By EMS1 Staff
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — A man is traveling the world in an ambulance he renovated.
ABC News reported that Ian Dow bought the ambulance for $2,800 on eBay.
“I’d been searching for a van to convert and was blinded by the Sprinter fad,” Dow said. “After getting burned by a Craigslist seller -- he backed out after I drove 12 hours to buy his Sprinter -- I was depressed and I crashed my motorcycle. Then I had an epiphany. I was in pain and needed some emergency help. Sitting on the couch that night with a busted shoulder, I searched eBay for ambulances, found a cheap one, and even Google Earthed the charity listed as the seller, finding the ambulance parked right outside.”
Dow said after putting some work into it, including a sundeck on the roof, the ambulance makes him “comfortable and happy.”
“I finished it with materials I like,” Dow said. “The teak floors, subway tiled kitchen, exotic hardwood table, cedar-lined closet, bamboo cutting surfaces and guitar inlay accents all keep a smile on my face.”
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Dow said despite his happiness there are some negative aspects.
“It’s really heavy and restricts my ability to get far off the beaten track,” Dow said. “I’m accustomed to traveling on a motorcycle where I can get up or down any trail but I’ve thrown that away for my comforts. Although I’ve brought the bike along with me I can’t leave the dog and ambulance for days on end while getting lost somewhere.”
Dow and his traveling partner Dylan Griffin have spent the last four months traveling through Baja, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. They are now currently in Costa Rica, where Dow plans to “play it by ear.”
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