Desperately seeking electrician to fix lights and diesel heater in van

Ambulance

Ambulance

Joined
Jan 21, 2024
Posts
9
Likes collected
56
Location
Ware, UK
Funster No
100,794
MH
Renault Master
Exp
Newbie
I have a disabled daughter who can only travel on a stretcher, so we bought a second hand ambulance- a Renault Master 2011. This has meant we can take my daughter to hospital appointments without having to wait around for NHS or pay a small fortune to have a private ambulance.
My problem is I can't get any of the electrics to work in the back of the van so no lights and can't get diesel heater to work. I've found the leisure battery and have charged it but still no joy. I have also found the inverter but the whole panel of switches in the back seems dead. (Very cold daughter!)
We live in Ware, Hertfordshire, and I wanted to ask if there is anyone near us (can't leave daughter on her own for long) who could help fix this? I have found someone in Bedfordshire (too far away) but nothing nearer. I am 75, my knowledge of van electrics is almost zilch so think I will need some professional help. Any suggestions?
 
Something must be turned off somewhere.

Maybe chaser can help?
 
Big fuse near battery. Most likely. MCEA Network cover most of the country.

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Just a long shot, As it may be a simple fix do you have an ambulance service station near you where they do maintenance
We have one here in colchester maybe post the control panel picture on here and i can pop round and ask them if theres an isolater switch somewhere or if they can point you in the right direction
 
PeterCarole29 said:
Just a long shot, As it may be a simple fix do you have an ambulance service station near you where they do maintenance
We have one here in colchester maybe post the control panel picture on here and i can pop round and ask them if theres an isolater switch somewhere or if they can point you in the right direction
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I think this is probably your best bet for a fast fix. Finding someone who repairs ambulance electrics will probably have a better result than a motorhome electrician I suspect.

If you can't find one. Ask at your local ambulance station, they may be able to advise if not on what switches to flick they may be able to point you to who repairs theirs.
 
PeterCarole29 said:
As it may be a simple fix do you have an ambulance service station near you where they do maintenance
Click to expand...

Gromett said:
If you can't find one. Ask at your local ambulance station, they may be able to advise
Click to expand...

This is definitely the way to go. I'm pretty sure that you would get help, especially as you're not a leisure user but have a genuinely compassionate reason to ask them.
 
w2f

I can't help with your electrical problem but I hope you can get it fixed so you daughter has some warmth.
Please let us know how you get on and come back for further advice if you draw a blank with finding an helpful ambulance technician.
Good luck 👍
 
Ambulances, and other emergency 'blue light' vehicles have a system system to control all the installed electrics that is different from the average campervan or motorhome. As the chap in the video says, they have a Genesis control system. For campervan conversion, people generally remove that, and fit a system that is more suitable. Because of that, you will probably find that the average motorhome electrics specialist won't be up to getting an existing ambulance control system up and running.

However if your intention is to convert the vehicle to something more like a campervan then a motorhome electrician should be able to remove the existing control box, and rewire all the devices like the lights, heater etc to run from motorhome type control box.

Otherwise, the suggestion to try an ambulance service is worth considering, if you want to keep the vehicle more like an ambulance in terms of wiring.
 
St3v3 said:
Something must be turned off somewhere.

Maybe chaser can help?
Click to expand...
Well that van is far more complicated than the ones we have got, but if that is the actual van you have got and you have had it from base van , why not give Rupert a ring, he will put you right. He is who we bought our first two off and an absolute genuine guy, bit expensive but as straight as a die.
He isn't far from us and sells hundreds.
 
Just hope he comes back again and pays his subs , so that we can see if he fixes it (y)

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chaser said:
Just hope he comes back again and pays his subs , so that we can see if he fixes it (y)
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He doesn't say if it never worked or if it has just gone wrong.
 
Ambulance, Hello and Welcome to Fun, I don't know if you are aware but when you join Motorhome Fun you get 5 Free posts then you need to pay £20 annually you can then make as many posts as you want asking any questions and hopefully get sorted..
I do hope you can get you problem sorted as it does sound as if it's an essential transport for your daughter. Wishing you well.
 
I( called into the Ambulance station and they cant help with advice as they have only had the Fiats as a base van to maintain
They did say though and its what i thought why dont you ask for pointers from the seller
I thought after watching the video which was good from the point of view that the seller is showing more than most but on the negative it was rather typical of a sales pitch ,he refered to the exhaust as being a serious upgrade,no it wasnt its a cheap replacement
Going back to your problem if you have just bought the ambulance and bought it without any of the rear items working then i suspect base van has disconnected them (covering himself which is understandable as the equipment is expensive to fix.)
it will be obvious if theres an isolater i would have thought.
Ask base van where the input feed comes from engine or battery or liesure side
My limited experience of Ambulances on Renault masters is there are aditional fuses next to the fuse box on the left hand side under the bonnet not to be confused with the fuses inside passenger side.
I would check a fuse has not been removed from under the bonnet fuses
sorry not to be more help but would be interested to know the outcome
It wont be hard to find the pwer feed to diesel heater and disconnect it it and connect it dirrectly to liesure battery but make sure you fuse it with 15amp fuse
 
PeterCarole29 said:
I( called into the Ambulance station and they cant help with advice as they have only had the Fiats as a base van to maintain
They did say though and its what i thought why dont you ask for pointers from the seller
I thought after watching the video which was good from the point of view that the seller is showing more than most but on the negative it was rather typical of a sales pitch ,he refered to the exhaust as being a serious upgrade,no it wasnt its a cheap replacement
Going back to your problem if you have just bought the ambulance and bought it without any of the rear items working then i suspect base van has disconnected them (covering himself which is understandable as the equipment is expensive to fix.)
it will be obvious if theres an isolater i would have thought.
Ask base van where the input feed comes from engine or battery or liesure side
My limited experience of Ambulances on Renault masters is there are aditional fuses next to the fuse box on the left hand side under the bonnet not to be confused with the fuses inside passenger side.
I would check a fuse has not been removed from under the bonnet fuses
sorry not to be more help but would be interested to know the outcome
It wont be hard to find the pwer feed to diesel heater and disconnect it it and connect it dirrectly to liesure battery but make sure you fuse it with 15amp fuse
Click to expand...
Very right,but from experience I don't think Rupert would do anything underhand, and wouldn't have switched the power off, and he would gladly help the op , he loves converting them and helping others to as well.
Now I might sound as if I am into this bloke , but honestly not , just know how he works , he just sells that many he has no need to do anyone, ok he might have a bit of salesman patter but that is all.
 
Btw where's he gone if he needs help.

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As mentioned the systems are very different to motorhomes, and are very complicated. It would be nice to think that you maybe able to bypass the main brain and get certain items working. I have worked on motorhomes, and own one, I and have also fiddled with ambulances, but am far from an ambulance engineer. But I am local to you, so let me know if you are interested in me having a look and chatting through options.
 
chaser said:
Very right,but from experience I don't think Rupert would do anything underhand, and wouldn't have switched the power off, and he would gladly help the op , he loves converting them and helping others to as well.
Now I might sound as if I am into this bloke , but honestly not , just know how he works , he just sells that many he has no need to do anyone, ok he might have a bit of salesman patter but that is all.
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Hi, I think you have taken my view the wrong way, no implying he was doing anything underhand .The OP has not said what conditions he bought his van under. I have no experience of dealing with base van. I have seen over time how stupidly high the prices that some vans are advertised for, but people must be happy to pay them so hes obviously good at business
On his video it didnt show any power to any of the inverter heater etc so assume its his standard practice and yes definately sales patter, it springs to mind of that expression Balls*hit baffles brains.
And it is fair to say why did the OP need to ask here instead of Rupert
And i dont see anything being underhand about disconnecting the power off unless of course he tells people things dont work and i dont know why.
As you say he sells a lot of the Renault vans and would know them inside out and if hes as helpfull as you hope the OP is in good hands
 
PeterCarole29 said:
Hi, I think you have taken my view the wrong way, no implying he was doing anything underhand .The OP has not said what conditions he bought his van under. I have no experience of dealing with base van. I have seen over time how stupidly high the prices that some vans are advertised for, but people must be happy to pay them so hes obviously good at business
On his video it didnt show any power to any of the inverter heater etc so assume its his standard practice and yes definately sales patter, it springs to mind of that expression Balls*hit baffles brains.
And it is fair to say why did the OP need to ask here instead of Rupert
And i dont see anything being underhand about disconnecting the power off unless of course he tells people things dont work and i dont know why.
As you say he sells a lot of the Renault vans and would know them inside out and if hes as helpfull as you hope the OP is in good hands
Click to expand...
Yes that's what I don't understand why he hasn't gone back to them or why he hasn't come back on here with a few more details.
 
PeterCarole29 said:
Hi, I think you have taken my view the wrong way, no implying he was doing anything underhand .The OP has not said what conditions he bought his van under. I have no experience of dealing with base van. I have seen over time how stupidly high the prices that some vans are advertised for, but people must be happy to pay them so hes obviously good at business
On his video it didnt show any power to any of the inverter heater etc so assume its his standard practice and yes definately sales patter, it springs to mind of that expression Balls*hit baffles brains.
And it is fair to say why did the OP need to ask here instead of Rupert
And i dont see anything being underhand about disconnecting the power off unless of course he tells people things dont work and i dont know why.
As you say he sells a lot of the Renault vans and would know them inside out and if hes as helpfull as you hope the OP is in good hands
Click to expand...
When my lad bought his off base van he let him go and get the inverter and stuff out of a scrap van he had there at no extra cost.
 
chaser said:
Yes that's what I don't understand why he hasn't gone back to them or why he hasn't come back on here with a few more details.
Click to expand...
It could be quite possible he has his hands full with sadly his disabled daughter

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Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. I did contact Rupert about the diesel heater and he told me the inverter needed to be switched on but he does seem very busy and I didn't want to keep pestering him. Thought it might be simpler to get help closer to home. I'm sure he'd have sorted it if I'd been able to get the van back to him but carer problems mean I can't. I might try the ambulance service it came from and see if anyone there has any experience of this sort of thing. If not I'll be back!
 
Ambulance said:
Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. I did contact Rupert about the diesel heater and he told me the inverter needed to be switched on but he does seem very busy and I didn't want to keep pestering him. Thought it might be simpler to get help closer to home. I'm sure he'd have sorted it if I'd been able to get the van back to him but carer problems mean I can't. I might try the ambulance service it came from and see if anyone there has any experience of this sort of thing. If not I'll be back!
Click to expand...
Has it never worked?
 
Not as far as I know. We bought the van in the summer so didn't worry about lights and heating then
 
Ambulance said:
Not as far as I know. We bought the van in the summer so didn't worry about lights and heating then
Click to expand...
In the one we have just bought there are switches on the dash for the lights and on ours the ignition has to be switched on to get the diesel heater to work.

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