Point Five Ambo Build

[k9lestat]

yeah i get it i was just asking not downing. i thought of the same think but decided to go the service body route

 

[patoz]

yeah i get it i was just asking not downing. i thought of the same think but decided to go the service body route

Did you make it into a trailer?

 

[k9lestat]

yeah i bought already converted into a trailer near orange park. it has got a truck topper shell on it now. i got plans on fixing some rust on it and fixing it up into what i want. i wont start on the trailer til after i get my van finished. i dont know what i weighs but i know compared to most it will be heavy. i pulled from orange park to statesboro georgia and it pulled straight and true. it road well i hardly noticed it empty.

 

[patoz]

In the mid '80s I drove a Toyota SR5 4x4 PU truck with a camper shell, that I would use to sleep in when I went camping. I was looking for a small utility body to make into a trailer to carry all my gear, so I wouldn't have to keep emptying the back of my truck just to sleep. I had planned to make one side into the kitchen, and the other side general storage, with room in the bed for firewood and larger items, etc. I also had ideas for a collapsible pole and canopy system over the top in case it was raining. Now, you can buy that whole system ready made, for a very expensive price.

Back then I could barely make the truck payment much less buy anything else, so it never happened.

 

[k9lestat]

lol i hear you, i dont have a truck payment and im still doing barely making it thing.

 

[CLynn85]

MMMMMMMmmmm....Beefy!

View attachment 254738

 

[patoz]

Yep, 5,100 lbs. as it sits in that picture. I'm guessing around 6,000 lbs. by the time I get all of the equipment I want in it, and then add camping gear. And that's being conservative.

 

[patoz]

Just a quick update...I'm still waiting on the Rockwell 10,000 lb. axle and brakes to get here, so I've just been doing little things to it, like painting the tongue, replacing some of the grab rails that were missing, and playing around with the interior overhead lights, etc.

The front still has the blue plastic covering the hole, and we have some rain coming the first of the week, so I guess tomorrow I'll look for something a little more solid and weather proof to close it up.

 

[k9lestat]

Speaking of which why not make a hard sided fold out bed in that spot where rests on the tongue.i got great idea how you could do it. That way you got extra sleeping space with out losing you in door seating.

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[k9lestat]

I mean so you dont have to lose it.

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[patoz]

Speaking of which why not make a hard sided fold out bed in that spot where rests on the tongue.i got great idea how you could do it. That way you got extra sleeping space with out losing you in door seating.

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I would be interested in hearing you idea, after all that's what this forum is all about...sharing ideas.

At one point, I had planned on trying to find a sleeper cab deigned for the Ford 350 & 450 chassis, turning it around and mounting it backwards on the tongue. Then converting it into a restroom/shower combination. The floor would extend to the bottom of the frame in the center part, giving you enough height to almost stand up straight.

I was looking for something like this, but never found anything local.





My plan right now is to put a large tool box across the front, with possibly propane cylinders or the spare tire in front of that. Whatever goes up there will be bolted on, so it can be changed later. The covering for the entire front will eventually be diamond deck metal, but it will still have some type of access panel to get to the back of the electrical panels, etc. It will also be attached with removable screws rather than welded permanently.

Once I get my new rear axle under it and get the tongue weighed, I'll know more about what I can put up there.

 

[k9lestat]

pm sent

 

[patoz]

While researching new tail lights for mine, I came across these rigs. I guess we aren't the only ones who have found a use for surplus ambulances.

Disclaimer: I'm not a sports fan, so the names of the teams on the vehicles don't mean anything to me.

See the interiors: http://www.tailgatelot.com/content/tag/ambulance

...a converted ambulance, decked out as a full-blown tailgate extravaganza, complete with its own portable toilets on a trailer in tow.

http://milwaukeedailyphoto.com/2010_04_01_archive.html

The "Normbulance" is the man-mastery of Rob Dibble, '96 alum and corporate trainer at LPL Financial. He began outfitting the Normbulance with a full bar, flat screen television, beer fridge and custom paint job two years ago. Emblazoned with its own crest, the "Normbulance" touts "Honor, Loyalty and Passion" as its creed. I am positive the crowd tossing back the complimentary green jello shots from Dibble's truck were filled with just that.

http://clclt.com/eatmycharlotte/archives/2013/09/03/exploring-the-inaugural-uncc-tailgate



"Party on Wayne, Party on Garth..." :friday:

 

[patoz]

All of this arrived yesterday, so time to install everything to give it trailer lights and an emergency brake disconnect system.



Mine has separate turn signals so it has a converter mounted under the floor in the rear between the frame rails. This makes identifying the wire almost impossible because everything reads continuity or nothing reads. As a last resort, I sat a battery on the tongue, grounded the negative side, and started applying power to the leads one at a time to see what happened. I can hear relays clicking in the electrical panel, so that means the builder has tied into and modified the normal Ford wiring harness.


I did find an Orange 10 ga. and Blue 12 ga. wire that runs the entire length of the vehicle from the fuse panel? to the rear just before the last cross member, inside the factory wiring harness. Both of these wires are just terminated with an open butt splice, as if they are for optional equipment.

 

[patoz]

Moved from Belafonte Reboot's thread back to mine here...

Hey Tom,

Like an idiot I never bothered to check all of the lights on my ambo when I got it to see which ones worked and which ones didn't, and what they actually do. Now that it's cut in half, I'm trying to trace out all of the wiring for the tail and running lights, etc. Mine has separate turn signals so it has a converter mounted under the floor in the rear between the frame rails. This makes identifying the wire almost impossible because everything reads continuity or nothing reads. As a last resort, I sat a battery on the tongue, grounded the negative side, and started applying power to the leads one at a time to see what happened. I can hear relays clicking in the electrical panel, so that means the builder has tied into and modified the normal Ford wiring harness.

I did find an Orange 10 ga. and Blue 12 ga. wire that runs the entire length of the vehicle from the fuse panel? to the rear just before the last cross member, inside the factory wiring harness. Both of these wires are just terminated with an open butt splice, as if they are for optional equipment. I will get you some pictures if you need them. I thought that was a pretty nice find!

So since you have a working ambo, maybe you can help me.



Amber light in front - I looked at the pictures Tony took and you don't even have this light. The only other one I found it on is Tribe of Five's rig, and his is clear. At first I thought it may be a side (width) clearance light, but his being clear rules that out. So maybe it's just a courtesy light for the running boards.

Red side light in the rear - We all have this, but is it a side marker light or is it part of the emergency warning light system, or is it both? Does it come on with the running lights and then flash in 'Emergency Mode'. Most of our taillight assemblies face rearward and are not visible from the side like and automobile, so a side light would be required.

If you get a chance, would you check your's and let me know?

Thanks...