Chevrolet Silverado 3500 ambulance

[mellow]

Ok, not sure this will work but I am looking at buying a retired ambulance and converting it to a service body to put my truck camper on.

It is not a full on ambulance, more like an intercept with the tools in the back of it so I was thinking the back should come off and be able to retrofit a service body on it?

[jimh406]

mellow wrote:
I will look into putting a flatbed on it as that does make more sense since this will be for hauling my Lance camper.

There are lots of takeoff normal beds as well. That might be an option as well.

[mellow]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I have requested the hours from the seller. I will look into putting a flatbed on it as that does make more sense since this will be for hauling my Lance camper.

[Grit_dog]

The "easy button" for a truck without a pickup bed, be it chassis cab or pickup frame, is a flatbed. Speaking of when it comes to loading/fitting a truck camper.
Like Burningman said, depending on the baldly and the camper you may have to make minor to major mods to one or the other to fit.
The other issue I see with a service body is weight. They're not light, and neither are most truck campers. IMO it's not a great choice in general to saddle the truck with a bunch of extra weight just to add a bunch more extra weight.
You can gain a similar amount of exterior storage with side boxes on a flatbed, for less lbs per cu ft of storage with side boxes I believe. Also makes configuring loading/tiedown solutions easier.

There are some cool service body/TC rigs, like the guy on here with the white F550 setup, but he has some real $ and work in to that setup.
Given the OP is looking at cheap, old used ambulances as a base platform, I surmise budget is as important as capability and usefulness in this situation.
Get the truck, pick up a flatbed for it if it's a straight frame, add some toolboxes if desired = win-win from a cost and difficulty standpoint.

[Grit_dog]

ticki2 wrote:
Grit Dog , define "straight frame" . All 2500hd and 3500 G M's from 2001 on have a flat bed frame , no hump over the rear axle .

I don't recall what the frame looked like on our old Dmax, but I was referring to the standard 34" ? I think, wide chassis cab frame rail width and standard cab to axle measurements which are standardized across all brands of trucks to allow for aftermarket service type bodies to be universally mounted.
Verses a pickup truck frame which is wider and the exact configuration is brand specific, thus not universally able to accept aftermarket bodies without some modification, if even possible depending on application.

[burningman]

Factory cab & chassis dually trucks have narrower rear axles than dually pickup trucks.
The wheelbase is usually slightly longer too. Fitting a pickup bed can be done but it’s not so simple.

Yanking the current body and dropping on a service body should be quite easy, if you find one with all the right dimensions.

Be aware, campers don’t necessariky fit right onto a service body. Campers often have a little “kick out” where the bathroom is, inside the truck box but behind the wheel well. That can interfere with sliding it onto a service body, most of which do not have that extra space.

That’s nothing a cut-off wheel, welder and a little steel won’t fix though!

[soren]

Grit dog wrote:

mellow wrote:
That is what I am trying to figure out currently, can I retrofit a long bed service body or truck body to it. I wish it had an hour meter on it but it doesn't.

Almost positive it does. Either in the dash info center or the odometer. Look it up. It’s there somewhere.

X2

IIRC, every Chevy truck I've owned in the recent past keeps track of hours, and it takes a few taps of the trip ODO reset, or something just as easy, to get it to display.

[ticki2]

Grit Dog , define "straight frame" . All 2500hd and 3500 G M's from 2001 on have a flat bed frame , no hump over the rear axle .

[Grit_dog]

Has the OP looked at the truck? Either it's a straight frame or it's not. Said it does t have an hour meter so presume he looked at it.....

[ticki2]

mellow wrote:
That is what I am trying to figure out currently, can I retrofit a long bed service body or truck body to it. I wish it had an hour meter on it but it doesn't.

If it has a service body on it now the chances are good that it is a cab/chassis which has a narrower frame , standard for most service bodies and flatbeds . It will have a frame that is 4" narrower than a pickup and 4" longer between cab and axle which means a pickup bed will not fit properly . I don't know of any year when GM did not have a cab/chassis available for a 3500 drw .

[Grit_dog]

mellow wrote:
That is what I am trying to figure out currently, can I retrofit a long bed service body or truck body to it. I wish it had an hour meter on it but it doesn't.

Almost positive it does. Either in the dash info center or the odometer. Look it up. It’s there somewhere.

[Supercharged111]

free radical wrote:
Q how do you take a pig into hospital?

A in an Hambulance

Q what do you call pig without legs?

A a ground hog

Dad jokes FTW! Especially the lame ones!

[jimh406]

The computer may have the data. For the service body, you can talk to the service body manufacturers, and probably get a fairly quick answer.

[mellow]

That is what I am trying to figure out currently, can I retrofit a long bed service body or truck body to it. I wish it had an hour meter on it but it doesn't.

[Grit_dog]

I'll presume it is considerably cheaper than a comparable pickup, which would go for at least $25k in good condition.
LT2 is nice options, not a stripped down work truck.