4x4 Overlanding Ambulance Features Genius Hide-Away Features and a Snug Living Space

Meet Greg and Ginger, the owners and builders of this custom DIY ambulance tiny house. Before we go into detail regarding the vehicle, let me tell you more about this couple. Who knows, their story might inspire you to take the leap into a mobile lifestyle.

Due to the limited number of vacation days Greg and Ginger had, they had to contain their adventure spirit. They always found themselves eagerly waiting for more vacation days to travel some more. At some point, Ginger asked if Greg wanted to do this full-time.

After trying out the mobile lifestyle, they realized they wanted to adventure more off-road. And so they decided on a 4x4 ambulance. After months of searching, they bought this unit sight unseen, as they were quarantined in Mexico. The purpose of their camper was not only to help them go off the beaten path but also to allow them to enjoy long-term off-grid, four-season travel.

What we have here is a Freightliner FL60 ambulance sporting an 8.3-liter Cummins engine paired with an Alisson automatic transmission. It measures 25 feet (7.6 meters) in length and 10.5 feet (3.2 meters) in height. What's more, this beast gets about 10 highway MPG (23.5 L/100km).

Initially, the duo budgeted $56,000 (€51,917) for the entire build, including the base vehicle. For an overlander, especially one so well-equipped (as you'll soon see), that's not a lot. Ultimately, they ended up surpassing the budget by just $3,000 (€2,781), spending a total of $59,000 (€51,917). One of the most significant ways they managed to keep costs to a minimum was by carrying out the conversion themselves.

The couple chose this heavy-duty vehicle because of its sturdiness and the safety it offers, as well as its off-road capabilities. Moreover, the rig rides on split aluminum rims wrapped in bulky Continental off-road tires.

Just as Greg explained, it's important to take into account the engine hours of an ambulance's engine rather than the miles on the odometer. That's because ambulances typically don't drive long distances, but they remain idling for many hours to keep the medical equipment running.

Besides the tires, the couple made several exterior upgrades to the rig. One of the most significant ones was related to the fuel tank capacity. The vehicle came with a 40-gallon (151-liter) fuel tank, and the duo replaced it with two 55-gallon (208-liter) fuel tanks, which allows them to drive for around 900 miles (1,448 km).

You'll discover three storage compartments on the driver's side. The tall one closest to the driver's cabin houses the electrical system – and it's quite a powerful system. Its highlights are two 24 V, 433 Ah Tesla batteries, and solar charge controllers connected to 1,200 W solar panels on the roof. It's safe to say that going off-grid is not an issue in this rig.

One of the hassles of converting an ambulance is dealing with all the wiring and their huge electrical panels. This ambulance's wiring was a mess - check out the gallery to see how everything looked during the conversion. To make things worse, there wasn't any wiring diagram to follow.

It took Greg a whopping two weeks to route each wire to see what it was used for and then sort everything out. And Greg is an electrical engineer – I don't even know how much it would take most of us, who have no experience, to do that.

Another compartment on the driver's side holds the plumbing system. It comprises an electric water heater, a three-stage water filtration system, and a UV filter. Unfortunately, Greg and Ginger didn't mention the capacity of their rig's water tanks.

At the rear, Greg installed a custom-made rack that covers a residential A/C, integrates a storage box, and also holds two bikes and a spare tire. Furthermore, half of it can be swung away to reveal the rear door, which leads to the garage under the bed. This is where the couple stores tools.

All these features are pretty cool, but it's not like we don't see them often on other campers. My favorite exterior element is a custom-made hammock holder. It's quite a simple addition – the couple can pull out a metal bar with a hook. Then, a hammock can be attached to the bar's end and to a hook integrated next to the rig's entrance.

As soon as you step inside, you'll notice how roomy the interior is. Even though the rig doesn't offer a crazy amount of actual space, 112 square feet (10.4 square meters) to be specific, Greg and Ginger came up with various space-saving solutions.

Just by the entrance, you'll discover a huge apartment-size Isotherm fridge/freezer. What's more, above the door, there's a residential A/C.

On the left, you'll find the dinette area, comprised of two benches with a dinette table in between. It's big enough to accommodate up to six people, as the dinette seat can be extended. Furthermore, the space underneath the bench seats is used for storage.

On the wall right beside, a long window lets plenty of light shine inside. In fact, all the windows in the living space come with a built-in bug screen and black-out shades.

Behind the dinette area, you'll notice the bedroom. This is one of the clever solutions the couple came up with - during the day, the rear part of the bed can be raised up to form a backrest, and the bed becomes a couch.

To extend it back into a bed, the couple must first lower the table in the dinette area, and then the couch fully extends, becoming a full-size bed. By the way, this is all done electronically. Moreover, the bed's mattress sits on a Froli system – long story short, it's a sleeping system designed to let air circulate under the mattress, preventing mold from forming.

Greg made a custom headboard for the bed, comprising a Sirocco fan and multiple cubbies for storage, one of which serves as a charging station. Another notable detail in the bedroom is a skylight, perfectly positioned to stargaze in the comfort of the bed.

Regarding entertainment, Greh and Ginger fitted a Logitech surround sound speaker system inside, as well as a monitor attached to the ceiling above the bedroom on a swivel mount. This combo is perfect for watching movies in bed with exceptional sound.

The kitchen is located on the driver's side of the interior. It features a lightweight butcher block countertop offering a decent amount of space, a sink, a white-and-blue tiled backsplash, a two-burner induction stove, and an induction air fryer oven hidden on a slide-out.

One clever design feature here is a built-in drying rack housed under a flip-up part of the countertop. Greg and Ginger came up with a custom aluminum pan under the rack- it's tilted toward the back and drains directly into the greywater system.

The microwave is another hidden appliance – it's located near the ceiling, integrated into a locking slide drawer, like the air fryer oven. Moreover, the largest storage spot in the kitchen is a massive pull-out pantry.

Above the pantry, you'll notice the rig's control center. It comprises various switches, such as ones for lights, fans, tank heaters, and more, as well as a Victron battery monitoring system, an inverter controller, and a controller for heated floors.

The compact space beside the pass-through door leading to the driver's cabin is reserved for the bathroom - a sign reading "Poop Deck" lets you know of this. The bathroom boasts a composting toilet and a shower with a teak mat and a curtain.

All in all, I'm impressed by Greg and Ginger's ingenuity in building this tiny home on wheels. Even though the interior is relatively compact, it packs so many useful features. It's definitely one of the best ambulance campers I've written about.