# Thinking of converting a merc 508 what do you think



## Deadsfo (Jan 27, 2013)

I am looking at a Mercedes 508 LHD ex Nato reserve ambulance to convert to a camper ,these are 1987 but only have 1000/7000km on the clock and are to all intents and purposes like brand new  and  no rust,although a little weather beaten.The only draw back is the 0m314 diesel engine which is  3.7 ltre lump,totally bombproof but will be expensive on fuel,though savings on not having to spend on worn out engines might make up for it.
   Does anyone out there have any experience of driving one of these vehicles,I know they are slow but I am never in much of a hurry anyway,and noisy which can be overcome with soundproofing,what sort of MPG could I expect ,I'm thinking 22/24mpg £25 per 100miles? is that too .I would appreciate your input on any aspect of this vehicle


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## phillybarbour (Jan 28, 2013)

I drove one these for a while in 1989, very slow and very slow gear changes to, it just would not be rushed. Body is wider than other panel vans which would be good. As you say engine will last fore ever with no fancy electronics. Can't recall mpg but I think sub 20 would be the norm I drove a 308 a lot at that time that only did low 20's.


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## mark61 (Jan 28, 2013)

Those 508D ambulances do look nice. Seems there all SWB. Not sure where you have seen them. Haggle hard, seems there are plenty.


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## n brown (Jan 28, 2013)

i've had a few low mpg vans. i used to work out that once i had the fuel money to get somewhere,once i was there i'd only need to drive 1 km to have a change of scene,and with a bike or moped,i wouldn't be using tons of fuel for looking round and shopping


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## Deadsfo (Jan 28, 2013)

phillybarbour said:


> I drove one these for a while in 1989, very slow and very slow gear changes to, it just would not be rushed. Body is wider than other panel vans which would be good. As you say engine will last fore ever with no fancy electronics. Can't recall mpg but I think sub 20 would be the norm I drove a 308 a lot at that time that only did low 20's.



Thanks mate,sub 20,s  starting to frighten me a bit ,I would have liked 20/23 ,but you can't make a silk purse out of a pigs ear!


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## Deadsfo (Jan 28, 2013)

n brown said:


> i've had a few low mpg vans. i used to work out that once i had the fuel money to get somewhere,once i was there i'd only need to drive 1 km to have a change of scene,and with a bike or moped,i wouldn't be using tons of fuel for looking round and shopping


That a good philosophy,but sub 20's is very low


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## Deadsfo (Jan 28, 2013)

mark61 said:


> Those 508D ambulances do look nice. Seems there all SWB. Not sure where you have seen them. Haggle hard, seems there are plenty.



There in Doncaster ,I am not sure of the internal length so I am going to go over there and have a look,they must be having a bit of a struggle moving them
because they were originally around £6000 but they now have them on their clearance page at £4800inc vat,They originally had 50 ,thats a lot of old trucks to shift.
   I 'l let you know how I go on.


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## n brown (Jan 28, 2013)

that seems expensive! for example  MERCEDES 609D CAMPERVAN MOTORHOME TAX AND MOTD | eBay


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## leosaphira (Jan 28, 2013)

n brown said:


> that seems expensive! for example  MERCEDES 609D CAMPERVAN MOTORHOME TAX AND MOTD | eBay



+1 on that comment 

I got my lady for £2400 with 220,000km on the clock - engine is sweet as a nut and bomb proof beasts (4l version) mpg is around 26-28 there abouts.. yes she drinks, but what you use in fuel you save against cooking/hotels etc. She is an ex bus.. but with some black out windows she is looking quiet smart.. Unique in her own way so stands out from the crowd on the motorways.. brings a big smile when on the roads.

With the 508 model.. I think the "5" number is 4. something tons max weight.. and the "08" iirc is around 80bhp.

So if you looking to do a self build think about the weight your going to be carrying overall and engine use. I went with a 611 model (5.6tons) and 110BHP engine. Perfect for me as after the conversion was done I have over 1.2tons to payload to play with (and trailer drive train of 9.5tons - so she is able to pull a car without any problems)


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## Bigpeetee (Jan 28, 2013)

Once it's run in, the economy should improve, slightly!!


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## Deadsfo (Jan 28, 2013)

leosaphira said:


> +1 on that comment
> 
> I got my lady for £2400 with 220,000km on the clock - engine is sweet as a nut and bomb proof beasts (4l version) mpg is around 26-28 there abouts.. yes she drinks, but what you use in fuel you save against cooking/hotels etc. She is an ex bus.. but with some black out windows she is looking quiet smart.. Unique in her own way so stands out from the crowd on the motorways.. brings a big smile when on the roads.
> 
> ...


220,000 would frighten me to death but it looks like it's worked for you ,I suppose with these I am  paying for the low mileage,I had an LT 35 a few years back that only gave me 25mpg and was a slow old bus,I enjoyed it untill someone pinched it,the 26/28 mpg I could certainly live with,sub 20's would kill it.
   I would do the the conversion in lightweight ply,the stuff that',s a composite of ply,balsa,ply ,teriffic weight to strength ratio,I have a good idea of the layout I want but I'm not sure of the internal measurements ,I'm not keen on the idea of onboard fresh/brown tanks bearing in mind that a cubic yard of water weighs 1ton,you soon use up your payload like that.Thanks for the input ,it answers my mpg worry.


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## voyagerstan (Jan 28, 2013)

had 508 in past btiliant van ours was long wheelbase high roof model half milion miles on the clock engine good as new as long as you change filters and oil nothing much to go wrong with them .sosimple to work on and merc still cary spares . weused to get about 18-20 mpg . pity about the body though particuly round windscreen and pilars :drive:  stan


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## Deadsfo (Jan 28, 2013)

n brown said:


> that seems expensive! for example  MERCEDES 609D CAMPERVAN MOTORHOME TAX AND MOTD | eBay



I understand where your coming from but I dont want to inherit anybody else's problems,if I build it myself even if something does go wrong at least you have a very good idea of where everything is,at my age I want to be travelling I don't want to spend any time mending.I guess I will use your reply as an incentive to haggle hard, Cheers


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## mark61 (Jan 28, 2013)

The price is clearly a reflection on the van being virtually unused, but these ex military places do advertise with high prices, perhaps to reduce tyre kickers, who knows. I'm sure if they sense a serious buyer there'll be a fair amount to knock off the asking price.

Wouldn't be worried of 220 000 km, thats low mileage for these motors, with maintenance of course.

I've looked at the site and there all SWB, I'm sure if you google  Mercedes 508D Dusseldorfer you'll find specs / dimensions somewhere.


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## paul h (Jan 28, 2013)

MERCEDES 814 VARIO MWB VAN ONLY 80000 MILES DIRECT FROM ELECTRICTY BOARD | eBay

more power better economy  and not even run in i bought my iveco for similiar money with same miles and mines 4 litre turbo and im not getting much more than 20s out of it .At the end of the day its your choice but i remember lt 35 on n plate i had with no turbo it was horrendous up hill drove mercs to and they were same great enjoy but as said thirsty with no umpth


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## Teutone (Jan 28, 2013)

paul h said:


> MERCEDES 814 VARIO MWB VAN ONLY 80000 MILES DIRECT FROM ELECTRICTY BOARD | eBay
> 
> more power better economy  and not even run in i bought my iveco for similiar money with same miles and mines 4 litre turbo and im not getting much more than 20s out of it .At the end of the day its your choice but i remember lt 35 on n plate i had with no turbo it was horrendous up hill drove mercs to and they were same great enjoy but as said thirsty with no umpth



I would pick this one at any time over an 508! The word SLOW will have a new meaning once you have driven an 508. Yes they are quite large inside and fairly bombproof but they are very old technology wise.
At least make sure you get one with power steering if you can't stop yourself.


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## Deadsfo (Jan 28, 2013)

*merc508 conversion*



Teutone said:


> I would pick this one at any time over an 508! The word SLOW will have a new meaning once you have driven an 508. Yes they are quite large inside and fairly bombproof but they are very old technology wise.
> At least make sure you get one with power steering if you can't stop yourself.



it certainly looks good,but thats £5000+£1000 vat,if I can haggle the price down the extra on the 508 the difference would be near the price of the conversion,I'm also happy with the swb ,20foot long is too long for me, I also  think the strange front windscreen gives it a bit of character,I also like the fact that it has a hinged door as opposed to a slider,the sliding door is a very noisy piece of kit ,the inside walls and floor are probably adequate for the conversion once the stretchers have been removed.
   The one thing that is bugging me is the low mpg,one post reckond he was getting 26/28 from a 4ltr another who has owned a 508 18/20 hopefully its somewhere in the middle,there quoted at 10/12ltrs per 100km wich is about 23ish,I have a feeling they don't have power steering I have'nt seen it mentioned anywhere,so slow manoeuvering will be a good swearing sweating workout.If I buy one I'm looking at probably a 4yr journey of discovery ,I don't see much of a resale value in it a bit like Robin Van Persie for Man United with lots of fun and goals along the way.
  thanks to everyone who has responded


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## mark61 (Jan 28, 2013)

I'm not so sure any of these had power steering, perhaps just the latest, I don't know.

Personally I wouldn't dismiss the old 508D in favour of the later Vario so quickly. Depends how much of a hurry you're in, I can't see for one minute that the Vario will use less fuel, but I have no facts to back that up, (my 2011 Sprinter averages about 20MPG, so later doesn't mean more economy)
Provided the steering is as new, it will be ok, obviously not as light as power steering though. It's only when these vehicles get old and the steering has never been looked at do they get heavy.

I also wouldn't under estimate it's resale value. If these 508's are in as good condition as their mileage would lead you to believe, and provided the conversion is good you will get good money, especially in Germany. Have a look on mobile.de


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## AndyC (Jan 29, 2013)

paul h said:


> MERCEDES 814 VARIO MWB VAN ONLY 80000 MILES DIRECT FROM ELECTRICTY BOARD | eBay
> 
> more power better economy  and not even run in i bought my iveco for similiar money with same miles and mines 4 litre turbo and im not getting much more than 20s out of it .At the end of the day its your choice but i remember lt 35 on n plate i had with no turbo it was horrendous up hill drove mercs to and they were same great enjoy but as said thirsty with no umpth


We have a Vario 814 LWB, the same age as the one on Ebay. 4.2l with turbo and intercooler, we get around 21mpg. 

It will cruise happily at 100kph all day, tops out at about 120kph, and the optional diff lock that's fitted on ours has helped us get unstuck on a few occasions!

We are thinking of selling it some time this year - looking for an earlier (non-Vario) MWB 814DA which is the 4 wheel drive version!

AndyC


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## Deadsfo (Jan 29, 2013)

*merc 508 conversion*



AndyC said:


> We have a Vario 814 LWB, the same age as the one on Ebay. 4.2l with turbo and intercooler, we get around 21mpg.
> 
> It will cruise happily at 100kph all day, tops out at about 120kph, and the optional diff lock that's fitted on ours has helped us get unstuck on a few occasions!
> 
> ...



Thats a big bit of kit you have there,if your getting 21mpg with a 4.2 ,turbo,bigger heavier van,I could get,with a following wind 23/mph25 possibly?


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## shawbags (Jan 29, 2013)

voyagerstan said:


> had 508 in past btiliant van ours was long wheelbase high roof model half milion miles on the clock engine good as new as long as you change filters and oil nothing much to go wrong with them .sosimple to work on and merc still cary spares . weused to get about 18-20 mpg . pity about the body though particuly round windscreen and pilars :drive:  stan



I had a 1983 508 380,000 miles on the clock a bit noisy and it smoked a bit (not fags),fully loaded up 24-25 to the gallon at a steady 55 mph,these engines will go on for ever if well looked after as you said.


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## cooljules (Jan 29, 2013)

not sure if its this engine, but on a veg oil forum, i know some merc engines people put really crappy quality used veg and they run great.  and isnt this the van, that went all around the world only using veg oil? pretty famous vehicle.   if it does and you can get it at half the price of diesel, then thats double your milage


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## Deadsfo (Jan 29, 2013)

*merc508 conversion*



cooljules said:


> not sure if its this engine, but on a veg oil forum, i know some merc engines people put really crappy quality used veg and they run great.  and isnt this the van, that went all around the world only using veg oil? pretty famous vehicle.   if it does and you can get it at half the price of diesel, then thats double your milage



I guess the vegetable oil thing is a whole new thread but a quick note I always worry about the injector pump ,different types of rubber are affected by different oils I 'm thinking there must be some 'o' rings or some seals in the injector pump and I don't know what veggie oil does to them,also the temperature it burns at is supposed to be a problem,start up is difficult unless you have either a tank heater or double tank to start it on diesel, I would just worry about the long term affects,jts no good saving £1000
and having to replace your pump after a year on vegie oil ,but I'm no expert on this and perhaps someone out there with some knowledge and experience of the whole 'cooking oil' thing could start a thread on it.


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## gaz2676 (Jan 30, 2013)

have heard stories of mixing a certain amount of 2 stroke oil into a full tank it seems in studys it s the best lubricant additive for you pumps...even if you use normal derv ... so i hear please research yerself .....:idea:  tell yer what wouldnt it be cool if yer camper reaked of castrol R when you pull away from every junction ...follow me i right behind ya      sniiiiiffff    sniiiiiifff:wacko:


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## cooljules (Jan 30, 2013)

Deadsfo said:


> I guess the vegetable oil thing is a whole new thread but a quick note I always worry about the injector pump ,different types of rubber are affected by different oils I 'm thinking there must be some 'o' rings or some seals in the injector pump and I don't know what veggie oil does to them,also the temperature it burns at is supposed to be a problem,start up is difficult unless you have either a tank heater or double tank to start it on diesel, I would just worry about the long term affects,jts no good saving £1000
> and having to replace your pump after a year on vegie oil ,but I'm no expert on this and perhaps someone out there with some knowledge and experience of the whole 'cooking oil' thing could start a thread on it.



thats why i mentioned chicking out the veg oil forum, as all the info you need is on there.  some engines are great, and some not, but as i said, lots of old merc users run it fine.  in winter i just inrease the amount of petrol i add to chance the viscosity.


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## cooljules (Jan 30, 2013)

gaz2676 said:


> have heard stories of mixing a certain amount of 2 stroke oil into a full tank it seems in studys it s the best lubricant additive for you pumps...even if you use normal derv ... so i hear please research yerself .....:idea:  tell yer what wouldnt it be cool if yer camper reaked of castrol R when you pull away from every junction ...follow me i right behind ya      sniiiiiffff    sniiiiiifff:wacko:



mine stinks of fish n chips or a burger van, trouble is it makes me feel hungry all the time :-(


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## n brown (Jan 30, 2013)

also check out adding acetone to fuel


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## gaz2676 (Jan 30, 2013)

is that nail varnish remover???


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## Deadsfo (Jan 30, 2013)

gaz2676 said:


> is that nail varnish remover???



getting to feel like I need a chemical science degree,very naughty but I know a couple of transport lads 'man and van' type thing and if the money and buisnes is'nt  to bright they run there vans on heating oil and add a four stroke oil to that for lubrication,but severe penalties if caught,can confiscate your vehicle.
    veggie oil is legal with some provisos I believe.


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## Deadsfo (Jan 30, 2013)

cooljules said:


> thats why i mentioned chicking out the veg oil forum, as all the info you need is on there.  some engines are great, and some not, but as i said, lots of old merc users run it fine.  in winter i just inrease the amount of petrol i add to chance the viscosity.



petrol and veggie oil?hope you don't cook with as well,in the old diesel days of big old transport trucks the drivers used to add a bit of petrol to stop the water in the diesel freezing,imagine phoning Mercedes up these days with all the computer wizardry to ask' how much petrol should I add to my diesel if it gets cold'


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## Deadsfo (Feb 5, 2013)

*converting merc 508*



Deadsfo said:


> I am looking at a Mercedes 508 LHD ex Nato reserve ambulance to convert to a camper ,these are 1987 but only have 1000/7000km on the clock and are to all intents and purposes like brand new  and  no rust,although a little weather beaten.The only draw back is the 0m314 diesel engine which is  3.7 ltre lump,totally bombproof but will be expensive on fuel,though savings on not having to spend on worn out engines might make up for it.
> Does anyone out there have any experience of driving one of these vehicles,I know they are slow but I am never in much of a hurry anyway,and noisy which can be overcome with soundproofing,what sort of MPG could I expect ,I'm thinking 22/24mpg £25 per 100miles? is that too .I would appreciate your input on any aspect of this vehicle



a quick line to keep anyone who is interested up to date,I spoke with the people at Jacksons (they are the military hardware company selling the ex Nato ambulances) and they tell me that the rear inside length is only 10ft,that surprised me a bit as the o/all length is 5.6mtrs (over 18 ft in old money) so the stubby bonnet and cab take up 8 ft, seems a lot,anyway the problem is how do you fit a bed ,kitchen ,toilet/bathroom,a wardrobe and all the other bits into 10ft!!

       OK I know the VW's and the like manage it but I need  bit more comfort at my age and a conversion that would keep her indoors happy ,I couldnt stand hearing why does this not have x,y,z,every day of a holiday,and considering its being pushed along by a 3.7ltr lump you are not getting a lot of bang for your fuel buck
        I could have lived with 11/12 ft but 10 will take a lot of ingenuity to solve ,and ingenuity usually means fiddling about a lot

         I would welcome any suggestions or examples of a good conversion at around  10ft because the vehicles are first class.and one more thing if anyone was considering having a look at them,the price has been reduced to £3950+vat  as a clearance price to do this they have taken out the stretcher equipment that you see on there web site,thats OK who wants a set of stretchers,but it means they can no longer MOT them for you as they are now considered a van which makes it difficult to transport to your abode,at least if it was MOT,d it  could be driven on a trade plate a transport vehicle would cost  a good few quid.


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## mark61 (Feb 5, 2013)

If they are SWB, which I think they are they are 5.04M


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## Deadsfo (Feb 5, 2013)

*merc 508 conversion*

I think thats probably the answer to my mystery ,they are advertised on their web site at 5.6mtrs which as I said gave it an 8ft cab!! but at 5.04 the 10ft internal length makes sense, it would appear some one at L. Jacksons can't use a tape measure .I am beginning  to think they could be too small,though one solution I remember from when I was having my  VW. LT35 done was a drop down bed from roof level that some company down south was producing ,they were quite expensive so never got round to looking closely at them


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## FULL TIMER (Feb 6, 2013)

Deadsfo said:


> a quick line to keep anyone who is interested up to date,I spoke with the people at Jacksons (they are the military hardware company selling the ex Nato ambulances) and they tell me that the rear inside length is only 10ft,that surprised me a bit as the o/all length is 5.6mtrs (over 18 ft in old money) so the stubby bonnet and cab take up 8 ft, seems a lot,anyway the problem is how do you fit a bed ,kitchen ,toilet/bathroom,a wardrobe and all the other bits into 10ft!!
> OK I know the VW's and the like manage it but I need  bit more comfort at my age and a conversion that would keep her indoors happy ,I couldnt stand hearing why does this not have x,y,z,every day of a holiday,and considering its being pushed along by a 3.7ltr lump you are not getting a lot of bang for your fuel buck
> I could have lived with 11/12 ft but 10 will take a lot of ingenuity to solve ,and ingenuity usually means fiddling about a lot
> 
> I would welcome any suggestions or examples of a good conversion at around  10ft because the vehicles are first class.and one more thing if anyone was considering having a look at them,the price has been reduced to £3950+vat  as a clearance price to do this they have taken out the stretcher equipment that you see on there web site,thats OK who wants a set of stretchers,but it means they can no longer MOT them for you as they are now considered a van which makes it difficult to transport to your abode,at least if it was MOT,d it  could be driven on a trade plate a transport vehicle would cost  a good few quid.



depends on what you require and width of van interior, if only a two berth it wouldn't be to hard to get a decent conversion if you could sleep across the width of the van and don't mind making up a bed out of the seating, even easier if no side door.


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## daisymini (Feb 6, 2013)

Im in the middle of converting a merc 310d ex ambulance, 1995 if i remember correctly, and only 40000 on the clock when i bought it, Its being designed for two and so far its more than spacious, and already having been insulated etc its proving to be a little gem, Its a bit juicy on the fuel ( bearing in mind i had an old bedford bambi) but for me, it being automatic was the deciding factor. (disabled)....  Ive been doing my conversion on a very tight budget a little here and a little there and a bit of skip rummaging and imagination its coming on a treat.  I was fortunate that the guy i bought it off had already started the conversion and saved me a lot of time by putting in a good starter 12v system, with a very useful written down instructions of what he had done its helped me no end being a novice.  With everybody's help on here i know im going to have a very good van, I couldnt have done it without them all...Good luck with yours if you get it..!!


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## Deadsfo (Feb 6, 2013)

*merc 508 conversion*

They are quite wide at 1900 a smidges over 6ft so sleeping across the van would be no trouble i'm thinking 50ish inches width,the door is  hinged which does'nt take up as much space as a slider and is a lot quieter than a slider ,I will have to have a good look round to  see some conversions  at around 10ft.
 You seem to be having a lot of fun there Daisy ,what sort of length have you got in the back,and what size engine is it are you getting 20+mpg or below


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## mark61 (Feb 6, 2013)

I don't think you'll find many vans with more usable space for it's foot print. Certainly no modern van will compare.

If you do a search for mercedes benz 508 d wohnmobil then use google translate. Sure there will be loads of info.


mercedes benz 508 d wohnmobil

Might be something helpful there, it is worth searching in German for info on older Mercs


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## Deadsfo (Feb 6, 2013)

*merc 508 conversion*

great site that Mark should be plenty on info there thanks mate


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## paul h (Feb 8, 2013)

http://www.unicat.net/pdf/EX37-IvecoDaily4x4-exposee-en.pdf 

what about that layout just make seating area smaller and or use swivel seats in cab


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