M35A3ish as expedition vehicle

[Preacherboy]

There is another website called expeditionportal which has a lot of info on what is needed for an expedition vehicle. I can be certain they will discourage a m35 truck, they like mogs and hmmwv's ok though.

If you get a m35, I personally like the a2 because of the multi-fuel engine. You can do all the work and put powersteering on it just like an a3, even an automatic transmission!

Whatever you decide we'd love to see pictures of your progress.

 

[spicergear]

darkAR, YES you can just lose an axle without bobbing bed or frame. You would have to check into the regs about reconstruct for vehicles. Some states by letter of law, state that even an engine swap would constitute an reconstrued title. For the most part guys are getting a set of A2 front springs with hangers and mounting them in there after they remove all of the original rear suspension. Search M1075, he recently single out the rear of an A3 for a ranch truck and that should give you a pretty good idea what you're looking at.

 

[Joaquin Suave]

I think a M35A3 would make an excellent extended "adventure" vehicle (personally it think using the term "expedition" is ***!). Actually, unless you have WADS of money...I would stay away from Mogs. Don't get me wrong! They are fantastic vehicles, but have sever weight limitations and necessitate some complicated engineering to mount a box onto the frame. Beyond that, the vast majority of your travels will be on paved roads, dirt roads, and an occasional double track. The only times you will need low range is to get yourself unstuck (remember: smaller vehicles next to never can pull larger vehicles out of trouble!!!). Trust me, after sinking a bunch of money into your rig... Hardcore 4wheeling it will be the LAST thing you'll be doing (having to take "the long walk" is no f*cking fun! Trust me, i have!)!!!

If your are planning for extended travel and stays in remote locations, you will be hard presses to keep the "wet" weight of your camper under 5K lbs.

You might want to look at having your Allison MT654 trans gears swapped out for MT653 gears...more useful for adventure travel.

You'll probably also want to disconnect your CTIS...A total PITA!

If it were me, I'd look at a BMY M935 because it has a Cummins 6CTAA motor in it (just a personal preference).

Good luck on your project

 

[Danger Ranger]

I'm sorry, you mean a Cummins? I couldn't help myself.

 

[Joaquin Suave]

I'm sorry, you mean a Cummins? I couldn't help myself.

How funny, I used spell check and just thought I just typed too quickly. I guess it doesn't like the same motors I do. LOL

 

[SFGABN@5th]

WOuld you ss Members please sigh into my new thread M53a3 forum and vote yes for a M35A3 forum

thanks kevin

 

[flighht2k5]

I think a M35A3 would make an excellent extended "adventure" vehicle (personally it think using the term "expedition" is ***!). Actually, unless you have WADS of money...I would stay away from Mogs. Don't get me wrong! They are fantastic vehicles, but have sever weight limitations and necessitate some complicated engineering to mount a box onto the frame. Beyond that, the vast majority of your travels will be on paved roads, dirt roads, and an occasional double track. The only times you will need low range is to get yourself unstuck (remember: smaller vehicles next to never can pull larger vehicles out of trouble!!!). Trust me, after sinking a bunch of money into your rig... Hardcore 4wheeling it will be the LAST thing you'll be doing (having to take "the long walk" is no f*cking fun! Trust me, i have!)!!!

If your are planning for extended travel and stays in remote locations, you will be hard presses to keep the "wet" weight of your camper under 5K lbs.

You might want to look at having your Allison MT654 trans gears swapped out for MT653 gears...more useful for adventure travel.

You'll probably also want to disconnect your CTIS...A total PITA!

If it were me, I'd look at a BMY M935 because it has a Cummins 6CTAA motor in it (just a personal preference).

Good luck on your project

You best tell BLM about a Unimogs severe weight limitations and complicated mounting of boxes on them. They favor Unimogs over everything else. They use them with dozed blades to cut roads out of rocky terrain and mount all kinds of boxes on them without much trouble.

 

[Joaquin Suave]

You best tell BLM about a Unimogs severe weight limitations and complicated mounting of boxes on them. They favor Unimogs over everything else. They use them with dozed blades to cut roads out of rocky terrain and mount all kinds of boxes on them without much trouble.

The issue is how the Unimogs are designed to handle extreme terrain (New U500's are a whole different animal!). This is probably no news to you seeing is how it looks like you own one....The suspensions are designed extremely stiff, the drive-line more rigid (torque tubes) AND The frame more flexible (tubing construction).

So the net results is a vehicle that has a VERY dependable drive-line and has extreme articulation...That has less carrying capacity and difficult to attach a large rigid structure to without limiting the articulation of the vehicle and transferring the loads to the "box" and eventually damaging it. There are literally hundreds of posts in threads on European adventure truck websites about how people have gone to extreme measures to "suspend" the box on a flexible Mog frame (mostly in German). One of the Unicats I worked on (built of a U2450) almost made me seasick walking around in the box because suspension on the box was so "soft".

Friends of mine with campers on Mogs have gone to extreme measures to keep the weight to absolute minimum. I bet if you crawled under a BLM mog you will see that the mounting for the various hardware is designed to flex independently and a fair distance.

Of course, typical "C" channel frame and leaf spring trucks are designed primarily for roads and to carry a heavy load. Thus better for 99.9% of extended adventure travel.


Its hard to call it camping when you can take hot showers and make Ice!

 

[darkAR]

Joaquin, I like your suggestion on the M9XX series. How about something like this -

2320 - Trucks & Truck Tractors, Wheeled at Government Liquidation

But switch to supper singles and a single rear axle? I don't need the payload capacity really but I do like to long frame and the Cummins motor (got its smaller cousin now ). Keep the suggestions coming guys - it doesn't look like I'll be able to afford a 416 or better mog anytime soon, but I might be able to pickup one of these truck before they're gone.

 

[Joaquin Suave]

More like this one...

2320 - Trucks & Truck Tractors, Wheeled at Government Liquidation

It has the 6C (8.3L) motor, the MT654 trans, air brakes, and CTIS.

I would remove one rear axle and place the single rear axle at the furthest back you can and still have a single drive shaft (no carrier bearing), then bob maybe just a little off the frame.

 

[emr]

"" my bad "" really ? ... except for Unimogs being the ultimate vehicle, there are many many capable vehicles out there, and unimogs are one for sure, but to be honest kinda like the 6.2 diesel, they may not be everything the basic owner really thinks of them being all the most factual, just sayin, been in em, drove only 2, pulled one out of a snow bank with my F350 and watched one get stuck when my deuce pulled right threw the same stuff, but there will be times when one can out do another, a couple of buddies that has in the past done exercises in Germany with german troops and listened to all the " Our vehicles are better than yours stuff, well all I can say is there info turned out to be different in the real trials , The m series trucks were far superior in many ways and not in some, but as for reliability it was said to be a hands down win win for M series each time they ever went out. Like many german ideas, they are a little over engineered, and under powered, But I say this with all kind words, I am partial to M series for there ability and longevity in the service world wide, and do not believe any other countries vehicles have matched em yet, Now our newer stuff in my eyes are better again, I am saying about the whole line up we have in service, the ability of our equipment is really not matched again, But for sure A Unimog is awesome and beautiful and rugged and tough, but the m series may be a little tougher, Yes a Unimog can lift an axle higher on a rock that is true,,, all in fun good luck

 

[quickfarms]

If you remove either axle you will have to change the rear suspension

where is spell check?

 

[Joaquin Suave]

If you remove either axle you will have to change the rear suspension

I presumed that was a "given".

where is spell check?

I have the Google search bar in Explorer and spell check is one of the options.

 

[ApopkaFL]

I had been looking for this photo on my computer for last couple days ever since I saw this thread. How build your self one of these.

 

[scrapdaddy]

Do you have a link to the build of this truck, that really looks good.

 

[ApopkaFL]

Do you have a link to the build of this truck, that really looks good.

No, I can not remember where I found that photo. I will try to search the internet today and see if I can find it again.

 

[spicergear]

Severe weight limitations on the Unimog? Come on man...you're comparing it to a truck that starts off with a nearly 10,000lb higher GVWR compared to an early 406 then saying the other is limited? No offenses to deuce trucks but that's about all they are: Pipeline, early-early wreckers, radio shelter trucks, and drop side or rigid side box trucks. Did anyone happen to look at any of the Unimog SEE trucks that recently sold on GL? 16,000lbs with a front loader and back hoe. Ever see a deuce with full rail gear having the retractable rail wheels, set of full size rail couplers, rollover protection, and a crane?? I have. Ever see a deuce with a snowblower half the size of the truck or 3 point hitch or tree spade or twin winches and rear blade for logging?? Ever see a deuce running a hay rake, bailer, or just dragging a plow across a field like they do with Mogs in Europe and other parts? It's really interesting to go down through this thread. The deuce is okay offroad but the lack of ANY differential lock is severely limiting. Once you run out of momentum...cross your fingers. This is not a deuce bash as I like them too, obviously, but their biggest evolution was into the A3 (another good truck) and singles was a great advancement but it's still a long nose, sizably wide and long truck to get through trails. You spend the few more bucks to get into a U1300 or larger with a Claas overdrive and you won't look back.

 

[Joaquin Suave]

Severe weight limitations on the Unimog? Come on man

Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking Mogs at all! I would not be surprised if I add a U1X50L to my "collection" one of these years. As far as the 406's go, I think they are a neat "cult" truck...but not a vehicle to make into a "real" extended-stay adventure vehicle.
There is no doubt that Mogs are strong able vehicles...Its just that there are better trucks to make big adventure vehicles out of. If you look at the top European builders (Unicat & Actionmobil) you will see that they started shifting away from Unimogs about 10 years ago. When Unicat does a Mog, they swap out all the suspension components for heavier-duty stuff.

The U2450 I worked on (over $1M new!!!) suffered close to $150K's worth of axle damage due to over weight.

By the time you start adding extra H2O, fuel, supplies, toys, and a box...You have exceeded the limit of a U1300. The heavier Mogs of course fare better, but weight is still a issue that has to taken seriously...Or get ready to pay an EXTREMELY high price for your errors.

I'm not talking out of my *ss here! I have worked on 4 "expedition" Mog's, have a handfull of friends that own or have owned them, and have ridden in about a dozen of them.

 

[flighht2k5]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking Mogs at all! I would not be surprised if I add a U1X50L to my "collection" one of these years. As far as the 406's go, I think they are a neat "cult" truck...but not a vehicle to make into a "real" extended-stay adventure vehicle.
There is no doubt that Mogs are strong able vehicles...Its just that there are better trucks to make big adventure vehicles out of. If you look at the top European builders (Unicat & Actionmobil) you will see that they started shifting away from Unimogs about 10 years ago. When Unicat does a Mog, they swap out all the suspension components for heavier-duty stuff.

The U2450 I worked on (over $1M new!!!) suffered close to $150K's worth of axle damage due to over weight.

By the time you start adding extra H2O, fuel, supplies, toys, and a box...You have exceeded the limit of a U1300. The heavier Mogs of course fare better, but weight is still a issue that has to taken seriously...Or get ready to pay an EXTREMELY high price for your errors.

I'm not talking out of my *ss here! I have worked on 4 "expedition" Mog's, have a handfull of friends that own or have owned them, and have ridden in about a dozen of them.

you really are talking out of your a**. So a 26000 to 33000 GVW truck needs the springs swapped out in order to make a camper? No. Unimogs dont have an on road payload and an offroad palyload. They are designed to carry the full payload offroad. My buddy from BLM constantly talks about the big Internationals frame failures and drivetrain failures from offroading . But the Unimogs are not failing. The only reason the SBU's wore out was from the bull dozer blades on the front end. The U500 they have has a 1000 gallon tank on it with all of the other apparatus and it is out living the other trucks they have. They are having issues with the aftermarket apparatus added on by the company who turned it into a fire truck. As fas as the original truck is concerned its been very reliable.

The Mercedes-Benz Unimog
http://www.angelfire.com/nv/blm/images/stuck2931.jpg

Explain to me why 2.5 ton trucks were not allowed off FOB's. They tried to up armor them and the frames were failing.

You really have no idea what you are talking about.

My little 404 will carry 4000 pounds off road. That's only a 1.5 ton truck. The 406, 416 is a 4 ton and the sbu's are 7 on up.

 

[Joaquin Suave]

As I said previously...The U500 is a completely different animal! I was speaking more specificly about the U1XXX and earlier series, even though the owner of the only U500 Unicat did swap out his springs for heavier ones. "Expedition" campers are almost always are at or over the MGVW.

Otherwise, I am speaking of knowlege that was handed off to me from owners and user of Mogs both here and in Europe. I'm sorry that you don't argee with me and hope you never have to undertake costly axle repairs from overloading your Mog.