# Chevy Ambulances



## NPO (Feb 1, 2014)

Does anyone else have ride issues with Chevy vans? 

We have about 10 since Ford stopped making the vans and they are universally hated at my company due to the ride in the patient compartment.


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## Imacho (Feb 1, 2014)

I was on one for 3 years. I liked them a lot better than the fords. Just tell your partner to drive better.


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## NPO (Feb 1, 2014)

Imacho said:


> I was on one for 3 years. I liked them a lot better than the fords. Just tell your partner to drive better.



I doubt its my partner if EVERYONE at the company hates them. The ones we have have rear suspension issues. Very bouncy. And remember... This is Southern California...


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## DerekC (Feb 3, 2014)

are they a 3500 or 4500?


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## NPO (Feb 3, 2014)

3500 srw


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## unleashedfury (Feb 4, 2014)

we have a Chevy Type II 

It rides like a tank, bounces you all over the place and it has no room. put two fat people in it, And your limited to move 

Running a code in one is even worse.


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## NPO (Feb 4, 2014)

Sounds like ours. Ours are made by EVG.


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## unleashedfury (Feb 4, 2014)

NPO said:


> Sounds like ours. Ours are made by EVG.



We have a AEV "Traumahawk"

80k paperweight GM just recalled the Head Gasket on it. There has been discussion with replacing the next truck with a Sprinter


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## Handsome Robb (Feb 4, 2014)

Ford still makes the van chassis they just don't make it with the powerstroke motor anymore.

We have started replacing the old Fords with new Chevy 4500  with the dmax/Allison combo with a EVG box but the word is we aren't getting anymore Chevys because they always break, they ride like hell...the bounce like they have hydraulics, and they're raked so much you can't pop curbs because the front is too low.

The problem is the dampening on the shocks, especially in the front. They've got heavy duty springs on all four corners due to the added weight but apparently either Chevy or EVG forgot about the shock package as well. I can literally make the front end bounce a solid 8-10 inches idling through the garage tapping the brakes rhythmically. 

The design of the console between the seats in the front is garbage, the airhorn is tough to reach, the siren box is near perpendicular to the floor which makes it tough to operate, there's no power outlets, the cup holders suck, there's no shelf space on the console like the Fords have, the Master Switch is in a dumb spot and is the wrong color (made the mod power switch red and the master black...so everyone always just kills the mod power rather than actually activating the overhead lights, the stupid toughbook mount doesn't even fit our computers so all it is is a giant hard object with sharp metal corners for us to wack our heads on.

I generally ask if I can take a Ford if I'm assigned a Chevy. My assigned unit is a 2004 E450 with the 6.0 powerstroke and she's my baby. 

My personal truck is a ford and she treats me right.


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## Tigger (Feb 4, 2014)

We're getting one or two new units for summertime use so they'll be type IIIs. The boss wants them to be on a ford gas chassis but I'm concerned that we're going to have a very large LifeLine box on it in a mountainous area. I've drive small type IIIs gassers in  the city and I was not impressed with the power. I was going to recommend the Chevy G4500 with the Duramax but after reading this maybe not?


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## Handsome Robb (Feb 4, 2014)

No. They suck. You guys don't post do an F450 chassis. One of the outlying FDs here has Dodge truck chassis. They're beautiful, they love them and the cab is freaking massive. Actually tossed that on the table when I was talking to our mechanics about what we were gonna end up with. I want an extended or crew cab truck chassis. We have riders all the freaking time.


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## Handsome Robb (Feb 4, 2014)

Double post


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## NPO (Feb 4, 2014)

They are stopping eseries cutaway production this year and the diesel has been out of van production for many years due to EPA regulations. 

Sounds like you have all of the same proboems with the evg chevys that we co.


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## Jim37F (Feb 4, 2014)

We have Crestline Apex Type III on Chevy G3500 diesel chassis cab ambulances. The unit I'm sitting in right now is a 2008 model year according to the paperwork. 

They're actually really nice.  There's enough room in the cab that I can recline my seat without having to bunch up my legs lol. Really comfortable when you're posting 12 hours a day, especially vs our older, Ford cabs where there's like no room, can't recline or even really scoot the seat back for legroom.

As far as the ride goes, it's fairly smooth and comfortable, no complaints there. But then again this is in comparison to our older rigs which are maybe 2/3 of the fleet and are quite frankly POS.


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## lightsandsirens5 (Feb 4, 2014)

^I got the same front end, with a Frazier box.

MAN I wish my seat reclined! Straight vertical is as far back as it goes. Kinda sucks. All I want is a leeeeetle recline!


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## Tigger (Feb 4, 2014)

Robb said:


> No. They suck. You guys don't post do an F450 chassis. One of the outlying FDs here has Dodge truck chassis. They're beautiful, they love them and the cab is freaking massive. Actually tossed that on the table when I was talking to our mechanics about what we were gonna end up with. I want an extended or crew cab truck chassis. We have riders all the freaking time.



We run F450s right now. Boss wants the new ones to be "summer trucks" so they'll last longer and type IIIs are cheaper (by like 20k apparently) and get better mileage. I want us to keep the F series but alas.


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## Tigger (Feb 4, 2014)

lightsandsirens5 said:


> ^I got the same front end, with a Frazier box.
> 
> MAN I wish my seat reclined! Straight vertical is as far back as it goes. Kinda sucks. All I want is a leeeeetle recline!



Did you used to work at an AMR op with Sprinter Type IIIs? How did those do? Have much hill climbing power?


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## Handsome Robb (Feb 4, 2014)

NPO said:


> They are stopping eseries cutaway production this year and the diesel has been out of van production for many years due to EPA regulations.
> 
> Sounds like you have all of the same proboems with the evg chevys that we co.




Are you sure they're stopping the E series? Word on the street is that's what we're getting with gas motors...which brings us back to the original post...no torque.


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## shfd739 (Feb 4, 2014)

Robb said:


> Are you sure they're stopping the E series? Word on the street is that's what we're getting with gas motors...which brings us back to the original post...no torque.




Yep. E-Series goes away after 2015 or 2016 for the new Transit van that's similar to the Sprinter. 

Fwiw we have a couple Chevy type 2s with Duramaxes and I like em. Cab layout all depends on who the builder is. Some have better setups than others. Havnt noticed our newer Dmaxes being unreliable. They do go down less than the egr cooler non-def trucks do. All Chevys ride soft. It's a GM thing on how their suspensions are setup. 

Why are y'all jumping curbs?


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## Handsome Robb (Feb 4, 2014)

shfd739 said:


> Yep. E-Series goes away after 2015 or 2016 for the new Transit van that's similar to the Sprinter.
> 
> Fwiw we have a couple Chevy type 2s with Duramaxes and I like em. Cab layout all depends on who the builder is. Some have better setups than others. Havnt noticed our newer Dmaxes being unreliable. They do go down less than the egr cooler non-def trucks do. All Chevys ride soft. It's a GM thing on how their suspensions are setup.
> 
> Why are y'all jumping curbs?




The wonderful cities here love placing small curbs as dividers.

We have management breathing down our necks about late calls. We jump curbs to oppose traffic, with due regard, all the time. Can't do it in the Chevys and the county won't move on response time requirements so we'll still have to jump curbs until they properly staff us or dial back the time requirements.

Our fords are setup by EVG and I love the cab, not sure what happened in the Chevys. My unit has just as much reclining space and leg room as the new Chevys do.

I've felt the soft ride but this isn't soft, this is like springs with no shocks. Hit a bump on the freeway cruising to the hospital at 60? Whole unit bounces for a quarter mile.

Our mechanics added custom springs in the front to add more clearance on a few of the first ones we got but that just made the ride worse. 

Apparently the AC condenser gets torn off the Chevys a lot as well if they don't have a box mounted unit.

They've got these automatic RV step things that come down from the side door of the box when you open it which is awesome...until it gets stuck down and you're on scene with a really sick patient. I may or may not have had to explain why I told my EMT to ":censored::censored::censored::censored: it lets go if it comes off  I'll take the heat."


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