Unimog U500 DIY Expedition Camper Build
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ก.พ. 2019
- Video covering a complete DIY expedition camper build for a Unimog U500
DIY Expedition Camper Complete Build covers every aspect of the construction. Purchases and Fabrication on this build cover a two year span
Brother you are a true craftsman. You can do it all. Truly the most professional best build I've ever seen on here. Excellent build and video!!
Thank you. I do the best I can.
I just spent the past hour utterly amazed with your work. What a fine overland rig!
I have seen a lot of rigs on youtube but this is my favorite. You have a gift. You should be designing for the industry. Thanks for sharing.
I would have to admit. Your idea of the deck is 100% on spot and you might see a "based on" version of yours on my 404 Radio truck. Really loving your motivation and ingenuity behind it all.
You are very welcome. Feel free to steal any ideas you like. I too also have a Unimog 404 expedition vehicle that I had built about 10 years ago. I have not even jumped in it to turn the key in nearly 5 years. One of these days I should list it up for sale. But for now it's just collects dust. Good luck with your project. John
@@johninthedesert2632 Thanks John. I'll make sure to share progress and maybe ask for advise. Your Mog is definitely a huge inspiration.
First things first. Damn Howdy! Never said that one out loud before, but since I have been looking over builds for some, humm, more than 8 years with the same intention, Wow!
I am sure having the right friends in the right places just may have helped but no matter. Taking your time and thinking things through along with obvious prior experience with fabbing things that are ment to work and be trusted really does show. 58 min looked like a long time but it was just one beer and no.....it flew by and would watch and learn more any time.
Thank You
Bill
Damn howdy. First off let me thank you for all your kind words and yes I built this as a labor of love however, I really did not lean on anyone for help in any way shape or form with the exception of my girlfriend who often times held the other end of the tape measure. The total build took around two years and I enjoyed nearly every aspect of it. And yes I am a lifetime self-taught fabricator who has taken on a huge variety of different projects. I have build everything from houses to hot rods and everything in between. This build did not really offer up any monumental challenges but I will say there were hundreds and hundreds of small tasks that each needed to be dealt with before completion. Thank you for viewing and I will be posting up some additional videos on specific aspects of the build. If you would like to see anything in particular let me know and I will see if I can put together a video to cover it in more detail. Thank you again, John
@@johninthedesert2632 As time has passed since the build it would be interesting to learn what has popped up that you might change.
You might watch for any moisture building under the mattress, vent holes may help prevent that? Have you found any need for drop down let us on the outer ends of your porch? By the way, great idea there and execution.
I looked 20 times at the thumb up to see it already blue, that many times I had the urge of liking this
Sounds like you daisy chained those solar panels into a 48 VDC system. Excellent move, many benefits, no drawbacks. The side deck, that's outside the box thinking, literally! Nicely done.
Thank you.
Hi, thanks for sharing. With this shell on the Mog' you can go eveywhere you want, good job!
Very nice build. I'm also a cheep bastard and I've just layed hands in a project like this. Nice to learn some triks with you. Thanks for the great video.
Nice Build! Thanks for uploading! You just gave me a couple ideas for a removable, tilt trailer shack! Blessings!
Thanks. I now need to start a new project. Not sure what but I'm sure it will be fun.
Wow. I watched the whole video. Great job. The awning was the finishing touch. Good call.
Thank you for the kind words.
What can I say .. it's ABSOLUTELY AMAZING
Thank you for this. My notebook is full of sketches/designs for building my own rig. I was getting overwhelmed and you just brought me right back to basics. Superb job man. Cheers !
Thank you. The most important part is just getting started.
Thank you mate
Pabst Blue Ribbon!!! It is an ESSENTIAL tool! Love it
OK, I have only just watched the opening credits so far and am duly impressed! THE best of any I've seen on YT.
Now on to watch the rest of it.
Thank you. I do understand the sound quality is Horrible but the full content is there. Two years condensed into 56 minutes. Thank you for your kind words
Fantastic, so many good ideas I can use on my future build.
Thank you for your kind words. Sometimes ideas just happen organically. Most of these were like that. I have now taken it on several trips and I am quite happy with the final results. Thank you again, John
Nice work. It's an incredible vehicle
Watching from U.K. Superb job John, well done and thank you so much sharing, love the standard of your work too!
Thank you.
We Love Unimogs . John , your Unimog U500 Camper , Ultimate RV. Great Design ; Great Video.
I’m better off building things compared to my video skills.
I don't know if someone told you this but, sr you are an artist
What an amazing build. Maybe some day I will build one. Great Job
Thank you. Build it.
All I can say is "NICE"...
Very nice build. Looks great.
Much like all the other comments nice build. Keep them coming
You have incredible skills my friend, well done 👍
Thank you for your kind comment I appreciate it. I think I have more tenacity than actual skill. I just never know when to quit and Collett a day.
Hasbr0dog it’s a beast that’s for sure
Hasbr0dog no, I’m going for the skill, you can build my stuff anytime 👍
Damn John... you did it!! awesome job
Thank you. I know the sound quality is terrible but the information is good.
Awesome build!
Absolutely brilliant!
Thanks Izzy. It was a great time building it. Now I need a new project.
Man you missed you'r calling . That's a nice rig there 😉👍👍🇺🇸
Thank you but I feel I’m living my calling. 🙂
Just comment on someone else video about you. I love your build and its the best i have seen of the DIY projects the Porch hell yeahhhhhh
TheDude thanks. I have been enjoying this project and just wanted to share it with others that may enjoy it too.
Your rig turned out amazing
Matt Mccormick thank you Matt. We are just getting ready to head out on another big adventure.
Thanks
Just Perfect !!! Can't be Better.
Thank you
Beautiful !
Great build. I am working on a small travel trailer also.
Good luck with your project. I have always enjoyed doing my goofy projects.
40 seconds into the intro, I had to subscribe! Nice job with the build.
Thanks for the positive response.
Fantastic work!
I like your Unimog 😎
Greetings from Germany.
Mike
Thank you.
Nice build.
Beautiful build, have been thinking of doing something similar myself-so glad I came across your video. Insta-subbed!
deathuponusalll Thank you. I’m glad I could help in a small way.
Thanks
You are amazing. I enjoyed every minute of this video. This is a dream build for me. It feels therapeutic just watching it. Really enjoyed how you are so thorough in your explanations. I’m in the medical field and know nothing about this stuff. Is there anyone that helps people do this type of build... seminar or something ... or would that be a ridiculous endeavor? Thanks for your efforts!
Jason Moshier Thanks, just start and I’m sure you will figure out each problem one at a time. But before you start, have a plan.
Félicitations John!!!
Thanks,
Well done.
Thank you, I apologize for the poor audio quality but I hope you got some information from it.
Would you consider breaking this into a half-dozen clips?
Each segment dedicated to a build area with shots of the completed project?
The final video showing their integration into the complete project?
yea I agree, he lost me on the bed frame and bed mount part
Amazing build!!
Whistle Bird Productions Thank you for checking it out.
Thanks
Awesome man!
12000 beers in 2 years ???? You may want to check into AA 😁 great build!!!!
Love the look of the ceiling what did you use there it's very rustic looking. Well done sir! I also am a tool junkie, I think I have most of the 20v dewalt line .
Jerry Nix Sorry I did not see your comment earlier. You had asked about what are used for the ceiling and it is a image of wood paneling that I had converted into a vehicle wrap. I had it printed out and then simply applied it to the ceiling.
Great job men enjoy thanks
Rey Torres thanks ray, it was an adventure. I hope you can go ahead and subscribe. I have some cool stuff coming up that I should be posting soon. Thank you again for the kind words.
Very cool
That would be the Best rig to park on the sands of North Padre Island! (looks like it)
Awesome!
Thanks John.
Wait on minute!....Do I see a set of Max Trax under the front right wheel? If so I wanna see the video when that thing needs them! Great build and creative work throughout.
Have a couple questions.
First I will say that this is a fantastic build. Great job!!
1. have you done any narrow roads that have tested the strength of the hydraullic deck and its ability to stay attached to the side of the truck? As well as the ladder? my concern would be a really tough road and having a branch or tree rip it off at some point.
2. How thick is the insulation? Would it do well in Canadian winters where the weather is often below -50?
Thanks heaps!
we are in the process of researching all of this so we can step into this reality over the next couple years.
OK, some good questions. First off, the boxes are two layers of aluminum sandwiched over 2 inches of foam core. Also, the aluminum sub structure at no point contacts the outside of the truck and inside of the truck at any location. This helps to make the transfer of cold much more isolated. I have never been in temperatures that cold however I will say it does quite well at -5° C. I have a A diesel fired heater that will keep the inside of the box unbelievably warm, sometimes too hot.
Next question, the porch is powered by linear actuators and the mounts for attaching it to the box are quite strong. Are used to inch trailer hitch receivers welded in to create my pivot hinges. However, the latter The latter could easily be ripped off of the vehicle if I drove it into a tree. But with that said, I simply do not drive it into trees. I have too much respect for the vehicles that I have built to try to drive them in places they were not designed to fit. The box and porch combined with the latter are around 8 feet wide. I simply choose my trails wisely and if I am in doubt I will get out and assess the situation before continuing. I hope this helps to answer your questions. Thank you again for your comments, John
You're an inspiration mate. .
I was looking forward to seeing the unit craned onto the Mog. Maybe a tripod would help. Just some constructive feedback , the music isn't nice and not needed, your narration is all that's needed, IMHO. 👍🇦🇺
Hope you post some adventures in the future. Subbed
Thank you. I used a large forklift and straps to load it onto the truck.
What a great build! Thank you for sharing. I absolutely love the deck. Do you know roughly what the fit out cost you in total?
The total cost of the camper build was just under $15,000. But remember, I did 100% of the work myself and therefore had no associated labor costs. The truck itself is a different story. One day I received a call from a gentleman who knew I had several other Unimog's. He asked me if I would be interested in purchasing his U 500. When he told me the price it was so low that I could not refuse but I will not talk about the actual number in an email. However, the very next day I was contacted by a marketing company looking for a U500. When I told them that I had just purchased one, they asked me if I would be interested in leasing it to them for the period of one year. At the end of the one year. The Unimog became mine once again and the amount of the lease agreement not only covered the entire cost of the vehicle purchase but also covered the cost of the complete camper build. No I am not kidding. Thank you for your question, John
Wow that's awesome! free Unimog! Yes I understand about the labor part of the camper, looks like lots of hard work went into it. I'm looking at building a similar unit for my family with bunk beds in it for the kids and I will also be doing everything myself so good to know about the cost, I have budgeted for around $20,000. Thank you for your fast reply. Safe travels.
Hey John and Mel I wish you were my parents you could build me one too! Haha. Currently living in a Mercedes 2015 C Class 😩 I loved the build thankyou.
symun02
Really, living in a C Class???? Wow, that's is hard core. Thank you for taking the time to check it out. Good luck with the adoption process 👍
@@johninthedesert2632 yes it's certainly not ideal and certainly not going to be long term.....I hope! Take care both 👋
Terrific build! How have the cabinets stood up over time?
So far, so good.
Would have washed that ceiling with a vinegar solution, then painted it to seal in any mould that might be there.
While I agree with buying quality tools, expecting battery operated ones to be handed down is a stretch. Batteries change every couple of year, they keep getting better. 18v ones that were top of the line 4 years ago are nothing compared to the 20v ones.
Box mounting system is really going to test its strength out. Would have gone with the tried and tested 3 point system. 2 front, 1 on either side and 1 rear in the middle. or 2 back 1 front middle. A lot less stress on the box while the frame twists under it.
That is a MASSIVE grey water tank. I would expect you to have 300L fresh water tank for a grey that large.
All in all that was a great build, glad to see you are using it and really enjoying life with it.
I agree with nearly everything you have mentioned. I will say, that the ceiling was washed multiple times and was completely mold free. I then did a vinyl wrap on the ceiling that is holding up quite well. Additionally, I do like what you said about using a tried and proven method for attaching the box. However, I used the method that Mercedes-Benz has also used for many years. The idea behind this method utilizes for sockets, one on each corner, however you do not lock all four in. You only lock in two when you are off road. Furthermore it has a double frame set up. The truck has its own frame and then on top of that there is a secondary sub frame each of which have their own abilities to somewhat flex. The box mounts to the Secondary frame not the primary. And my comment on tools, I fully agree with you that most likely cordless power tools will not be on the hand me down list. But my point I was attempting to make is for people to spend the extra money to buy quality tools and not try to simply get away with the cheapest crap they can find. Thank you for your comments and I appreciate you taking the time to watch my video and share your thoughts. John
Just an idea, but what about an angled cover guarding the retracted veranda edges and a thin sheet of aluminium on the underside of the veranda from being grabbed by a heavy branch if you're in a tight bush track with heavy foliage either side?
Chris H I understand your concept and at the same time I would like to take a little bit of pride in not driving the vehicle into three branches. I have put a vinyl wrap on the outside of the box that would get destroyed if I were to drag it against the bushes. I did contemplate adding something to the bottom side of the patio. Unfortunately, it is Sand and small debris that gets dropped between the deck boards would then be trapped in the gap between. I have taken it on quite a few adventures and it seems to work just fine the way it is. Thank you for your constructive comments and I will consider something like that in the future.
Hi John, thank you for the video, may I ask you why Unimog U500 and not the Mitsubishi Fuso for example? Also Unimog discount price- how much was that?
For me it was a personal preference. I also own an offroad tour business and use the older Unimog 404’s and have lots of history with Unimog.
Great job John! How much fuel do you carry?
60 Gal
epic stuff man but you definitely need to do it in segments with more information for the blank ones like me, ive never wielded in my life, kinda got lost in the minutes that followed after
Nader Elbarbary again, thank you for your input. My perspective was that most people that start builds like this aren't going to be learning how to weld as they move forward with their project. There are some basic skills that someone should already have in their arsenal before taking on such tasks. Basic construction skills are a must. Some knowledge of electrical and plumbing are also necessary. However, welding is one that is an absolute must if structural framework is involved. But once again I truly do appreciate any and all input. I plan on doing some more bills and some more videos and I will look into breaking them into smaller more complete segments. Thank you again. John
Your video is inspiring. Could you give the box dimensions? I’m considering building a similar box on a Unimog but it will have to be smaller. 10.5’ x 7.8’ x 6.5’ which will set on a U1500.
I am currently out of town and cannot give you the dimensions you need. However, I know interior wise it is about 6‘2” tall and about 7 feet wide. I believe the interior length inside was about 11’ 4”feet. I can give you better dimensions when I am back in town.
The other bit of information I could use is the wheel base. The Unimog I want to go with has the short wheel base which I think is a little shorter than yours. Will work better for off-road application. My build is going to be a little different. I plan to not have a sitting area. And will have a futon bed which will roll up providing a simple Japanese style table area that would work for me. I work in the field for 30days and have a tough time getting to town for groceries. That make having a larger refrigerator more of a priority.
Thanks for your response. It was recommended that my truck box dimensions be (3.2m x 2.4m x 2m);
10.5’ long, 7.75’ wide, 6.5’ height.
did you have a GXV previously?
No I never had A GXV. A bit too pricy for me. I just a cheep bastard and hate to pay others for something I can do myself.
Hi there John. Really amazed what you did by yourself. Absolutey 'FANTASTIC'. But I just wondered why you did not insulate the grey water tank or tanks and opened a pasaage through the driving part. Beacuse you are really talented and it seems you have the know how about to build anything . Greetings from Istanbul/Turkey. Enjoy man. Atilla...
You are correct. I should have insulated the gray water tank. And as far as the pass through, I will be adding this as soon as I come up with a good plan.
Still a work in progress. thank you for your comments
John.
My next project will be to add the pass through.
@@johninthedesert2632 watching will be a pleasure for us
Any idea the dry weight of the box before the modifications?
87spike19
I believe it was 1480 lbs. it is an all aluminum construction.
1100 lbs
Unimog chassis are built to have a lot of torsion, to tilt a lot. That`s why boxes are mounted allways on three points. Hope your construction with four points will work. Here a video about chassis, subframes and frames from the professional German expedition truck builder UNICAT:
th-cam.com/video/LCIoPuUmkb0/w-d-xo.html
Yes, I completely understand. However, I used the standard Unimog mounting platform which is designed for this exact purpose. Yes it does use for attachment points that utilize pins to lock them into position. However, you only use two of the four pins thus allowing the upper frame to flex and float over the lower frame. This is a tried and proven technique that works quite well. I have built many vehicles in the past and have used a three point mounting system and understand why this is a desired technique. There is also a technique that utilizes a diamond shaped pattern with a front, rear, and two side mounts in the center that will also allow torsion of the frame without twisting the box. I thank you for your input and thank you for watching this video.
My mount is actually exactly as designed by Mercedes Benz It has four mounts but only two are pinned ant the other two are floating.
Thanks for your comments 👍👍
wat n lekker tyd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not sure what that means but..........thanks?
what is the dimension of that box and weight does someone know ?
Goran nemam The dimensions of the box are approximately 7 foot wide 7 foot tall and 12 feet long. The approximate weight is about 1400 pounds empty
About 7’x7’12’
How does one get their hands on a legal U500 in the states?
I Believe that all of the U 500s were a DOT approved vehicle. To get your hands on one, I would recommend going through Rob Pickering La junta Colorado.
@@johninthedesert2632 thank you, I'll reach out to him.
How much money it cost you? Aprox.
I have about $7,000 dollars in the Camper part of the build.
Lasted 63 seconds I will never get that back
240p... in 2019.... seriously?
240p...Its a shame for such a nice built 🤣
Gutted 😭
Nice to see these self builds. Enjoy. My current Mog build. th-cam.com/video/WG2i9B1qj5M/w-d-xo.html
Great build, but what’s more impressive is that you managed to shoot the whole video with a potato 🤪
I understand. Unfortunately I only had my cell phone to record with. Sure, I could have gone out and bought an expensive camera set up but I did it primarily for documentation purposes and so that I could share with anyone that was hoping to build something similar. The quality is low but the intentions were high.
@@Hasbr0dog I'm only pulling your leg buddy😁 love your work and I hope you're keeping well, from an Irish follower🙌☘️
Yes there super useful and very effective but them 7500’s ugly asf lol
8ball I’m not sure what you are referring to (7500)???
John in the Desert the smaller variant of the unimog
suggestion... normalize your audio... can't have viewers turning up volume and then get blasted with sound.
I'm so new at this and still learning. I shot this video on multiple cell phones and iPads over the span of two years and through it together the best I could.
Thank you for your input and I'll try to do better.
John
Sorry, I’m horrible at the video
Lame layout.