Hummer Ambulance

[BobM]

The wife and I are getting OLD. Been thinking about getting something with a cot/bed for naps (Remember OLD) and an emergency toilet like a cassette toilet (Still related to the OLD thing mixed with two lane roads in Nevada, Utah, etc)
Noticed that hummers are being sold now, and I'm interested in the ambulance version. Are they capable on the interstate at interstate speeds? We like to use two lane roads as much as possible so that we can enjoy ourselves. But interstates invariably come up. We are not interested in serious camping, just occasional naps and comfort.
Does anybody use a hummer like this/ And is the ambulance body heavy? A carbon fibre foam core version might work better. Am I crazy?

 

[Mullaney]

The wife and I are getting OLD. Been thinking about getting something with a cot/bed for naps (Remember OLD) and an emergency toilet like a cassette toilet (Still related to the OLD thing mixed with two lane roads in Nevada, Utah, etc)
Noticed that hummers are being sold now, and I'm interested in the ambulance version. Are they capable on the interstate at interstate speeds? We like to use two lane roads as much as possible so that we can enjoy ourselves. But interstates invariably come up. We are not interested in serious camping, just occasional naps and comfort.
Does anybody use a hummer like this/ And is the ambulance body heavy? A carbon fibre foam core version might work better. Am I crazy?

.
I know for sure that I have seen HMMWV's with fiberglass "caps" on them.
As far as speed goes, just plan on 55 and be happy unless you plan to repower the truck.

If you need to run on the Interstate, install some strobe lights up in the top corners. You wouldn't have to be obnoxious with the flashing light thing, but in crummy weather or if you are on a heavily traveled piece of hiway - you would protect yourself and others.

Hopefully some of the other guys will chime in with their thoughts as well...

----

I almost wonder if you couldn't buy a used Chevrolet ambulance. It would require a little less work and it could be painted green like a CUCV ambulance. It would get better speed, newer parts and I would almost be willing to bet a lot less squeeks and rattles along with more comfortable seating - compared to a HMMWV.

 

[Lothar]

Yes, you are crazy. I think you might find many of us here are. Theres some sort of undiscovered disorder that causes some humans to find any justification to substitute a MV for a perfectly good civilian vehicle that is more comfortable, easier to maintain/find a mechanic to work on, and cheaper to operate. Sadly, I suffer from a chronic case. If you want a HMMWV and have the bucks, by all means you should have one. However, I would advise buying something different for road trips and camping. I'm getting up there too and have been using my truck for the last few years for work. Put 58k miles on it so far. Spent way too much time tending to its needs. And poured many thousands of $s (more than I'd like to admit) into it. Don't get me wrong, still love my MVs but the HMMWV is the only one that I can see myself selling at some point just to get some of my money back and into a nice civilian truck. The rest will most likely be sold by the wife when I am pushing daisies. Definitely search one out that you can at least sit in so you have an idea of how cramped it actually is. Now, I would also be interested in seeing pictures of your HMMWV ambulance camper build and offering help in that respect but I'm pretty certain that's the disease talking.

 

[NDT]

Please just buy a diesel pusher and enjoy driving around and not being towed to repair shops like you would with a HMMWV.

 

[BobM]

Yes, you are crazy. I think you might find many of us here are. Theres some sort of undiscovered disorder that causes some humans to find any justification to substitute a MV for a perfectly good civilian vehicle that is more comfortable, easier to maintain/find a mechanic to work on, and cheaper to operate. Sadly, I suffer from a chronic case. If you want a HMMWV and have the bucks, by all means you should have one. However, I would advise buying something different for road trips and camping. I'm getting up there too and have been using my truck for the last few years for work. Put 58k miles on it so far. Spent way too much time tending to its needs. And poured many thousands of $s (more than I'd like to admit) into it. Don't get me wrong, still love my MVs but the HMMWV is the only one that I can see myself selling at some point just to get some of my money back and into a nice civilian truck. The rest will most likely be sold by the wife when I am pushing daisies. Definitely search one out that you can at least sit in so you have an idea of how cramped it actually is. Now, I would also be interested in seeing pictures of your HMMWV ambulance camper build and offering help in that respect but I'm pretty certain that's the disease talking.

Yeah I loved the 1008 we had. I still had the other farm with plenty of room to play back then. I had acquired an OD tranny, T case and axles to make it faster, but some idiot offered me over 5K for it ( I paid $535!) and I decided to flip it. But that's when the prices got really high and I never bought another.
And I've been reading a lot of threads on here and have come to the conclusion that you pointed out about comfort and such. I turn 70 this year and have gotten pretty soft. We drive silverados and Tahoes nowadays mostly. We have a TDI Beetle, but on longer trips we cheat and take the Tahoe. We still drive to Florida in one day and my bones appreciate the luxury anymore. I don't know how I survived all those trips thru the desert in non air conditioned vehicles back in the day.
But I admit, I have been watching YouTube videos from Utah and Nevada and WANT to try a Hummer rock crawling. Maybe I'll start with a tourist trap ride this year while I'm out there. Thanks for replying.

 

[BobM]

.
I know for sure that I have seen HMMWV's with fiberglass "caps" on them.
As far as speed goes, just plan on 55 and be happy unless you plan to repower the truck.

If you need to run on the Interstate, install some strobe lights up in the top corners. You wouldn't have to be obnoxious with the flashing light thing, but in crummy weather or if you are on a heavily traveled piece of hiway - you would protect yourself and others.

Hopefully some of the other guys will chime in with their thoughts as well...

----

I almost wonder if you couldn't buy a used Chevrolet ambulance. It would require a little less work and it could be painted green like a CUCV ambulance. It would get better speed, newer parts and I would almost be willing to bet a lot less squeeks and rattles along with more comfortable seating - compared to a HMMWV.

Yeah, I admit I've gotten old and soft. We now tool around in a Tahoe with all the amenities. We have a TDI Beetle, but on most long trips it stays safe and sound in it's garage. In the old days I drove non air conditioned, manual trans things like Isuzu P'up diesels and the like coast to coast. Doubt I'd survive a trip like that anymore. I've had 6.2 and 6.5 GMs several times and had great luck with them.

 

[swbradley1]

If I were getting up in years, oh crap, I am getting up there, I find the last thing I want to do on the road is drive something uncomfortable. I just did a round trip of 19 hours last weekend and took my RAM 1500. I could have taken my wife's Cadillac SUV but the ride is lousy.

No way I would have taken an HMMWV. It is made for an 18 year old with nice soft spinal discs of the proper thickness. I sold all my MVs and got a Kawasaki Mule for rallies.

For what you are talking about I'd get a half-ton 4x4 pickup of your choice and put a shell on the back or maybe tow a small camper. Short enough to park in the spot of a bus and you have a place to nap or crap. Or, get a bumper dumper.

 

[WillWagner]

If you have a pickup, you COULD look into an "S" type shelter. Fits right in the bed of a pick up and you can deck it out how you like.

While you are miles away, something like this. Windows can be added easily, if no outside light, one can sleep the day away!

CA - S250 Shelter

S250 Shelter. Been sitting in the yard for a bit. Good condition. I can load it. $1100 obo. Located in South El Monte, Ca.

www.steelsoldiers.com

 

[country]

we have a few ambulance bodies



HM-989 | Ambulance Body for M997 HMMWV
HMMWV 2-Man Ambulance Body for M996 M996A1 HMMWV 1 1/4 Ton Trucks
NSN #:
$4,975.00

 

[Hummer Guy]

I'm going to disagree with some of the opinions here, I think a humvee would be a decent choice. I don't particularly have the ambulance top version, but I have the radio communication top and it does good enough on the highway with the 4-speed overdrive, "Typically I drive 60-65mph on the highway and it does that pretty well."

As for occasional naps & comfort, it can be done with some insulation, "ambulances may have insulation already but I don't know." If you want to go to the extreme, you can add a battery bank and run a solar system on it. I run 6 deep cycle batteries, and I'm planning on adding my solar system to it.

I don't think the humvee is that uncomfortable to drive either, the ride isn't too bad, and it handles better than my colorado. I also run a portable A/C unit in it, for me it's just like any normal vehicle that's loud. Maybe I just haven't been spoiled by modern vehicles yet.

For reliability, mines been extremely reliable once I fixed the issues it had on arrival, I been driving mines quite a lot for the pass year. If you keep up with regular maintenance, it should be a very dependable vehicle, and its a pretty simple vehicle as well.

I can't speak for the 3 speed, I wouldn't want them because of the limited top speed of them

 

[dReed39]

I'm going to disagree with some of the opinions here, I think a humvee would be a decent choice. I don't particularly have the ambulance top version, but I have the radio communication top and it does good enough on the highway with the 4-speed overdrive, "Typically I drive 60-65mph on the highway and it does that pretty well."

As for occasional naps & comfort, it can be done with some insulation, "ambulances may have insulation already but I don't know." If you want to go to the extreme, you can add a battery bank and run a solar system on it. I run 6 deep cycle batteries, and I'm planning on adding my solar system to it.

I don't think the humvee is that uncomfortable to drive either, the ride isn't too bad, and it handles better than my colorado. I also run a portable A/C unit in it, for me it's just like any normal vehicle that's loud. Maybe I just haven't been spoiled by modern vehicles yet.

For reliability, mines been extremely reliable once I fixed the issues it had on arrival, I been driving mines quite a lot for the pass year. If you keep up with regular maintenance, it should be a very dependable vehicle, and its a pretty simple vehicle as well.

I can't speak for the 3 speed, I wouldn't want them because of the limited top speed of them

That's one cool humvee!

 

[AAVP7]

Sorry to chime in so late; I usually hang out in the HMMWV section. But as an M997 user for about a year now, I might offer some experiences here:

First, using an M997 on the interstate should be OK, but you´re going to be the snail on the right hand lane. Besides the M997, I also have an A2 slantback, with about the same 3.5 tonnes weight, and the M997 accelerates much more sluggish. Also, if that´s a factor for you, gas mileage is pretty bad with the M997, due to the HUGE frontal area. The M997 gulps about 50% more than the slantback.

The M997 driver´s compartment is much more noisy than a slantback Humvee, even with the stock noise reducing foam. I guess the huge aluminium box acts like a big loadspeaker for the noise coming from the engine. While I do up to hour-long trips in my slantback without hearing protection, in the M997 I wear my Peltor all the time.

The rear cab is made from foam/aluminium sheets, so a bit of insulation is there, but the high heat transfer capability of the aluminium negates most of the insulation effect. It gets hot in summer in there, and cold in winter. The military knew why they wanted A/C and an extra heater for the rear cab.

Speaking of those: The A/C is nicely able to cool down the cab, but it does so at an infernal noise. The engine has to run for the A/C to work, plus there are three ventilators running continously above the commander´s seat. Also, there is no way to control the A/C from the drivers seat; you have to climb into the rear.

The extra heater is also well capable of heating the rear cab in anything but arctic conditions, but again, it is pretty noisy. Theoretically, it can run without the engine, but it draws about 40 amps of current, so after just an hour of operation, even a good battery might be half empty, and unable to start the engine. So I mostly only use the extra heater with the engine running. No cozy nights in the ambulance with the heater quietly pushing nice warm air into the rear....

All in all, the M997 is a nice base vehicle for a night or two at a military vehicle meeting, but frankly, I´m not sure if I wanted to do really extended trips with it.