Using a Mercedes-Benz Unimog, the adventure motorhome transports a stylish pop-up four-person mini-apartment, which can be used to establish a home in the most inhospitable terrain on or off the map. As a result, the vehicle is one of the most persuasive combinations of land-conquering off-road performance and comfortable modern living available anywhere in the world.
Progression and safety, perfection and accountability, performance and innovation are just a few of the characteristics that Mercedes-Benz Unimog customers have come to associate with the company. In the Unimog, these ideals have been reinterpreted in a different way.
It is this outcome that establishes new standards: an implement carrier that achieves unprecedented levels of productivity, efficiency, and environmental friendliness. In addition, an all-terrain utility vehicle with remarkable off-road qualities, high efficiency, cutting-edge large-scale manufacturing technologies, and exceptional system competence is being developed. Overall, the combination is a successful notion in its own right.
Introducing the Mercedes Benz Unimog Camper
Mercedes has produced some rather outrageous pickups. The G 63 AMG 66 is the result of engineers taking a last-generation G-Class and adding a pickup truck and an extra axle. Customizers were able to make the closest thing possible to a factory E-Class pickup truck. Furthermore, it is still feasible to purchase a G-Class pickup that has been stripped down in other parts of the world. However, when it comes to harsh off-roading, only the Unimog is capable of navigating the terrain effectively. Not only is it still in service as a support truck for the Paris-Dakar Rally, but Unimogs have also been known to win races by accident. It should come as no surprise that someone who enjoys Overlanding opted to build a Unimog camper.
Even the most recent Unimogs aren’t extremely fast. It certainly isn’t the case with this older model, a 435. It was initially equipped with a 6-cylinder diesel engine with 129 horsepower and 268 pound-feet of torque. This one, on the other hand, looks to have received a rebuilt 4-cylinder turbodiesel from Atkinson Vos, a Unimog specialist company based in the United Kingdom. However, it is not required to move quickly.
This Doka camper, like all Unimogs, is equipped with three locking differentials and four-wheel drive. It also has portal axles, similar to those seen on the G550 44 Squared, as well as a chassis that bends in response to topography. It has the capability of fording water up to 31 inches deep, and the driver may remotely deflate and inflate the tires to improve traction. In addition, as Motor Trend stated, the Unimog camper features two sets of gears: eight forward speeds and eight backward speeds, thereby creating two sets of gears. It has the ability to crawl over and up almost anything. And, because of the features of this truck, the entire planet can be your campground.
There are two bunk beds as well as a separate double bed/dinette in this room. In addition to the fridge/freezer, there is a 2-burner gas stove. The Unimog camper has a capacity of around 159 gallons of fresh water and 53 gallons of greywater run-off, respectively. The freshwater tank has a built-in purifying mechanism to ensure that the water is safe to drink.
Other features include a camper gas heater as well as a gas/electric water heater for use in the built-in shower and washroom, among other things. In the summer, there is an air conditioning system that is powered by the onboard diesel generator or by the 220V hookup. Roof-mounted solar panels are also available to assist with the powering of various gadgets. In addition, if you need to tow something, the vendor has already installed a Class IV hitch as well as a Prindle hitch.
The concept of converting a Unimog into a camper isn’t all that novel, though. Mercedes-Benz has also collaborated with a number of other companies in the past to develop campers for sale. Unimogs, on the other hand, were not officially sold in the United States, with the exception of a few very limited outlets. It is, therefore, necessary to search for one in this area through enthusiast forums or specialized vendors.
Once you have one, there are a number of companies that may assist you with the conversion to a camper. Atkinson Vos, the company that is believed to have worked on the Reno Unimog, has restored several Unimog Dokas for customers in the United States. EarthCruiser, an Australian company that turns Unimogs into campsites, was recently featured on Motor1. Unidan Engineering is yet another Australian company that manufactures Unimog campers. However, if you are contracting with an international company, you must ensure that the Unimog is at least 25 years old before proceeding. If this is not done, it will not be legal to import into the United States without further adjustments.
Fortunately, there are several firms in the United States that have produced Unimog campers, including Global Expedition Vehicles and Turtleback Trailers. At the time of writing, Global Expedition Vehicles still has a 2004 Unimog camper available for purchase, however, it will set you back $550,000.
Optional Equipment
Air-ride seats, as well as cruise control, powertrain brakes, 46-inch tires, and a slew of other features are available. The vehicle is in stock condition, and it performs admirably in the Unimog U500.
VarioPilot Steering And Transmission
The truck can be converted from an automatic transmission to a manual transmission with the push of a button if desired. The clutch pedal will fold out from behind the dash when the lever is pulled, and the transmission will shift as though it were a manual. Also included is the ability for the operator to manually shift while the truck takes care of all of the clutch work. Alternatively, it will perform all of the shiftings while the user performs the clutch operation.” Aside from that, it features VarioPilot quick-change steering.
The operator has the option of pulling a lever and sliding the steering wheel and pedal assembly over to either the right or left side of the cab, allowing him to drive from either side of the vehicle.
Combine your impure ideas with an eight-speed transmission and all of the locking differentials, including the front, center, and rear, as well as the three transfer case ratios. In addition, the transfer-case buttons feature graphics that correspond to the current situation: a rabbit signifies rapid speed, a mule represents working gears, and a turtle symbolizes crawler gears.
Portal Axles
The portal axles at the front and rear are trailing link/wishbone designs with a hub reduction gear in the front. The all-wheel-drive Unimog has a gross vehicle weight rating of 33,000 pounds (26,000 pounds was also available), which equates to a combined gross vehicle weight rating of 66,000 pounds. Additionally, there is a 60-gallon gasoline tank, which is beneficial since the vehicle’s fuel economy is roughly 10 mpg.
Suspension Upgrades
The 6.4L diesel engine is expected to produce 280-ish horsepower plus nearly 1,000 lb-ft of torque, according to estimates.
This behemoth can travel down the highway over 70 mph on to its coil-spring suspension, and its central tire inflation system allows you to modify the air pressure in the tires on the fly.
Solar Panels
All of the lighting are LED, and the entire system operates on 12 volts of electricity. If you have a 110-volt air conditioning system, you can choose to have the extra luxury. The four big AGM batteries that are available for use with this system are charged completely by the solar panels on the roof.
In the summer, having a little more than 500 watts of solar power on the roof is more than adequate. When the sun is lower in the sky during the winter, however, the angle of incidence is also reduced because the sun is lower in the sky. The solar panels’ efficiency is significantly reduced as a result of the decreased angle. Up to this point, the vehicle has never gotten even a single electron from any source other than the sun. However, by increasing the size of the array, It will be able to reduce the system’s recovery cycle time.
Expedition Vehicle Camper
The adventure camper began as a Gichner military surplus box, which was sandblasted and rubberized on the roof before being transformed into a mobile base camp. Designing the camper’s inside was done using software that is generally used for kitchen layouts. The software was used to plan the camper’s interior layout, which included places for the bed, kitchen, as well as shower/toilet. Cabinets were purchased from Home Depot, while other things, including windows and doors, air conditioning, as well as appliances, were purchased on the internet auction site eBay. You can also construct storage lockers that are accessible from the outside.
Accessories And Comfort
The addition of a three-way fridge, a shower/cassette toilet combo, a kitchen with a sink, stove, and microwave, an 84-gallon water tank, a water heater, a bed, an entertainment system, a flat-screen TV, an AGM battery bank, a 7,000-watt inverter, a cell phone booster, and antenna tower, LED lighting, and a sofa was necessary to provide comfort and even self-sufficiency while Overlanding. Avenza as well as an iPad are in charge of navigation.
Custom Deck
Having a very high-clearance vehicle meant that the camper access would also be located at a high elevation as well. You may come across certain structures where the only means of access was a ladder. This, on the other hand, would be problematic. Due to the fact that the door opens outward, standing at the top of the ladder in order to reach the door would put one in the path of the door. An aluminum porch with hard pine decking and button-based hydraulics/linear actuators can be added, and it can be 4 feet wide and operate on linear actuators. The patio is held in place by three parts in the style of a receiver hitch that is attached to the side of the box.
The Multi-Purpose Unimog
Unimog is a Mercedes-Benz brand of multi-purpose auto 4-wheel drive trucks that are available in a variety of configurations.
Unimog is an abbreviation for the German “UNIversal-MOtor-Gerät,” with Gerät denoting a machine or device in the German language. In 1951, Daimler Benz took over the production of the Unimog, which is now manufactured in Wörth am Rhein, Germany.
Unimogs are assembled at Aksaray, Turkey, at yet another Mercedes-Benz facility. Unimogs were also manufactured in Argentina until the early 1980s when they were discontinued.
The bottom line is that they are one of the best all-terrain vehicles available.
Due to the use of portal axles, the Unimog has 0.45m of ground clearance. These allow the gearbox and diff lock casings to be situated above the centerline of the wheels, which is otherwise impossible.
The 5.4-liter turbo-diesel engine in Unimog provides immense power at the sacrifice of speed, making it a remarkably durable four-wheel-drive vehicle.
Its top speed on a downhill is 53 mph with a following wind, and she travels comfortably at 46 mph. Fuel is indeed a bit of a headache; you are getting about 15mpg.
However, the kerbside weight is rated at 7.5 tonnes, although the factory plate weight is rated at 8.5 tonnes.
She is equipped with a second gasoline tank that holds 400 liters and a water tank that holds 250 liters. Her most recent MOT at VOSA revealed that she weighed 6.7 tonnes with a 400-liter fuel tank empty.
So, when we’re completely loaded with fuel, we’ll weigh 7.2 tonnes.
The 12v electricity is provided by two x 125 Amp Hour leisure batteries, which are charged by a separate alternator and are used to power the lights, refrigerator, and other appliances.
They have a 2,000-watt inverter as an addition to a Sine Wave inverter for powering the laptops in the living room, which we use for entertainment.
It’s equipped with three large solar panels that, on a very sunny day, can generate up to 30 amps of electricity, which helps to trickle charge the recreational batteries.
Without the need for a permanent double bed, which was a must-have feature for us, as well as railway-type seating and a table for four, no Unimog camper is complete.
This configuration can be moved to another double bed if necessary. A freezer and icebox, an oven and a four-burner gas stove, an indoor wet room with a power shower, and a portable cassette toilet are all included in the sailboating equipment from Streamline.
Its clean water is supplied by an integrated water filter system, and its hot water is heated by both the engine exhaust and a separate immersion heater.
It was necessary to remove the air conditioner from the living room and replace it with a large air hatch. On cold days, we have a diesel-fueled Eberspaecher air top warmer, which has proven to be really useful on winter expeditions in the mountains.
On the other hand, it has plenty of inside and external storage, including drawers, cupboards, and two garages for outdoor gear, spares, tools, and other items.
Explorer XPR440 by EarthCruiser Australia
Unimog. That is a name that many people in North America, and notably in the United States, are unfamiliar with. However, certain Unimog varieties can have a distinct post-apocalyptic sci-fi appearance, despite the fact that they are neither a bizarre drink nor a prototype robot. This is due to the fact that this medium-duty, go-anywhere off-roader from Mercedes-Benz is highly adaptable, and we mean that in the most positive sense. You’ve probably seen them dressed in military fatigues or outfitted with grapple loaders, and sure, they’ve been hustling along as support vehicles in the Dakar Rally, which is currently underway.
This time, however, we’re looking at the Unimog in a more recreational capacity, and it comes to us from Australia. EarthCruiser Australia starts with a Unimog U 430 chassis and upfits it with a motorhome body that provides intrepid campers with all of the comforts of home while on the road. Known as the EarthCruiser Explorer XPR440 in its official name, the RV features beds for sleeping, a fridge, and stove for cooking meals, a fully equipped bathroom with a shower, and a washing machine to keep your clothes clean while you’re out exploring the wilds of the world’s backcountry.
Its extreme off-road capability, on the other hand, is something you wouldn’t anticipate from a regular recreational vehicle. Other than having exceptional ground clearance, the full-time AWD system includes low-range and diff-lock capabilities, allowing it to access locations that are far from the trodden road. In fact, the vehicle has up to 140 onboard features – one of which is a hydraulic four-point lift system that can be used to remove wheels if necessary – and everything is controlled by a tablet on the inside of the car. Heavily fuel-efficient, it can go more than 2,100 miles on a single tank of petrol, which is more than enough for an ultra-large recreational vehicle (RV) (3,500 kilometers). There’s also space for 227 gallons (860 liters) of water, and with accessories such as winches and chainsaws available, occupants of the EarthCruiser Explorer XPR440 can get themselves into some serious trouble if they so choose.
How much does such a daring piece of machinery set you back? We don’t know how much it costs; each machine is essentially a one-of-a-kind creation, so you can guess that it isn’t cheap. For those of us who are interested in spending an extended period of time visiting the wonders of Australia, we cannot think of a better vehicle for the journey.
More about the Unimog camper
In the back of the Mercedes U500 Expedition Camper, there is a fully equipped camper that was obtained from a military surplus store. An expandable deck area, as well as a complete kitchen area, sleeping accommodations, and a bathroom, are all included in the living quarters of the cabin. Modern conveniences such as a solar power grid mounted on the roof, a cell phone signal booster, and a diesel-powered hot water heater should not be disregarded.
While the living room may be the focal point of the space, the cockpit is where you will find some of the most exciting technological advancements. The Unimog is equipped with a sophisticated configuration that enables the steering column as well as a pedal assembly to move, allowing the driver to choose between right and left-hand drive.
By adjusting the clutch system, the transmission can be utilized in either an automatic or a manual mode, according to the vehicle’s owner. Additionally, he claims that the truck’s diesel powerplant produces approximately 280 horsepower and an incredible 1,000 pound-feet of torque). That is to say, even with the rig’s extra weight, the Unimog is an incredibly capable off-road vehicle.
With each Unimog camper that we feature, the vehicle appears to grow in both capability and appearance. Likewise, this Overlanding special, with its own intuitive interface and “built from the ground up” attitude, is a perfect example. The Unimog will always be remembered as one of the most fearsome off-road vehicles ever built.
FAQs
Q. How much is a Unimog Camper?
A. Despite the starting cost, $580,000 will suffice. It is even bigger than Global Excursion Vehicle Unimog. The search for Unimog campers has never been easier. Then it makes for an amazing travel vehicle.
Q. How much is a Unimog 2020?
A. The rare Mercedes-Benz Unimog has been sold for $369,000. The beast has a huge floor area, a central tire inflation system, a bare-bones interior, and a turbodiesel engine that delivers 650 lbs-feet of torque.
Q. What is a Mog Truck?
A. Listen (help) is a variety of multifunctional tractors and trailers that Boehringer made from 1947 through 1951 and by Daimler AG. In Canada, it was sold as Freightliner Unimog. Unimog assembly facilities assemble in Aksaray, Turkey.
Q. What is a Unimog Doka?
A. These 406-series Unimogs of 1974 feature a relatively rare double cabin body referred to colloquially as “Doka” from the German ” doppelkabine ” and although some were accompanied with adorable little cargo seats his one was a surprisingly modest one.
