition Leader
Cruise control!!!!!
Now you are rubbing it in for us unfortunate types who bought the poverty pack versions. ( not sure if "poverty pack" translates into American but I think it's a much more descriptive term than "totally unloaded")
Are you bringing it to Expo? I would like to leave some drool marks over the generator and cruise control switches
Now you are rubbing it in for us unfortunate types who bought the poverty pack versions. ( not sure if "poverty pack" translates into American but I think it's a much more descriptive term than "totally unloaded")
Are you bringing it to Expo? I would like to leave some drool marks over the generator and cruise control switches
rossvtaylor
Adventurer
Cruise control!!!!!
Now you are rubbing it in for us unfortunate types who bought the poverty pack versions. ( not sure if "poverty pack" translates into American but I think it's a much more descriptive term than "totally unloaded")
Are you bringing it to Expo? I would like to leave some drool marks over the generator and cruise control switches
Funny! We aren't camping overnight there, so we didn't plan to bring it. We're just going to buy a day pass. Can, and should, we bring it to park for the day? Last year was a muddy mess, but this year's weather looks much better. We'll drive it and park it, if we can do that.
Are you going to have yours there? I want to see those tires!
Ozrockrat
Expedition Leader
If (actually that should be a "IF") they get it going today it will be there in the feature vehicles area. Also we are running a couple of sessions on 1pm Friday and 11Am Sunday officially titled "DIY Overlander: How to convert an ambulance, bus, or military truck". But you are welcome to drop by anytime. It would be cool if you could come to one of the sessions and give your input on selection and purchasing given you have officially the most up to date commercial purchase I know of.
rossvtaylor
Adventurer
Hi there, we were thinking of going on Saturday - it seems they start packing up stuff on Sunday. I just talked to Kara, though, and she's good with coming out both days so we'll be there Sunday. Should we bring the rig? It's totally untouched.
Ozrockrat
Expedition Leader
Personally I say yep bring the rig. But that's just me being an Ambo voyeur. Seriously though there will be a bunch of people who have done this stuff before who may be able to see some potential layout ideas for you to consider as well as give you the experience of their not so well thought through ideas.
And again you will help satisfy the voyeuristic cravings of ambulance chasers (the ones that didn't go to law school)
rossvtaylor
Adventurer
Kara and I like this idea! In fact, since we're still in the plan/layout formulation stage, we would very much welcome that input. So much so, that Kara thinks we should offer a prize (or prizes) to the best input. We'll bring some FBomb tee shirts and mugs.
rossvtaylor
Adventurer
Our rig has a center console, between the two (that's all there are) seats in the cab. The console is nice, but the top is cluttered with a siren control, a PA system, and tons of switches. The rearmost section has a nice recess, into which a smallish cooler will fit. That will be great for keeping cold fizzy waters on hand. But the rest of the console is wasted, to us. So, we'll relocate the few switches we need up to the overhead console and we'll replace the top panel with blanks, into which we can install some recesses for "stuff", a couple of functional cupholders, and a few USB charging ports. There's plenty of usable depth inside this console, so we will use it up.
If you take a peek inside, you'll see lots of well-laid-out wiring. Those bits, all aligned and tied down and laid parallel, are the wires installed by the manufacturer. And, then, there's a bunch that's just coiled up and laying there... that's what the local jurisdiction's radio shop does. Most of the coiled junk you see can be pulled out, as it's been disconnected at both ends. Most of this crap is the interconnect cabling between the radio transmitter and the control head, so it will go.
I was, as I've said already, quite pleased with GEV. The only thing they did, which I wish they hadn't, was paint over all of the lights with white spray paint. When I pointed this out, during the pick-up, they stepped right up and replaced the white scene light lenses with "new" clear ones. That's great, as the clear lenses are apparently rare. But, I had also planned on using the rear red lights as auxiliary brake lights and those got painted, as well. I tried using some Goof Off pro cleaner, which is more volatile than regular Goof Off. It took the paint right off, but also hazed the plastic (which I expected would happen). If anyone's got a couple of red single-hole Whelen lenses they'd be willing to part with, let me know.
Don't tell Kara I tried this in the kitchen sink...
If you take a peek inside, you'll see lots of well-laid-out wiring. Those bits, all aligned and tied down and laid parallel, are the wires installed by the manufacturer. And, then, there's a bunch that's just coiled up and laying there... that's what the local jurisdiction's radio shop does. Most of the coiled junk you see can be pulled out, as it's been disconnected at both ends. Most of this crap is the interconnect cabling between the radio transmitter and the control head, so it will go.
I was, as I've said already, quite pleased with GEV. The only thing they did, which I wish they hadn't, was paint over all of the lights with white spray paint. When I pointed this out, during the pick-up, they stepped right up and replaced the white scene light lenses with "new" clear ones. That's great, as the clear lenses are apparently rare. But, I had also planned on using the rear red lights as auxiliary brake lights and those got painted, as well. I tried using some Goof Off pro cleaner, which is more volatile than regular Goof Off. It took the paint right off, but also hazed the plastic (which I expected would happen). If anyone's got a couple of red single-hole Whelen lenses they'd be willing to part with, let me know.
Don't tell Kara I tried this in the kitchen sink...