M1010 Ambulance Picked up

[maynard83]

On Saturday my son and I picked up our M1010 Ambulance from Hundy. (many thanks to Mark & Brian)
This is the one he posted with the 4.5 inch lift kit and the H1 Wheels.
I plan on completely re-doing the interior and getting a new paint job. So as not to offend anyone's sensibilities I am keeping the Desert Tan color but in a glossy or semi-gloss paint. Also plan on re-doing the ambulance by taking out the litters on the drivers side and adding a 2 stove burner and sink and some seats & maybe some audio/video.
Only problem I have is with the batteries going dead on me but it will start right up by hooking up a jump to the front battery. Not sure what the problem is but I suspect the Alternator.
Any tips would be appreciated.

 

[WOLFMAN1]

start the truck and disconnect the bat. if it dies its the alt or wiring problem. does it still drive or stall if you turn on the lights or anything electric. could be alt not putting out enough amps to cover vehicle use and lights or electical. good luck and nice truck

 

[maynard83]

I haven't tried disconnecting after starting her up. Which battery should I disconnect and which leads?
Once it starts I can turn on the lights without it stalling.
Thanks Wolfman!

 

[WOLFMAN1]

the battery with the lead power would be the one to cut. that would stop the truck quickly if the alt isn't any good. sometime they say remove the negative but if the vehicle is grounding it self some where it would probably still run but it beter be a strong ground. i'd disconnect the lead power and turn on the lights. the engine should bog or reduce power but should still run. other than that im out of ideas

 

[WOLFMAN1]

now i have had a vehicle run once boosted and run fine but when i parked it over night it would be dead by the next day. come to find out i had a wire with the coating off and it was running the battery dead cause it still had current. once i fixedc the wire never had the problem again. your welcome

 

[lavarok]

First thing, forget wolfmans posts above and anything you think you know about CUCV charging systems.

I'll post why in a minute!

 

[WOLFMAN1]

okay hit us with what you got. didn't say i was a good mechanic just offering help

 

[lavarok]

Ok..now that I have prevented you from potentially electrocuting yourself and/or welding your self to your truck I can explain your potential problems.

1: The little blue box(es) on your driver side engine compartment make up what is called a "Duvac". Your truck if it is stock will have [2] 24V alternators. The "duvac" is supposed to keep the 12v side of the truck powered and keep the front battery charged. You can search Duvac on this site for a plethora of information regarding the duvac, issues, and solutions.

2: The master light switch on the M1010 controls power to a relay for black out lights in the rear compartment of the truck. If you leave the master light switch on, even with a good 12v charging setup, the front battery will drain out over time. When ever the truck is not in use, do yourself a favor and turn off the master light switch. Just don't forget to turn it back on when you need to use the truck and off again later.

If you want any help figuring out your setup, just pm me an email address and I'll email you.

By the way, Nice truck.

 

[WOLFMAN1]

sorry placed regular mechanic with system not 24 volt system. thanks for the heads up

 

[lavarok]

okay hit us with what you got. didn't say i was a good mechanic just offering help

Sorry if I came off rude, it was not my intention. The M1010 is a unique vehicle in regards to its charging system. There are a lot of rumors and misguided information out there. I own a M1010 and have it figured out completely.

 

[WOLFMAN1]

it's okay glad ypou are more able to help than i was. would really hate to see the owner electrocuted. thanks

 

[maynard83]

Thanks Ian for the help. I just sent you a PM.
And I do appreciate your trying to help out Wolfman!

 

[WOLFMAN1]

your welcome and sorry for the confusion glad he was able to help better than me. good luck

 

[chevymike]

maynard83 - Very cool rig you got there. I just contacted Mark to see if he had any 1010's and said he just recently sold the one he had, which is yours now.

Since I am seriously thinking of buying one of these but have never seen one in person, would it be possible to meet up with you one day soon and check your rig out? PM me with your contact details if this is something we can put together. Thanks!

Mike

 

[still standing still cyco]

M1010 ambulance picked up

good score maynard, been reading the few threads about this truck since i have the same, and im building mine in a similar way, and for a similar purpose... which leads me to this... why are you deciding to keep the 24v system? i have full respect for people that want their vehicle original, but that isnt your goal if your doing the other work... im converting mine to 12v for the simple fact that if i go to a civvy 12v setup, i can get parts, and mechanical work, anywhere i go... whether im in NYC(god forbid), or the Mojave desert, i can get help. also, even tho im keeping dual batts, a 12v starter will take less of the batt power, and a large alternator( im actually considering running 2 alts, i have a large one for an erly 90s IH 5.9 dump, but havent tried it yet) will keep up just fine... which leads to the amby box... as you prob kno, thats 24v, and the lights will suck your batt dry fast... im planning on going to a camper inverter or convertor setup, with a small genny, and im switching the air conditioner out for a small house 110v setup(itll be properly mounted, and caged for protection). this setup should allow me to hook up at a house or campgound, run the genny, or just go sparingly running power from deep cells for the camper box... in the long run, i think thisll be the best setup to help me not get stranded... and having 4+ hi power batts will help(2 front, 2 or more in back). this is just my . hope some of it helps, or gives you ideas to make your M1010 what you want it to be... good luck, and MORE PICS!!

 

[maynard83]

maynard83 - Very cool rig you got there. I just contacted Mark to see if he had any 1010's and said he just recently sold the one he had, which is yours now.

Since I am seriously thinking of buying one of these but have never seen one in person, would it be possible to meet up with you one day soon and check your rig out? PM me with your contact details if this is something we can put together. Thanks!

Mike

PM sent

 

[maynard83]

good score maynard, been reading the few threads about this truck since i have the same, and im building mine in a similar way, and for a similar purpose... which leads me to this... why are you deciding to keep the 24v system? i have full respect for people that want their vehicle original, but that isnt your goal if your doing the other work... im converting mine to 12v for the simple fact that if i go to a civvy 12v setup, i can get parts, and mechanical work, anywhere i go... whether im in NYC(god forbid), or the Mojave desert, i can get help. also, even tho im keeping dual batts, a 12v starter will take less of the batt power, and a large alternator( im actually considering running 2 alts, i have a large one for an erly 90s IH 5.9 dump, but havent tried it yet) will keep up just fine... which leads to the amby box... as you prob kno, thats 24v, and the lights will suck your batt dry fast... im planning on going to a camper inverter or convertor setup, with a small genny, and im switching the air conditioner out for a small house 110v setup(itll be properly mounted, and caged for protection). this setup should allow me to hook up at a house or campgound, run the genny, or just go sparingly running power from deep cells for the camper box... in the long run, i think thisll be the best setup to help me not get stranded... and having 4+ hi power batts will help(2 front, 2 or more in back). this is just my . hope some of it helps, or gives you ideas to make your M1010 what you want it to be... good luck, and MORE PICS!!

I may convert it to a 12V system but for now, and since the 24V system works just fine, I am concentrating on other, more important upgrades that I need to take care of. Once I get all those tasks done I will see what else I can do or upgrade. Thanks for your comments though.

 

[Hornet Driver]

Hi just wondering if you know where to find the wiring for the 4 spot lights in the back. They will not work and can't find the wiring for it. Any help would be great.Thanks

 

[cucvrus]

Did someone cut them off?

 

[dmetalmiki]

Nice looking truck. If everything works ok, try to keep it original.