Late last year Ian Dow took a leap of faith and bought an old ambulance from Missouri on eBay for US$2,800. After driving it over 2,000 KM back to his home in Cali, he immediately began to convert it into what he called his, ‘adventure/travel machine and tiny home’.

After six months of salvaging, building and tinkering he was ready for adventure with his new home, nicknamed ‘El Salvador’, and his best friend and dog, ‘Dino’.

 

 

 

Ian recently shared a pic of his ambulance conversion on reddit, where he provided some more info on his travels and ‘El Salvador’:

– Tent on roof is for any guests
– The shower is an outdoor compartment and 30 gallon water tank on the roof. Propane heated if needed
– Ambulance runs on diesel and gets 12 miles per gallon

 

 

 

Why an ambulance?

“Honestly I wanted a sprinter but got burned by a Craigslist seller. After that I crashed my motorcycle, the same day I stumbled across a cheap ambulance on eBay and was in serious pain… I figured buying one would cost less than a ride in one so why not prepaid for the future. It was posted by a charity so my money went to good use. Perks of an ambo: Square -for building purposes it’s easier Strong – rated to flip and not crush with 7.3l diesel engine Electrical – already has more wires ran through it and switches than I’d ever need for repurposing. Maintenance – always maintained perfectly, as if lives depended on it.
Downside is it’s heavy, real heavy.” [source]

 

 

 

Dow and co. are currently in Costa Rica going up and down the coast. You can follow their adventures on Instagram at @vanlife_ian_dow_travels