Ambulance camper conversion is repurposing a retired ambulance into a DIY camper van with all the amenities you would find in a standard motorhome, plus the customizations only unique to the owner. There are many benefits of converting an old ambulance to your dream vessel for traveling the world. And, there are also many factors you need to consider before making a decision on converting an ambulance. We will share some of the amazing benefits of our own DIY ambulance conversion, Olga. We would also like to share some of important lessons we have learned through our journey with Olga, and other insights we have collected in our travels with the ambulance conversion.
Buying an old ambulance and turn it into a different type of utility vehicle isn’t something new. You probably have seen it done with plumbers, electricians, keysmith, and weekend warrior campers. But DIY ambulance conversion didn’t take off until the van life trend exploded. Prices of popular conversion platforms such as Mercedes Sprinters, and Ram Pro Masters skyrocketed. Many travelers had to seek alternatives such as used school buses, and retired ambulances.
5 top reasons we chose to convert an ambulance to a full time camper
1. Converting an ambulance makes the most economical sense.
Let’s be honest, if we had the money to buy and build a Unimog, we probably would not have considered an old ambulance to be our choice. Since we don’t have fat wallets, and we have to go with whatever works for us.
These days you will find popular conversion base vans such as Sprinters, and Pro Masters to be way overpriced due to the van life trend. Why get yourself in debt with a big monthly car payment before you even hit the road!
Just like every other vehicle, the price of a used ambulance varies by the year, model, mileage, factory installed options from the original ambulance outfitter, and most importantly in our opinion; where to buy them from.
Check out our other popular article ” FAQs on Ambulance Conversion Campers” to learn the best places to find your dream Ambo!
A good condition retired ambulance can cost anywhere from $4,000 to north of $16,000 with factory 4×4 and a everlasting reliable Ford 7.3l diesel engine. This estimate does not include any conversion done to the ambulance.
We found our ambulance Olga on Craigslist for $4500 pre-pandemic. She is 1997 Ford F-350 XLT with a 7.3L Turbo Diesel engine outfitted by McCoy Miller. That is a fraction of the cost of a used Ram Promaster, or Mercedes Sprinter.
2. Strong Frame, Reliable motor & Good maintenance record
Majority of the ambulances you will find available to the market in North America are built on Ford F-series chassis, Chevy Duramax, or the Dodge Ram chassis. The ambulance box is usually framed in 2 inch x2 inch aluminum squares and covered in aluminum sheets as opposed to wood and fiberglass like you would find in many traditional RVs.
Because of its original purpose, ambulance are built tough. The ambulance box itself is rated to withstand severe collison, and hold its shape in case of rollovers.
It is no doubt very important to have a low maintenance, and mechanically sound vehicle when traveling in long distance.
And that is another reason why many people repurpose old ambulances. Most of these trucks are equipped with Ford 7.3L diesel engines which is considered to be the most reliable diesel engine ever built.
These motors have reputations of being the million miles engine. There are tons of replacement parts you can find easily in most auto parts store. There are plenty of resources available online to fix any issues may arise with the 7.3L engine.
On top of those reasons, another plus of buying a used ambulance is that these vehicles were fleet maintained by your local fire department. That means periodic maintenances were done correctly with, and not skipped.
3. Spacious Interior & Easy to Maneuver
Depending on the original outfitter of your ambulance, most ambulance boxes’ interior are about 11 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 6 feet tall. Therefore it is tall enough for most of people to stand up straight. The box is wide enough to install a permanent bed width wise, and long enough to have a comfortable bed for two, kitchen area, bathroom, storage, and seating area.
Once again, the size of the ambulance boxes varies by manufacturer. Another factor that would make a big difference in space is how much demolition you are willing to do for your camper conversion. Stripping down the entire box to bare metal is no easy task, but you will gain so much more usable space for conversion, a couple inches of ceiling height (by removing the thick vinyl ceiling padding, and wiring bundles hidden in between), and cut down lots of weight.
At about 22 feet in total length, ambulance conversions are easy to maneuver without the extra efforts, and you will able to park in most places with ease. However, just remember most Drive-thrus are out of the question because of the height of the vehicle.
4. Ambulance Camper Helps Deter Criminal Activities
Safety is a top concern for all us who have been traveling full time. All ambulances have plenty of sturdy lockable storage compartments on the outside to store your camping gears safely.
The front and back entrance doors on these ambulances are about 2 inch thick of aluminum. Normally, there are no windows on pre-conversion ambulances, so that it gives you the opportunity to place your windows strategically to prevent break-ins.
Many people think ambulances stand out too much to be used as a recreational vehicle. And, that is partly true. With its distinct shape, the original fire department related graphics, and all the the emergency lights surrounding the box, it is not hard to pick out an old ambulance on the road.
But it is because of that fact, the uniqueness of the ambulance could deter potential criminal activities from bad characters. There are a few occasions, our camping neighbors thought we were government employees conducting official businesses around the area.
5. Ambulance has many advantages as a fantastic platform for camper conversion
There are a couple different approaches to doing an ambulance camper conversion. Some would strip it all the way down to bare metal, and build out the camper exactly the way they want it to be. Or, if you don’t have that much and resources, you can repurpose the existing interior furnishing to fit your need. Either way, ambulances are fantastic for camper conversions because they are usually insulated, and have sufficient storage compartments for all your gears.
Exterior lighting is extremely important for a camper van conversion when you spend lots of time in the wild. Ambulance not only have ample interior lighting installed, but you will also find more than enough light fixtures on the outside which was originally purposed as emergency lights. You can easily upgraded those old halogen bulbs to LED ones with little efforts.
Most ambulance boxes come with heat and air conditioning as well, though they only work when the vehicle is running. We highly recommend removing the bulky original climate control unit, and install your own cooling system, and heating system. The Maxair fan is definitely a necessity for any camper van conversion. And the most efficient way to be warm and cozy when doing cod climate camping is to install a diesel heater such as this one xxxxxxxxxxx
Unlike dealing with the round roof of a school bus, or the lack of framing in a Sprinter van. What really stood out to us during the conversion process is that the ambulance is like a rectangle metal box with straight walls, and plenty of aluminum frames for strong attachment points.
