Ambulance Vans!

[HotRodPC]

Yeah, they really are perfect for the van lifers. Economical diesel, high top, rooftop heat and AC (just from van though), 115v heater, insulated, big power inverter, 115v outlets, etc.

Unfortunately, I don't think there's many van lifers in my area. At truck stops I'll see people with rundown, beat to sh!t pickups/vans/campers, but that's it.

If you were wanting to flip them, you'd have to get on a Van Lifer FB page. They will certainly get on a plane or ride with someone to pick up the right vehicle.

I'm having a hard time figuring out what these vans are actually worth. They are all super high miles (around 550k) but very well mechanically maintained. Being ambulances, people's lives depended on them being reliable. With that amount of run time, I would have to assume that the engine and trans have both been replaced already too.

Mileage isn't the half of it. See how to get in the ECM and find the engine hours. The ambulance co that I towed for, used Ford F550's for their trucks. It was very common they got new crate engines at 50,000-60,000 miles. This is due to all the idle time. Their trucks are usually running 24/7 staged all over the OKC Metro area. They are only driven when running to a call and then to a hospital, then back to the truck barn for shift change and getting restocked with IV's, gauze, maskes, gloves etc and then back out at their post. It was usally between 15,000 and 20,000 hours they got engine swapped with a re manned crate direct from Ford. Many times after the 3rd engine was done, I'd go load them up, 3 at a time on a trailer using a rollback. They'd then go to the East Coast, North Carolina, IIRC, and they'd get what they called, ReBoxed. They'd take the Ambo box off the chassis and put it on a brand new chassis. After the 3rd Re Box, then the box was retired and not used again.

 

[bucket]

If you were wanting to flip them, you'd have to get on a Van Lifer FB page. They will certainly get on a plane or ride with someone to pick up the right vehicle.

Mileage isn't the half of it. See how to get in the ECM and find the engine hours. The ambulance co that I towed for, used Ford F550's for their trucks. It was very common they got new crate engines at 50,000-60,000 miles. This is due to all the idle time. Their trucks are usually running 24/7 staged all over the OKC Metro area. They are only driven when running to a call and then to a hospital, then back to the truck barn for shift change and getting restocked with IV's, gauze, maskes, gloves etc and then back out at their post. It was usally between 15,000 and 20,000 hours they got engine swapped with a re manned crate direct from Ford. Many times after the 3rd engine was done, I'd go load them up, 3 at a time on a trailer using a rollback. They'd then go to the East Coast, North Carolina, IIRC, and they'd get what they called, ReBoxed. They'd take the Ambo box off the chassis and put it on a brand new chassis. After the 3rd Re Box, then the box was retired and not used again.

Of the three vans that my buddy and I got so far, one has 20,000 hrs, one has 18,000hrs and the third has only 6,000 hrs. I'm guessing that last one has had a pcm replaced. For comparison, my company work truck is a same year Chevy, has only 315k on it, almost 8000hrs and the engine/trans are not as clean as what's in the vans.

On the old small blocks and big blocks, I know all the clues to look for to determine if the engine has been replaced. But on these things, I've got no idea.

 

[bucket]

I got home yesterday evening, the van started up and ran perfectly, with no engine light illuminated. So I think it's good to go.

Here's some pictures with the doghouse off. Some stuff is a little tight on the driver side, but overall access seems good.

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This decal here on the valve cover... I have no idea if this is evidence of a replacement engine, or if this would have just been from when the engine/van went down the assembly line.

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[legopnuematic]

Definitely better than a pickup for a turbo R&R/pedestal work.

I think the book time for a GMT800 turbo job is 12+hrs.

 

[HotRodPC]

Of the three vans that my buddy and I got so far, one has 20,000 hrs, one has 18,000hrs and the third has only 6,000 hrs. I'm guessing that last one has had a pcm replaced. For comparison, my company work truck is a same year Chevy, has only 315k on it, almost 8000hrs and the engine/trans are not as clean as what's in the vans.

On the old small blocks and big blocks, I know all the clues to look for to determine if the engine has been replaced. But on these things, I've got no idea.

Now you have a good idea how they were used. Divide the Odo by the engine hours. Sounds like they did not have a ton of idle time and mostly city driving at the avg mph. Your work truck obviously is mostly highway mileage. This is what I do to figure out my buses. Most school buses have long hours but short mileage and people say, it's a million mile motor and I say, NO IT'S NOT. Not in a school bus it's not. It may only have 150,000 miles, but it has 10,000 hours on it. Tons of idle of time and hard stop and go miles. One of my buses was an activity bus, so it's low hours for a school bus. 131,000 with just under 5000 hours, Cat C7 engine, the better C7 thankfully cuz the later one is junk. Activity buses got driven with the ball teams. The route buses did all the stop and go and idling. I also have a rural route bus, it has 132,000 and 5500 hours for a Cummins 6.7 ISB. I expect both of those to have plenty of life left in them. The engines run like brand new. No smoke, No blow by and clean internals so I'd say they were well maintained. I think the C7 might need some injector O rings soon. It's a bit hard to start when cold, and smokes some right at start up and the smell tells me it's diesel fuel not oil. Once the extra diesel fuel burns off in about 10 seconds, it's 100% fine and runs perfect until it sits for a few days. The freighliner bus has right at 200,000 and I don't know the engine hours but that one has the 24 valve 5.9 Cummins and runs fantastic too. Knowing that school district it came from, I know it was very well maintained. But yep, engine hours vs mileage can tell you a lot about how a vehicle was used, if it's city miles or highway miles and maybe a good guess at if it's had an engine swap or not.

 

[bucket]

These vans have the LGH, which is essentially a detuned LML 6.6 that was used in the pickup trucks. At road speed, that is very evident. But at low speed, they've still got the goods.

I did a test launch in the driveway yesterday evening and it pulled well. The axle locked and both tires laid rubber for about 8ft.

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The other black marks are from other vehicles, lol.

Going out to pick up the trash cans this morning, the marks were more evident.

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Not bad for an ambulance.

 

[HotRodPC]

The G80 is working as it should.

 

[bucket]

So I bought two more of these retired ambulances, lol. So that makes a total of 4 that I own now. I've been driving one to work everyday and it has been excellent. I just need to install a reciever hitch and a 7-pin plug so I can really use it.

I've got all the decals off of another one and it's nearly ready to put up for sale. Two more to go after that. Removing the decals is a nightmare... they are reflective and don't just peel off. Heat gun is no use. Aerosol decal stripper has very little effect on them. An eraser wheel is the most effective way I've found, but it sucks, lol.

 

[Frankenchevy]

I have a love/hate relationship with those eraser wheels, especially when the paint is older or more fragile.

Sometimes you get it to a certain point and let goo gone take over.

 

[waterpirate]

Any surplus siren?
Eric

 

[bucket]

Any surplus siren?
Eric

Yes. I will be removing them before I sell any of the vans. I'll be removing the light bars as well. Do you know if there's a separate control box for the sirens? I cannot find one that says Whelen on it. So possibly it's just the dash control unit and the two sirens behind the grille?

 

[Grit dog]

So I bought two more of these retired ambulances, lol. So that makes a total of 4 that I own now. I've been driving one to work everyday and it has been excellent. I just need to install a reciever hitch and a 7-pin plug so I can really use it.

I've got all the decals off of another one and it's nearly ready to put up for sale. Two more to go after that. Removing the decals is a nightmare... they are reflective and don't just peel off. Heat gun is no use. Aerosol decal stripper has very little effect on them. An eraser wheel is the most effective way I've found, but it sucks, lol.

OMG, that’s brutal with an eraser wheel! I use that thing as little as possible or a last resort.
Cant get under them with some heat and then a razor blade? Or too crispy to peel off at all?

 

[waterpirate]

Yes. I will be removing them before I sell any of the vans. I'll be removing the light bars as well. Do you know if there's a separate control box for the sirens? I cannot find one that says Whelen on it. So possibly it's just the dash control unit and the two sirens behind the grille?

I do not know the answer re the control box, but put me on the list for one siren. I am going to fit it to my 87k10. lol
Eric

 

[bucket]

OMG, that’s brutal with an eraser wheel! I use that thing as little as possible or a last resort.
Cant get under them with some heat and then a razor blade? Or too crispy to peel off at all?

Something about the vinyl being reflective makes it a PITA. The vinyl itself is more than one layer. You can get under it, the vinyl is still soft and pliable, but it refuses to peel off in large pieces. It just comes off in itty bitty little pieces.

 

[waterpirate]

Much like high quality d.o.t. tape. Can't live without it, can't get it off.
Eric