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I believe that the closer to the ground that the bumps and rattles can be smoothed out, the better (i.e. wherever practical, using the tires is better than using the suspension which is better than using the subframe/cab mounts which is better than using air-ride seats). Reduces stress on all...

I'm assuming you mean the added complexity for tire changes and airing up/down. I've also anecdotally seen quite a few comments from folks who run DRW rigs with no issues, plenty of how-to videos on removing rocks wedged between them fairly painlessly. But again - I suppose none of these...

Very good point. And if my alternator is more likely to be pooping the bed in West-Armpit, Alabama, USA rather than in Eastern WhereTheHeck-istan, I reckon I'll have much better luck getting a replacement for a 10-year-old Dodge/Ford than a 30-year-old Mercedes. Although... "What is the...

No, no - your words were bang-on. You've pinpointed my dilemma - they look like they'd be *wonderful*, but I wonder how much blood, sweat, and tears lies behind those good times. Sort of like dating Madonna - certainly not the newest kid on the block, fairly durable (all things considered)...

@MogsAndDogs wrote: "if you have no particular affinity for the old MB trucks,..." The affinity for me is by reputation not by experience, and the more I honest I am with myself, the harder it is becoming for me to pull the trigger on one. Hence this post! @DiploStrat: Appreciate the words...

This is a companion post to a similar one I posted in the Mercedes-Benz / Unimog forum to hopefully get input from both camps: Executive summary: Folks in North America who have rigs based on "Heavy Duty" commercial domestic trucks such as Ford 450/550 or Dodge Ram 4500/5500 and have taken...

This is a companion post to a similar one I posted in the Domestic Full-size forum to hopefully get input from both camps. Executive summary: North American owners of older MB overland rigs - are you happy with your base truck, and have the trade-offs been worth it? If you could do it...

Thanks for taking the time to post such a detailed response!! I did not realize that the camping area is in a very different location from the "show" grounds. (if I am reading your post correctly) It sounds like you recommend walking to the shuttle area, squeezing onto shuttles and going up on...

Summer 2024 is approaching fast, and the big show at Bad Kissingen is scheduled for 30 May. - 02 Jun. 2024. I am hoping to go for the first time this year, and was wondering if anyone has any pearls of wisdom to dispense? I have heard that the campground is the best part of the show :-)...

The detailed engine specs are in the .pdf file OP attached. But as a general rule-of-thumb, the OM4XX engines are to the Germans as the original 12-Valve Cummins 6BT are to Americans. Spoken of wistfully, and with liberal comments of "they don't make 'em like that anymore..." Hugely...

Beautiful rig! Can I ask what your next ExMo project is going to be? Larger or smaller?

Sounds like the consensus is that buying as close to the final product as possible is the wise way to go in the end, so I guess I keep looking. It is unfortunate that Covid and distance has prevented me from going and having a look, but in case someone else might be interested, I have posted...

https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/d/johnstown-mercedes-benz-model-1017/7353814370.html Could serve as a solid overland vehicle base if someone was not dead-set on 4WD. Seems to be in reasonable shape from the videos/pics I saw of it. Or one could investigate converting it to 4WD ;) -...

In my experience, there are always 100 good reasons not do something, as well as 100 good reasons to do it. The trick is trying to decide which side is the bigger factor. All other things being equal, of course the wise step is to go for the factory 4x4 setup. But this is not the case for...

There is a lot of truth in what you say. My concern with a Franken-truck is that when the parts from one non-MB manufacturer don't quite line up with the spots in your MB vehicle where they need to go - now you need to drill new holes, fabri-cobble together adapter plates, mounting brackets...

4Wheel24 looks like a great bunch of folks - I found this Youtube series a while back where the owner of 4Wheel24 goes over a bewildering assortment of base vehicles from which an expedition vehicle can be made (in German, but auto-translate lets you get the gist of what's going on)...

Believe me - I understand the pitfalls of making a Franken-truck. But the relative scarcity/cost of MB1017 4x4s already in N.America or the cost/exercise in shipping one from Europe leaves me to at least wonder if the one I'm looking at has potential. If I were talking about bolting, say, a...

Thanks for the replies - I like your style! Appreciate the offer of advice further down the line. It's a sizeable investment in more than just dollars for me to get the truck (it's nearly 5,000 kms away in another country from where I type this!), so I feel the need to think it through a bit...

Title sums it up - previous truck options for me have not panned out, and now I'm looking at a 1017 that appears to be in nice shape overall. Typical ex-Army, low-miles, minimal-to-no-rust, easy-life vehicle. But,... 2WD, no diff locks, not even sure that it has a H/L transfer case (will be...

You learn something every day. For anyone taking a computer/laptop with them on the road - if it has an old-school mechanical hard-drive with heads, read-write arms and spinning disks, you might want to give this article a quick read...