Repurposing a service vehicle at the end of its life isn’t always easy. The downside of these vehicles, like school buses or firetrucks, is that they were made for specific functions and require special licenses to drive. They aren’t meant to travel the world with designer parts in the back.
However, that doesn’t always stop people from trying. With the right skills and tools, an old truck or bus can become the coolest ride in town. When one Texas man came across an old retired ambulance, he gave it a new lease on life — one that you may not expect.
Michael Talley is a graphic designer from Austin who loves repurposing old vehicles with cool makeovers. He’s DIY’ed buses and vans, and even lives and commutes in his refurbished rides. How cool would it be to drive your house to work?
After a year of living in one of his van homes, Michael began to get the urge to revamp another vehicle. He started browsing used-car websites, looking for buses, but one morning he opened Craigslist and saw this odd little ambulance.
He was intrigued by its history. As it turns out, after the ambulance was retired, it was sold to an AstroTurf company in Texas. They used it as a mobile shed for tools and spare rolls of fake grass, and it was still cluttered inside.
But the engine was a 1992 Ford Diesel engine, in great shape — and as Michael said, “one of the best engines ever produced.” The boxy ambulance had potential, so he bought it and started cleaning it out.
The cleaning process was sobering for Michael. The countertops were rotted, the wiring needed work, and he realized the vehicle had seen many sick or hurting patients. But he was determined to turn it around for the better.
After he was done cleaning, Michael’s first step was to draw out plans for his new mobile home. He wanted wood walls, ceiling, and floor; he wanted a TV and speakers; and he wanted to build a bench that would extend into a bed.
Michael also wanted to make sure he could cook on the road. The ambulance’s countertop nook would provide plenty of space for a sink and a portable stove. There was room for cabinets, and even space on the side for a fridge!
Michael got to work on the essentials first. He fixed up the ambulance’s electrical circuits, and installed solar panels on the roof to charge the batteries for interior power. He cut a hole in the roof and installed a vent fan to keep the air fresh.
Now that the necessities were taken care of, it was time for the fun part: the interior! Michael built the floor first, using a pneumatic staple gun to install these beautiful hardwood boards, which he got at a great discount from Habitat for Humanity ReStore.
Next up was the fridge. In the wall behind the passenger seat, Michael replaced the old shelf storage with a wooden buildout to hold the fridge (raised, so Michael didn’t have to bend down). Above it, he placed these nifty Bluetooth speakers, to sync with his phone or TV.
Michael then moved on to his cooking space. He installed a faux copper backsplash, complete with riveted accents to add some color, and laid down a lightweight concrete countertop to take the sophistication to the next level.
Michael added more useful features to make the counter space extra livable. He installed a magnetic knife holder to keep all his gadgets organized, and put a stainless steel sink into the countertop — complete with running water!
This running water was one of Michael’s proudest modifications. In order to make it work, he kept several jugs of fresh water in the compartments outside of the ambulance, then rigged piping through the walls to the sink, making sure to include a jug to drain waste water.
These exterior compartments kept coming in handy. In one of them, Michael hung a rack for camping tools, and a handheld shower-head which he could hook up to water jugs. In another, he installed a trashcan with a little flap to dispose garbage from indoors!
Back inside the ambulance, it was time to build the bed. Michael decided on a telescoping bed that could be folded up into a bench during the day. For the base, he built three heavy sliding drawers together.
Once this was done, Michael installed plywood on top that could be laid out with the bed. The sliding drawer compartment would hold his pillows and blankets, and the bench to the side of the room held the mattress.
Just a few more finishing touches were left to put on the ambulance. Michael painted the exterior in a retro Bakelite green-and-white scheme, to add a cozy touch to its appearance.
And he’d kept some of the old Astroturf, too, which he added to the top as a removable roof rug. Originally he meant it to be a joke, but he said that “it quickly became one of my favorite features”.
Nothing was left but the final reveal! The interior, once cold and boxy, became warm and inviting with some LED lighting and that pine wood. As a finishing touch, Michael added a bookshelf on the right above the bench.
The paint job turned out lovely, too! The ambulance was ready for adventure, and now Michael was set to hit the road in his fresh new abode, with a friend along for the ride…
…Michael’s dog Bumper, who was just as excited about the bed as he was! Michael has listed the ambulance for sale, but until it changes hands, these two are enjoying their travels in style. People across the world are inspired by builds like Michael’s.