my next big non-skoolie project

[lapeer20m]

Before too long, my fire department is auctioning off some ambulances. They look nearly identical to this one:



I am in the market for a new pickup truck to pull my trailer, haul firewood etc. I thought that if the price is right, i could remove the ambulance box and replace it with a dually pickup truck box, perhaps add a couple doors and extendocab from a donor pickup, do a little repainting, perhaps some frame shortening, and have something similar to this, except mine would not be 4x4:





gvw of our ambulances: 20K pounds

air ride suspension, hydraulic brakes with air parking brake, electronic cummins 5.9 with about 100K miles, 6 speed electronic transmission, and an incredible turning radias! I think it will out-maneuver a ford van ambulance.

i'll keep ya posted on the progress.....this all assumes that i can win the auction for one. if not, i could always do the same thing using a skoolie chassis and powertrain.

[Abbott]

I have had similar thoughts myself. There is also a fellow on another forum I visit who put 4 wheel drive under his truck of the same size, it was quite a project. If you do take it on I for one would enjoy following your progress if you posted a thread here.

[kamoo]

I looked at fire trucks and larger rescue vehicles for a good tailgating platform but they were fairly expensive considering they really have no useful life after death unless they are exported. The med duty chassis with the 19.5 low pros do turn a whole lot better than a pickup or van. Speaking of next projects, after 6 months of nonstop work on the weekends and night, I find myself pretty bored now that it is complete but cant figure out what to do next.

[paul iossi]

cool project,
back when the gas fords were eliminated because of engine fires, I was involved in shortening the boxes to single sleeper size for a crewcab effect and then installing flatbeds with gooseneck hitches for work trucks.

Keep me posted on the auction date, if one of my other projects doesn't pan out i might be interested also.

[Redbear]

Definitely a cool project. I read a story about a year ago that some movie stars and other idle rich had such rigs. But then, they have to pay someone more talented than themselves to build them. I actually saw one for the first time on Saturday, headed the opposite direction on I-90.

Go for it!

[the_experience03]

Way cool. You guys have some manly ambulances! Come on...make it 4wd...you know you want to.

[Papabear]

Originally Posted by lapeer20m

Before too long, my fire department is auctioning off some ambulances. They look nearly identical to this one:

I am in the market for a new pickup truck to pull my trailer, haul firewood etc. I thought that if the price is right, i could remove the ambulance box and replace it with a dually pickup truck box, perhaps add a couple doors and extendocab from a donor pickup, do a little repainting, perhaps some frame shortening, and have something similar to this, except mine would not be 4x4:

gvw of our ambulances: 20K pounds

air ride suspension, hydraulic brakes with air parking brake, electronic cummins 5.9 with about 100K miles, 6 speed electronic transmission, and an incredible turning radias! I think it will out-maneuver a ford van ambulance.

i'll keep ya posted on the progress.....this all assumes that i can win the auction for one. if not, i could always do the same thing using a skoolie chassis and powertrain.

Looks like a fun project. Are you EMT? What level? Will there be a paypal account I can help "contribute"to?