Bob the Campulance. E350 Crestline with Roof Raise. V3 in Progress.

[iggi]

Been super busy with work so not much progress except.. My 190 AH LiPo battery back just arrived. The BMS should be here next week and then I just have to pick up a few more things to get it ready for install.
Certainly more expensive initially than Golf Cart batteries but hoping the long term expense is lower.
Planning to limit the discharge to no lower than 15% and full charge to no higher than 95%. With any luck that should see me to 4000 plus recharge cycles.
Also stoked that it will all fit in the factory battery tray with room for insulation and a heat pad.

Each cell is roughly 8 inches high, 7 inches wide and 2 inches deep.

If you're curious here's the batteries I ordered:

 

[iggi]

I've got an idea for my heater I'd like ya'll to kick around a bit.

I have a 5KW Chinese copy of the Espar heater waiting to install.
Been agonizing over where to put it but just came up with this today.

If I install in the bottom of the inside closet (photo below), There's a few neat things I can do.

1) vent hot air into the former o2 closet which is where I'll be hanging my ice climbing gear. Stoked about being able to dry my ropes and stuff out while on multi-day climbing trips.
2) The exhaust will exit fairly close to the service battery box. Could possibly put a heat exchanger on it as a way to keep the Lithium Ion battery warm enough for charging during below freezing temps.
3) Run a hot air duct up the rear of the closet to connect to the factory heat ducts for more even heat distribution.
4) Still have option to divert part of the hot air flow to floor level
5) can have the fuel pump out of the elements but not inside the actual box, so hopefully less noise transfer.
6) very short run for wiring and close to existing control panel so less faff all over the place.

Concerns:

1) Unsure of if the heater fan is powerful enough to push air through the existing ducts.
2) It's looking a bit tight underneath as the closet sits above a crossmember and a big wiring junction.
Hopefully can negotiate a straight outlet for the exhaust.
(sorted #2 out with a pilot hole. Plenty of clearance.

 

[iggi]

Went with the closet install. Nice short runs of the fuel line and wires. Mostly done but still need a run to the parts store for a bulkhead fitting so I can use a normal jerry can.
Took a while to drill the holes in the floor. It's two inch sandwich of aluminum, plywood and insulation.

 

[Bikersmurf]

Keep us posted on how the batteries work out... G/C are working, but I may win the lottery if I’m given a ticket (or have saved enough not buying them).

 

[sethro80]

Great job so far, I am building an ambo also

 

[Coachgeo]

Great job so far, I am building an ambo also

please post up your ambo build at AmbulanceRv.com

 

[iggi]

Just back from a short road trip to test the heater and other recent upgrades.
Been planning an ice climbing trip up the ice fields parkway to Jasper Alberta and back to Calgary for a while.. but due to work commitments and general laziness I didn't get started on the required winter camping upgrades until the week before. As such the quality of work is subpar as is the documentation but I'll share what I did and learned.

Main goal was to get the Chinese Webasto copy installed so we wouldn't be freezing our arses off.
I wasn't sure if we'd have access to shore power so I also had to install my 195 AH Li-Po battery.
Short of time to do it right.. I had to figure out a fast way for all this.

First.. Heater.

No time or energy to drop the tank and didn't want to tee the existing fuel line. 10 litre jerry can in the former O2 closet. Good place for it as it's vented to outside and the floor has drainage holes.
Heater. As posted previously I put the heater in the closet behind the driver's seat. Convenient spot as all the electrical and fuel line runs were short.
Cut a hole in the door for the intake and a hole in the wall to the box to mount the heater vent.



2nd Battery:

So here's what I did. Instead of trying to replace any of the existing batteries or system I simply added the Li-Po battery bank to what was already there.

I used a Renogy 40AMP DC - DC charger to charge the Li-Po battery and keep it isolated from the alternator. Renogy didn't have the temp sensor in stock so I had to rely on a manual switch to only turn the charger on when the inside temps (battery is behind driver's seat) were over freezing. This was run directly from the existing service batteries. Thus able to charge the Li-Po either from shore power or from the alternators.

I ran #1 cable from the Li-Po battery through a Blue Sea 500 AMP Remote Battery switch (since I had one on hand) and to the service battery side of the battery isolator.
Again, no time to but in a diode to limit the current to one direction only so had to rely on me only connecting the Li-Po to the main battery bank when not plugged into shore power or when running the engine.
It's a bit ugly but.. we had lots of power for the heater and all accessories and I didn't blow up my new Lithium battery.



Yes, I know the unfinished holes in the body are a fire hazard. Will be finishing those properly before the next trip.

While there is lots to improve on, super happy with the results.
It's a 5KW heater and in three nights and about 30 hours of run time I went through about 8 litres.
Didn't have a voltmeter hooked up to the Li-Po battery so don't know the total draw per night but based on the heater's voltmeter we never dropped below 13 volts.

Mostly ran at the lowest settings 1.6 to 2.0 Hz.

Was great to wake up each day to warm dry gear. Usually after a weekend of ice climbing everything is soggy and frozen but not this trip.

 

[iggi]

Also upgraded the bed. Previously I had a double sized IKEA futon. (4 inch thick I think). In bench mode I just used a strap to keep it folded in half but it was less than perfect as I had to move the whole mattress to access the under bench storage and setting the bed up/down was awkward as a one person job.

I cut a 6 inch memory foam in half and attached half to the bench seat and the other half serves double duty as either the back of the couch or half of the bed.
Easily flips down with just one person and now I can lift up the bench to access the storage underneath without moving the entire mattress.

Upholstery was cheap and pretty quick/easy. Just cut 3/8's plywood to size and wrapped some upholstery fabric around and stapled it down.

Think it's more comfortable than my mattress at home.

 

[iggi]

For summer/fall camping I was almost always happy to cook outside. For winter though, it's time to get the inside kitchen organized.
Cleared out the lower side cabinet next to the sink and removed it. Now I've got room for a counter and a larger sink.
Planning to install a stainless steel backsplash and some decent hardwood counter top.

Was a bit of hatchet job to remove the cabinet as it was assembled before installation and the only way to get it out was with liberal use of the sawzall and a hammer.

Before



and after pics.



PS cutting the hole to the water tank kept it from freezing down to -12C.

 

[Abitibi]

Hi Ian

I'm a bit late to jump in, your thread had slipped through my perusal... Looking good! Your base ambo is very nice, wish I could have found a low mileage 2009 similar to yours! I just started a new build to replace mine. I was looking for the slightly larger version and they aren't easy to find! Found a 08 with higher mileage than I hoped for (445,000km) but it ran amazing so I went for it. It also came from Alberta, surprisingly there's very little rust.

Keep it coming!

Cheers
David

 

[iggi]

I was very tempted by a long wheelbase, high roof version when I got mine but the combo of high mileage and not fitting my my parking stall dissuaded me from it. Some days when I've been hunching over a lot though I do dream of the higher roof.

Ian

Hi Ian

I'm a bit late to jump in, your thread had slipped through my perusal... Looking good! Your base ambo is very nice, wish I could have found a low mileage 2009 similar to yours! I just started a new build to replace mine. I was looking for the slightly larger version and they aren't easy to find! Found a 08 with higher mileage than I hoped for (445,000km) but it ran amazing so I went for it. It also came from Alberta, surprisingly there's very little rust.

Keep it coming!

Cheers
David

 

[Abitibi]

That is why I'm not starting to build the interior on mine until I raise the roof... I just finished fully gutting the interior... Next will be the roof and windows framing plus everything else from the outside that needs access to install from the inside (awning, roof rack, lights...). Planning is everything!

 

[iggi]

Video of the bed setup and take down. Still some refining to do but happy with the speed of setup and the comfort of the six inch latex foam mattress. (double cut in half)

 

[Abitibi]

Looks very cozy! Has it been tested yet? You wouldn't want it to collapse when the van is rocking, lol.

Sent from my SM-G973W using Tapatalk

 

[iggi]

Various updates before I forget.

1. if you are building your own lithium ion battery pack and live where the temps drop below freezing.. make sure have a temp probe in the pack and not just outside of it. Ambient air temp is not the same as the temp inside the pack. Probably better to have some sort of heating option to insure the pack is entirely above freezing. It's expensive otherwise

2. The 5kw Espar type diesel heater appears to be the correct size. Been camping in temps down to -14 Celsius and haven't yet had to go full blast but the minimum setting is rarely too hot either.

3. If you're running stock dually tires and the (of) limited (use) slip rear diff and are venturing off paved roads where it is snowy, sandy or muddy.. make sure to bring tire chains. Maxx tracks would likely be good as well but chains alone got me out of trouble.

4. If winter camping and doing active outdoor stuff.. make sure to install at least double the amount of coat hooks and such you think you'll need.