Help me design a bed for my UNIMOG

[cnielsen]

Some you may have seen pics of my UNIMOG elsewhere on the forum. I purchased it in Sweeden and imported it to the US. It served as a fire truck up until I purchased it. I have since removed the fire box and all the mechanicals. I then fabbed up the skeleton of a flatbed and headache rack.

What I want to do is incorporate some tool boxes and all the useful bits that would come in handy on a truck like this. Here is a list of some other ideas...

1. Small crane for lifting 911 engines and/or my motorcyle into the bed.
2. Auxillary lighting
3. Possible camper or fold up tent type contraption.
4. Air hose reel. Yes the truck has an on board air compressor.
5. Fresh water tank and hose. Could pressurize it with air.
6. Recovery tools etc...
7. Fuel can storage.
8. I have a rearward PTO that I can use but for what? Any ideas?


So, seeing as how there are some very creative minds on this board, I thought I would pose the question here... What would you do to make this the ultimate off road, do anything truck?

Feel free to shout out some suggestions or product recommendations.

Thanks, Chris

[ckissick]

A camper would come in handy in the back country, and I think that bad boy could get pretty far back in the country. It makes my syncro Tristar look like some little kid's toy.

Here's a site that will give you some ideas.

http://www.unimog.tv/

Or how 'bout this?

http://www.ki7xh.com/camper.htm

[varmint]

bolt a duck blind and a beer cooler to the back. it needs nothing else.

[Arizona_928]

dang.... do u mine to tell how much it cost to import it?

[look 171]

My brand new wife and I rode in one on one of those jungle tours in southern Mexico. This was an older one. It maybe 60s. It can get you to some serious back country. I used to play with 4 wheel drives trucks in my youth in the desert, but that unimog is one bad boy. what year is that? How about smog stuff. I love to have one of those for my constrution co instead of the stupid Dodge Diesel. not that I haul anything anymore. More for show, get the client (male/ boy) talking.

Jeff

[vonsmog]

Chris,
This is a Porsche forum, keep this at Benzworld would ya!!!.......... OK if I were doing it, I would put a steel diamond plate on top of what you have and then just get new 404 sides (price is not bad for new ones) and cut them down to the size you need. You can get all the hinge mounts new cheap as well. This way you have sides when you need them and can remove them as needed when just a flatbed is wanted. Why is it most mog owners are Porsche owners as well!! Now back to Porsches!!
Von

[onewhippedpuppy]

I think it needs some sort of a cannon.

[lm6y]

Wow, that thing rocks!

In the 4x4 Community a Unimog is the guy that can carry a dozen donuts, and two cups of coffe at a nudist colony. (think about it)

The only place I can think of is http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/ they have a 'Mog section, but not much info on what you want to do.

If you search around that site, you'll get some different ideas though. Be warned though, those guys and gals don't play nice, and won't tolerate any kind of attitude. They are HARDCORE. Don't expect a hug, and remeber that if you get flipped off, it's a friendly way to say Hi over there. But, it is THE place for info for 4x4's.

A crane would be cool. If you had a rear winch, you make it do double duty with a few pulleys. Or, you could put a hydraulic pump on that rear PTO and use a hydraulic ram. Heck, you could even make a log splitter for camping with that setup. No chopping firewood at the campsite!

What kind of auxiliary lighting? It should have enough alternator to run as many lights as you would like, so that shouldn't be a problem.

With a flat bed, you could have tabs to tie a tent down.

As far as a air hose reel, just use one of the ones from just about any store. Does it have a tank? or just a compressor. If you run any kind of air tools, you need a tank. Most just use an air brake tank from a semi truck. Common mod in the offroad community.

Fresh water tanks? Look at some RV's they use them in just about any shape, and size.

As far as recovery, read this: http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/Recovery/ . Most people with a winch have no idea how to use it properly. With the size of your machine, you are getting into some serious loading on a wire rope, and I would hate to see someone get hurt or worse.

Pirate should be able to point you in the right direction for fuel storage.

There are so many attachments for a PTO that it's rediculous. Generators, winches, pumps, etc.

Another thing to think about on a rig that size is a rear winch. If you plan to go offroad at all, sometimes it's easier (and smarter) to go backwards to get out. If you manage to get a Mog stuck, and you can't unstick it, it's one heck of a tow bill (if they can even get to you).

If you fabbed up that bed, you should be able to fab up most of this stuff with a few ideas.

Good luck with it, and keep us posted on the progress.

[URY914]

Do NOT put polished aluminum diamond plate anywhere on it. Use steel plate and plant it black. That is a very cool machine.

[cnielsen]

Thanks for the input guys... Don't worry VON, I am not leaving benzworld...just looking for a fresh set of ideas.

I agree on a rear mounted winch. I may eventually get a bigger one for the front and move the existing hydraulic one to the rear. Casually searching for a BIG winch for the front... Any ideas there? It needs to be bigger than your standard WARN or superwinch. Braden makes them...

Not sure I want to do a fixed camper box. I had one of those on my last mog and although it was very nice when I was camping, it was a bugger to store in the mean time. You certainly don't want to be driving around with it on all year either. I do like the idea of a tent system. As long as you are off the ground and dry, tents are fine.

Ezi-awn makes a car top tent that looks like a neat fold up type of design but there are mixed reviews between them and their competitors...typical stuff

No, definately not polished aluminum!!! Black, black, black. Even if I end up with some aluminum here and there...maybe tool boxes, I will paint them or have them anodized dark grey or black.

Thanks for the tip on the RV store for water tanks etc...There is one near by so I may just drop in this weekend to get a few ideas.

Keep the ideas coming...

Found this pic...I think I want to build on this idea...

[einreb]

Something modular? Then use the 'crane' for switching over the modules?

i.e. camping setup, work setup, zombie killing setup, etc.

[notfarnow]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

I think it needs some sort of a cannon.

I disagree... it needs a trebuchet

FWIW a guy I know has an ARB tent on his Toyota, he loves it. One like this:


Lots of neat stuff like that over at expeditionportal.com

[URY914]

Fire hose for crowd control would be good.

[einreb]

Originally Posted by notfarnow

I disagree... it needs a trebuchet

Thats part of the 'Zombie Killing' mode.

[URY914]

And a plow in the front.

[einreb]

Originally Posted by URY914

And a plow in the front.

For pushing the re-dead Zombies into neat piles.

[RWebb]

you realize that the nicer you fix it up, the more 'friends' will need help with fixing up their cars....

a crane is a good idea - go talk to masons - they need good cranes.