Photography by Chris Beight and Ange Feton
There’s nothing subtle about the Volvo C304 6×6. Boxy, with clearance for days, and big, square front windows, the vehicle champions Volvo’s design philosophy of clean lines and minimalist aesthetics. Produced between 1974 and 1984, the ex-military truck sports a classic ladder frame, portal axles with leaf springs, a 3-liter, 6-cylinder petrol engine, and a 5-speed manual transmission. What Chris Beight saw in the C304, however, was a platform built for the roughest terrain imaginable, with the ability to transport troops safely out of war. “I feel like that makes it the perfect vehicle to get me and my family to the ends of the Earth and back again. There’s something about
Chris and his partner, Angela, met at a gym in Sydney, Australia, in 2017. Originally from New Zealand and France, respectively, Chris worked as a personal trainer, while Ange held a position at a hotel. Deciding to leave their jobs and lap the country in their Jeep Wrangler, the couple spent their days spearfishing, beach camping, and exploring the scenic off-pavement tracks Australia is known for. Initially, Chris and Ange filmed their experiences to create a visual time capsule for themselves, posting videos on YouTube mostly as a curiosity. By the end of the trip, the couple knew they wanted to continue filming and that the next step was a larger vehicle with additional indoor living space.
“I don’t know how we came to the conclusion to buy a Unimog,” Chris says, although he remembers admiring them as a child and later during his time with the New Zealand Army. Selling the Jeep funded the camper box of a 1983 ex-army Unimog U1700L build, which he and Ange spent about a year constructing in Perth on a limited budget and with zero trade experience. Once again, they hit the road, touring Australia and welcoming their son, Oakley, into the world after a year and a half.
Ange says she and Chris always dreamt of traveling further afield, but shipping the Unimog to North America came with a price tag of around $20,000 USD. Returning the vehicle to Australia after time abroad was also a factor due to the country’s strict vehicle import procedures. “This is a 40-year-old truck—it would have been a nightmare to clean every square inch of the thing,” Ange admits. Shifting the focus to Europe, they felt the truck’s size—at 2.5 meters wide by 3.6 meters high—would be suitable for Alaska, Canada, the US, and South America, but would be limiting in Europe. Even in Australia, the couple stressed about the Unimog’s height clearance due to trees or difficulties turning around on narrow tracks.
Rather than put money into shipping, Chris thought, why not spend it on a vehicle? Ange is a European citizen, so visas and registration could be handled easily. As Chris dove into a rabbit hole of research, he discovered that in Sweden, vehicles older than 50 years are exempt from tax payments and annual vehicle inspections, which are commonplace in Europe and Australia. As long as the vehicle was insured, they could ship it anywhere in the world. With that dilemma sorted, Chris then discovered the potential of the 1975 Volvo C304 6×6 as an overland vehicle platform.
Measuring 1.9 meters wide by 2.55 meters high, the Volvo was the perfect size for a family of three. There was room for a large kitchen, and a pop-top conversion would create ample standing space and fit a spacious bed. The C304 is also known for its off-road capability. “We’re really big on not only overlanding, but finding amazing wild camping spots,” Chris says. “That’s what makes us tick. We really want to go where most overlanders wouldn’t risk their vehicle.” In addition, they hoped a fresh set of 37-inch Maxxis Trepador tires, along with new shocks and springs, would enhance the truck’s ability to crawl up and down nearly anything.
So, it was decided. The C304 was what Chris and Ange wanted, and Sweden was just the place to source and build the vehicle. Chris joined a C304 Facebook group, connecting with Björn Nyman, a Swede who sold Volvos as a hobby. “I spoke to him on the phone—just a great bloke—and he said he knew of one and would inspect it, take some photos and video. We paid him for his time to go look at it.” Between telephone calls and Björn perusing Chris and Ange’s YouTube channel, The OutFit, the three built a great rapport that continued through the build process and beyond. “We bought it sight unseen and asked if we could do the build in Björn’s workshop. He said, ‘Sure, no problem.’”
Most vintage Volvo C304 trucks were constructed from steel, making them prone to rust. Fortunately, Björn tracked down the rarer version of the C304 for Chris and Ange, which features a zinc-coated steel body, meaning less work for the couple in the long run. But once they arrived in Sweden, Chris realized the truck was in much worse condition than he had anticipated. Discharged by the army between 10 and 15 years ago, it sat in a barn, left to rot. “I was like, how hard could it be? It turned out I needed to rebuild the entire braking system, and with all the axles, there was just so much more work than I anticipated.”
Then there was the state of the engine. The tired, 3-liter, straight-six petrol engine just wasn’t up to the task of a fully loaded 4.1-ton truck. “At the end of the day, that engine was designed for a very small Volvo [passenger car],” he says. “To get the military contract, I think Volvo was like, look, we’ve got a ton of these motors. We’re cranking them out. Let’s put that motor in this truck, and we’ll make it work.” A turbo-diesel engine swap would extend their range, nearly halve their fuel consumption, and at least triple the power and torque, transforming the driving experience completely.
But first things first. The vintage truck required sound deadening and heat insulation to start, followed by the installation of Scheel-Mann Traveler LR seats for maximum comfort on long driving days. Perhaps the most impressive transformation, however, was a fresh coat of paint. Blue, akin to frigid Arctic Ocean water, replaced the army-issued camouflage, and the Volvo was officially christened “Skaði,” after the Norse goddess known for bowhunting, skiing, winter, and the mountains.
Chris cut the roof of the truck and installed a custom Bundutec BunduTop conversion to create standing room in the camper interior. The system is electric, raising and lowering the pop-top at the push of a button. This feature transforms the truck body into a spacious kitchen, complete with cabinetry, an induction cooktop, a Womo water filtration system, and a Dometic NRX 115C fridge. The couple also installed a wine rack, which, they admit, houses more almond milk than cheap bottles of Spanish wine. The whole shebang is powered by two 200-amp-hour lithium batteries, five 100-watt flexible solar panels, and a 2,600-watt Dometic Enerdrive inverter.
But by the eighth month of the project, Chris put the tools down. He, Ange, and Oakley were growing weary of living out of a 1980s motorhome during the build process, and dreaded the long, Swedish winter ahead. Each modification or alteration was done from scratch, so everything felt like starting from square one. The couple felt out of place in a country in which they knew nearly no one. What they really needed was sun, surf, and sand. “For the greater good of the family, we just needed to hit the road and go south,” Chris says. “We would just get to Spain and reassess how bad the engine really was.”
The B30 engine chugged along at 29 liters per 100 kilometers (or 8 mpg), requiring lead additive on every fill up, and about 3 liters of oil per driving day (150 to 200 kilometers)—on pavement. Reaching Morocco, the Volvo’s 80-liter fuel tank limited range during long distances between gas stations. “[Going to] Morocco was a big risk with the motor, because we knew it was really playing up,” Chris says, and admits the driving experience had become truly horrible. “I was doing the percentage game, like, what are the chances we’ll be able to do everything we want to in Morocco and get back to Europe? Worst-case scenario, it would have to be put on a truck and shipped somewhere. But we managed to do it and had a fantastic time.”
Back in Europe, staged up in Germany, Chris began the Mercedes OM605 2.5-liter turbo-diesel engine swap. Popular in the performance market due to its reliability and mechanical simplicity, the OM605 suited the Volvo build particularly due to its low-range torque, better fuel economy, and compact size to fit Skaði’s cramped engine bay. But as Chris dug into the Mercedes engine, with the help of his friend and fellow Volvo owner, Jan, they discovered it required a complete overhaul.
Taking the delay in stride, Chris and Jan got to work on the engine rebuild. Finally, the Mercedes whirred to life, and the swap could begin. Weeks later, they started Skaði’s new engine for the first time. “In a nutshell, it is freaking amazing,” Chris says. “This truck has gone from being a slug to a heck of a lot of fun.” The ultimate test for Skaði involved eight weeks in Iceland, where Chris, Ange, and Oakley explored stunning F-roads in the highlands and created a documentary for the 4×4 Adventure Film Invitational competition. They admit that although the engine is by no means perfect, it’s nearly there. Next, the family of three will head to Germany to tweak the OM605 before heading east through the Balkans to Turkey and Georgia.
Curious, I asked Chris if he and Ange would ever choose a turnkey vehicle that required minimal renovation. “I couldn’t do it, to be honest,” he laughs. “Every time we do a build, at the end of it, he says, ‘Never again,’ because there have been so many challenges and hardships,” Ange adds. “And now, he’s starting to think of another potential build, and it’s going to be way less practical.” Chris smiles, giving nothing away.
Find the Out.Fit on Instagram and YouTube.
Specifications
1975 Volvo C304 6×6 TGB 13
Power
OM605 2.5-liter turbo-diesel engine with built-in mechanical fuel pump and HE221W turbo
Transmission
ZF S5-18/3 5-speed manual gearbox with 0.79 ratio 5th gear
Volvo FD51 transfer case
Suspension and Drive
Portal axles
Full-time 4WD with selectable front-wheel drive
Triple vacuum-locked differentials
Standard 8-leaf springs in the front
Four-leaf parabolic leaf springs in the rear over a bogie axle
Six Dobinsons monotube remote reservoir (MRR) 3-way adjustable shock absorbers
Wheels and Tires
Factory 16-inch steel wheels widened by 2 inches, beadlocks added
Seven Maxxis Trepador M8060 37-inch tires
Recovery and Armor
Stock steel bumpers
Pair of recovery tracks
Saber Offroad 12-ton recovery kit
Accessories
Bundutec BunduTop Super King RTT DIY pop-top conversion
Custom BunduAwn 270° awning
Custom BunduSuite shower tent
Enerdrive by Dometic 2,600-watt inverter, 200 amp-hour lithium batteries (2), DC2DC and AC charger
Flexible 100-watt solar panels (5)
Baja Design lights
Scheel-Mann Traveler LR seats
Dometic NRX 115C fridge
Womo Filter water filtration system
Water tanks: 50- and 70-liter tanks plumbed together
Dynamat sound and heat insulation
Bison Gear MOLLE panels and drop-down table
Trelino composting toilet
Maxpeedingrods 5-kilowatt diesel heater
Webasto Isotemp 15-liter water heater
Induction cooktop
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Gear 2026 Issue.
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