Overview
We bought this as an ambulance in 2015 and with the exception of the 4×4 system, completed the conversion to a camper van ourselves. Our primary goal was to build a vehicle to support our project of traveling the US collecting data and imagery of rock climbing areas, and the design was intended to respect and repurpose the “ambulance” systems wherever they were useful or just fun.
We lived in this van full-time for 18 months in 2017–2018 and traveled to 49 US states and 3 Canadian provinces — over 40,000 miles! As rock climbers, having a 4×4 van was a game-changer for accessing crags in the most remote parts of the country. This is the perfect vehicle for someone who wants to spend serious time in remote places.
We are certainly sad to sell this van, but we don’t use it for its built purpose anymore, and would rather see it go to someone who can give it another life on (and off) the road.
Specs
- Model: 2003 Ford Econoline E-350
- Milage: 314,000
- Drive: 4×4
- Engine: 7.3L PowerStroke Diesel
- Title: Clean; Re-Titled as a “Van Camper” in California (no commercial fees, weight fees, emergency vehicle restrictions, etc)
- Insurance: Actively insured by Progressive under a “stated value” type RV policy
Power, Drivetrain & Mechanical
This van is a beast, with a legendary power plant and the best modifications we could find
- 7.3L PowerStroke Diesel Engine. There’s a lot of lore surrounding this engine, and it’s well deserved.
- A 4.10 axle gear ratio provides the ideal balance of available torque and freeway engine RPM’s.
- The UJOR 4×4 conversion is widely regarded as the best option for 4×4 van conversions, with fantastic on- and off-road performance. Learn more about this here.
- The conversion was performed by DieselTech using the 6-inch kit by U-Joint Offroad, custom drive shaft by XXX
- Front axle with TrueTrac torsion-based limited slip differential and WARN manual locking hubs has never let us down.
- The Edge 85401 CTS2 Diesel Evolution tuner is a game changer even in the lighter-weight “towing safe” tune we use, and we have alerts programmed to alert us long before temperatures become an issue.
- Pro Comp Series 5001 wheels with Toyo Open Country A/T II tires(LT305/70R17) look good and perform incredibly well on the road and on dirt. The tires have about ⅓ the warrantied mileage remaining.
Electrical
- Four 100W Renogy solar panels on rail mounts soak up plenty of sun.
- The Renogy 40A MPPT charge controller keeps the batteries topped off, and the Renogy remote displays the status.
- Three 125 AH VMAXSLR125 AGM batteries store plenty of juice for living and can be used to assist the starter battery on extra cold mornings.
- The Fleet Power 1000 inverter / charger is designed to provide ambulances with reliable AC power, and charge on-board batteries from the “shore power” port on the van.
- Ford’s “ambulance package” includes two 110A alternators which rapidly charge batteries while the engine is running.
- Sure power 24023A-1B solid-state isolator prevents the house system from ever running down the starter battery.
Lighting
- Flexible LED cab lighting
- Exterior flood lighting uses high-output, halogen-colored LEDs (L and R) and is controllable from the panel while driving.
- The 52in curved LED bar looks cool, but wasn’t especially effective. It did not turn on most recently, and appears to have collected water inside. Buyer can choose to repair or remove.
- Two levels of LED ceiling lights were retrofit into the original fixtures and circuitry, with a warm 3000K “low” mode and neutral 3500K “high”.
- New fluorescent bulbs provide additional light and can be activated by the timer switch by the back door.
Water
- Custom mounted 20 gallon fresh water tank designed specifically to sit alongside the frame fail of an econoline.
- Shurflo water pump (and a spare!) and small compression tank
- 1 gallon grey water storage mounted externally
Audio
- Over-built sound insulation in the front helps tame the engine noise that accompanies large vans and tires. This includes a ridiculously thorough install of Dynamat Extreme and Dynapad in the cab, and Dynamat Hood Liner in both the hood and doghouse.
- Speakers
- Amp
- Subwoofer
Communication
- The Uniden PRO510XL CB radio
- Wifi extender
- LTE extender
Cooking
- The refrigerator is an Engel MB40V-D with a remote compressor. It has a capacity of 40 liters with a max amp draw of 3A, and the compressor is almost completely silent.
- Plenty of dry food storage in the build-in shelving
- 5lb (1.2 gallon) propane tank, sealed from the interior and vented to the exterior of the van.
- Two burner Coleman stove, which hose hookup to propane tank for internal cooking, or easily removable for outdoor cooking
Living
- The nearly queen-sized bed converts to a bench with 2 seat belts thanks to custom-designed stainless-steel brackets and cleverly-designed drawers.
- Custom cushions (made by my mom!) are made of a low/high/low-density foam that is extremely comfortable for its thickness. The covers are made of soil-resistant fabric, and are easy to remove thanks to zippers and permanent interior cushion lining.
- The single-sheet of vinyl flooring makes cleanup easy.
Miscellaneous
- The entire body is painted with U-POL Raptor Liner, which has proven to be nearly indestructible.
- Puck Locks on the side and rear doors and after-market lock plates in the front doors help deter and resist break-in attempts.
- Side and rear windows have all been replaced with pop-out Ford windows from passenger vans.
- The upgraded center console from 2008+ econolines uses space much more efficiently, providing better storage and looking much nicer.
- The custom-mounted ARB awning shades and protects when posting up at a site.
- Rigid polyiso board and Reflectix keep the living space insulated without creating moisture risks.
- Tons of storage, including a massive fully raptor-lined gear drawer and deep slot for wet or muddy items.
More Information
Check out the build thread On Expedition Portal.
The van is currently located in the Bay Area, California.
Please reach out to emily.marcacci@gmail.com to ask questions or schedule a time to meet.
