Jeanie and I looked at this MB-Mog too. The builder was out to lunch, so we did not get a look inside. THE cool factor is certainly there. For the record, it is a couple feet taller, pop-top down than my Lance lite-hard side on Dodge.
This brings up an important subject. To what degree do you build up your own rig to motate over bad or worse roads? I have spent a lifetime building four-wheel-drives to one degree or another. My view is the U-Mog above would make a fair rock crawler over non-existent roads. Why? Mongo low gears, lockers all around, huge clearance, Clarence, and even bigger tires which you could run at low pressure to get over the largest slabs of granite. Most of this stuff is a liability on the highway, secondary roads, and even dirt roads. All this leaves is the 'cool' factor. There is almost no place left on the globe that this MB would do better than many of the above poster's rigs would do. Here is my short list of 'must-haves' for a North American centric Expo rig:
1. Enough fuel capacity to travel at least 500 miles without refueling. What? What does that have to do with bad roads or mongo clearance? Nothing. But it has all to do with taking advantage of lower fuel prices (which do vary widely) between Canada/USA/Mexico and even state to state.
2. A truck with mostly stock set up and parts, with a power plant that is not too powerful. The best arrangement is a much more robust drive train than the power plant can deliver power to said drive train. Minimum suspension upgrading. Find the truck with the best stock suspension and leave it alone. This leaves one to up grade to a one-ton, even with a lightweight camper. I keep tweaking my own suspension and it really does not get much better, only less reliable. A stock set up is the most reliable.
3. A truck camper that is only enough to meet your needs and no more. Size and weight are the enemy when you are driving down some lonely dirt road to the hot springs. Just enough camper for a modicum of comfort is the key to success.
4. This last admonition is what not to take. If there is ANY question as to whether you should take any particular thing....leave it at home. Less is more here.
5. Everything you take or install must have good value per weight. This is VERY subjective, as I have a penchant for taking too much recovery gear: 30K pound tow strap, short piece of 7/16's" cable with big hooks, a cat choker, a tree saver, 4 'D' rings of various size, a 6 ton capy snatch block, a 15K pound Warn winch. Yes, I have used every piece of that over time, but not every time.
enough for now. Back to your favorite TC at OE.
regards, as always, jefe
