This DIY Ambulance Camper Is a Budget-Friendly Tiny Home/Workshop on Wheels

There are many cheap base vehicles one can use to build their dream home on wheels. But why would you choose an ambulance? Well, first, because they're emergency vehicles, they're highly durable and reliable. Moreover, they typically undergo strict maintenance, ensuring that, despite having a high number of miles, they will still run properly.

Second, as I mentioned above, ambulances are cheap. Because the demand for them is low, they're easy to find, and you'll probably get a very good deal for one. Third, ambulances offer a lot of storage space inside out, as they were designed to fit a lot of life-saving gear and equipment.

Lastly, they're simply cool – an ambulance camper stands out from other mobile homes and will grab a lot of attention. However, this can also backfire, as it will be impossible to stealth camp.

Of course, it isn't all rainbows and sunshine with ambulances. If you decide to convert one, you'll probably encounter some layout and design challenges – because the interior has already been built out, you'll have to work with the original layout or do a lot of work to remove all the thick walls, cables, ducts, and more.

Another thing to consider is that ambulances aren't designed for living inside them, so they usually come with few windows and no insulation. Moreover, even though they're well-maintained vehicles, a high mileage still takes its toll, so you might need to carry out more frequent maintenance and repairs, especially when dealing with an old vehicle.

Cole and Shea chose a 1996 Ford E350 ambulance as the base vehicle. Before we take a closer look at it, let's discuss costs, as I mentioned this is a budget-friendly build. The couple paid $7,000 (€6,302) for the vehicle and invested $10,000 (€9,003) to transform it into a home. Spending $17,000 (€15,306) to have a ready-to-go camper is a good deal, considering that van conversions (so excluding the base vehicle cost) are more expensive than this. Of course, you can go even lower than $17K and still have a great camper, just like this converted school bus.

On the outside, you'll notice the vehicle boasts a dual paint job consisting of neon yellow and white. As soon as you lay eyes on it, you can tell this was an ambulance, with great emphasis on "was" - it's prohibited to imply in any way that this is an active emergency vehicle. For instance, all the red sirens must be removed or fully covered.

You'll discover many exterior compartments on this ambulance. Cole and Shea use them to store all sorts of stuff, from kitchen utensils to canopies, bags, shovels, and much more. Moreover, one long compartment houses various winter gear, including a split board and an avalanche bag, but the garage at the rear offers the most room for storage.

On the driver's side of the rig, toward the rear, there's a spacious compartment that serves as Cole's workshop. Cole is a woodworker specializing in jewelry and cutting boards, and this compartment houses a flip-up table, his tools, and a bunch of wood. By the way, this is where you'll find all the tools the couple used to build out the camper, so if there are any repairs needed, they can carry them out wherever they are.

Step inside, and there's hardly anything that reminds you you're inside an ambulance. The interior has a funky yet clean aesthetic with many wooden details, such as the beetle-kill pine ceiling.

Dead ahead, you'll find a tiny kitchen featuring a walnut countertop, a deep sink, an induction stove, and a beautiful live-edge flip-up table. Moreover, the cabinet underneath the sink houses a diesel heater.

For storage, you'll notice many overhead cabinets. Originally, most of these were toward the rear, but Cole and Shea repurposed them by giving them a different look and relocating them. Furthermore, they're mounted straight into the frame of the van for additional sturdiness.

The bed sits at the very rear of the interior. It features a custom mattress that's close to a queen size, which Shea claims offers a bunch of space for them, even if their dog also sleeps with them. Besides the overhead cabinets around the bed, another notable detail is a flip-up table where the duo places their laptops to watch a movie or a series.

As I said earlier, ambulances come with few windows. Of course, you want as much natural light shining inside your tiny home on wheels, so Cole and Shea installed a side window in the bedroom, which can also be opened for better ventilation.

Between the kitchen and the bedroom, the couple devised a simple seating area consisting of two benches. Underneath the bed, there's also a door that leads into the garage. However, this door can be flipped up and propped to serve as a table in between the two benches. By the way, underneath the bed is also where you'll find a fridge box.

Right next to the camper's entrance, you'll find a large hanging closet, which used to be one of the ambulance's original cabinets. Underneath it, the couple houses the rig's two 200 Ah AGM batteries, but they soon want to upgrade to lithium-ion batteries, which are more durable and efficient.

On the opposite side, you'll notice an RFID-chipped cabinet, as well as a compartment hiding part of the electrical system, which features a 3,000 W inverter and a charge controller connected to four 100 W solar panels on the roof.

All in all, this ambulance camper is well-equipped, considering the low budget it was built with. What's more, given that the couple had no prior building skills, it turned out pretty well.