[JSH]

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

Thanks for the reasoning on why not a truck. Low access height does mean you will have wheel arches to contend with.

Yes, I will have wheel arches but I’m willing to put up with them for a low step-in height. One design I’ve seen that seems to work well is to leave the two jump seats over the wheel wells in the final conversion with a flip up table between them for dining. That not only gives seating for eating but also gives two certified seats with seatbelts to allow passengers to legally ride in the back.



Some ambulance layouts work better than others for camper conversions. The ambulance above isn’t ideal due to the tall vertical outside cabinet with the yellow X. That would need to come out to put a bed across the back.

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

You need to check on jurisdictions, our ambulances sometimes have the side door, but always have the pass through. Everyone specs out their needs differently.

Yes, every ambulance is a bit different. The only ambulanced I’ve seen for sale without a side door are Red Cross vehicles. There are a bunch of these trucks for sale right now (Mid-2000 Fords with the 6.0L Powerstroke) Although advertised as ambulances they aren’t really. They are ambulance bodies that are basically empty inside and used for delivering disaster supplies.

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

6 mpg isn't bad for something driven with two pedal conditions: full on and full off. I suspect they would get 12-13 driven sanely which is what I got dragging my big boxy unaerodynamic toy hauler.

This friend does not drive with the gas pedal as an on / off switch. That MPG is getting on I-75 and setting the cruise at 60 mph. That early Ford 6.8L V10 2 valve was pretty legendary for bad fuel economy. It doesn’t show up in vehicles small enough for EPA rating much but a 2012 E350 passenger van with the more advanced 6.6L V10 3 valve is rated at 10 mpg city / 13 mpg highway. makes 6 mpg seem more reasonable in a huge RV

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

Solar on top shouldn’t add to much friction drag as compaired to a/c and emergency access mandates.

True. When I added solar panels to my current van I didn’t see much of a fuel economy hit. (Mine are framed in 80/20 and set underneath a ladder rack) I do think it might disturb flow enough to make something like the Michelin top fairing worthless.