Unimog becomes an Off Road Class C

[RobertRyan]

An Australian Couple who started Unidan( they convert Unimogs into Campers )have come together with Kimberley Kampers
to produce this extreme Off Road Camper. I have personally seen this conversion. the Campers are enormous. Unimogs are mainly second hand units that are converted

[pnichols]

sachilles wrote:
I know the rattles and squeeks our motorhome makes on paved roads, and well manicured dirt roads. I can't imagine the noise on whatever trail the unimog might tempt you to drive on.
I enjoy camping. I enjoy offroading. Often they cross paths, but offroading an unimog is too big for the trails in the northeast, let alone if you add a house to it.
That being said, if had enough disposable income, that might be a fun toy to own, knowing it isn't practical for any situation I'd find myself in, aside from a zombie apocalypse.

We take our 2WD 24 foot E450 based Itasca Class C off-highway (but still on "roads") as needed for exploring and camping when rockhounding. It helps with ruggedness, reliability, and stability that the coach underloads the chassis components by around one ton. It's 4:56 rear differential helps, too.

It has higher than stock ground clearance due to over-stock sized tires on it. We pack rubber shock absorbing material between stuff in the drawers and cabinets to help with damage and noise. I've installed double latches on vulnerable cabinet doors. All the drawers came from Winnebago equipped with gravity locks which hold the drawers shut on rough roads. It has no slides, which helps to maintain structural integrity on rough roads. Winnebago used only steel and aluminum framing in the coach walls and roof. There are no outside coach items (tanks, plumbing, generator, hookup electrical adapters, etc.) hanging below the height of the E450's main frame members - including the automatic coach step when it's retracted. All storage bays are steel lined, including their bottoms. The cab entrance steps are aluminum instead of fiberglass. Since all the heavy items are down low in the coach or outside along the chassis frame members ... even though it's 11'4" height makes it "look high"... it's center of gravity is actually down fairly low. It's dually rear tires contribute to it's weight biased drive axles riding on top of most off-highway road ruts for great dry road traction because the majority of the ruts are made by single wheeled drive axles which create ruts that are narrower than the track of side-by-side dually wheels.

Of course with 2WD, we go off-highway on only dry roads. We don't attempt anything like jeep trails or allmost-ATV trails and we don't try driving completely off-road illegally out across dirt, sand, or wild shrubbery. And most important of all, we off-highway travel SLOW ... our record slow-and-careful side trip so far is around 50 round-trip miles at 7-10 MPH.

We would never attempt what we do in a Sprinter based Class C and a full-on expedition vehicle would be both a wallet killer and in most places we go - only an over-sized feel-good crutch.

It can be done!

[pnichols]

Robert,

My bottom photo above is NOT of an Earthroamer. It's one of the GXV offerings based on a Ford F550 chassis - built in Missouri, I believe.

[RobertRyan]

Photomike wrote:
Most people that sing the praises of a Unimog have never driven or paid for one. I would love one but they have a lot off issues, and a lot of benefits, but I don't think the benefits are for everyone.

Benefits

• Rugged
• Off road capable
• Roomy
• Parts readily available in most countries
• Fuel readily available
• Serviceable by owner or mechanics in many countries

Drawbacks

• SLOW
• NOT fuel efficient
• Rough ride
• BIG (try to go down some standard roads)
• Expensive to buy and run

If I was going to drive around the world and a tank was not available a Mog would be my second choice :B I have seen many that I love, have seen some converted to using bio diesel they make themselves to cut down on fuel costs and would not argue if someone gave me one, but most people do not need one including me!

A lot of people do not need one to go Off Road but if you want too carry a travel trailer too exteme places that a TC would have difficulty getting too, right vehicle for you

[RobertRyan]

pnichols wrote:

RobertRyan wrote:
We have the same. But that 4x4 Pickup Motorhome is not going places that the Unimog can go. Or carry anywhere near the Payload or have the same internal space

Yeah .... you're correct.

Here's a little better 4X4 Pickup Motorhome to hold up against a Unimog based unit - but like the Unimog, not affordable by most mortals:


And here's another little better 4X4 Pickup Motorhome to hold up against a Unimog based unit:

Carries more but not a Unimog, Earthroamer is fairly limited off road. Unlike the Unimog

[sachilles]

I know the rattles and squeeks our motorhome makes on paved roads, and well manicured dirt roads. I can't imagine the noise on whatever trail the unimog might tempt you to drive on.
I enjoy camping. I enjoy offroading. Often they cross paths, but offroading an unimog is too big for the trails in the northeast, let alone if you add a house to it.
That being said, if had enough disposable income, that might be a fun toy to own, knowing it isn't practical for any situation I'd find myself in, aside from a zombie apocalypse.

[Photomike]

Most people that sing the praises of a Unimog have never driven or paid for one. I would love one but they have a lot off issues, and a lot of benefits, but I don't think the benefits are for everyone.

Benefits

• Rugged
• Off road capable
• Roomy
• Parts readily available in most countries
• Fuel readily available
• Serviceable by owner or mechanics in many countries

Drawbacks

• SLOW
• NOT fuel efficient
• Rough ride
• BIG (try to go down some standard roads)
• Expensive to buy and run

If I was going to drive around the world and a tank was not available a Mog would be my second choice :B I have seen many that I love, have seen some converted to using bio diesel they make themselves to cut down on fuel costs and would not argue if someone gave me one, but most people do not need one including me!

[pnichols]

RobertRyan wrote:
We have the same. But that 4x4 Pickup Motorhome is not going places that the Unimog can go. Or carry anywhere near the Payload or have the same internal space

Yeah .... you're correct.

Here's a little better 4X4 Pickup Motorhome to hold up against a Unimog based unit - but like the Unimog, not affordable by most mortals:


And here's another little better 4X4 Pickup Motorhome to hold up against a Unimog based unit:

[TBammer]

RobertRyan wrote:

SidecarFlip wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
I love the unimog campers but I always think of the old joke about 4WD...it gets you stuck further from help...except help might never reach a unimog if you use it's full capability and still get it stuck.

Why it has a winch on the front....;)

Too pull you out. Anyone who goes too extreme areas, needs a partner and winch

Seems to me the winch should be in the back. Just sayin. :W

[RobertRyan]

Vahalla360 wrote:
So you can drag it a little deeper into trouble.

Or more the case drag it out of trouble 🙂

[RobertRyan]

pnichols wrote:

romore wrote:
It would be really comfortable at the end of the day but if I needed something that extreme I probably shouldn't be there in the first place.

RobertRyan wrote:
Each to their own. This sort of challenge appeals too non North American RVers

We here in the U.S. like challenges and can deal with them as well as the next guy in any country. Try the remote corner of Northwestern Nevada, for instance.

We here just realize that it doesn't take diesel powered $$$$ overkill monsters to deal with the challenges.

Here's an affordable and practical example of what would probably get the 4X4 comfortable RV'ing job done in most of North America - and of course it could be ordered on a diesel chassis if that's preferred for travel in non-gasoline environments:

We have the same. But that 4x4 Pickup Motorhome is not going places that the Unimog can go. Or carry anywhere near the Payload or have the same internal space

[valhalla360]

SidecarFlip wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
I love the unimog campers but I always think of the old joke about 4WD...it gets you stuck further from help...except help might never reach a unimog if you use it's full capability and still get it stuck.

Why it has a winch on the front....;)

So you can drag it a little deeper into trouble. 😮

[pnichols]

romore wrote:
It would be really comfortable at the end of the day but if I needed something that extreme I probably shouldn't be there in the first place.

RobertRyan wrote:
Each to their own. This sort of challenge appeals too non North American RVers

We here in the U.S. like challenges and can deal with them as well as the next guy in any country. Try the remote corner of Northwestern Nevada, for instance.

We here just realize that it doesn't take diesel powered $$$$ overkill monsters to deal with the challenges.

Here's an affordable and practical example of what would probably get the 4X4 comfortable RV'ing job done in most of North America - and of course it could be ordered on a diesel chassis if that's preferred for travel in non-gasoline environments:

[RobertRyan]

romore wrote:
It would be really comfortable at the end of the day but if I needed something that extreme I probably shouldn't be there in the first place.

Each to their own. This sort of challenge appeals too non North American RVers

[romore]

It would be really comfortable at the end of the day but if I needed something that extreme I probably shouldn't be there in the first place.

[RobertRyan]

Another inside shot