Great job 👍 I've been following this conversion from the begining and have picked up some great tips. Glad you got it finished in time for some end of summer trips.

@CriftinsCampers

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks I appreciate that

amazing work!

@CriftinsCampers

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Cheers!

You have created a realy nice place... great vid ,Thanks..🚑👌👍

@CriftinsCampers

4 жыл бұрын

white vanman Thanks very much

great job. i am glad i watched all your videos of your build. it may sound odd to some but i didn't watch any build videos at all before or whilst i built mine. the reason being i wanted to use all my own ideas . now i've virtually finished it's great watching others to see how they have dealt with similar problems. it's also uncanny how my solutions matched others in the way we dealt with them. ( like a musician composing a piece of music to find it's already been done lol). one major difference is your composting toilet. it didn't cross my mind to use anything other than a cassette toilet, i suppose mainly because of ease of emptying . i can definitely see it's a good idea though. lastly well done on your conversion /build. i think it's great that you have recycled lots of the original stuff. may see you on the road one day. dave.

@CriftinsCampers

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Dave I watched Greg Virgoes and that set the seed of the I can do that as well ideas. I watched a few others for ideas but to me these two Vans are simply giant playthings and its fun working out alternative ways to do stuff such as the bog! yep we will meet up one day no doubt, ttfn.

You did a real Good job there Keith! Well done mate 👍

@CriftinsCampers

4 жыл бұрын

pa maj Thanks, made a few changes since filming this, added a satellite dish because terrestrial reception is pretty naff in most of Wales. I have fitted a B2B split charge is not efficient and does not fully charge batteries, fitted a proper heater controller, fitted a spare wheel, and made a few tweaks inside. One thing I have learnt, need a lot more hooks, going to fit hooks all over the place in the Crafter!

@pa_maj.MARTINI-van-MAN

4 жыл бұрын

@@CriftinsCampers Hooks, it always comes down to lots of hooks lol, I have none except a wardrobe/toilet with a clothes hanging rail which I guess hangs stuff ha! I don't have many places to put hooks and haven't really found a need for them. What are you using the hooks for if you don't mind me asking

Well you certainly won’t lose it in a car park.😁😁 nice van.👍👍

interesting how much of the original ambulance interior layout you actually kept. Personally I wouldn't like my camper van to look like my workplace (yes, working in EMS in southern Germany we run WAS Ambulances with the same body layout as well).

@CriftinsCampers

2 жыл бұрын

WAS build standards are very good, probably the best of the constructors. Their modular ambulances are even almost fully insulated, the electrics are easy to work with and the fixtures are very well made. I own two ex Ambulances my other one, a Crafter (playlist is project Thistle on my channel) was built by O&H their builds standards are the worst imho! I bought the Crafter first but when I discovered how badly it had been done and that it wasn’t well insulated I realised I would have to completely gut it, and it was going to take a lot longer to convert than I originally expected. So I bought WAS and converted it quite quickly to give us something to use in the interim, hence I kept a lot of the original cabinets. I am so glad I did so because I still haven’t finished the Crafter and we’ve now had almost three years use from WAS. It’s been an excellent camper so far. When the Crafter is finished I will sell WAS but I will be sorry to see it go.

@EnjoyFirefighting

2 жыл бұрын

@@CriftinsCampers Although some ambulance bodies would be interesting to me, buying a used ambulance and transform it into a camper always got a 'no' from me, because I know how they're driven in service. Although sturdy, I can't agree on them being one of the best ambulance manufacturers. Their approach on where to put which cabinets is rather basic compared to other manufacturers. Also the tall box body gives a perfect wind attack surface while most of the WAS ambulances barely make use of the space beneath the floor and thus have a high center of gravity. In strong sidewinds you might have to turn the steering wheel by 45° to drive in a straight line. I've seen so many more practical approaches on other manufacturers, I probably will never go for a WAS as private vehicle; On the job we get nothing else but WAS, unfortunately; I used to work on ambulances from other brands as well, some were way better, some were worse

Nice van. envious. I see a man who likes his switches. Remarkably cheap, are domestic light switches. And easy to fit.

@CriftinsCampers

4 жыл бұрын

Yes they are very economical but being designed for mains are have a fairly low current rating (5A iirc), ok for lights etc but I would not switch the supply to something heavier duty without a relay. I have just been playing with the Carling Contura switches that came out of my other Van, Thistle they are quite heavy duty at 20A and have built in LED illumination so I will find a use for them in that van somewhere.

Pretty sure I was behind this ,this morning in me lorry on the A20 in lenham going toward Leeds Castle kent

@CriftinsCampers

2 жыл бұрын

Yep that was us, we were on the way from a campsite near Faversham to visit my Sister!

@jamdog6772

2 жыл бұрын

@@CriftinsCampers stunning looking van, enjoy

@CriftinsCampers

2 жыл бұрын

@@jamdog6772 cheers, did you go through Harietsham on Tuesday morning as well? They had just finished gritting and it was a bit of a dust storm!

@jamdog6772

2 жыл бұрын

@@CriftinsCampers I did and I do several times a day as my yard is there lol

Hi my name is Jeffery from Blackpool I live in a tent in the back of a van I youster have a Fleetwood camper and the best thing was the shower on the head of the shower ther was a switch to tern it on and of it saved lots of water

@CriftinsCampers

2 жыл бұрын

Yep I agree, the one I fitted originally also had a trigger on it as well but it was made from pretty poor quality plastic which broke after about 6 months. I replaced it with this much more solid stainless steel version from Amazon: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XPGBMBZ/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_RBVWY1WSEBJRB68EK4VF?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Cool ... thanks for the look .. 🇺🇸 we don’t get Them bad boy ambulance 🚑 in the USA 🇺🇸

@CriftinsCampers

4 жыл бұрын

Your Ambulances are very different many don’t look high enough to stand up in but they do seem to have nice V8s under the bonnet instead of weasels 😀. There’s a couple of ex US ambulances in the UK that I know have been converted to campers but they are rare probably because of the poor fuel consumption.

This is great! thanks for posting! Just wondering how your hot water heater is holding up, what kind of flue you've used & if it's twin walled. thinking of doing something very similar and wanted to see if you'd recommend. Cheers jamie

@CriftinsCampers

3 жыл бұрын

It’s been perfect but to be frank that’s really not surprising seeing as it’s not had a great deal of use yet. The flues from morco and I linked it in a similar question below

@jamiejay000

3 жыл бұрын

@@CriftinsCampers Great. thanks very much. Was wondering about the flexible flue bit and if that was twin walled but will look up the link you mentioned. Thanks again. Very appreciated. Great video! Jamie

@CriftinsCampers

3 жыл бұрын

@@jamiejay000 Ah that’s just a bit of standard extractor fan duct, single wall and not really the right thing for the job I fitted it initially as a temp instal but it worked so well I have kept it as is. It gets quite hot but not hot enough to cause any problems especially as the heaters not on for very long, the silicon sealant I used is rated for up to 300C iirc and has been ok as well.

Hi its Jeffery from Blackpool the coment you mayd about the amps on the heater if you have it set to hi it terns on and off but if you set it as low as you can it will ceep runing but yous less pawer and your frig if you look for a soft start frig that will help sorry for my spelling

Do you have a link to the video you mentioned about using the instant heater to heat a tank?

@CriftinsCampers

4 жыл бұрын

This is it, so far I have found mine very efficient and there is not much wastage before it comes through hot. kzread.info/dash/bejne/eoJhwa5-hK3TgaQ.html

Looking at getting that same boiler and i've also seen the video you refereed to with the guy having to recirculate water through a seperate tank to get it up to temp. What pump are you using, mine is only 6l/min but the boiler is 8l/min so wondering if i'll run into issues?

@CriftinsCampers

3 жыл бұрын

Pump size is not really important the controls on the boiler set a reduced flow rate and hence the effective temperature. a constant flow rate is more important though hence why I use an expansion vessel as well.

Good build, solid ambulance, will you keep or change the colour?. Cheers 😎

@CriftinsCampers

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks, I will be leaving it Yellow, the colours actually grown on me since I bought it!

Can I ask if you know the best/easiest way to remove the hydraulic stretcher lift at the rear???

@CriftinsCampers

2 жыл бұрын

I made a video specific to the lift on this van kzread.info/dash/bejne/oYVkz6-CYryqqZs.html

Great build, great use of interior. Can I ask where you bought it and for how much ? Thanks

@NomaddUK

2 жыл бұрын

That's something I'd like to know too please.

@CriftinsCampers

2 жыл бұрын

@@NomaddUK I paid just under £6000 for it from a dealer in York. It was not a pleasant experience & I wouldn't do it that way again, it was delivered after several weeks delay with a massive diesel leak where they had broken the WIF sensor whilst supposedly fixing an oil leak which they didn't (see other video re that) . Two of the leisure batteries, the Telma retarder control unit and inverter had also disappeared in the meantime. Worst thing though was they took it for an HGV MOT instead of a class IV, that messed up the MOT history a bit! If I were to ever buy another I would be looking for one that's still intact as its much much better to decom them oneself. If you do buy one I suggest you test everything and note whats fitted so that they become a condition of sale. I didn't but should have done.

Hi mate what's the name of the track that you use in the very beginning?

@CriftinsCampers

4 жыл бұрын

It is called ‘ Fresh Fallen Snow’ by Chris Haugen and is in the KZread free music library.

I really like the oak. Some good tips about the vinyl and paint on the interior - will check out some of the build videos when I have time, as I might look at a box ambulance conversion in the future. I'm currently converting an ex-patient transfer Sprinter van in New Zealand - also on a small budget, but will be more basic than yours though. Saw your van on One Man and his Whippet/Gadget John on Tours walk around at a meet up - cool idea to do a QR code link to your channel

@CriftinsCampers

4 жыл бұрын

Linz_in_NZ I have a PTS as well under the playlist Project Thistle, a Crafter, I hope you checked you had adequate insulation in yours mine was woefully inadequate hence I gutted the entire van and I have just done the same this week with an ex A&E Peugeot Boxer as well Ambulances are not well insulated it actually being just used as cheap sound deadening in most van conversions.

@linz_in_NZ

4 жыл бұрын

@@CriftinsCampers I'll take a look at Project Thistle - sounds interesting. My Sprinter roof has 1.5" of polystyrene and then a ply sheet that is covered in velour upholstery - which will stay as it is. Not as cold here in NZ in winter, and it will be used mostly for short breaks until Summer when we might go away for a longer period. I'm lining the walls under the windows in Earthwool insulation - it has a good R rating and good sound deadening too. I bought 10 bags of new build off cuts for about 20 quid - we used the R5.2 roof/ceiling stuff in the garage, the wall stuff will go in the van as its denser. There are a few thousand professionally built campervans/motorhomes here - the rental ones have a wisp of insulation - most only get hired in Summer, so its mostly okay - though can be too hot.

@CriftinsCampers

4 жыл бұрын

@@linz_in_NZ Is the climate drier in NZ as well? obviously if drier and warmer then there's less chances of Condensation. Yesterday here it was a classic grey foggy November day, everything was dripping wet!

@CriftinsCampers

4 жыл бұрын

Curious I had to go and find the video you mentioned of my Van, yes it was on the One Man and his Whippet Channel, they must have filmed it whilst we were in Stratford shopping! Gadget John I think fancies doing and Ambulance as well!

@linz_in_NZ

4 жыл бұрын

@@CriftinsCampers Yes much warmer and drier - I grew up in Yorkshire, then moved to Lincolnshire later, also spent time in Bath and on the South Coast, now I'm in Christchurch on the South Island of NZ, much warmer and drier than anywhere in the UK.

Keith, whats the max height on these. Looking to build a garage and planning on buying a WAS in the future but obviously want to future proof the garage so I can fit the ambi inside. Thanks

@CriftinsCampers

2 жыл бұрын

Assume they are around 2.85M minimum including the roof vent and window but excluding the orange airport beacon. Mines currently mow around 3.3M with the Sat dome.

@EnjoyFirefighting

2 жыл бұрын

we have the same Sprinter and WAS body combo and they're labeled as 3 meters tall

why don't you get a nice stainless steel flask for the left over water @16'. would look very smart in the oxygen holder ;-O

@CriftinsCampers

4 жыл бұрын

Now that's an idea more bling, dual porpoise... and it might fit a bit better as well

Nice Job, What flue cap on the roof did you use for the water heater?

@CriftinsCampers

3 жыл бұрын

I adapted a standard morco type flue kit www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303152363311

@jpcontrol6759

3 жыл бұрын

@@CriftinsCampers Exactly my plan as well. Thank You.

Mate is there any chance u have the dimensions of the van written down somewhere please. Im looking at buying an ambi and converting it into a mobile mechanics truck for myself

@CriftinsCampers

3 жыл бұрын

www.was-vehicles.com/de/produkte/rettungsfahrzeuge-europa/type-b/type-b-a-e-new-design-uk-version.html

Where are fuses for tail lift. Lift is of but van tells me fault with it so need remove fuse

Aren't they UV lights for making sure you disinfect the ambulance of any bodily fluids etc

@CriftinsCampers

3 жыл бұрын

Sorry missed this, I don’t know of any Ambulances that have UV lights fitted as standard, perhaps the cleaners might use them though as they certainly do show up certain fluids very well, if you have one try it in a hotel toilet! The blue trauma lights simply make blood look black which I assume is less scary for patients.

What is the plated weight value on these vehicles Keith?

@CriftinsCampers

3 жыл бұрын

This one is 5000kg and it weighed 3960kg when I filmed this just with me and a tank of fuel. fully loaded for a trip it’s now probably nearer around 43-4400kg.

@matthewreynolds6562

3 жыл бұрын

@@CriftinsCampers is that 5T the plate value in the door frame ?

@CriftinsCampers

3 жыл бұрын

@@matthewreynolds6562 Yes

How did you tax the ambulance? Did you need a GVT test certificate? Mine has class 4 at the moment. Need to change taxation class not sure if I need GVT or not???

@CriftinsCampers

2 жыл бұрын

No GVT should be required because ambulances are tested as class IV for MOT purposes and if being converted to a camper van they remain as a class IV. The van has to be taxed first i.e. as an ambulance then you can use a form V70 to change the taxation class from Ambulance to PHGV. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/845575/application-to-change-vehicle-tax-v70.pdf

@bruinsma2009

2 жыл бұрын

@@CriftinsCampers your a legend

Is this 3.5 tonne and normal uk licence?

@CriftinsCampers

4 жыл бұрын

nixonsmateruby1 nope it’s plated at 5000kg and currently weighs about 4300kg fully loaded.

Hi Keith. Are you still open to sort out electrics on my boxer conversion? We spoke a while back on Facebook. Thank Tony

@CriftinsCampers

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Tony I've stopped using FB for the time being. My email address is in the 'about' page on my KZread channel, drop me a line re what you want doing. I might be able to help but am very busy working on my Crafter now.

@anthonygannie6492

4 жыл бұрын

@@CriftinsCampers hi Keith. I've checked your about page and can't see an email address?

Found somebody in the UK van conversion AT LLAST'!

@CriftinsCampers

4 жыл бұрын

Hi there's loads of us over here converting them! Greg Virgoes a good channel to watch.

Keith if your interested give me letters and numbers written on the water Jerry cans at 11.00 and ill try and find out what vehicle they were from as a novelty for u

@CriftinsCampers

3 жыл бұрын

Hi I might just do that, thanks, we have three of them, all bought from eBay!

Whereabouts did you buy your ambulance from and how much was it I’ve been looking at some sites on eBay thank you

@CriftinsCampers

4 жыл бұрын

I bought mine from a Trader in York who advertises on eBay, I probably paid too much money for it especially as it had several useful items removed at some point,worse even after I agreed t buy it the Trader removed two of the Leisure Batteries without telling me! If I were to buy another I would go to the Auctions at Merthyr or to Brightwells they are usually more complete if coming straight from the Ambulance service.

@chipking2765

4 жыл бұрын

Criftins Campers Sorry for keep disturbing you as I am looking to buy one from the auctions in the next couple of months have you had any issue with the engine and gearbox on the vehicle and what was the mileage is roughly on her for her age and how much is road tax for her appreciate your help so thank you I thought I forget how much is it to fill up and roughly how many miles do you get to a tank load

@CriftinsCampers

4 жыл бұрын

@@chipking2765 Mine was delivered stinking of Diesel the top of the fuel filter was cracked and had Diesel pouring out under pressure, It was fine when I checked it in York so no idea what the trader did to damage it and how the delivery driver did not incinerate himself beats me! Once I sorted that out there was nothing at all wrong with the running gear until recently I now have a faulty glow plug which is cheap to fix. I have the full service history for my van its done 300,000 miles and needed very little doing during that time Mine is a V6 Automatic I have not checked fuel consumption yet It probably doing low 30s. the Autobox fluid has been changed regularly and the entire van had been fully serviced by Yas about 3000 miles before I bought it including brake fluid A&E Ambulance get well looked after & serviced every 10-12 weeks PTS Ambulance on the other hand can be badly maintained as most are leased & operated for profit so corners get cut! Mine is 5000KG so a PHGV tax is £165 Buying at Auction is obviously a lottery some that go through are in a terrible state best go a few times to get a feel for it also watch Wombles channel he posts weekly from the Brightwells van auctions

@linz_in_NZ

4 жыл бұрын

@Chip King Try Brightwells.com - down in Leominster - they seem to have the NHS contract for selling them - Wondering Womble usually does a walk around video each week and then one of the Auction itself - worth a look at a few to see what comes up and some prices.

@CriftinsCampers

4 жыл бұрын

Linz_in_NZ yes they had five like mine go through today all went for just over £2000 plus fees and vat. That’s a lot of van for the money!

0:33 Why is there a chicken nearby the ambulance?

@CriftinsCampers

3 жыл бұрын

Aryan Raja We keep Chickens, I filmed this in my field.

I guess whatever model android doodah that is its one to avoid, we bought an android TV box, hell its awful, my 4year old phone, also android, is like an f1 car next to it, i dont think its so much android thats the problem, but the amount of memory in the thing and the processor speed/type

@CriftinsCampers

4 жыл бұрын

We're Really Relay Camping you may be right, it is not helped by the endless amount of updates, coming from an IT background it bothers me that apps need so many updates! I have a couple of Amazon fire sticks they are so slow when updating they make even watching paint dry seem fast! I replaced the os on my vans HU yesterday with a custom version and I have stripped out a lot of unnecessary bloat ware I also installed fewer apps and it a lot more responsive now. The main reason I fitted it was for google maps and for the reverse camera which it’s perfectly for.

@WereReallyRelayCamping

4 жыл бұрын

@@CriftinsCampers Google maps? I left them for Waze, which is the Google maps database with a better front end

@Mr69sideshow

4 жыл бұрын

Android box should have a minimum 3G of ram for a decent user experience more akin to a good mobile..1G boxes are a good paper weight

Lol. "I have a cheap head unit and its slow". Well obvs. You get what you pay for!

@CriftinsCampers

3 жыл бұрын

It’s a popular Xtrons make, and it’s been better since I updated the version of Android but I would never buy another touchscreen only HU ever again, they are awkward to interact with when driving, especially if the device is sluggish. Even adjusting the volume can be difficult so I have learnt not to even try. It’s been brilliant as the reversing screen and for Google maps though which is why I fitted it. I have bought a far better thought out one for the crafter which has some physical controls as well.

You sound like Ian foot

How much did you pay for the ambulance

@neilchance9339

4 жыл бұрын

900

@CriftinsCampers

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Neil I bought this from a Trader in York so I paid way to much for it compared to what they go for at places like Brightwells. If I ever buy another I will try and get one direct e.g from an event company or private Ambulance service etc that way it's less likely to have been got at during the decommissioning!

100