Ducato ambulance cabs too small for paramedics.

[ambulancekidd]

If this has already been posted, I do apologise.
I find the cab on our Boxer (Ducato Base too tight) to be very poor in the ergonomics front, but that's because I'm fat.
Now a Transit, Mercedes or VW cab has oceans of room. However, now crews are complaining that taller members of staff just cannot drive the newer Ducatos. People are simply getting taller & FIAT must be forced to recognise the problem.
When are FIAT ever going to learn to put the driver first & then work out the rest of things? The quality is shocking too.

New East of England ambulances being obtained for 'too tall' staff

An ambulance trust is lining up alternative vehicles for staff who cannot fit inside its new fleet.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[10tenmen]

I find it rather strange as it’s just one trust that has this issue, I’m 6 feet tall on my 2nd Fiat base motorhome and have no issues with comfort or visibility, I feel there is more to this story.

 

[Beltie]

I find it rather strange as it’s just one trust that has this issue, I’m 6 feet tall on my 2nd Fiat base motorhome and have no issues with comfort or visibility, I feel there is more to this story.

I'm 6' 5" and have no problems. On the other hand, I find the Transit both lacking in legroom and on the narrow side.

I think this story relates to a specific trust who have 'box' bodies on a Fiat chassis rather than the panel van other trusts use

 

[ambulancekidd]

I find it rather strange as it’s just one trust that has this issue, I’m 6 feet tall on my 2nd Fiat base motorhome and have no issues with comfort or visibility, I feel there is more to this story.

I've been retired for a while, so this issue didn't affect me personally.
Reading between the lines, I suspect that the conversion to ambulance has made an error in not allowing the seats to go far enough back for taller drivers.
I think that many drivers overlook the errors of poor ergonomics in Ducato based motorhomes based on lack of experience with better designed vehicles.
I'm not trying to be obtuse here, but I had a chat with a guy on a campsite last year who was singing the virtues of his Ducato but had worked at a desk job all his life & only ever driven 2 or 3 commercial vehicles in his lifetime, he thought that the cab was fine although he admitted that he had to bend forward to read road signs & that the handbrake was way too low for comfort. He was so happy with his vehicle that he simply didn't care.
There is a world of difference between working with a commercial vehicle & simply using one for leisure.
IMHO on Ducato's, the cab needs to be deeper to allow the seats to go back a lot further, the seat base needs to be a couple of inches lower for the drivers with longer backs (Me) & the handbrake is an ergonomic disgrace. The current Ducato dash does look nice & inviting, but still looks as if the buttons were fired from a blunderbus.
Where I live Scotland), we've had the good sense to ditch the cheap, nasty & universally hated Ducato. We've went back to Mercedes & the crews are an awful lot happier.

 

[10tenmen]

I've been retired for a while, so this issue didn't affect me personally.
Reading between the lines, I suspect that the conversion to ambulance has made an error in not allowing the seats to go far enough back for taller drivers.
I think that many drivers overlook the errors of poor ergonomics in Ducato based motorhomes based on lack of experience with better designed vehicles.
I'm not trying to be obtuse here, but I had a chat with a guy on a campsite last year who was singing the virtues of his Ducato but had worked at a desk job all his life & only ever driven 2 or 3 commercial vehicles in his lifetime, he thought that the cab was fine although he admitted that he had to bend forward to read road signs & that the handbrake was way too low for comfort. He was so happy with his vehicle that he simply didn't care.
There is a world of difference between working with a commercial vehicle & simply using one for leisure.
IMHO on Ducato's, the cab needs to be deeper to allow the seats to go back a lot further, the seat base needs to be a couple of inches lower for the drivers with longer backs (Me) & the handbrake is an ergonomic disgrace. The current Ducato dash does look nice & inviting, but still looks as if the buttons were fired from a blunderbus.
Where I live Scotland), we've had the good sense to ditch the cheap, nasty & universally hated Ducato. We've went back to Mercedes & the crews are an awful lot happier.

I take it your Kon Tiki is a Fiat base, on mine the handbrake is fine position wise, both driver and passenger seats have up and down movement, If I put my seat fully back I cannot operate the clutch so plenty of all round adjustment. I have driven most vehicles during my employment Merc, VW, LGV and Ford vans. my inside leg is 33 inches and I’ve never had a problem.
I think you are probably correct when you mention the conversion has caused the problem but still it’s strange that only one trust has actually highlighted the issue.

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[ambulancekidd]

I take it your Kon Tiki is a Fiat base, on mine the handbrake is fine position wise, both driver and passenger seats have up and down movement, If I put my seat fully back I cannot operate the clutch so plenty of all round adjustment. I have driven most vehicles during my employment Merc, VW, LGV and Ford vans. my inside leg is 33 inches and I’ve never had a problem.
I think you are probably correct when you mention the conversion has caused the problem but still it’s strange that only one trust has actually highlighted the issue.

My current motorhome is an Elderly Peugeot Boxer, my issue is that my drive is very steep with a pinch point of less than an inch, to operate the handbrake on this drive is bordering on impossible, I have fitted an extender to the handbrake lever & I feel that no vehicle should ever be built that way.
So about me, I'm short in the leg, very long in the back & fat, so the shortcomings are glaringly obvious to me, but our last Sprinter motorhome (906 model) was a paragon of common sense & top-notch cab design.

 

[Jamesh]

I think the ambulance mentioned is based on a enclosed chassis cab which limits the rear depth and the headroom.

Camper chassis wouldn't have this problem.

 

[Fragle]

It’s on the BBC and involves one of there trusted sources. What do you expect.
Making a headline out of nothing.

The vans cabs have not changed that much. I’m 6”2 and can drive them no problem. Loads of tall people driving them with no problem They have been using them for years no problem.

Oh yes this is the BBC and a trusted source so must be true.

Give them a 7.5t Daf and they will moan there’s not enough room and I’ve got a bad back and the seating doesn’t move enough.
How about the BBC put out some good news for a change? Because it doesn’t suit the narrative

 

[Niall B]

I have a friend who is a short paramedic. She is fine in a Ducato but is too wee for Mercedes based vehicles. Cuts both ways.

 

[cyberyacht]

Given the BMI of many NHS staff, I suspect that it is girth rather than height that is a problem. They obviously think the obesity issue doesn't apply to them.

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[Googlebot]

I think this is a case of we must have Mercs and nothing else will do.

The Fiats have been in use in our Trust for over 10 years with no issues.

They are lighter and much cheaper.

The issue comes from the room for the stretcher. To avoid a box body which costs a lot more, only the Fiats had the room to just about get away with putting the stretcher in front of the rear wheel arch. Of course the downside is you don’t get a mass of room in the front.

The plus side is they are thousands of pounds cheaper and much easier to convert being PVC based.

You also get a simple fold ramp instead of a hydraulic monstrosity that breaks down at the worst possible moment.

Fiats every day for me.

 

[Googlebot]

Given the BMI of many NHS staff, I suspect that it is girth rather than height that is a problem. They obviously think the obesity issue doesn't apply to them.

Bit of a low blow.

There aren’t many obese Paramedics, there can’t be as we have to carry Motorhome owners out narrow A Class doors. ;-)

 

[Badknee]

as we have to carry Motorhome owners out narrow A Class doors. ;-)

That may or may not be why we have just bought a pvc with a very wide sliding door

 

[Speve]

Double post

 

[Speve]

ambulancekidd i thought you might be interested? here’s a previous thread about the very same thing.
Broken Link Removed

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[kevenh]

If this has already been posted, I do apologise.

Yes, when it was in the news
https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/staff-can’t-drive-ducati-based-ambulances.265262/

For my 2006 Pug Boxer I’ve trainers that are too fat. I operate the accelerator AND brake at the same time.

It’s ez for me to wear slimmer shoes, but must be a faff for jobs needing safety boots

Also in my Pug, I can’t put the visor down as with my 1.83m height the view of the road is blocked

Edit: oops! Broke my own mini rule and posted before getting to the thread’s end & duped someone’s effort.

This thread’s BBC story is a follow up to the 18/06/2022 story in the older thread.