I bought my Unimog 1300L from George a few years ago and he was extremely honest about everything on the truck, he was honest about the money he needed and was a true pleasure to work with I would rate George and his company a full 10 out of 10 in every way!
I had a few Unimog's in my day, cost me nothing....got to love the Australian Army, the most interesting thing I have done driving the mog is driving down 1.5 meter sand stone steps, 1st gear just crawled down with 6 tone of payload. Slow, noisy, hot in summer but so very capable.
I'd add that everything on that rig is air powered. It has a ton of air lines in the chassis and under the dash. Lots of regulators, valves and such. Keeping the system lubed and clean is very important. Other than that, these years are great rigs. I've got a '72 406 U900 and it's quite a bit simpler.
While living in Germany 14 years I fell in love with the Uni. I have seen so many configurations from farm to road and highway maintenance to general DPW and military. I would love to have a camper built on this platform.
I rode in one of these on a excursion on an Alaskan cruise. It was for dog sledding and the dogs really like the cold of the higher altitude so they have to get the guests pretty high in the mountains pretty fast. They used a modified unimog and it totally preformed! It was a very fun ride.
I have had air under the tires all 4 ways in my 404 Unimog radio van, which I bought from George. I have also had it up to almost 90 degrees in a "wheelie" at a competition. Had a tire stuck under s log. Blew a portal axle on the way down. The portal housings on 404 Unimogs are mechanical fuses. Cheap and easy to replace, about 20 minutes.
I’m in the UK and have a U1300L Expedition Vehicle and we’ve just completed a 5,300 mile round trip of Scandinavia. The Mog gave us no problems. The addition of a Claas overdrive and fast pinions (the later comes as standard in an ambulance variant) was a must. Bad days we averaged 13 mpg, on good days 18 mpg and on a motorway cruising at 55 mph (2,100 rpm) we were getting about 20 mpg. However, by changing the gearing expect to loose some speed even on a slight incline. We were envious of a couple of MAN expedition trucks that overtook us, but they must of have deeper pockets to top up their fuel tanks.
Not much to see, just a cab. It has a sort of unusual looking air switch for the 4 wheel drive and diff locks. A couple of extra levers, and the indicator lights are across the top of the dash in front of the driver. What is worth seeing is under the hood and under the truck. Note, I said "truck". Mercedes stuck the radiator over on the drivers' side so you can get at everything on the front of the engine. Underneath, there is one big transmission, no transfer case, powered by a driveshaft from the bell housing. Makes it easy to change the clutch and makes a better center of gravity. The drive shaft tubes are part of the suspension.
The inside of the cabin is only metal, nothing is covert or sound proved. That's the first thing to start with if you want to drive it with more comfort. I did it. Further has the 1300 L a verry short turning circle for a 4x4. It's 2,20 m wide and for me ,driving in small or big towns is like driving a van. And for some reason, upcoming trafic gives a lot of way... :-)
Totally the real deal! Really appreciated this guy’s honesty and realism about what a Unimog is good for and what it isn’t. Lots of great info! Thanks for sharing!
It'll tow/pull a Bunch of weight. They are used to move rail cars in Europe. I think he was talking mainly about the example of highway towing such as the Land Rover. Why tow such a capable vehicle is what I got from that.
I have towed with my 404 and U1300L. acceleration and cruising speed are a little lower. Mostly local, picking up or wood pellets or concrete in bags. I've towed a Deuce and a half using a military tow bar with my 404. It works, but you go VERY slow for safety. The little critters and insects are passing you.
Readily available in Australia, they are the standard troop transport truck for the Australian Army. They are always selling of surplus vehicles. Great trucks will almost go any where
They’re in the process of replacing them with the M.A.N. 4 and 8 wheel driver versions. The mogs are being sold for anywhere between 10 and 20 thousand.
Very cool. Another Mpog connection, Thank you. Though I am not 'Overlander' , yet... I, too have a U1300L with a Huge Mercedes modified/manufactured cab that was allegedly a crew working truck for German railroads. Mine has top speed is 54 mph. Bought it purely as a moderate to extreme off-roader for New Mexico-Arizona-Utah-Colorado exploration. I tell you, around town it is a Huge attention getter. People flock to it to ask questions. It us Huge Fun !!!
Built 2 from bare chassis for the Australian army / air force 8 speed forward 8 speed reverse Didion axles coupled to a chassis mounted gearbox , front and rear drop hubs with gear reduction for ground clearance and smaller crown wheel (differential) , great bit of kit , go anywhere just about . Selling in Aus for 20k .
one of my favorite feature is that there is no high/low transfer box and shifter! all 8 gears in one box. high is from 5 to 8 low from 1 to 4, man that is cool i can use a crawl gear anytime and dont have to stop and back up to get it out like on all 4x4s i have driven. add to that a second lever for reverse with 1 to 4 in reverse!! y dont other vehicles come like this?? the Unimog i crawled under last week had engine then bell housing...then guess what... only the clutch in the bellhousing then a short propshaft to the gearbox. man o man a clutch job without moving engine or gearbox! just drop the propshaft pull the bellhousing and thats it! cant get better than that! sad thing no one talks about these features.
These are great vehicles, but why has he got the tyre tread the wrong way around? This way the tires are self clogging, instead of the other way around to be self cleaning!
I have yet to figure out the numeric system used? U900, U1000, U1100, U1200, etc...? What’s the different numbers mean pertaining to the vehicle? All I know is the “L” stands for Long Bed/Box.
I'm in the UK and had loads of Range Rovers, now I have a 30ft Damon Challenger which makes adventure comfortable, but man it sucks off road. OK rock crawling was never a possibility, but gently undulating grass campsites would be nice to venture out into. I don't get it, lots of US RVs are built on a chassis with a 4WD option, including my Chevy P30 chassis, but the manufacturers never choose or even offer it as an option. For the last few years my wife keeps showing me car ads for Mercedes ML 4x4s, to which I say every time I'd rather have a Unimog
I’ve got a few Unimogs, a mint condition ‘74 404 Doka (4dr), ‘82 U1300L tilt flat bed and a 2010 U5000 Doka that I imported as a Ag tractor from Germany which is a real drag because I can never register the vehicle with DMV. It’s a farm vehicle only. I’ve found some parts in the US and some I’ve had to import from abroad which is not cheap. They are not for everyone no matter how cool they look...ownership can be pricey despite a low buy in price on some models.
So why can you not register them? I'm not from the states but would have thought if they were good enough to drive legally in most countries around the world that they would be good enough in America too.
@@benmac7315 I'm not american but afaik you cannot import cars younger than 25 years to the US(well u can import them but you won't be able to register them). I think they are allowed if manufactured in the USA though. So Unimog never built any cars in america, so u can only import cars that are older than 25 years.
What about agricultural Unimogs? Also the 25 year import law? They are officially tractors over here. Those do 40 Mph tops. Used to pull things not 100% sure think the transmission is the big difference those have PTO and a big hydraulic pump. Maybe you looked into it if not it might be worth it. Grtz
the speed is mostly gained in the axel ratios, max speed for a regular unimog w/ out fast axels i think is around 55, that has to be fact checked though.
@@ParalyzedNight i almost want to laugh. Unless is something where you have to be small, the mog will go further. And military mods arent known to be unreliable
Unimogs are amazing: but big, noisy and complicated mechanically: no mention of portal axles, tubed/articulated drive shafts etc..now I realize in the US you only have American Land Cruisers but the real deal the 70 Series Land Cruisers are built with 100% off-road in mind..to take a beating no other vehicle can..from highway high speed driving to low gear no-road driving. In comfort, style and ultimate (ul-ti-mate) reliability..simply second to none.
exactly and thats why the land cruiser is by far the best and the most used vehicle for expeditions by the UN and other NGOs, mining industry military even terrorists
2 simple but important offroad issues undiscovered - tyre change by yourself is it possible to do by 1 person in the middle of nowhere (even 35 inch tyre weights ~50 kg) and tyres pressure change how long does it take..
Few have central inflation. Tires are 41" tall, heavy. Solo change can be done but you have to really be able to manhandle something. Be smart about it. Leverage, etc.
I have 46" tires on my U1300L (I bought from George). I have changed and rotated them myself. Mine are stored in the NATO radio shelter I got from George. I get them in and out with either an electric winch or a 8 pulley block and tackle. I use hydraulic jacks or railroad jacks depending on the situation. I don't lower, then raise as he does. I have the tire about an inch from the ground or a little less and remove the old tire. U use a shovel to pry and scoot the new tire on. Tedious, but easy. When I rotate them in the yard, I have 4 huge jack stands and put the entire thing in the air.
Ed Sanderson. Very interesting. Thank you for an explanation. How you solve stuck in mud scenario? plenty offroad toyota or jeeps are almost half weight for towing out the Unimog from mud ie required equal weight vehicle. Any practice here?
If Americans want to buy a Unimog, the older ones are absolutely what you should buy. In 2014 I set out to buy a new 2015 U4000 double cab. It was a breeze finding a dealer in the Uk to sell and ship it. The modern Unimogs from factory meet our emissions and safety requirements so getting it registered and tagged was easy. I had some problems with Bluetech which i needed replacement parts for. The dealer I bought from said under their agreement with MB, they are permitted from importing parts to North America. I could not find a dealer willing to sell and ship to me, so I flew to the Uk, bought parts in person, paid cash and shipped them at a great expense. I had to do this a few times until I found a dealership in Germany willing to ship me parts. I only found them because I went there and a few other countries scouting for dealers to do business with which was quite costly. Anyone unwilling to do this should stay away from new Unimogs. I have since imported a 2018 U5023 Doka which is badass but I can only have it with the connections I made.
Europeans are riping you off big time. Few years ago i buyed Umog for just 4500€ on auction in Austria. It was a snow cleaner with a kipper chassis for salt. Rust all over but engine is able to withstand a nuclear blast. So long story short i restored it and sold it. This wehicles deserves to live on . Enjoy
Everything in winter service is a writeoff when back on the market. The salt gets everywhere and the mixture of salt and sand which is often used on roads is the worst for any kiind of machine. The abrasive sand grinds down the paint and the corrosive salt gets it roasting as soon as possible. The only thing worse i have seen here on youtube was at the production of Tabasco. They have salt and vinegar and the forklifts, only two or three years old, looked worse than most euipment that has been outsid for decades.
You've never really been stuck or bogged until your stuck or bogged in a unimog. Hopefully there's another mog behind you for the recovery or you really are up schitt creek without a paddle.....
Agreed, was in the Australian Army and when we bogged them, if the mog didn’t have a winch you where stuffed and had to wait for RAEME to come and get you.
I love these unimogs I like the old style and this one can they be geared up to go faster on the interstate ? When I get the money together I've got to have one.
rdaugherty52 I drove an older ,one in JAMAICA BWI, back in 1956, the owner used his as a farm tractor, it was really RH drive, but NEW ones can be made RH,or LH, at will.
Good review. Not sure if you have done this, but how does one of these compare to a Quigley/sportsmobile conversions? Ie sounds like this is 40/50grand with (questionable) warranty and so much more $$$ to get going. Vs 4x4 van is 60/80grand for a basically/ decently equipped one with a 5 year warranty pretty much ready to go. Yearly cost of maintenance for broken/damaged stuff. Guessing unimog are more capable but how much more? Hope u get my idea of what im saying?
Mine gets 10 to 15 MPG. About the same as my V10 Excursion. Converting all the lubes to Amsoil gave me one gear higher on the hills and a couple of MPG better. It runs much quieter (except for the tires) and shifts easier. All of the gearboxes run at least 50 degrees F lower than before. www.edsanders.com/
박지호 I have found Jeepers do not like big trucks like this. I have a 5 ton. Everyone looks at it when you pull up to a red light ... except Jeep drivers. Seems like they either look down on you or jealousy or ... I don’t know, but I have noticed that Jeepers do not like big 4x4 or 6x6 vehicles with larger tires. I think it’s tire envy.
My brother in law has one from the 70s. Work in progress. Prior owner cut rhe roof and raised it didnt do that good of a job. And has boat seats in it.
Excellent review of this unimog love it i has always been in love with this ugly rare truck jajaja i see on tv a program that they buy a car call "wheeler dealers", the program and the restoration was amazing too and i will buy a truck like this yugoslavia or russia has a lot of them, and thanks for the review and all the info on it i aprecciate a lot the next time show the motor, and the back all the spec and go for a ride will be awesome to see in action, cheers from Venezuela my friend you got a new subscribe here !!!
I do. I like driving them so much, and never drive them in the winter salt, so have to get in as much as can in the other months. The only times I don't drive it is when I bring and elderly friend who can no longer climb in and out, and on really hot (85+F) days when I prefer AC
Best offroad car on this planet! If you want something real - forget Landcruiser, Landrover, Hilux and all the other nice stuff! They all are great - but nothing can compare to a Unimog!
@@randycane5894 it works both ways. The Unimog can go over rocks that even heavily modified road registered can go. When your on a narrow road.. cliff on one side and the other.. take a smaller car not a truck.
Edified & Entertained ; Excellent & Concise ! Not My Thing But 2 Thumbs Up !!! I-Like , I-Like ... Very Rare on the U-Tube . Need Mini-Movie - Via George . YYZ , Mohawk-Planker ...No Ya-Who Mudder's Pls !
Yes Heavy, changing a wheel is like full on trucking, but I have a U1300L and a guy down the hill has a Big Dodge Ram and his footprint is virtually the same as mine in everything but height, and that thing gets scared at the sight of a foot of snow.
And im googling and saving this dudes business info. As of now, im saving for one. With what i have saved, it wont be long. 3ish years. Well worth savin my money now and only driving a little jeep patriot.
no 2 unimogs are alike? Well, we have a few thousand that are exactly the same in the belgian army, more than half are with regular beds, 25% are with rear cabins like this and the rest are oddballs like the one for the special forces
I think the jeep he pointed at could out wheel the unimog. Its just too heavy and tends to sink. Yes its very off road worthy but when you get that heavy you loose some capabilities.
Want to know does anyone use 90's Chevy suburban for overlanding? I'm fixing up a 98 1500 eight now. This is due to having a big family 5 and 1 dog. Just wanted opinions on how this would handle
I use, depending on where I am going, a 2002 Ford Excursion (when I wuss out and want AC, or in the winter, I don't drive the Mogs in the salt.), or our U1300L Unimog or our U404 Unimog.
Sell the suburban and buy an excursion or an pre 91 suburban with a straight axle. No offense but the 90's suburban front ends are crap. And that awful 6.5 is crap. The excursion needs lockers bigger tires and you have a good start. Plus with the 7.3 it's a magic vehicle. My opinion.
is there an add-on that can be bolted to the rims that can get you out if you're stuck? I really don't like digging around in the dirt and calling friends to get me out.
My Defender seems to have a bit more flex then this mog... 🤔 It seems to sag so much, it doesn't look like there's enough suspension to absorb a 2 inch bump.
8 speeds forward, 4 speeds reverse on the U1300L. 6 speeds forward, 2 reverse on the 404. There are MANY other combinations, if I recall correctly something like 42 speeds. To the best of my knowledge, the 404 and U1300L models had just the combinations I mentioned.
the most amount of gears i know about in the unimogs is with 3 "ranges" normal, working, and crawler. with this type of gear box, like on the railroad equiped trucks, i believe the reverse isn't locked out so you have all of those gears in reverse as well.
From what I've heard, civilian version had 8 fwd and 8 reverse gears. Military had 8 fwd and 4 rev... mostly. The best thing to remember about Mogs is that there are no typical Mogs. They were kinda Lego-y. Could add and subtract many different options...
I bought my Unimog 1300L from George a few years ago and he was extremely honest about everything on the truck, he was honest about the money he needed and was a true pleasure to work with I would rate George and his company a full 10 out of 10 in every way!
I had a few Unimog's in my day, cost me nothing....got to love the Australian Army, the most interesting thing I have done driving the mog is driving down 1.5 meter sand stone steps, 1st gear just crawled down with 6 tone of payload. Slow, noisy, hot in summer but so very capable.
Aussie here, thanks for your service bro! Thats grouse.
Where do you contact to get one from the Army?
@@Berserker26 pickles auctions have 10 aussie army unimogs coming up for sale soon.
Very nice guy! (he seems to be a typical owner of Unimogs, like here Germany. (some of this Unimogs are parking in every Germany town )
I'd add that everything on that rig is air powered. It has a ton of air lines in the chassis and under the dash. Lots of regulators, valves and such. Keeping the system lubed and clean is very important. Other than that, these years are great rigs. I've got a '72 406 U900 and it's quite a bit simpler.
While living in Germany 14 years I fell in love with the Uni. I have seen so many configurations from farm to road and highway maintenance to general DPW and military. I would love to have a camper built on this platform.
I'm in awe at the size of this lad. An absolute unit.
I rode in one of these on a excursion on an Alaskan cruise. It was for dog sledding and the dogs really like the cold of the higher altitude so they have to get the guests pretty high in the mountains pretty fast. They used a modified unimog and it totally preformed! It was a very fun ride.
In Germany we use them for mowing sides of the streets, plowing snow and even in Agrar.
For almost everyting
For anybody wondering 100% grade is equal a to 45°angel
I have had air under the tires all 4 ways in my 404 Unimog radio van, which I bought from George. I have also had it up to almost 90 degrees in a "wheelie" at a competition. Had a tire stuck under s log. Blew a portal axle on the way down. The portal housings on 404 Unimogs are mechanical fuses. Cheap and easy to replace, about 20 minutes.
And an 'angel' is equal to a 'angle'.
Thank you
I didn't know that. I learned something today. 45 angels make 100% j/k I really didn't know that 45 degrees was a 100% grade
I assume the angels are not happy to hear that...@@hankhenry9199
I’m in the UK and have a U1300L Expedition Vehicle and we’ve just completed a 5,300 mile round trip of Scandinavia. The Mog gave us no problems. The addition of a Claas overdrive and fast pinions (the later comes as standard in an ambulance variant) was a must. Bad days we averaged 13 mpg, on good days 18 mpg and on a motorway cruising at 55 mph (2,100 rpm) we were getting about 20 mpg. However, by changing the gearing expect to loose some speed even on a slight incline. We were envious of a couple of MAN expedition trucks that overtook us, but they must of have deeper pockets to top up their fuel tanks.
Wonderful to hear from you about your experience with your unimog. What model and year is your Unimog? Do you know how much a brand new u216 costs?
Very nice. I was hoping he'd show us the inside
he said he didnt do much to it and if it's std nato u would be disappointed. imagine what you're army stuff looks like... ;-)
Not much to see, just a cab. It has a sort of unusual looking air switch for the 4 wheel drive and diff locks. A couple of extra levers, and the indicator lights are across the top of the dash in front of the driver. What is worth seeing is under the hood and under the truck. Note, I said "truck". Mercedes stuck the radiator over on the drivers' side so you can get at everything on the front of the engine. Underneath, there is one big transmission, no transfer case, powered by a driveshaft from the bell housing. Makes it easy to change the clutch and makes a better center of gravity. The drive shaft tubes are part of the suspension.
The inside of the cabin is only metal, nothing is covert or sound proved. That's the first thing to start with if you want to drive it with more comfort. I did it. Further has the 1300 L a verry short turning circle for a 4x4. It's 2,20 m wide and for me ,driving in small or big towns is like driving a van. And for some reason, upcoming trafic gives a lot of way... :-)
No mention of the portal axles, articulating chassis, etc, etc,,
This guy is the most honest describer of the vehicle in question,great vehicles and he is given the right advice!
Totally the real deal! Really appreciated this guy’s honesty and realism about what a Unimog is good for and what it isn’t. Lots of great info! Thanks for sharing!
I wondered why he said it is not made for towing... that's one of the things its made for!?
It'll tow/pull a Bunch of weight. They are used to move rail cars in Europe. I think he was talking mainly about the example of highway towing such as the Land Rover. Why tow such a capable vehicle is what I got from that.
I have towed with my 404 and U1300L. acceleration and cruising speed are a little lower. Mostly local, picking up or wood pellets or concrete in bags. I've towed a Deuce and a half using a military tow bar with my 404. It works, but you go VERY slow for safety. The little critters and insects are passing you.
You explained the Mog realy well and truthful. Only, if its wide ennough, it will go places where the toyota will not go!
Readily available in Australia, they are the standard troop transport truck for the Australian Army. They are always selling of surplus vehicles. Great trucks will almost go any where
They’re in the process of replacing them with the M.A.N. 4 and 8 wheel driver versions. The mogs are being sold for anywhere between 10 and 20 thousand.
Such a capable vehicle. I really want one, but I really don't need one. This guy should do like Airbnb, so you can use one for a weekend or so.
A very nice fellow, he knows his stuff. Also compliments to the interviewer, good questions
You took the words out of my mouth!
Very cool. Another Mpog connection, Thank you. Though I am not 'Overlander' , yet... I, too have a U1300L with a Huge Mercedes modified/manufactured cab that was allegedly a crew working truck for German railroads. Mine has top speed is 54 mph. Bought it purely as a moderate to extreme off-roader for New Mexico-Arizona-Utah-Colorado exploration. I tell you, around town it is a Huge attention getter. People flock to it to ask questions. It us Huge Fun !!!
Great stuff!
Maybe next time the cameraman might walk around it? Even look in the cab?
If he's really brave go in the back and show us!
It doesn't matter what u drive but a unimog puts you in the elite.
Built 2 from bare chassis for the Australian army / air force 8 speed forward 8 speed reverse Didion axles coupled to a chassis mounted gearbox , front and rear drop hubs with gear reduction for ground clearance and smaller crown wheel (differential) , great bit of kit , go anywhere just about . Selling in Aus for 20k .
My dream is to have an expedition unimog.
George is a great person. I cannot recall ever hearing someone so honest on youtube. This is an outstanding interview!
one of my favorite feature is that there is no high/low transfer box and shifter! all 8 gears in one box. high is from 5 to 8 low from 1 to 4, man that is cool i can use a crawl gear anytime and dont have to stop and back up to get it out like on all 4x4s i have driven. add to that a second lever for reverse with 1 to 4 in reverse!! y dont other vehicles come like this??
the Unimog i crawled under last week had engine then bell housing...then guess what... only the clutch in the bellhousing then a short propshaft to the gearbox. man o man a clutch job without moving engine or gearbox! just drop the propshaft pull the bellhousing and thats it! cant get better than that! sad thing no one talks about these features.
These are great vehicles, but why has he got the tyre tread the wrong way around? This way the tires are self clogging, instead of the other way around to be self cleaning!
Use to drive them in the Australian Army. The 8 gears forward and backwards means you can do 80kph backwards.
to move train cars or multipel train cars and shunt them in factory yard. Unimogs are small shunting engines too.
Very good description on the unimog. “It’s a off-road vehicle with on road capability’s”
Bundeswehr mechanics used to reckon an half hour tops to do a field clutch change.
I have yet to figure out the numeric system used? U900, U1000, U1100, U1200, etc...? What’s the different numbers mean pertaining to the vehicle? All I know is the “L” stands for Long Bed/Box.
I have a Unimog 411 and I need to replace the ignition switch but after that it should work again...
I'm in the UK and had loads of Range Rovers, now I have a 30ft Damon Challenger which makes adventure comfortable, but man it sucks off road. OK rock crawling was never a possibility, but gently undulating grass campsites would be nice to venture out into. I don't get it, lots of US RVs are built on a chassis with a 4WD option, including my Chevy P30 chassis, but the manufacturers never choose or even offer it as an option.
For the last few years my wife keeps showing me car ads for Mercedes ML 4x4s, to which I say every time I'd rather have a Unimog
Vee Eight go for iT!
I’ve got a few Unimogs, a mint condition ‘74 404 Doka (4dr), ‘82 U1300L tilt flat bed and a 2010 U5000 Doka that I imported as a Ag tractor from Germany which is a real drag because I can never register the vehicle with DMV. It’s a farm vehicle only. I’ve found some parts in the US and some I’ve had to import from abroad which is not cheap. They are not for everyone no matter how cool they look...ownership can be pricey despite a low buy in price on some models.
So why can you not register them? I'm not from the states but would have thought if they were good enough to drive legally in most countries around the world that they would be good enough in America too.
@@benmac7315
I'm not american but afaik you cannot import cars younger than 25 years to the US(well u can import them but you won't be able to register them). I think they are allowed if manufactured in the USA though. So Unimog never built any cars in america, so u can only import cars that are older than 25 years.
What about agricultural Unimogs? Also the 25 year import law? They are officially tractors over here. Those do 40 Mph tops. Used to pull things not 100% sure think the transmission is the big difference those have PTO and a big hydraulic pump. Maybe you looked into it if not it might be worth it. Grtz
the speed is mostly gained in the axel ratios, max speed for a regular unimog w/ out fast axels i think is around 55, that has to be fact checked though.
Ugh I had a chance to buy one if i recall in 1996 ? For around 5k !!! I'm super sad now and always regret not pursuing it :(
They are quite costly to maintain if you don't have the knowledge to do it yourself. The mechanics are complicated and parts expensive.
emission control is what kills a Diesel engine.
Not in short term but Mercedes is working on an hybrid one.
Love unimogs! This makes me want to trade in my 54 loadmaster and 76 Landcruiser. For a unimog,
Don't do it. Your Landcruiser will go more places than this Unimog can, and it's more reliable too
@@ParalyzedNight i almost want to laugh. Unless is something where you have to be small, the mog will go further. And military mods arent known to be unreliable
Wanting to get one of these? It seemed like it may be one of your dream vehicles... I know it’s one of mine.
I bought mine via Ebay of all places. They are frequently listed there.
Why not get a tire cart like they have to change semi tires?
Really needs an overdrive for highway use. Might get economy to 18mpg.
There is one. Called the CLAAS. Won't get 18mpg when running US highway speeds!
Makes me wonder if Federal Lands allow such a vehicle on our Nations Trail system? Hell! They got rules for everything else.
Unimogs are amazing: but big, noisy and complicated mechanically: no mention of portal axles, tubed/articulated drive shafts etc..now I realize in the US you only have American Land Cruisers but the real deal the 70 Series Land Cruisers are built with 100% off-road in mind..to take a beating no other vehicle can..from highway high speed driving to low gear no-road driving. In comfort, style and ultimate (ul-ti-mate) reliability..simply second to none.
exactly and thats why the land cruiser is by far the best and the most used vehicle for expeditions by the UN and other NGOs, mining industry military even terrorists
70 series is second to the 45 series in my opinion, the 2h motor in the 45 is probably one the most reliable 6 cylinder engines ever made.
2 simple but important offroad issues undiscovered - tyre change by yourself is it possible to do by 1 person in the middle of nowhere (even 35 inch tyre weights ~50 kg) and tyres pressure change how long does it take..
Woxidus Woxidus He covered tire changes near the beginning. I could be wrong but I think these have central tire inflation.
Few have central inflation. Tires are 41" tall, heavy. Solo change can be done but you have to really be able to manhandle something. Be smart about it. Leverage, etc.
I have 46" tires on my U1300L (I bought from George). I have changed and rotated them myself. Mine are stored in the NATO radio shelter I got from George. I get them in and out with either an electric winch or a 8 pulley block and tackle. I use hydraulic jacks or railroad jacks depending on the situation. I don't lower, then raise as he does. I have the tire about an inch from the ground or a little less and remove the old tire. U use a shovel to pry and scoot the new tire on. Tedious, but easy. When I rotate them in the yard, I have 4 huge jack stands and put the entire thing in the air.
Ed Sanderson. Very interesting. Thank you for an explanation. How you solve stuck in mud scenario? plenty offroad toyota or jeeps are almost half weight for towing out the Unimog from mud ie required equal weight vehicle. Any practice here?
that is one issue with the unimogs, if they get stuck ... you need another unimog or something bigger to get them out short a winch
I owned a Mog in Africa I want another one here in the states cuz I wanna go....
Deepblu dude you can find a used one, but MB no longer sells the Unimog in North America.
If Americans want to buy a Unimog, the older ones are absolutely what you should buy. In 2014 I set out to buy a new 2015 U4000 double cab. It was a breeze finding a dealer in the Uk to sell and ship it. The modern Unimogs from factory meet our emissions and safety requirements so getting it registered and tagged was easy. I had some problems with Bluetech which i needed replacement parts for. The dealer I bought from said under their agreement with MB, they are permitted from importing parts to North America. I could not find a dealer willing to sell and ship to me, so I flew to the Uk, bought parts in person, paid cash and shipped them at a great expense. I had to do this a few times until I found a dealership in Germany willing to ship me parts. I only found them because I went there and a few other countries scouting for dealers to do business with which was quite costly. Anyone unwilling to do this should stay away from new Unimogs. I have since imported a 2018 U5023 Doka which is badass but I can only have it with the connections I made.
Diggin' these walk around videos! Keep em' coming
When did they walk around it?
Europeans are riping you off big time. Few years ago i buyed Umog for just 4500€ on auction in Austria. It was a snow cleaner with a kipper chassis for salt. Rust all over but engine is able to withstand a nuclear blast. So long story short i restored it and sold it. This wehicles deserves to live on . Enjoy
Green Lightning few years ago they were cheaper... right now you are getting these from the military for a minimum of 10.000-12.000€
Everything in winter service is a writeoff when back on the market. The salt gets everywhere and the mixture of salt and sand which is often used on roads is the worst for any kiind of machine. The abrasive sand grinds down the paint and the corrosive salt gets it roasting as soon as possible.
The only thing worse i have seen here on youtube was at the production of Tabasco. They have salt and vinegar and the forklifts, only two or three years old, looked worse than most euipment that has been outsid for decades.
You've never really been stuck or bogged until your stuck or bogged in a unimog.
Hopefully there's another mog behind you for the recovery or you really are up schitt creek without a paddle.....
Naah, a Pinz will go anywhere a Mog will.
Agreed, was in the Australian Army and when we bogged them, if the mog didn’t have a winch you where stuffed and had to wait for RAEME to come and get you.
Haha everything gets stuck one day!!
@@AustNRail part of that problem was the Australian army had a shit tire choice.
You can always drive out on chains wrapped around the tires... dont ask me how I had to figure this out
I love these unimogs I like the old style and this one can they be geared up to go faster on the interstate ? When I get the money together I've got to have one.
rdaugherty52 I drove an older ,one in JAMAICA BWI, back in 1956, the owner used his as a farm tractor, it was really RH drive, but NEW ones can be made RH,or LH, at will.
Good review. Not sure if you have done this, but how does one of these compare to a Quigley/sportsmobile conversions? Ie sounds like this is 40/50grand with (questionable) warranty and so much more $$$ to get going. Vs 4x4 van is 60/80grand for a basically/ decently equipped one with a 5 year warranty pretty much ready to go. Yearly cost of maintenance for broken/damaged stuff. Guessing unimog are more capable but how much more? Hope u get my idea of what im saying?
Unimogs are amazing, but the sice and weight is often a problem.
Love seeing stuff like this. As a gearhead, my mind starts to think about updating the drivetrain to get better mpgs. Still cool though
Big $$ to do that. It is what it is. You could definitely go bigger tires, that may gain a little but it has the power for bigger meats.
Mine gets 10 to 15 MPG. About the same as my V10 Excursion. Converting all the lubes to Amsoil gave me one gear higher on the hills and a couple of MPG better. It runs much quieter (except for the tires) and shifts easier. All of the gearboxes run at least 50 degrees F lower than before. www.edsanders.com/
There is not much you can do except change the portal axle gears. Even then i don't know if you can get gearing to go more than about 75mph.
also those tires are usually only rated for 55 or so mph so you arn't just limited by the drivetrain
Possible to change gears - extremely expensive! Do NOT underestimate that.
Great video, I learnt so much. Unimogs are just amazing vehicles. thanks George
I think he might have triggered the Jeep owner
박지호 I have found Jeepers do not like big trucks like this. I have a 5 ton. Everyone looks at it when you pull up to a red light ... except Jeep drivers. Seems like they either look down on you or jealousy or ... I don’t know, but I have noticed that Jeepers do not like big 4x4 or 6x6 vehicles with larger tires. I think it’s tire envy.
My brother in law has one from the 70s. Work in progress. Prior owner cut rhe roof and raised it didnt do that good of a job. And has boat seats in it.
I never knew they could b that sffordable
Tyson Judd - the military paid the rediculous price so you don't have to.
Excellent review of this unimog love it i has always been in love with this ugly rare truck jajaja i see on tv a program that they buy a car call "wheeler dealers", the program and the restoration was amazing too and i will buy a truck like this yugoslavia or russia has a lot of them, and thanks for the review and all the info on it i aprecciate a lot the next time show the motor, and the back all the spec and go for a ride will be awesome to see in action, cheers from Venezuela my friend you got a new subscribe here !!!
Realy look like an Belgian Army ambulance.
Do you Know witch country it came from ?
Well done I just had to subscribe cheers 👍🍻🇦🇺
that thing is badass. I would daily it to the rig everyday
I do. I like driving them so much, and never drive them in the winter salt, so have to get in as much as can in the other months. The only times I don't drive it is when I bring and elderly friend who can no longer climb in and out, and on really hot (85+F) days when I prefer AC
I off road in anything.
From kubelwagen (181)
Lotus
Mitsubishi rvr
Just have fun.
New Zealand
Australia
Or
South Africa
Aaahhh....this is why I'm subscribed....
I don't see a winch, don't you need it for off-road activities?
Great vid interesting honest talk.
Best offroad car on this planet!
If you want something real - forget Landcruiser, Landrover, Hilux and all the other nice stuff!
They all are great - but nothing can compare to a Unimog!
Except they go where a Unimog wont fit, and those others will do 80mph on the highway
Over priced farm tractor.
@@randycane5894 it works both ways. The Unimog can go over rocks that even heavily modified road registered can go. When your on a narrow road.. cliff on one side and the other.. take a smaller car not a truck.
Just saw you in Petaluma today! I Honked! 👋🏻
Ha! We heard you!
Edified & Entertained ; Excellent & Concise ! Not My Thing But 2 Thumbs Up !!! I-Like , I-Like ... Very Rare on the U-Tube . Need Mini-Movie - Via George . YYZ , Mohawk-Planker ...No Ya-Who Mudder's Pls !
Big and heavy but very useful to bad I choose family or vehicles, LOL. Love the last couple videos, really gave a lot of information.
I chose family AND vehicles. My older daughter learned how to drive in our 404 Unimog radio van.
Yes Heavy, changing a wheel is like full on trucking, but I have a U1300L and a guy down the hill has a Big Dodge Ram and his footprint is virtually the same as mine in everything but height, and that thing gets scared at the sight of a foot of snow.
These come up for Australian government actions all the time being ex Australian army vehicles. About $35,000 on average.
And im googling and saving this dudes business info. As of now, im saving for one. With what i have saved, it wont be long. 3ish years. Well worth savin my money now and only driving a little jeep patriot.
Can an SBU model be registered in California? Like a U1300? U1700?
I think that is TRICKY. In other words. No.
😂😂😂
Nice mog I wish they did a walk around
We call our unimog the
"Honey Badger."
Fantastic name 🙌🏼
Great interview. Lots of info. Thank you!
Ex Australian army mogs go for 20k AUD
In before the Unimog Overheating videos.
Best off-road car in the world 🌎
I can totally justify myself in driving one of these to and from work daily. No fucks given. Im driving 45mph rain, snow, sleet or shine!
Did he mention if he had his computer in the back or not?
Very informative and well done video. Thank you.
not to mentin that with the snorkle that this one has, it can go through 3,5 ft of water.
I,ve waded a small river on Salisbury Plain Uk and I went in about 6 Ft deep at one point....so my Jeep JK would be just about submerged.
Big like unimog
no 2 unimogs are alike? Well, we have a few thousand that are exactly the same in the belgian army, more than half are with regular beds, 25% are with rear cabins like this and the rest are oddballs like the one for the special forces
he meant in the civilian market. obviously a military is going to have a bunch of the same vehicles
Relax, turbo.
I think the jeep he pointed at could out wheel the unimog. Its just too heavy and tends to sink. Yes its very off road worthy but when you get that heavy you loose some capabilities.
Nope
Damn. In Germany they cost half of what they are asking. Insane prices in US...
Want to know does anyone use 90's Chevy suburban for overlanding? I'm fixing up a 98 1500 eight now. This is due to having a big family 5 and 1 dog. Just wanted opinions on how this would handle
Yes! You might ask on our forums!
jorgeub27 they use in Iceland, along with the Ford Excursion.
I use, depending on where I am going, a 2002 Ford Excursion (when I wuss out and want AC, or in the winter, I don't drive the Mogs in the salt.), or our U1300L Unimog or our U404 Unimog.
Sell the suburban and buy an excursion or an pre 91 suburban with a straight axle. No offense but the 90's suburban front ends are crap. And that awful 6.5 is crap. The excursion needs lockers bigger tires and you have a good start. Plus with the 7.3 it's a magic vehicle. My opinion.
Did you do this at the Overland Expo?
Yes!
Nice, another awesome walk around
Trying to convince my wife... I'll get there one day...
You need this, a Mercedes tractor and an S500 :)
I wish I had one
Nice video
I drive up 100% grades all the time man, no problem.
Get rid of the Toyota?!? But the damn thing won't stop running everywhere!! That crazy thing is all over the place!
Super interesting. George is full of good info.
is there an add-on that can be bolted to the rims that can get you out if you're stuck? I really don't like digging around in the dirt and calling friends to get me out.
If your 'Mog get stuck, your friend needs a tank to get you out. Anything else will get stuck on the way.
Capston hubs
Nice
Great video thanks for posting. Great information.
Very nice! Thank you for the video.
My Defender seems to have a bit more flex then this mog... 🤔
It seems to sag so much, it doesn't look like there's enough suspension to absorb a 2 inch bump.
8 speed, forward AND reverse . portal axles come on fella, know your truck. 👏
8 speeds forward, 4 speeds reverse on the U1300L. 6 speeds forward, 2 reverse on the 404. There are MANY other combinations, if I recall correctly something like 42 speeds. To the best of my knowledge, the 404 and U1300L models had just the combinations I mentioned.
Flu419's have 16 forward and 8 back.
the most amount of gears i know about in the unimogs is with 3 "ranges" normal, working, and crawler. with this type of gear box, like on the railroad equiped trucks, i believe the reverse isn't locked out so you have all of those gears in reverse as well.
From what I've heard, civilian version had 8 fwd and 8 reverse gears. Military had 8 fwd and 4 rev... mostly. The best thing to remember about Mogs is that there are no typical Mogs. They were kinda Lego-y. Could add and subtract many different options...
How many of these vehicles were produced? And how many still exist?
They still make them. But obviously the new ones are very expensive.
@@RACGump They still make them? Really? I grew up in Stuttgart. Right next to the Mercedes factory. They must make them elsewhere. I never saw them.
@@omnipitous4648 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unimog and www.mercedes-benz-trucks.com/en_AU/models/unimog-off-road-4000-5000.html
Nice!
Yeah drive it just about anywhere unless the ground is remotely soft.