When a Palmerston North couple embarked on a DIY COVID lockdown project to convert an ambulance into a cosy campervan, they chose Resene paints to give their vehicle a professional-looking finish. Peta Stavelli talks to Jon and Robyn Moores about the undertaking.
Palmerston North paramedic Jon Moores had personal and professional reasons for looking for a deregistered ambulance to convent into a getaway vehicle for holidays.
Having driven a few ambulances over the years, Jon knew the vehicle’s capacity for endurance and speed. He knew that the engines were well cared for by the St John Ambulance mechanical team, and he also felt that the conversion project was within reach of a pair of amateurs. At least he hoped so.
First Jon and Robyn carried out their homework, joining a Facebook group for people who had set out with the same goals. Jon says the group, Ambulance Conversions NZ, was full of good advice about how to prepare and plan and ultimately how to execute a great conversion.
Armed with advice received from other members of the group, they were able to come up with a workable floor plan and (for the most part) avoid many pitfalls. That’s not to say, as rank amateurs at the outset, that they did not make some mistakes along the way.
The other great help in coming to grips with some of the more technical aspects of the conversion was YouTube. And they also pay tribute to the staff at their local Mitre 10 who they say couldn’t have been more helpful, especially when it came to their choice of paints.
Perfect paint choices
Jon and Robyn chose Resene paints to bring their vision to life and ensure quality finishing touches throughout.
“We built all of the cabinetry from scratch, painting the cabinets with Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel and a Resene primer undercoat – all bought from the wonderful people at Mitre 10 who recommended a durable furniture finish, so it looked less DIY and more professional,” Jon explains.
“They were really patient with us and explained what paint to use, giving us heaps of information about the different Resene products. This enabled us to match everything up, as the final paint colours are really specific.
“We’re delighted with the overall finish, which really does look professional. Not bad for a couple of amateurs, I suppose but we reckon that when it comes to paint finishes, you get what you pay for.”
In addition to the clear Lustacryl, the couple also used Resene Anakiwa inside and Resene White for the exterior as the focus points.
Ambulance transformation
For Jon and Robyn, the purchase of a decommissioned ambulance was a no-brainer. Jon still works as a paramedic and knows these vehicles inside and out. So armed with this professional and personal knowledge, the couple bought their bare-bones vehicle at auction in April 2021 and drove it home to begin the transformation into a holiday home on wheels.
“It had around 500,000km on the clock but had been very well maintained. The body and engine were in very good nick. It had been purpose-built for the ambulance service on a Mercedes Sprinter base with a 3.2 turbodiesel engine.”
The vehicle was essentially bare bones with everything taken out before the sale. The couple looked to their Facebook group to come up with a workable internal plan.
“All of the external cupboards were still there, and we built all of the internal cupboards from scratch.”
Jon and Robyn focused on keeping the vehicle as light as possible.
“We used recycled material where we could. Old wood from the recycle centre became a really cool tabletop, and we used bamboo for the benchtops.”
A gas fitter used the ducts from the old oxygen tanks (which had been removed) to insert gas pipes for the stove. They do not have to rely on ‘shore’ power at all because they have sufficient solar panels and battery storage to meet all their needs and even run a reverse cycle fan to regulate the temperature.
The bed comprises two seats, which together with the drop-down tabletop, make up a very comfortable double bed. A local seamstress made a cover for the squabs in a suitable hard-working material.”
The couple decided to use a composting toilet instead of the usual cassette toilet.
“We created a space behind the passenger seat and used a composting toilet kit we imported from Germany. It’s so small you wouldn’t know it was there. We wanted to avoid all of the hassles with black water and chemicals. The toilet has exceeded our expectations, and it works wonderfully well. We just use a quick squirt of a natural spray Robyn found and there’s no odour at all.”
The project took them around a year to complete.
“The funniest part, and in many ways the best part, was learning new skills. I spent a lot of time on YouTube learning how to wire everything, which I could do myself because it was all 12-volt. And I’d estimate that during that time, we spent every Saturday morning at Mitre 10 adding to our supplies and knowledge.”
Their maiden voyage was a short trip to Hawke’s Bay ‘just to test it out’. With everything deemed to be in perfect working order, Jon and Robyn soon took off again, this time for a longer Northland ‘loop’ journey of exploration. They stayed off-grid at DOC camps and NZMCA Park Over Places (POPs).
“We love it that you can stay in these places so cheaply, and you meet so many interesting people. We love Northland and plan to go again soon.”
Wherever they go, the ambulance sparks interest, and Jon enjoys telling people about their project. After all, he and Robyn put so much of themselves into it.
“We tell people that this is a great way to get a personalised vehicle at an affordable entry point. Including the $9000 at-auction purchase of the ambulance, we probably spent $25,000 all up to get it to completion. We’re very happy with what we’ve got. We absolutely love it.”
