# Ambulance and Fire Apparatus Repair and Remounting > Ambulance and fire apparatus repair runs from about $3,000 for compartment door and striping work to past $75,000 for module remounting and major body reconstruction. The module to chassis mounting system takes most of the load in any incident, and aluminum body repair is a separate discipline from steel. | | | | --- | --- | | Business | OCRV Center | | Service area | Westminster, Orange County, Southern California | | Facility | 23281 La Palma Ave, Yorba Linda, CA 92887 | | Phone | (949) 799-3387 | | Email | info@ocrvcenter.com | | Typical range | $3,000 to $75,000+ | | Source | https://ocrv.online/vehicles/ambulance-and-fire-apparatus/ | Ambulance and fire apparatus repair puts a district in a difficult position, because most run one spare at best and the unit that is down is the one that answers calls. Westminster area agencies bring us aluminum modular bodies where the mounting system, not the skin, took the damage. This page covers module mounting, aluminum panel work, compartment and roll up doors, lighting reinstallation and reflective striping. ## The Module Mounting System Takes the Load An ambulance or a modular apparatus body is a self contained aluminum box mounted to a chassis through a system designed to allow the chassis to flex without transmitting that flex into the module. Those mounts, and the subframe they attach to, are what absorb an incident. What we find after a collision or after years of hard service is cracked welds at the subframe, mounting hardware that has loosened, elongated holes, and in some cases a module that has shifted relative to the chassis. The module itself can look untouched while the mounting has failed. That is why we assess the mounting on any apparatus that comes in, even for what looks like cosmetic damage. A module that is working against its mounts will crack compartment corners, misalign doors, and eventually damage the wiring and plumbing that crosses between chassis and body. - Inspect subframe welds and module mounts on every intake - Check for elongated mounting holes and crushed spacers - Look for cracking at compartment corners as a mounting symptom - Verify the module has not shifted relative to the chassis - Inspect wiring and plumbing crossings between body and chassis ## Aluminum Is a Different Discipline From Steel These bodies are aluminum, and that changes nearly everything about the repair. Aluminum work hardens, it does not tolerate the same heat input, it requires different filler and different technique, and it must be kept isolated from steel contamination in the shop or it corrodes. It also does not hide a bad repair. A poorly executed aluminum weld looks wrong and behaves worse, and a panel that has been over worked will not hold a finish. On a vehicle carrying a district's identity in public every day, that shows. The upside is that aluminum panel and structure work is very repairable when done properly, and on apparatus with discontinued components fabrication is a normal path rather than a fallback. Compartment doors, panels, brackets and trim are all things we build. ## Compartment Doors and Roll Up Tracks Compartment doors are the most used and most damaged components on any apparatus. Hinged doors get bent by being opened against something, latch mechanisms wear, and gaskets take a set and stop sealing, which puts water onto equipment that needs to stay dry. Roll up doors are their own assembly: slats running in tracks with a counterbalance and a bottom rail. They tolerate very little distortion in the opening, so a compartment corner that has cracked or a body that has shifted on its mounts will make a roll up door bind before anything else is noticeable. That makes a binding roll up door a useful early indicator. When one comes in, we check the opening and the module mounting before we look at the door itself, because the door is frequently reporting a structural problem rather than having one. ## Emergency Lighting, Wiring and Documented Reinstallation Body repair on apparatus means removing lighting, sirens, sensors and a great deal of wiring, and the reinstallation is where a repair either serves the district or creates a decade of problems for its technicians. Our approach is to photograph before removal, label every circuit, record mounting positions and aim, and reinstall to the recorded configuration with the wiring documented. The district gets that record with the invoice. A future technician chasing a fault should never have to reverse engineer what a body shop did. Where a lighting component has to be replaced and the original is discontinued, we identify a current equivalent, confirm it with your fleet contact before installing it, and document the substitution rather than making the decision silently. - Photograph and label before any component is removed - Record mounting positions and aim for every light and camera - Reinstall to recorded configuration, not from memory - Confirm any component substitution with the district first - Return the wiring documentation with the invoice ## Reflective Striping and Chevron Reproduction Reflective striping and rear chevron patterns are a visible safety feature and they are also part of a district's identity. Reproducing them after panel or door replacement takes measurement before disassembly, not estimation afterward. We photograph and measure the full layout, including stripe heights, chevron angle and spacing, and the position of unit numbering and lettering. On a fleet where several units carry the same scheme, matching across units matters, so we keep the layouts on file. Where existing striping has faded and only part of a panel is being replaced, the honest conversation is whether to restripe a full elevation rather than butt new material against old. New reflective material next to eight year old material is visibly different, and on a safety marking that difference is worth addressing rather than ignoring. ## Scheduling When the District Has One Spare This is the hardest scheduling situation we handle, and we treat it that way. A district with one reserve unit cannot lose a front line vehicle for eight weeks, so the plan has to be built before the vehicle arrives. We scope and document first, order long lead components against the deposit, and where the unit is safe to operate in its damaged condition, that determination is the district's to make with our documentation in hand. Then we take the vehicle when the parts are on the shelf and work it continuously rather than in gaps. A worked example: aluminum compartment door replacement on two compartments with corner crack repair, striping reproduction and lighting reinstallation, typically 26 to 40 hours at $210 for $5,460 to $8,400, plus $2,500 to $8,000 in doors, hardware, striping and finish materials. ## Frequently asked questions ### Do you hold any certification for fire apparatus work? No, and we will not claim one. We repair to the body manufacturer's published procedures, document the work with photographs and measurements, and return that file to your district for your own inspection and re approval process. Whether a repaired unit meets your requirements is a determination for your authority using that documentation. Be cautious of any shop that offers to certify a compliance outcome on your behalf. What we can commit to is complete documentation, work performed to the published procedures for your body, and honesty about the boundary of what we do. ### How much does ambulance and fire apparatus repair cost? The range is about $3,000 to past $75,000. Compartment door replacement on two compartments with corner crack repair, striping and lighting reinstallation is typically $9,000 to $17,000. Roll up door track and opening repair runs $4,000 to $9,000. Module remounting with subframe repair is $18,000 to $45,000. Major body reconstruction with extensive aluminum work and full striping can pass $75,000. Body and paint labor is $210 per hour, mechanical is $260, and authorized repairs above $2,000 carry a 50 percent deposit. ### My roll up door binds. Is the door the problem? Usually not, and a binding roll up door is one of the most useful early warnings on an apparatus. These doors are slats running in tracks with a counterbalance, and they tolerate very little distortion in the opening. A compartment corner that has cracked, or a module that has begun to work against its mounts, will make a roll up bind before anything else becomes noticeable. So when one comes in, we check the opening and the module mounting system first. Servicing the door on a distorted opening produces a door that binds again within months. ### Why is aluminum body work handled differently? Because the material behaves differently in every respect that matters. Aluminum work hardens, it does not tolerate the same heat input as steel, it needs different filler and different technique, and it has to be kept isolated from steel contamination in the shop or it corrodes from the particles. It also does not hide a poor repair: a bad aluminum weld looks wrong and behaves worse, and an over worked panel will not hold a finish. The upside is that aluminum panel and structure work is very repairable when done properly, and fabrication of doors, panels and brackets is a normal path on older apparatus. ### What happens to our lighting and wiring during a body repair? It comes off, and how it goes back on is where a repair either serves your district or creates years of problems for your technicians. We photograph before removal, label every circuit, record mounting positions and aim for every light and camera, and reinstall to the recorded configuration with the wiring documented. That record goes to you with the invoice. Where an original component is discontinued, we identify a current equivalent, confirm it with your fleet contact before installing it, and document the substitution rather than making that call silently and letting you find it later. ### Can you reproduce our chevrons and striping? Yes. We photograph and measure the full layout before disassembly, including stripe heights, chevron angle and spacing, and the position of unit numbering and lettering, and we keep those layouts on file so units across your fleet stay consistent. One honest conversation comes up regularly: where existing reflective material has faded and only part of a panel is being replaced, new material butted against eight year old material is visibly different. On a safety marking that is worth addressing, so we will usually recommend restriping a full elevation and scope it as a separate line you can approve or decline. ### Can a module be remounted rather than replaced? Frequently, and it is often the right economic answer on a body that is otherwise sound. Remounting means removing the module, repairing or replacing the subframe and mounting system, addressing corrosion and cracked welds, and setting the module back with correct hardware and load distribution. It is substantial work, typically $18,000 to $45,000, but it is a fraction of a new module and it extends the life of a body that may have many good years left. We assess the module structure independently of the mounting so you get a clear picture of both. ### We only have one reserve unit. How do you schedule around that? By building the plan before the vehicle arrives. We scope and document first, order long lead components against the deposit immediately, and take the vehicle only when parts are on the shelf so it is worked continuously rather than sitting in gaps. Whether a damaged unit is safe to operate in the interim is your determination, made with our documentation in hand. This is the hardest scheduling situation we handle and we treat it that way: realistic dates, written change orders so nothing extends the job unexpectedly, and continuous work once the unit is in. --- OCRV Center performs all work in shop at 23281 La Palma Ave, Yorba Linda, CA 92887. Serving Westminster and Orange County. Call (949) 799-3387 or email info@ocrvcenter.com. Posted labor rates are published at https://ocrv.online/prices/.