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advice re buying an ambulace

Started by mrvanman, September 23, 2017, 02:49:36 PM

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mrvanman

hi guys i'm disabled and use a mobility scooter so thinking of getting a ambulance like :-

Volkswagen Crafter 2.5TDi

IVECO DAILY 50C18 3.0HPI

MERCEDES SPRINTER 416 2.7

the pros that i can see are their under £5000, their serviced every three months, they have all the electrics sorted inside, they have a heater, loads of cupboards, parking Sensors, power steering, air con, lighting sorted, so no having to fit out much and most important a ramp and steps..... sooooooo what i want to know is what are the cons of the above vehicle

thanks guys mrvanman xxxxxxx

Camper_Dan

Greetings & Welcome!

I'm no expert when it comes to ambulances, but here are my thoughts on the subject...

The ambulances I've seen weren't really set up for comfortable camping to begin with, and required major renovation to make them into campers.  That being said, there are plenty of wheelchair vans available that didn't start out as ambulances.

Outfitting a van for comfortable camping or living can be pretty cheap and easy, if you simply remove all of the rear seats, and MOVE not BUILD your new interior in.  You still need to secure your furniture, but you don't need to build it.  My bed is a futon style convertible sofa/bed, that I replaced the original cushions with foam ones.  Simple, easy, and very comfortable.  A quick kitchen can be made from plastic drawer sets topped with a wood shelf.  Then I use plastic dishpans for sinks, and a campstove.  Both fit easily on my countertop but can be removed to also use outdoors if I desire, plus it can free up my countertop for other projects.

A handicap style bedside bucket toilet is the best solution I have found.  They are very stable, yet like any bucket toilet, they are easy to empty.  I empty mine about once a week.  A portable indoor/outdoor shower is also easy to accomplish.

For power, any battery shop should be able to install a house battery for you, hooked up with an isolator to charge it whenever you're driving.  My power system is dirt cheap and simple, but it provides all the power I need and it's both reliable and trouble free.

By creating your own space, you can customize it to best fit your needs.  I have a swivel rocker in mine, and everything is within easy reach of it.  In your case, your wheelchair could simply replace my swivel rocker.

I use a simple kerosene heater for heat.  Dead simple with little to go wrong with it.  A 12v fan in an open window and parking in the shade handles all but the hottest days, and I have a home made 12v swamp cooler for those days, which works every bit good as any air conditioner but uses only a fraction of the power.

I have built and lived in many camper vans, boats, and RV's over the years.  I had traveling friend with me for a couple of years that was wheelchair bound.  I simply added a ramp, removed my swivel rocker, and added a swivel on the front passenger seat so I would also have a place to sit.  She actually loved my camper van, and how convenient everything was for her.  She spent her last last couple of years traveling with me, and we both had a blast.

Just my thoughts, holler if I can help.

Cheers!
Smiles are extremely contagious,
Pass them on!!!

Yorick

If there was even the slightest chance that blood or other bodily fluids were spilled in the vehicle, you may want to do a complete disinfect the inside. Perhaps, if you're able to, contact a crime scene cleanup team. Certain infectious bacteria can live for several weeks to months outside the human body, and you don't want to take chances with that.
Also, legally, you'll have to remove any ambulance stickers/insignia if they haven't been removed already.

championi

Did you ever get one? I'm looking at a Renault Master, but I cant find anyone else that did one already... looks well possible though!

mrvanman

naw  everybody i talked to to stay clear even asked a medic friend  so still saving, made the mystake off getting my daughter and grandson to move in costing me a bloody fortune loools  so might take me some time to save up lols xx mazzer