MERCEDES 1222

Keyne

Adventurer
Cool. Looks really clean. I am now warming up the idea of a crew cab... with a living cabin on the back and a pass-thru the cab would work perfectly for a home office separate from the living cabin.
 

kcshoots

Active member
Cool. Looks really clean. I am now warming up the idea of a crew cab... with a living cabin on the back and a pass-thru the cab would work perfectly for a home office separate from the living cabin.
I do not like crew cabs because of the space the vehicle/wheelbase they add without any value to me, yet I completely see their value for those with families, dogs, or other passengers. What are the reasons that you are warming up to a crew cab and how will you use it other than passengers?
 

mog

Kodiak Buckaroo
Have owned the same cab on my MB1017, there are a lot of possibilities for an 8'x10.5' cabin. My cabin (on the flatbed) is/was 12 foot with a dinette that seats 4-6, so with fold down seats in the cab (I had Volvo XC-90 seats), you can travel with kids or another couple, enjoy the outdoors together, dine together inside and then retire to two completely separate sleeping areas. I like my friends, but sleeping with a GF a few feet from them is less than ideal IMO. And I'm sure they feel the same. Heck, the cab is 85% of the size of the cabin. The same for kids, they certainly would enjoy having their own 'cabin' separate from mom & dad.

Plus that truck is a flatbed (like mine without the composite camper), so when in flatbed mode hauling a RZR to the dune, the cab is the cabin for camping. Dreifachkabine Rule

Layout for a Mercedes NG cab as a mini-camper (driver's seat is upper left)
NG.jpg


So think of it as a two cabin truck (not a cab and a cabin) or a mini-cabin and flatbed.
 
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4x4for9

New member
I was looking at a 1992 MB 1222 with the intent of making it capable of seating my whole family (we have 7 kids). Mog, since you have owned one like it would you say it would be possible to modify the cab in order to have two rows of seats of some kind with enough foot space between all rows? Looking at pictures online I believe it will be possible but having never actually seen one in person I figured I would ask someone who has had one. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!
 

Korey H

Well-known member
I was looking at a 1992 MB 1222 with the intent of making it capable of seating my whole family (we have 7 kids). Mog, since you have owned one like it would you say it would be possible to modify the cab in order to have two rows of seats of some kind with enough foot space between all rows? Looking at pictures online I believe it will be possible but having never actually seen one in person I figured I would ask someone who has had one. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Seems with that size cab you could seat seven kiddos no prob. We’re building a c5500 and using Ford jump seats to sit four across. Could likely use transit seats or sprinter seats too to achieve shoulder restraints x 8 in the back. Benefits of the jump seats is that they’ll fold for the pass through.

I love this truck! If I weren’t in the midst of a build I’d be eyeing this for us.


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4x4for9

New member
Seems with that size cab you could seat seven kiddos no prob. We’re building a c5500 and using Ford jump seats to sit four across. Could likely use transit seats or sprinter seats too to achieve shoulder restraints x 8 in the back. Benefits of the jump seats is that they’ll fold for the pass through.

I love this truck! If I weren’t in the midst of a build I’d be eyeing this for us.


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Thanks for the input Korey H. We currently have a Sprinter passenger van and love it! It is only a two wheel drive so no real overlanding in it any time soon. By the time I can afford this dream my wife and I will likely be empty-nesters (and therefore won’t need so many seats) but maybe not.
 

Korey H

Well-known member
Thanks for the input Korey H. We currently have a Sprinter passenger van and love it! It is only a two wheel drive so no real overlanding in it any time soon. By the time I can afford this dream my wife and I will likely be empty-nesters (and therefore won’t need so many seats) but maybe not.

We’re in a 144 4x high roof now. Unfortunately will have to sell because of the new build. Love the sprinters. If you build on this please start a thread!


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Keyne

Adventurer
I do not like crew cabs because of the space the vehicle/wheelbase they add without any value to me, yet I completely see their value for those with families, dogs, or other passengers. What are the reasons that you are warming up to a crew cab and how will you use it other than passengers?
Trying to convince my wife to go full time. I would have to work remotely from the road and spend literally all day on conference calls. In good weather I could take them outside (setup an office in a Springbar/Kodak tent) but for most days having a separate indoor space with a door would be amazing. Sitting at a dinette really wouldn’t work.

Even a longer overall truck would be fine; maybe even flat tow a Jeep. Think of it less like an expedition vehicle and more like a very capable boondocking class A RV. A compromise I would accept if it meant we could actually get out and do it.

I designed some interior plans on a 20 foot box with desk, sliding door, etc. The issue for me is the insane prices of custom GXV or similar setups. With a crew cab and a Zepplin box it could work really well.

I do wonder how well flat towing a Jeep behind a Mercedes 1017/1222 would work.
 

mog

Kodiak Buckaroo
I was looking at a 1992 MB 1222 with the intent of making it capable of seating my whole family (we have 7 kids). Mog, since you have owned one like it would you say it would be possible to modify the cab in order to have two rows of seats of some kind with enough foot space between all rows? Looking at pictures online I believe it will be possible but having never actually seen one in person I figured I would ask someone who has had one. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
No problem for 7 kids. My truck was set-up for 9 total German Fireman (2 in front, 7 in back) with 4 of those in the back being able to wear SCBA tanks so 7 kids would be a walk in the park. I would have 4 forward-facing seats on the back wall with 3 aft-facing seats on the center hump. Staggered with gaps so they have full-length floor area to stretch out their legs without intermeshing (and the related arguing).
Blue - seats, Yellow-room for seat level storage
seats.jpg



There is huge storage under the rear seat and a medium amount of storage under the center hump. You could even have slide-out drawers from the rear to hold a cooler, snacks, school supplies, jackets, etc. The stock front seats are so-so and without seat belts, so I replaced mine with Volvo XC-90 seats. I used XC-90 rears seats which are the same as the front seats in the XC-90, so they track and recline and also have a cool 3rd seat that converts to a 'child's seat' with the pull of a lever. They also fold 100% flat, to facilitate beds in the cab. The MB stock rear seats are just hard rubber pads on top of the aluminum 'boxes' so certainly those would need to be changed.

Towing would not be a problem, but remember all of these 'Euro' trucks are 'slow' compared to 400+ hp 'American' trucks. Happy cruise speed is around 55 mph (a little faster for a former firetruck that has fast axles) and 'hills' are at 45 mph in the best of times and can go as low as 35 mph (long 6% grades).
 

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