Moved into a CONVERTED AMBULANCE to TRAVEL the World
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Carl and Madison decided to take the plunge and move into an ambulance turned camper that they decided to name the Campulance. Prior to buying it Carl was on the road camping out with Camp Trend, a production company started by his brother and his girlfriend Ives. Carl was meeting a lot of people living out of their vans or trucks and this time, and it was a lifestyle that really resonated with him, so he started saving for about two years to get a rig of his own.
He never really considered getting an ambulance, but he found this one on Craigslist. It really just had everything they were looking for as far as a great engine and a great solid build. When he first told Madison about it she thought it was a joke. She was in a tiny cabin and then they looked into a yurt for the summer, so they were already accustomed to living in small spaces together, which made the transition pretty easy. It wasn't like they went from a big house to a super small space, since they were already familiar with tiny living, it was actually a luxury upgrade for their lifestyle.
The Campulance is a 1997 Chevrolet K3500 with four-wheel drive and a diesel engine that weighs about six tons with all of their stuff in it, so it's pretty heavy, which they can feel when driving around turns and going up hills, but it is super reliable. It averages around 12 to 13 miles per gallon and has two fuel tanks. The sirens up front came attached to the siren speakers and a PA system, so that's what's coming off of a super heavy-duty bumper. On the front half it's painted with Monstaliner which is supposed to just be chip resistant and scratch resistant.
The cab is pretty standard, but the best thing they like about the ambulance is the storage both inside and out. There's a lot of closets around the outside where they keep their big gear and pretty much their long-term storage. Anything that's immediate they keep on the inside. They keep an inflatable boat, some climbing gear, their backpacks in one closet, while their second has tools. Pretty much everything they need for building or adding stuff to the ambulance or doing mechanical maintenance. They probably use the air compressor the most just for refilling tires. They also have trash access there as well. It drops in through the main cab, but has exterior access as well.
In the third closet they keep their water systems, one six gallon tank plumbed to the sink, and another seven gallons of fresh drinking water. The two back doors are usually open when they’re at camp as it provides a lot of light and a good area to chill on their cooler. This is mainly how it is as long as the weather permits keep it open. Their tallest closet is where they keep their skis and a fishing pole that is always ready to go right there.
They have some leather and suede crafts for making and selling art on the road. Other closet just general camping gear, tents, backpacking stuff, pretty much anything they use for outdoor living is kept in there. They got a window which they don't see too often on modern day ambulances but comes in handy when they’re sleeping. They can access their closet which you'll see from the inside but they can get it from the outside as well, and then under there are the two batteries for the truck which charge while they drive. The eventual project is to put solar on the roof so they can run electrical while parked without draining the car batteries. They do use these floodlights pretty frequently just when they pull into camp and help getting set up. They don't use the center one, they can tell it's kinda getting ripped out by trees on the drive on the Forest Service road.
On the inside of the Campulance they’ve got their closet which is really accessible and packed with all of their stuff. They’ve each got their own section, and then they share the shoes. They share a lot of clothes too just to make it work. All of these cabinets came with the ambulance originally, even this red leather upholstery that they see throughout the cab there. They’ve also got this awesome chair that was already in. It’s pretty comfy and there's a pass-through cab as well.
Whenever it's nice and it's not raining they’re definitely outside doing all the cooking and this is a nice setup for the stove if they are inside and it is raining as the Ambulance came with an exhaust fan preinstalled. There is a hand-pump sink that they use to do the dishes with.They have a K2 Cooler which doubles as a bench and also their fridge. They’ve got all of their goodies in there kept nice and cold. They have a dry bag that they use for their ice and that keeps everything fresh while reducing the amount of water that ends up being emptied out when it melts.
There’s a bug screen that rolls all the way down to the floor, if needed. They have all these plastic inserts in every single cabinet so they can move those around to really lock things in there which is super handy when they’re driving down these bumpy roads. And then the all-star of the inside which they haven't pointed out yet is this bar which they just kind of hang off and hang stuff on it, work out, stretch. So they recommend a bar like that in all vehicles. They stained al the wood they put there to a red mahogany just to kind of make it feel more like a cabin, but they are slowly working on adding more wood
Their advice? Don't be so serious, and live in the moment. Try not to project too much about what's in the future, what's to come, or getting stressed out about the things that they can't control at the time. Travel and be open to stepping outside of your comfort zone or "normal life", whatever that may be. Be open to change and open to trusting the kindness of people. Get out there, get outdoors. Free yourself. Experience something new. Spread the love and be awesome, every day. they try to be.
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