KE7JFF
Adventurer
I'm a voleenter for a search & rescue group here in Oregon, Mountain Wave (www.mwave.org) that provides communcations, medical, K9, 4x4 and other services for Search & Rescue operations as well other events here in Oregon (Insert bragging about magazine articles, newspapers, national TV, etc here, blah blah)
Back in July of 2015, our very first rig that has been with the organization since 1992 was deemed surplus and our board offered to me as I was in the market for a 2nd vehicle. It was a 1989 Chevy Suburban V2500 4x4 that had been kept in great condition since we acquired it used in 1992 and had a low 15,000 miles on it or so since we drove it like 700-1000 or so every year. This is not the best picture, but its right there in the middle; this is from I think 2008 from one of our searches on Mt Hood:
Originally, it ran when we sent out our other rig, COM2, a Type II Ambulance built by Southern Ambulance with a 1984 Ford E350 cutaway body, which is also seen in that photo. Around 2010, we got a donation of a Type I ambulance also built by Southern Ambulance on a Internatinal 4400 cab with the DT360, which was a bigger more capabile rig, so COM1 got used less and less to the point by 2013, it was sitting idle all year long. One of our other members started to refurbish the rig, but we got a donation of a few newer rigs that basically replaced it by 2015,
So like I said, it was offered to me when it was deemed surplus by our board, so after a little test drive, I put in a offer of $750, which was accepted by our board, so I signed the papers and it was mine!
This is what it looked like when I picked it up; the light bar was removed, the A/C system was discharged, my tail lights were dead, power locks were not working, but everything else was running great. Thanks for some of our current members doing maintence on the rig over the years, I found out the AC system was discharged a few years back and halfway converted to R134, I just needed the fittings for the new refrigerant hoses and I was good. The tail lights were interesting; I had to break out the service manual to figure out the wiring; found out that they were clipped up in the engine compartment; turns out the light bar wiring was tied into those wires and I found them cut, so I just did a good splice and fixed them; then found out the bulbs were dead in the tail lights so I replaced them with some LED units that were on clearance and I was golden.
I wired up a 2nd battery in the rig with a isolator relay; I just used another group 78 battery from Wal-Mart since I don't do that much deep pulls on the battery yet. Installed my SAR radios for both UHF and VHF and I was golden.
My plans so far for the rig is to keep everything stock; from a few trips with the rig around Oregon, Washington and BC, I'm happy with the 350 TBI's power; the werid thing for me is driving with a 3 speed transmission; I'm so used to feeling over drive kick in on the highway, but I like the power range on this baby. I wouln't mind a external over drive.
The projects I have upcoming on this rig is to first build a small sleeping/storage platform in the rear; I'm also tempted to perhaps build a cargo cage that would divide down the 80/20 bench seat and I could keep stuff stored better. I do want to put in some better headlights. Here is a picture in its current configuration; its still a work in progress. I've named the rig New Wave 1 to keep the legacy of this thing going for another 20 years.
Here is a recent photo of the rig from when were were out for a search for a missing man with memory issues out by Cannon Beach that appeared on KGW back in February:
Back in July of 2015, our very first rig that has been with the organization since 1992 was deemed surplus and our board offered to me as I was in the market for a 2nd vehicle. It was a 1989 Chevy Suburban V2500 4x4 that had been kept in great condition since we acquired it used in 1992 and had a low 15,000 miles on it or so since we drove it like 700-1000 or so every year. This is not the best picture, but its right there in the middle; this is from I think 2008 from one of our searches on Mt Hood:
Originally, it ran when we sent out our other rig, COM2, a Type II Ambulance built by Southern Ambulance with a 1984 Ford E350 cutaway body, which is also seen in that photo. Around 2010, we got a donation of a Type I ambulance also built by Southern Ambulance on a Internatinal 4400 cab with the DT360, which was a bigger more capabile rig, so COM1 got used less and less to the point by 2013, it was sitting idle all year long. One of our other members started to refurbish the rig, but we got a donation of a few newer rigs that basically replaced it by 2015,
So like I said, it was offered to me when it was deemed surplus by our board, so after a little test drive, I put in a offer of $750, which was accepted by our board, so I signed the papers and it was mine!
This is what it looked like when I picked it up; the light bar was removed, the A/C system was discharged, my tail lights were dead, power locks were not working, but everything else was running great. Thanks for some of our current members doing maintence on the rig over the years, I found out the AC system was discharged a few years back and halfway converted to R134, I just needed the fittings for the new refrigerant hoses and I was good. The tail lights were interesting; I had to break out the service manual to figure out the wiring; found out that they were clipped up in the engine compartment; turns out the light bar wiring was tied into those wires and I found them cut, so I just did a good splice and fixed them; then found out the bulbs were dead in the tail lights so I replaced them with some LED units that were on clearance and I was golden.
I wired up a 2nd battery in the rig with a isolator relay; I just used another group 78 battery from Wal-Mart since I don't do that much deep pulls on the battery yet. Installed my SAR radios for both UHF and VHF and I was golden.
My plans so far for the rig is to keep everything stock; from a few trips with the rig around Oregon, Washington and BC, I'm happy with the 350 TBI's power; the werid thing for me is driving with a 3 speed transmission; I'm so used to feeling over drive kick in on the highway, but I like the power range on this baby. I wouln't mind a external over drive.
The projects I have upcoming on this rig is to first build a small sleeping/storage platform in the rear; I'm also tempted to perhaps build a cargo cage that would divide down the 80/20 bench seat and I could keep stuff stored better. I do want to put in some better headlights. Here is a picture in its current configuration; its still a work in progress. I've named the rig New Wave 1 to keep the legacy of this thing going for another 20 years.
Here is a recent photo of the rig from when were were out for a search for a missing man with memory issues out by Cannon Beach that appeared on KGW back in February:
