Budget-Friendly DIY 4×4 Ambulance Build

Ben Harris walks us through his own conversion of a 1995 F-350 four-wheel drive ambulance, or as he affectionately calls it, “the big girl.” With tight quarters and limited resources, Ben managed to turn this ambulance into a fully functional tiny home with all the necessary amenities for life on the road. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at the unique features of Ben’s ambulance, from the shower that doubles as the entryway to the surprisingly spacious sleeping area.

Meet The Big Girl: A DIY 4×4 Ambulance Conversion

Welcome to the Big Girl, a 1995 F-350 four-wheel drive ambulance that has been converted into a tiny home on wheels. This DIY conversion by Ben Harris is not only impressive but also functional and cozy. One of the best things about living on the road is having a big yard, and this vehicle provides just that.

Stepping inside, you’ll find an entryway that doubles as a shower area. The shower is made using an old sink that was cut to fit the space. A teak shower mat is placed underneath with a drain that leads outside. Harris also added a sprayer for convenience. The closet space has ample room for hanging clothes, with cedar linings to keep them fresh and bug-free.

The kitchen area includes a sink, cooktop, and storage for food. Harris kept the ambulance’s original cabinets, only refacing them to create a more homey feel. He added a garbage chute that leads to an outside compartment, making it easy to dispose of garbage without stinking up the interior. The fridge slides out and doubles as a seat, with a table that also slides out for convenience.

The bed area is fixed with a full-size mattress, leaving enough space for other clothes and gear at the foot of the bed. The bed has a metal frame with slotted plywood for airflow to avoid mold and mildew issues. The ceiling features beautiful tongue and groove cedar, giving the Big Girl a warm and inviting atmosphere. Overall, the Big Girl is an impressive and functional tiny home on wheels that is perfect for those who love to travel and live an adventurous lifestyle.

Maximizing Space: Creative Storage Solutions in a Tiny Home

In a tiny home, maximizing space is essential. Ben Harris, who lives in a converted 1995 Ford ambulance, shows us how he creatively organizes his small living quarters.

Starting with the entryway, Ben has transformed the shower area to double as his closet space. He has renovated the existing cabinets, lined them with aromatic cedar, and taken out some shelving to hang his clothes. He has also implemented a teak shower mat and a drain that goes straight through. While having a shower indoors is an option, Ben prefers to use the outdoor shower.

Moving further inside, Ben has utilized every nook and cranny to increase his storage space. He has converted the existing cabinets, added hooks, and designed a wooden countertop, perfect for food preparation. He has repurposed a walnut piece to create a ladder divider to add separation between his sleeping space and the kitchen area.

Ben’s bed frame is constructed using metal pieces and plywood, providing stability while driving. He also added handles made of leather for ease of access. His bed fits a full-size mattress with still plenty of space at the foot of the bed for storage.

Ben takes pride in repurposing existing structures as storage solutions, including all the cupboard doors that slide and stay closed on both sides. He also added a cool little feature under his countertop that hinges up to create another seat, maximizing the limited space he has.

In conclusion, Ben has proved that even in a tiny home, one can still organize belongings and live comfortably by thinking outside the box with creative storage solutions.

Showering on the Road: How an Old Sink Became a Shower

The entryway of Ben’s tiny home on wheels doubles as a shower. He uses an old sink that he cut out to fit the available space and placed a teak shower mat underneath it. There’s a drain that goes straight through, and he uses a sprayer to shower himself off. A shower curtain magnetically seals around the top to provide some privacy. Although Ben never uses the shower, he keeps it there just in case he needs it while on the road.

Ben’s kitchen space is his food prep area, storage for all his food, and has switches for lights. He uses the cabinets that came with the ambulance and refaced them to make them less medical and more homey. There is a garbage chute, and he has access to the outside compartment to toss garbage out. The countertop on the wood top is made of Acacia hardwood, which works well for him. The sink has a cut-out that serves as a cutting board, and the stove top runs off propane.

Ben’s fixed bed allows him to sit up just barely, a requirement that he had. He used a metal frame, and there’s some plywood that runs through it to allow airflow and prevent mold or mildew issues. His bed frame is all metal, so there’s no rattling, and there’s no shaking when he drives down the road.

From Medical to Homey: Refacing Cabinets in a Converted Ambulance

Stepping into the converted ambulance-turned-tiny-home of Ben Harris, you’ll find yourself in the entryway that doubles as a shower. The Teak shower mat underneath the mat drains into a straight hole beneath the ambulance floor, making showering a breeze. Although he primarily showers outside, Ben has a functional indoor shower option as well. Next to the entryway, Ben’s closet space features cabinets already present in the ambulance that he refaced and relined with aromatic cedar to keep his clothes fresh and free of bugs and mildew. The upper part of these cabinets is ideal for storing gloves, hats, and other odds and ends while the lower level houses Ben’s shoe storage.

In the same area, Ben’s body heater serves as the only heat source he has during colder nights as the ambulance is well-insulated. Next to the closet space is the pass-through door that allows easy access between the cab and the back of the ambulance. The high roof of the ambulance over the cab makes it exceptional compared to other ambulances as it offers enough headroom to move around.

Ben’s food prep area boasts a sink, cooktop, and storage for his food and switches for his lights. He refaced the cabinets to make them more homey. The cabinets come with an outside compartment that allows Ben to throw out the garbage without any nasty stenches building up inside. He can access his propane tank from the same outside compartment. Ben’s countertop is of Acacia hardwood while the stove top runs on propane.

Next to Ben’s food prep area is good sliding door cabinetry to store his plates, cups, and pots and pans as well as food storage. His fixed bed frame is all metal, so there are no rattles or shaking when he drives down the road. His bed offers the luxury of being able to sit up and relax. Under the bed, there is enough storage for Ben’s paddleboard, skateboard, backpacks, and other odds and ends. Ben’s favorite feature is his leather handles that he got from a Montana boot maker, which give his converted ambulance a unique touch.

Ben’s ceiling is tongue and groove cedar, and he uses LED lights that he wired to the same ambulance light wiring to minimize consumption. His converted ambulance is a testament to his ingenuity, space-saving utilization, and his DIY spirit.

Fixed Bed vs. Convertible Seating: The Pros and Cons

When it comes to choosing between fixed bed and convertible seating in a van conversion, there are pros and cons to both options.

Fixed Bed:
– Pros:
– Provides a permanent and comfortable sleeping area
– Can offer ample storage space underneath
– Offers the ability to sit up in bed, increasing comfort
– Cons:
– Takes up a significant amount of space during the day
– Limits the flexibility of the living area
– Can be difficult to install in smaller vans

Convertible Seating:
– Pros:
– Maximizes living space during the day
– Offers flexibility in how the living area is utilized
– Can be more cost-effective than installing a fixed bed
– Cons:
– May not offer as comfortable of a sleeping area, depending on the conversion design
– Can be time-consuming to convert the living area from day to night use
– Some designs may not offer as much storage space

Ultimately, which option to choose will depend on personal preference and the intended use of the van conversion. For those who value a comfortable sleeping area and don’t mind sacrificing some living space during the day, a fixed bed may be the best choice. For those who prioritize flexibility in how the living space is utilized, convertible seating may be a better option.

One of the most impressive features of this tiny home is the shower. It doubles as the entryway, and while it’s unfortunate that Ben can only stand up in this area, it’s still a remarkable use of space. The shower even has a teak shower mat and a drain that goes straight through. Despite this, Ben admits that he rarely uses the shower and usually opts to shower outside instead.

The low ceiling in the ambulance presents some challenges, but Ben manages to make it work. He’s converted the existing cabinets in the ambulance into closet space, ensuring that he has plenty of room for his clothes. He’s also added a body heater, his only heat source, which he says works really well thanks to the ambulance’s insulation.

The pass-through door is another great feature in this tiny home. It allows Ben to easily get from the cab to the back of the ambulance, making it convenient for those times when he just wants to crawl into bed. Ben has also added some hooks to create catch-all spaces for jackets and other odds and ends.

The kitchen area is where Ben spends most of his time in the ambulance. He’s managed to fit a sink, cooktop, refrigerator, and plenty of storage into a very small footprint. Everything has its place, and Ben has repurposed existing cabinets to make them more homey and less medical. The countertop is made of acacia hardwood, and everything matches the wood paneling on the walls and ceiling.

Despite the challenges of living in a small space, Ben has managed to create an inviting, comfortable home on the road. It’s proof that with a little creativity and ingenuity, you can make any space your own.

Q&A

Q: What is the YouTube video about?
A: The video is about a man named Ben Harris who converted his 1995 F-350 four-wheel drive ambulance into his tiny home.

Q: What does Ben deal with in the video?
A: Ben shows viewers around his converted ambulance, highlighting the various DIY projects he did to make it his home.

Q: What is the layout of the ambulance like?
A: Ben’s ambulance has an entryway which doubles as a shower. There is also a closet space, shoe storage, and heating. There is a pass-through from the cab to the back, which is rare in an ambulance. There is also a food prep area, a sink, and a stove top for cooking.

Q: What kind of storage is available in Ben’s ambulance?
A: There are cabinets and sliding doors which are already installed in the ambulance. There is also storage underneath the bed, which goes all the way back to the back doors.

Q: What kind of DIY projects has Ben undertaken in the ambulance?
A: Ben has added a shower curtain and hooks for jackets. He also created a divider out of a piece of walnut he found in a bar’s trash, which adds to the ambiance of the space. He also had help from his metal fabricator brother to create a sturdy bedframe and added LEDs to the wiring where the ambulance lights used to be.

In this fascinating YouTube video, we get to take a closer look at Ben Harris’ impressive 1995 F-350 four-wheel drive ambulance turned tiny home. From the cleverly converted entryway shower to the cedar-lined closet space and aromatic cedar cabinets, every inch of this home on wheels exudes warmth, character, and unbeatable functionality. Ben takes us on a tour of the different areas of his tiny home, showcasing his ingenious use of space and clever storage solutions. The fixed bed, refrigerator doubling as a seat, and the wooden ladder divider all add up to make this space feel more like a permanent home than just a van. Overall, Ben’s budget-friendly DIY project is not only inspiring but also proves that with a little ingenuity, you can turn almost anything into a cozy and practical living space on the go.