Unicat Americas International 7400

[haven]

I took these three photos of the Unicat expedition cabin on an International 7400 4x4 chassis at SEMA in 2006.

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z241/expeditioncampers/unicat-americas-7400-exterior.jpg

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z241/expeditioncampers/unicat-americas-7400-cab.jpg

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z241/expeditioncampers/unicat-americas-7400-interior.jpg

I think this vehicle is for sale. You can see more photos on the Unicat Americas site, http://www.unicatamericas.com/

[adventureduo]

My dream rig is for sale? I believe that is the Amerigo model that i want when i win the lotto someday :D

http://inlinethumb58.webshots.com/16889/2734656790034696539S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2734656790034696539YqvRcI)

Some pics i snapped in 2007 at a RV show here in Southern Cali

http://inlinethumb49.webshots.com/42608/2576957350034696539S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2576957350034696539BcOSRg)

http://inlinethumb57.webshots.com/44344/2528427450034696539S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2528427450034696539ZXRFCp)

http://inlinethumb54.webshots.com/33973/2048572060034696539S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2048572060034696539VipTpB)

http://inlinethumb53.webshots.com/32500/2058825690034696539S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2058825690034696539elVDsh)

Yosh looks tiny. Gives you the full perspective of how big the rig is.
http://inlinethumb38.webshots.com/12005/2120989290034696539S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2120989290034696539jOhpWN)

Full album here... http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2567385170034696539hXybXD?vhost=rides

When we looked at it at the show in 2007, its going price was $650k.

[thecriscokid]

[QUOTE=adventureduo;632476]My dream rig is for sale?

Don't forget that your current rig is many peoples dream rig!

[Victorian]

I just found my Unicat again :bike_rider:

[spencyg]

Do we know (or even dare ask), what kind of fuel mileage that beast gets?

[mhiscox]

Do we know (or even dare ask), what kind of fuel mileage that beast gets?
The fine print of the description says 8 mpg at 60 mph. I'd guess, though, that if you can afford the $600K to buy it, you can find the money to fill it. Most of us, though, would find the concept of a $750 fillup a challenge. (And if you had one of those pumps that only does $75 at a time . . . :) )

[charlieaarons]

You go inside and hand them your credit card and tell them you're going to buy $450 of fuel and you can pump all in one fell swoop...

Charlie

[kerry]

My Wanderlodge takes 275 gallons of fuel. Got to take out a mortgage to fill it up.

[spencyg]

Actually, for the size of that rig, 8MPG sounds pretty reasonable. Of course "reasonable" and "I can afford it" are two completely different concepts. Nice to dream about though...

Spence

[Jnich77]

Too bad its a automatic...I would make them toss in a "straight 10" and then i would be happy...lol

[dzzz]

It's not the kind of automatic you may think it is.

[EuroJoe]

Actually, for the size of that rig, 8MPG sounds pretty reasonable. Of course "reasonable" and "I can afford it" are two completely different concepts. Nice to dream about though...

Spence

I had an 82 chevy that got 10MPG, 8 aint so bad! :smiley_drive:

[Jnich77]

It's not the kind of automatic you may think it is.

I have driven big trucks with auto's before..not a fan of them

[charlieaarons]

The truck in question has an Allison 6 spd, I believe a 3000 series
My U500 has an autoshifting manual which is really just an electropneumatically controlled clutch with electropneumatically controlled shifting.
It has also an emergency clutch pedal.
It has manual shifting mode as well.
It is an 8 spd. 9.57-0.736 with 5.77 and 55.8 "transfer" gears as well.

Charlie

[Offtrack]

Autos in the big trucks, fuel tankers with autos and buses have worked very well for me. They preform super and will hold hill decents fine along with many advantages over a manual. One thing I like about the autos as you have a little less to mess with when your in a bad spot/bad road or heavy traffic and maneuvering, for me I can focus on driving more and less on clutch and shifting. Logged many miles in behind both types and behind the wheel of a Prevost motor coach/Marathon coach (bus). Its about 50K lbs and the 500 Hp Series 60 along with the 6 sp Allison world trans. Really works great and smooth, just not at all an expo rig, strictly a pavement queen, will get goofy on wet grass if your not careful and have the tag axle down.

[bajajoaquin]

I don't know why everyone gets so worked up over the fuel mileage.

If you took a 25,000 mile trip at 8 mpg, your fuel cost would be about $9500. At 12 mpg (my F350 with camper gets 13-14 unloaded), it's $6300.

Is $3K really that big a difference compared to the total budget of the trip? How long would it take to do a trip like that, two years? An extra $1500 a year?

Not including the vehicle, what is the total budget for a truck-based circumnavigation of the Americas?

[Offtrack]

bajajoaquin

You got it. Not much of a big deal in the big picture. 1 MPG now would be a bad deal, but 8 MPH is not at all that bad for that truck/EXC. The fun and places and things you would see would be well worth it. :wings:
I know folks that have spent 10K on a single vacation trip.

[charlieaarons]

[QUOTE=bajajoaquin;639443]I don't know why everyone gets so worked up over the fuel mileage.

If you took a 25,000 mile trip at 8 mpg, your fuel cost would be about $9500. At 12 mpg (my F350 with camper gets 13-14 unloaded), it's $6300.

Is $3K really that big a difference compared to the total budget of the trip? How long would it take to do a trip like that, two years? An extra $1500 a year?
[QUOTE]

Exactly. A typical Class C with V10 gas engine gets ~8mpg and weighs 1/2 as much and can't even be compared to a Unicat as far as quality, durability, offroadability etc.
I got ~13 mpg in my 88 F350 with 4Wheel camper and all sorts of heavy mods like dual hydraulic winches, 325/85R16 tires etc. It weighed ~11000 lb and the camper wasn't the "lap of luxury"
Our U500 weighs 26-28K lb and gets >9mpg on the highway, even with 5.92 axle ratio and the frictional loss of portals, and 395/85R20s.
As far as ton-miles/gal, it does >120. Way better than a Prius or a Jetta diesel or 2011 F250 diesel. the only thing that could beat it on ton-mi/gal would be maybe a diesel hybrid; unobtainium in the US. Or else a 6X6 diesel Unicat which gets 5-6mpg but weighs 20-25 tons

Charlie

[Bill Beers]

...the only thing that could beat it on ton-mi/gal would be maybe a diesel hybrid; unobtainium in the US...

This may not be the diesel hybrid you are envisioning, but Freightliner offers one now: http://www.freightlinertrucks.com/trucks/find-by-model/m2e-hybrid/

I'd bet Navistar and PACCAR have similar versions either in the works or available.

-Bill

[Offtrack]

International has a hybrid also now and its all wheel drive.
http://www.internationaltrucks.com/Trucks/Trucks/Series/WorkStar/Hybrid+4x4
Really will be interesting to see how it works out.

[Jnich77]

Autos in the big trucks, fuel tankers with autos and buses have worked very well for me. They preform super and will hold hill decents fine along with many advantages over a manual. One thing I like about the autos as you have a little less to mess with when your in a bad spot/bad road or heavy traffic and maneuvering, for me I can focus on driving more and less on clutch and shifting. Logged many miles in behind both types and behind the wheel of a Prevost motor coach/Marathon coach (bus). Its about 50K lbs and the 500 Hp Series 60 along with the 6 sp Allison world trans. Really works great and smooth, just not at all an expo rig, strictly a pavement queen, will get goofy on wet grass if your not careful and have the tag axle down.

Call me "old school" but I would much rather float gears. I have never had a problem weighing in at 80,000 pounds and being 75 feet long... the 7400 would be like driving a pick up truck to me...lol

[Ford Prefect]

Call me "old school" but I would much rather float gears. I have never had a problem weighing in at 80,000 pounds and being 75 feet long... the 7400 would be like driving a pick up truck to me...lol

I was thinking that too!

Personally I find it easy to drive an 18 speed in heavy traffic. It really is not that different, but that is work and I am getting paid to do it, if I am there for fun then I do not want to fool with it all. Besides trying to teach my wife to drive an 18 spd is never going to happen. I have not managed to teach her to drive my CJ-7 in six years of trying, so never going to get her into a heavy truck unless it is auto. (which she said she would drive out on the roads if it is auto)

The mention above about gas prices etc. Another consideration is that this thing has a how many gallon tank??? Lets just assume that it is two 90 gallon tanks. Compare that to a pick up with a 50 gallon tank. How many more times will you have to stop for fuel with that pickup? How much time do you spend in the gas station every time you stop on a trip? Me, with a two year old, I am at least into it for 30 min, more likely an hour EVERY TIME I stop for fuel, so taking that into consideration, being able to save two-three hours on the travel day sounds wonderful to me.

I would still MUCH prefer one of the Unicat Volvos, or Mans. Those two trucks kick butt! sigh. I am going to have to move to a different country so I can buy a real truck someday.

HAVEN, Any idea where this thing is being sold, or just through the unicat site? The second hand site has one for $600K Not much of a mark down for a five year old truck. (plus the site sucks, I can not find more than just one photo of the thing...)

Brian

[Jnich77]

I was thinking that too!

Personally I find it easy to drive an 18 speed in heavy traffic. It really is not that different, but that is work and I am getting paid to do it, if I am there for fun then I do not want to fool with it all. Besides trying to teach my wife to drive an 18 spd is never going to happen. I have not managed to teach her to drive my CJ-7 in six years of trying, so never going to get her into a heavy truck unless it is auto. (which she said she would drive out on the roads if it is auto)

The mention above about gas prices etc. Another consideration is that this thing has a how many gallon tank??? Lets just assume that it is two 90 gallon tanks. Compare that to a pick up with a 50 gallon tank. How many more times will you have to stop for fuel with that pickup? How much time do you spend in the gas station every time you stop on a trip? Me, with a two year old, I am at least into it for 30 min, more likely an hour EVERY TIME I stop for fuel, so taking that into consideration, being able to save two-three hours on the travel day sounds wonderful to me.

I would still MUCH prefer one of the Unicat Volvos, or Mans. Those two trucks kick butt! sigh. I am going to have to move to a different country so I can buy a real truck someday.

HAVEN, Any idea where this thing is being sold, or just through the unicat site? The second hand site has one for $600K Not much of a mark down for a five year old truck. (plus the site sucks, I can not find more than just one photo of the thing...)

Brian

18 gears in one of those trucks would be epic...especially if you had a good gearing in the rear end... think of being to actually exceed the speed limit on the high way...lol

[Victorian]

I was thinking that too!

Personally I find it easy to drive an 18 speed in heavy traffic. It really is not that different, but that is work and I am getting paid to do it, if I am there for fun then I do not want to fool with it all. Besides trying to teach my wife to drive an 18 spd is never going to happen. I have not managed to teach her to drive my CJ-7 in six years of trying, so never going to get her into a heavy truck unless it is auto. (which she said she would drive out on the roads if it is auto)

The mention above about gas prices etc. Another consideration is that this thing has a how many gallon tank??? Lets just assume that it is two 90 gallon tanks. Compare that to a pick up with a 50 gallon tank. How many more times will you have to stop for fuel with that pickup? How much time do you spend in the gas station every time you stop on a trip? Me, with a two year old, I am at least into it for 30 min, more likely an hour EVERY TIME I stop for fuel, so taking that into consideration, being able to save two-three hours on the travel day sounds wonderful to me.

I would still MUCH prefer one of the Unicat Volvos, or Mans. Those two trucks kick butt! sigh. I am going to have to move to a different country so I can buy a real truck someday.

HAVEN, Any idea where this thing is being sold, or just through the unicat site? The second hand site has one for $600K Not much of a mark down for a five year old truck. (plus the site sucks, I can not find more than just one photo of the thing...)

Brian


Here you go:
http://www.unicat.net/de/pics/TC52comfort-2.html
http://www.unicat.net/de/pics/TC54pickupcomfort-2.html

[haven]

Avi Meyers of Unicat Americas lives in Palo Alto, CA. The Unicat on
International 7400 is usually in this vicinity. Here's a link to more photos
http://www.unicatamericas.com/photos_international.html

Avi also had Unicat build a camper on the smaller International MXT
chassis. Avi convinced International to sell him an MXT with a military
suspension, so the GVWR of the vehicle is much higher than the typical
MXT. I think the Unicat MXT is still available for sale.
http://www.unicatamericas.com/photos_amerigo_mxt.html

[dzzz]

Here you go:
http://www.unicat.net/de/pics/TC52comfort-2.html
http://www.unicat.net/de/pics/TC54pickupcomfort-2.html

I notice at a certain truck size the photographs are always in the desert. Traditional engine orientation and no cab over make a truck too limited for where many people would like to go.

[dzzz]

.......Besides trying to teach my wife to drive an 18 spd is never going to happen.
Brian

I think about an emergency driver in an off road situation. Some people would freak out with a traditional manual.
I can see not wanting to pay for an autoshifting manual, but it does have a mode for every preference.

[charlieaarons]

Avi's 2 Internationals do not have autoshifting manuals. They are traditional Allison 6 spd automatics, with torque converter, 6 spds, including double overdrive of 0.75 and 0.65 and 1st gear 3.51, but torque conv. ratio of 2.2-2.4:1.
My Unimog U500 (not for sale) has an autoshifting 8 spd, with no torque converter, a normal type clutch and ratios 9.57-0.736.
Incidentally the $600K truck has many valuable extras, including complete spare parts and just for example a sea water desalinization/water purifier unit.

Charlie

[Victorian]

Avi's 2 Internationals do not have autoshifting manuals. They are traditional Allison 6 spd automatics, with torque converter, 6 spds, including double overdrive of 0.75 and 0.65 and 1st gear 3.51, but torque conv. ratio of 2.2-2.4:1.
My Unimog U500 (not for sale) has an autoshifting 8 spd, with no torque converter, a normal type clutch and ratios 9.57-0.736.
Incidentally the $600K truck has many valuable extras, including complete spare parts and just for example a sea water desalinization/water purifier unit.

Charlie


Charlie:
I always wanted to ask you- Why did you get your mog in blue and not in white as most of the Unicats?

[charlieaarons]

My wife wanted blue.

Charlie

[Victorian]

My wife wanted blue.

Charlie

:rally_guys:

[charlieaarons]

She's not like that.

Charlie

[Victorian]

She's not like that.

Charlie

he he he I was just kidding! :bike_rider:

[citthru]

Just curious if any special license endorsements are needed to drive one of these?

[Ford Prefect]

In the USA it is just considered a motorhome. SO no, not here, however... MOST countries would require a commercial driver's license to be able to operate this thing despite being a motorhome.

Personally I would recommend getting a Class B CDL with AIR and PASSENGER endorsements just because it is easy to do, and you save yourself in the end if you should choose to travel outside the US.

Cheers

[Jnich77]

In the USA it is just considered a motorhome. SO no, not here, however... MOST countries would require a commercial driver's license to be able to operate this thing despite being a motorhome.

Personally I would recommend getting a Class B CDL with AIR and PASSENGER endorsements just because it is easy to do, and you save yourself in the end if you should choose to travel outside the US.

Cheers

Class "A" would be far better. that way you are covered regardless of weight, length, and if you tow a trailer.

[dzzz]

I'm sure that some states are going to require a CDL driving any class 7 with air brakes, so it's a bit risky to drive without. Even with RV plates. Some countries may not recognize a CDL B as a CDL.

sooooooooo
The smart thing to do is to get a CDL A with the air brake endorsement. As I've pointed out before the difficulty in doing this varies greatly by state. In my state, if not operating a tractor-trailer, passing a CDL is not time consuming for someone with decent reading comprehension. The only other conservative alternative is to research the law in every state one will drive.

Getting in an accident with injuries and being ticketed for no CDL could be a serious problem. A copper looking at a class 7 truck, instead of a traditional heavy RV, is likely to write that ticket.

The only thing I can't do is pull a trailer over 10,000 lbs. That's a separate endorsement.

[Beerman]

The largest expense in getting a CDL is the driving exam. You will probably want to rent a truck and instructor to learn before you rent a truck to test as well.

Or you can go the route I did. I worked for a beer distributorship for 8 years and they paid for my CDL. I keep it just in case.

[dzzz]

The largest expense in getting a CDL is the driving exam. You will probably want to rent a truck and instructor to learn before you rent a truck to test as well.


I'm not sure what you mean. If someone has the truck and can practice the exam is mostly about stopping and backing precisely. Some states require school, mine does not. School is probably a couple thousand dollars.
While there is federal standardization of CDL, training requirements are a state decision.
It can be confusing. But for world travel with a heavy vehicle a CDL is the way to go. In the U.S. what is needed is dependent on the state issuing the license.
Anyway, it requires research before purchasing a heavier truck. For Americans the important thing to learn is the requirements of the state issuing the drivers liscense.