New member intro

Stephen Ellis

Forum Member
Good evening, just been accepted so wanted to say thank you all.

We've just bought our first van to use as a camper when we explore Scotland on our holidays.

Bought a low mileage LT46 with the awesome 2.8 tdi. Previously owned by the Scottish ambulance service as a support van.

Does Anyone have any advice or tips for our first build?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Stephen
 

JIXAMAN

Forum Member
Plan what you want and run the cables for 12v and 240 (if wanted), use conduit and leave in pull strings so you can raggle in other cables when you realise you really need x thing over there...
 

Duckato

Forum Member
@Stephen Ellis
I moderate the Ambulance to camper group on Facebook. There’s quite a few examples of the LT46 there in the photos section.

One of the first things I would advise before using it on public roads is to make sure the taxation class has been changed from Ambulance to PLG or PHGV depending on the plated weight, some dishonest people sell these on to unsuspecting buyers as ved exempt, once out or service they are 100% not ved exempt anymore.

Second thing is obviously to check the plated weight on the vehicle matches the revenue weight on the V5 discrepancies occur you obviously need a C1 licence for any vehicle >3500kg.

If the vehicle still has the original Ambulance electrics these can be a bit of a pita, especially if got at by the typical decommissioning vandals that the clearance auction companies use.

Most ex Ambulances have multiple battery banks and some form of archaic crude split charge setup. Dead easy to consolidate the batteries into one bank and bin the split charge in preference to a proper b2b.

Most ex Ambulances have extra stuff causing parasitic loads especially on the chassis battery if not removed.

Lastly to date I have never ever encountered a well or properly insulated pvc ambulance work on the basis it will have sod all effective insulation usually the few bits of rock wool they lob in is better seen as crude soundproofing.

The modular bodied vans are usually a bit better insulated but not always and there’s often huge voids especially in the ceiling where it matters the most.

Hth.
 

Stephen Ellis

Forum Member
Thank for the info. My van is ex ambulance service response vehicle so its basically just a 4.6t van. The blues have been taken off but going to put driving lights in the holes. The back is empty except side plywood which will be stripped. Using dodo sound deadening and plenty of insulation. Got to plan out the interior and windows but going to gut, clean and paint. Got to get it through a HGV mot first through......
 

Duckato

Forum Member
yep the mot is a bit of a pita, as an Ambulance it would have been class IV but when presented as a private commercial vehicle it becomes a bit more involved, my 5000 dually sprinter had one HGV test done by the trader I bought it from with tacho exception but all the rest once it could be presented as a motor caravan were again class IV.
 

Users who viewed this discussion (Total:0)

Top