Hello all,

can anyone help me to find a unimog 404? I would like to transform it into a camper.

Anyone experience with this? Did anyone used a unimog for travelling in Africa : your opinion please.

Kar El

WOW! You may want to check out http://www.besko.nl/.

How will you take enough petrol to keep a vehicle doing 3km/l running? Perhaps better to look out for a diesel with BIG tanks. Apart from their high point of gravity Unimogs must be terrific off-road vehicles I reckon.

Good luck with your plans.
Camiel

You can get a 404s in Germany for €1,500. This is the "Funkwagen" version with a "box" on the back measuring 2.00mx3.00mx1.70m. The only disadvantge is that they are petrol engined. It is possible to put a 240,300 or 300 turbo diesel into it and there is also a book available (in German)on how to do this. It is also possible to buy converted models but they are more expensive.

They are probably the best off road vehicle that you can buy (if you can afford them) apart from a full truck 6x6 or 8x8. It is also possible to put them into a normal sea container. With the 300 engine (88bhp) there are no major problems in sand dunes and the "box" is unbreakable.

Try the following

www.mobile.de go into "wohnmobile" then type in "unimog"

www.nordtruck.de

www.philipp-aus-der-hanfbachtal.de

I dont know if I spelt the last one right but try it anyway he also has links to other German web-sites on Unimogs like www.unimog.de.

I dont have the list here but I will try to post some more two orr three days if you want.

Yep,

thanks Camiel and Kevin for your info. Ofcourse I will transform the unimog with a diesel engine.
Can anyone help me with pictures, ideas how to transform the box into something camper-like?

Karel

Karel you are a brave man! Mogs are generally formidable off road, and have equally formidable fuel consumption. I recently went and watched a Europa Truck Trial event where they were climbing things I wouldn't attempt without a rope! They got over the high C of G problem by filling the tyres with water...hmm! The portal axle design means that if you drop a wheel into a hole, or it digs in it will do so deeply; you'll need another Mog to get it out. The floor of any box you put on the back will be at least 1.5 m off the ground, add to that the 2 m box height and it starts to feel ponderous and evilly tall. Take one for a couple of hours test drive, with a box on the back. They're very slow and noisy. Then reconsider just how much SERIOUS off-roading you're going to do in your adventures.
A guy called John Speed wrote a really comprehensive book on the preparation of an overland 'van. He had a Mog expedition vehicle but preferred a Merc 4x4 panel van about 6 m long, I've seen it, it's lovely. check out http://www.020.co.uk/travelvans/ it's pricey but worth it. I also found http://www.unimog.org.uk/ while looking for the ideal base for a 4x4 camper van. I had the luck of finding a fully overland equipped Iveco Daily 4x4 (even a generator on board) which, although it's no dune buggy, is surprisingly capable off road (diff locks et al). It is also very well behaved on long hauls and returned less than 15l/100km over the last 20000km in Maroc and Europe.
For the stuff dreams are made of look at http://www.actionmobil.at/english/e_index2.html and go weak at the knees. My conclusion on the ideal base vehicle with low C of G and manoeuvrability etc. it's either the Supacat HMT (http://www.supacat.com) or even more fun the Gaz Vodnik (http://www.vodnik.com/index_en.htm) ; barges and ferries, broken bridges and water holes no longer a problem
Oh well it costs nothing to dream.
Happy trails
Luke

As another alternative, how about a Gaz 66? Available for £3,000, check out www.tanksforsale.co.uk/gaz66/Gaz66.htm. I read somewhere that some of them have a gadget for altering tyre pressures on the go.

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If a thing is worth doing, it\'s worth doing to extremes.

Hi all!

Luke,thanks,exelent links,i realy got weak at the knees!

Enyway has enyone considerd a UralAZ 6x6,I saw one for sale last year in german magazine for 7000 euros in excelent condition and with a 'box' at the back.
As I heard of they are the best in price/performance,and they work in -50*C sibiria with no problem(altrough oil heater could broke but thay got an woodburning thing)

www.uralaz.ru

Does somebody knows something about TAM trucks model T7 150 with 6x6 drive,and 'short' version T7 110 with 4x4(similar to unimog by dimensions),it's produced in Slovenia(factory is now called TVM)
When I was in the army we used to drive in the back of one and I liked it wery much and it had a great offroad ability.

seeyaa

jondoe

Does enybody have an idea of prices on MAN KAT1 8x8 or 6x6
Check it out: http://www.aignertrucks.com


[This message has been edited by jondoe (edited 16 September 2002).]

[This message has been edited by jondoe (edited 16 September 2002).]

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cheers

jondoe

Kat´s start at about €9,000 for a 4x4, you used to be able to get a good 6x6 for €15,000. You can try www.truckmobiles.de which is a German magazine for used trucks. The problem is that they rarely have the prices, you usually have to contact the seller directly. Go into the green "truck" symbol, ignore the top two, click on "hersteller" (manufacturer) and then "typ" (type!!! e.g 4x4 or 1017 0r 404) then click on "suchen".

Luke,

thanks, indeed nice links. In my opinion what can be more noisier and slower then a Series III with dieselengine? We took one of these to The Gambia and I can live with the lack of comfort, the noise and slow progress.
You are right when you state that one doesn't really need a 4X4 for travelling even in the desert, but on the other hand if you are driving one, so much more beautifull places not to be reached by 2WD can be visited.
In the end everything comes to taste. I really like the design of the unimog and then you are more eager to forgive its downsides ; don't you think?

Greetz,

Kar El

Hey Kar El,
rummaging around the web looking for something else I fell upon this http://www.burgdorfernet.ch/Military.htm
Just what the doctor ordered.
I can't really fault the off road ability of the Mog; what I really meant to say was that the boulder fields that require the amazing ground clearance and articulation of a Mog make up such a small part of one's total adventures that I would choose a lesser vehicle that presents advantages elsewhere (comfort, speed and fuel consumption mainly). Also, in accomodation terms for a camper, anything with a bonnet is an inefficient use of the length of the vehicle. You only have to look inside a LR 101 and compare the space available with that in its longer brother the 110. Bonnets are good for access, but hopefully with a Mog you won't need to spend too much time in the engine bay (unlike for LRs
Happy trails
Luke

Hi all,
I guess you guys are getting carried away a little. I encourage you to peruse the relevant pages in Tom Sheppard's VDE Guide. He makes a comparison of various vehicles looking at engine power, fuel consumption and load carrying capability. If I remember correctly, Landrover FC comes on top. Other aspects, like reliability, availability of spares and ease of servicing are also relevant factors but more difficult to gauge. But I'd never attempt to drive a Gaz or Ural outside Russia, no matter how good they seem on paper.

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Roman (UK)
www.polandrover.com

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Roman (UK)

In 1983 I met a couple of german guys in a unimog 404 in Algeria, they had cleverly built a small camper body within the dimensions of the soft top canvas on the back. It was small but comfortable and very discreet. The best bit was that they had bought it very cheap as an ex military cast off as its diesel engine was knackered(though the vehicle was imaculate). Unable to scource a decent diesel engine they fitted a straight six petrol from the old mercedes SL sports car!
Boy did it go well! When I asked what the fuel consumption was like, the reply was 'very high!'

Roman,

Even as a Landrover owner, I have to say that Tom Shepperd's book is ever-so-slightly biased towards Landrovers...

Is the 101 REALLY better than a Mog? I know which I'd go for...

Ollie

Hi all!

I agree that we'r getting a bit carried away,but keep on dreaming,some day it might get real!

Enyway,I never concider'd looking for a perfect overland truck in my own country,I just cheked out this site and remember'd a home-made 8x8 and 6x6 wich yougoslav army uses for transport and misile carrier,a FAP 2632,8x8 allroad 50,000 ton tank transporter.
It's suposed to be not that costy(as MB or MAN)and i'm gonna see if it's posibile to get a used one from the army.
I'v also heard that Saudi Arabia army uses them with sucses.

Check it out: http://www.fap.co.yu
click english/trucks/special vahicles/

SeeYaa

jondoe

P.S: Action mobile MAN 8x8 looks like +500,000 EURO,and since we'r not sheiks...!

[This message has been edited by jondoe (edited 20 September 2002).]

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cheers

jondoe

>If I remember correctly, Landrover FC comes on top. Other aspects, like reliability, availability of spares and ease of servicing are also relevant factors but more difficult to gauge. <

The only thing that stops me (for now) from buying a unimog right now, is the fact that they are petrol (2,2 or 2,8) and it seems not so easy to swap it to diesel. I looked at most interesting sites about dieselasition but can anyone tell me firsthand how difficult it is?

That's one of the advantages of the LR FC : engineswaps are very straightforward.

Convince me to buy a FC and not a unimog (as I am a LR-fanatic aswell)!!!!!!!

Kar El