I'm back!! Or look what followed me home and momma said I could keep it!!

[Ozrockrat]

It's a money pit if you decide to make it one. I made a rule of not treading too far from scrap value in case a massive repair was needed down the road. Major repairs later I am still not into the rig more than my initial purchase cap.

Why are you dumping the generator? For me a generator is an emergency power source to run the block heater on a frozen winter morning among many other things.


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It is not a generator of the same type as you are talking about (which is actually an alternator as it produced AC). It is a 12v DC motor driving an 120v AC generator on the same shaft. It takes the place of an inverter to convert 12 volt DC into usable AC power. But it is fairly heavy and the output frequency depends on the input voltage and load to the unit. Being the configuration it is imagine a high speed winch motor running inside the cabin to provide power for your early morning espresso. Not what I am looking for.

I use a Honda EU2000i for my AC power needs. It runs anything we need at this stage.

The REDI-LINE Generator is an electromechanical device that converts DC battery
power to AC power. The DC supply consists of one or more deep cycle batteries
typically added to a vehicle electrical system. Convenient, remote operation of most
tools, appliances and lighting is assured as long as power consumption is within the
nameplate rating of the generator. The REDI-LINE generator is designed to supply
unregulated, true sine-wave electrical power for years of trouble free service.
The REDI-LINE Generator consists of a DC motor and an AC generator on a
common armature assembly. Speed of the DC motor, and, therefore, frequency of
the AC generator varies within limits as the load and battery power levels vary. The
unit starts automatically when an electrical load is applied.

 

[Ozrockrat]

Congrats.

I'm surprised by the number of people who've bought more than one ambulance. Before I bought mine, I read many opinions that ambulances have been abused, and they're money pits... I found a steal of a deal on one, so I bought one anyways... But my experience has been to the contrary, and that you've bought another also suggests otherwise.

Yeah I am a tight ********. But one of the reason I went with ambo's in the first place is that I am not willing to take anything into another country I am not prepared to leave behind. While I love the big unimog rigs and even some of the Sportsmobiles they cost enough that the value of the vehicle would definitely be a major factor in staying or going if the SHTF. (Stuff Hits The Fan). Couple this with the cost of Carnet De Passage (up to 800% of the vehicles value for Egypt) and my perception that the ceiling price for vehicles that cannot be financed in the USA is about $20,000 means that I do not want to be too far over the $20K for any of my toys. They just get too hard to sell. I probably lost a little money on the last one but on a $ per smile basis I am well ahead.

Now they can easily be a money pit if you don't have the skills/desire to do your own work. I have not paid shop rates for any of the work on my vehicles (except resetting springs). But the hours I have put into them multiplied by even $50 per hour would easily put me into an overcapitalized situation. For example I was quoted by a local suspension guru that it would be $800 - $1000 to do the lifting of the rear of the Freightliner. I cost me $150 in parts and a days labor plus a favor from a buddy to machine the blocks. The difference in that alone provides a lot of fuel to go somewhere.(if you have time after doing all your own work)

 

[Shocker]

+1. It is one of the reasons I like the earlier E350's. My 82 is dead nuts simple and can be repaired anywhere and most people won't give it a second look. Just another "wacky" van guy running around in an old ambulance.

Plus I just prefer the look of the 82. WOOT!

 

[Bikersmurf]

Rig, alternator, wrap, repairs, etc... I'm still well under 6k. So, I figure I'm still ahead of the game.

I'll likely still be around 6 once I'm finished.

 

[Ozrockrat]

Even more evidence it is not a money pit. As it is registered/titled as a motor home I just did the registration for the year. A grand total of $24.92. It costs more for the emissions test that the registration.