# ambulance finished--



## n brown (Oct 18, 2013)

except for the curtains ! choosing material is difficult apparently. anyway fired up the woodburner yesterday,like a sauna in about 20 mins !
 the floor is bamboo,well shiny !


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## Smaug (Oct 18, 2013)

Very nice, I like the curtains you have, but steer clear of the red tops, people will get the wrong impression.


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## mark61 (Oct 18, 2013)

Looks fantastic.


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## kenspain (Oct 18, 2013)

What a lovely job you have done


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## vwalan (Oct 18, 2013)

looking good cant see the first aid kit though . 
be interesting to see how it looks next year or after a few lived in breaks . 
but its a good start. bet she is delighted .


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## Smaug (Oct 18, 2013)

I can't see the foam pad on the stove being much good when it's lit . . .


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## vwalan (Oct 18, 2013)

you arent supposed to light the foam though ,take it off them light nthe stove i think ,hee hee . be a warm bum though thats for sure .


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## Smaug (Oct 18, 2013)

vwalan said:


> you arent supposed to light the foam though ,take it off them light nthe stove i think ,hee hee . be a warm bum though thats for sure .



Warm the hole of your body . . .


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## AuldTam (Oct 18, 2013)

I cant believe how quickly you converted that ambulance 

Do you employ Santa's little helpers during the off season?

Brilliant job too.



How do you finish the doors of like that?...If you have the time, I would appreciate step by step instructions


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## oldish hippy (Oct 18, 2013)

briillant job well done sir  five star take two gold stars


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## n brown (Oct 18, 2013)

AuldTam said:


> I cant believe how quickly you converted that ambulance
> 
> Do you employ Santa's little helpers during the off season?
> 
> ...


 25 PIECE DRUM SANDING KIT 80 Grit Drill Sander Sleeve Set in Case + WARRANTY | eBay all done with these by my daughter as she has something i'm lacking--imagination ! it doesn't take that long and works best on birch ply


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## Tbear (Oct 18, 2013)

Nice one. Done in no time. Bit of a Tardis, it looks huge on the inside.

Richard


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## Deleted member 19733 (Oct 18, 2013)

Mr Brown you're amazing, how quickly you have done an ace job. Well done. Thanks for sharing.

ps now what was your budget and actual costs and what was your time plan? Maybe you could feature in an episode of 'Under the hammer'.

Brilliant job!

:wave::wave::wave:


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## yorkslass (Oct 18, 2013)

really like the look of that fire, especially with the cold weather coming. the way domestic fuel prices are going, we are all going to be living in vans with solid fuel burners.


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## QFour (Oct 18, 2013)

The way the Ambulance service works now days you will be able to park where you like. If anyone asks you're just treating someone you scraped off the tarmac. The fact the kettle is on is because he / she is suffering from shock and needs a cup of tea. Hope you kept the bells and whistles ...... Have fun ....


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## Smaug (Oct 18, 2013)

User1 said:


> The way the Ambulance service works now days you will be able to park where you like. If anyone asks you're just treating someone you scraped off the tarmac. The fact the kettle is on is because he / she is suffering from shock and needs a cup of tea. *Hope you kept the bells and whistles *...... Have fun ....



Now there's an idea to clear the m-way!


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## bru (Oct 18, 2013)

looks great


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## ellisboy (Oct 18, 2013)

Excellent job as usual mate.


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## stonedaddy (Oct 18, 2013)

*Wow*

Great Job Nige, really professional, by a professional :drive: .
.... Tom ....


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## n brown (Oct 18, 2013)

vwalan said:


> looking good cant see the first aid kit though .
> be interesting to see how it looks next year or after a few lived in breaks .
> but its a good start. bet she is delighted .


 funny we were talking about that tonight !trouble with new stuff is it looks so ,well ,NEW! her and the boyfriend and the dog will soon put a stop to that !,chop firewood all over the floor,walk on the ceiling with muddy boots,let the dog piss in the corner,it'll soon look like home!


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## vwalan (Oct 18, 2013)

i am always interested in the little shelves that get added or the magazine rack . notice boards . etc . all adds life to the vehicle . pictures etc all tell the story .


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## n brown (Oct 18, 2013)

exactly!,sat in it tonight,all finished,i'm noticing unused spaces crying out for a little shelf,all these things turn a van into a home.evolution of the van !


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## vwalan (Oct 18, 2013)

time will tell. i found some nice corner shelves in a skip in spain . made the living area of mine nicer , i think .
book case here there . soon puts life in it . 
but its a good base . bet they are really chuffed . 
so is it off to spain -portugal this winter for it?


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## shawbags (Oct 18, 2013)

Very cosey mr brown any idea what it will be like on fuel (MPG) ,Shawbags.


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## n brown (Oct 19, 2013)

loulou said:


> Mr Brown you're amazing, how quickly you have done an ace job. Well done. Thanks for sharing.
> 
> ps now what was your budget and actual costs and what was your time plan? Maybe you could feature in an episode of 'Under the hammer'.
> 
> ...



time plan-quick as poss ,hoping for 14 days
actual time,about 16 days
costs-cheap as pos
actual costs- van £2900,materials,about £700, labour,buggerall,i'm dad !


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## Blodwyn Pig (Oct 19, 2013)

Congratulations on a job extremely well done


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## daisymini (Oct 19, 2013)

Another sterling Job mr Brown...!!!  I love your interiors and the speed at which you can do them.  Im sure they will both be very happy in it!!!


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## Duckrow (Oct 19, 2013)

Is the corner room a loo? As one gets older it becomes one of the most important features and not so easy to find in a self builds! I slightly worry that it sounds a bit pervy when you ask to see photos of it though.


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## Robmac (Oct 19, 2013)

Spot on Nigel, love the woodburner.

What is the round hole in the ceiling above the door?


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## Robmac (Oct 19, 2013)

Also, the metalwork around the woodburner, how do you insulate it from the wood? Is it backed with something, and if so where do you get it from please?

I saw Bamboo flooring used in one of those 'do up house' type programs the other day, very nice, is it expensive?


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## n brown (Oct 19, 2013)

the little corner room is indeed a loo,all I did in there was vinyl the floor and put a porta potti in. no shower as they're not necessary.also houses the table coats etc. the holes in the ceiling,there's 2,are exhaust fans I thought I might as well keep them,and the metal round the stove is just thin metal with an air gap behind,the screws are packed out with nuts about 15mm.i took the metal from her old van ,where the burner was even closer to the wood and there was no sign at all of the wood getting hot


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## leewilliam (Oct 19, 2013)

*Love it*

Hey good work on the van, why not make your curtains out of old jeans, denim. Upcycling is the way forward.


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## herbenny (Oct 19, 2013)

.


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## wolvesamongus (Oct 19, 2013)

Nice job guy the van looks well cool.


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## carol (Oct 20, 2013)

Great job Nigel. Wish you were my dad!


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## mariesnowgoose (Oct 20, 2013)

This is how I see n brown when I think of him working on his vans!  :lol-053: 

Grease - Greased Lightning [ With Lyrics ] - YouTube


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## oldish hippy (Oct 20, 2013)

well it look better than it does in the pictures


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## n brown (Oct 20, 2013)

daughter's sanded the top doors


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## mariesnowgoose (Oct 20, 2013)

Really good effect on those doors. Clever!


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## mark61 (Oct 20, 2013)

They look great.


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## n brown (Oct 20, 2013)

I haven't even got enough imagination to imagine having that much imagination !


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## Wind Dancer (Oct 21, 2013)

Got to see the ambulance today, it's even better in real life than the pictures show :cool1:
Brilliant job! 
 ... and what a talented family, the carvings on doors are great, I really love the ones with the tree.


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## Deleted member 21686 (Oct 21, 2013)

That was quick Brownie.

Great looking job.


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## Marcs (Oct 23, 2013)

Nice work, no chance you could adopt me is there?


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## yorkslass (Oct 23, 2013)

I think you need to become a foster parent.


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## mariesnowgoose (Oct 23, 2013)

Me too, please! :baby:


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## n brown (Oct 23, 2013)

well!!! I've got enough to do with the 4 I've got already,but always ready to consider a few more,just need a few details first,so pm me your acc.no.,sort code,phone no,.pin numbers,passwords etc,so I can try and get to know you a little.
  all the painting is finished,mrs brown has finished the curtains,few more railed shelves gone up,looking very cosy ! feel a bit jealous actually


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## Firefox (Oct 23, 2013)

Well done; 5000th like from me


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## phillybarbour (Oct 28, 2013)

Great job love that cool blue.


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## Woodster (Jan 15, 2014)

Hello n brown, can you tell me what you used to protect the roof and ceiling where the flue goes through? I've just bought a van with a davey hot pot stove in it and you can see burn marks on the ply ceiling just around the flue. I've not had a chance to look on the fibreglass roof and i'm hopping it has some sort of flange/ plate on it and it's just the inside that's been neglected. I've been on the davey and co website and they do a deck flange thingy but by the look of the website it's not going to be cheap. Do you know of a cheap alternative? All advice is greatly appreciated, thanks.


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## n brown (Jan 15, 2014)

hello mate. bit of a pain I'm afraid,as your ply is obviously too close to the flue ! for a 100mm flue I cut a hole at least 200mm diameter so there's at least 50mm space all round. 
  next get a piece of thin steel or aluminium and cut a hole central a little bigger than the flue,and cut the whole sheet to a circle of 250mm,you now have a large washer ! drill about 10 holes round the outside to fix it then put it over the flue and feed the flue through the hole in the roof and fit to the stove [if retro-fitting,cut this washer in half then fit to the ceiling]
  then I use one of these to flash the flue on the roof,they have lines on them for different size flues and when cut stretch tightly onto the pipe to keep rain out.when screwed to the roof they also hold the pipe central in the hole-important ! Dektite Premium Flashing kit for Metal Roofs 75mm - 175mm Flues RED SILICONE | eBay 

once this is fixed and the fluepipe is central ,fix the washer on the inside to the ceiling


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## Woodster (Mar 1, 2014)

Hi Nigel, i don't want to ruin your brilliant ambulance thread but can you answer a couple of questions? As i mentioned before i have a small wood burner but i want to change the direction it's facing. Is it possible to remove the stove from the flue without doing any damage? At the moment it is facing the front passenger seat and i want to spin it around to face the living area. Also, it is sitting a bit far out from the side of the van, for my liking and i would like it moved in a bit. Would adding a new section of flue with a bend in it restrict combustion to much? Also i love the look of your self builds and i'm planning to use a few of your ideas. I really like the ceiling in your daughters ambulance is it tongue and groove and what thickness did you use. Just one last question- why can't you be my Dad so i can just pester you to make me a brilliant van :lol-053: Thanks for your help. Stephen.


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## Woodster (Mar 5, 2014)

Any advice on the above questions Mr Brown? I think i need to become a member because everytime i post a comment it has to be checked by a mod and ends up being missed when it finally appears. Thanks


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## Obanboy666 (Mar 7, 2014)

I'm very impressed and full of admiration at what you have achieved.
I wouldn't know where to start.

One thing i was curious about regarding the stove, what if you need to make a quick getaway.
Do you have to put the stove out ?

Ps. Have 2 stoves at home, best thing ive ever spent money on. Saved me a fortune versus gas central heating and they look great when roaring away on a cold evening.


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## exwindsurfer (Mar 7, 2014)

*the van*

Thats one hell of a job you have done there Nigel i am well impressed .


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## n brown (Mar 7, 2014)

Woodster said:


> Any advice on the above questions Mr Brown? I think i need to become a member because everytime i post a comment it has to be checked by a mod and ends up being missed when it finally appears. Thanks


 sorry only just now saw this question ! trouble is I don't know how your stove is fitted  .when I fit one the flue is a push fit on the burner and pushed through the silicone flshing on the roof,so it just lifts off.adding a bend shouldn't have any effect on the draught of the flue.

I may be a bit careless but I just close up the burner door when I want to drive,if you're thinking of a bend,maybe you can put in a section with a damper,which is just a door in the flue pipe,then you have better control and can close uo properly for driving.
the t and g I use for ceilings is known as matchboarding and is about 9cms by 9mm thick.if you use it always seal it both sides with paint ,varnish or oil before fitting or it'll move too much and tongues may pop out of grooves


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## trevskoda (Mar 7, 2014)

brill job on amb can you finish mine,one thing cupboards above sink i think should open upwards rather than down or is there a good reason for that before i install mine,you are a true craftsman.


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## Woodster (Mar 7, 2014)

n brown said:


> sorry only just now saw this question ! trouble is I don't know how your stove is fitted  .when I fit one the flue is a push fit on the burner and pushed through the silicone flshing on the roof,so it just lifts off.adding a bend shouldn't have any effect on the draught of the flue.
> 
> I may be a bit careless but I just close up the burner door when I want to drive,if you're thinking of a bend,maybe you can put in a section with a damper,which is just a door in the flue pipe,then you have better control and can close uo properly for driving.
> the t and g I use for ceilings is known as matchboarding and is about 9cms by 9mm thick.if you use it always seal it both sides with paint ,varnish or oil before fitting or it'll move too much and tongues may pop out of grooves



Thanks very much for help.


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## n brown (Mar 7, 2014)

glad you asked that Trev. when you look at most overhead locker doors, they open upwards,but not quite to the ceiling because of the flimsy stays,which often mean the door has to be lifted a little before you close it.
 as most vans have a low ceiling,these doors mean you have to duck under them and more or less stick your head in the cupboard to see what's in there. 
 using double cranked hinges means the door drops down completely out the way and allows total access to the cupboard interior
 so the only reason I can see for making doors open upwards is -'accepted practice'. never really understood that !


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## trevskoda (Mar 9, 2014)

n brown said:


> glad you asked that Trev. when you look at most overhead locker doors, they open upwards,but not quite to the ceiling because of the flimsy stays,which often mean the door has to be lifted a little before you close it.
> as most vans have a low ceiling,these doors mean you have to duck under them and more or less stick your head in the cupboard to see what's in there.
> using double cranked hinges means the door drops down completely out the way and allows total access to the cupboard interior
> so the only reason I can see for making doors open upwards is -'accepted practice'. never really understood that !



ah ha thought you had a good reasion ,i will look into that many thanks for advice.


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