Which is better for expedition camper U1300L or U1000L?

[Jolly Roger]

[QUOTE=oonimog;681958]Incendo,
The U100L you're considering is a nice truck and the owner, Greg, is a good guy. In standard form, the U100L is a bit more modern and comfortable than the standard U1300L but leather seats and A/C are easy additions. The U100L is quieter than the U1300L and far more like a US pickup. It's smaller so it's easier to manoeuver, will consume less fuel, pollute less (Euro II emissions), and will be less expensive when it comes time for tires (typically much sooner than you might expect as they don't last on the big trucks). The trade off is that it's not quite as good off road as it's bigger cousin due to the lack of a really low crawling gearbox and less ground clearance. Unless you really plan to push it, this may never be a problem. Also depending on where you plan to take it, the U100L engine is managed electronically, the U1300L's is all mechanical and the OM352/352A engines are one of the most common and robust diesels in the world.

Another thing to consider is that until you have the camper body on it, you'll need to stop at the scales with the U1300L but not the U100L as its GVW is 5500kgs. Both trucks have air over hydraulic brakes so you'll need an air endorsement on your DL. As Charlie mentioned, weight adds up quickly and you should stay well below the max GVW for off road use or you'll be breaking and repairing things often. If you can live with the lower GVW, the smaller truck may be the more sensible option. I like the U100L but prefer my U1300L37 for my needs.

If you do decide to go for the U100L, the original fiberglass camper body that was built for that specific truck is still floating around. In fact, I believe a member of this forum mhiscox (Mike Hiscox) owns (or owned) it and may be able to help you to reunite the two...




Yep, the U100 was quieter and more comfortable that the U1300L. However, not by as large of a margin as I would have thought. Also, as you pointed out, A/C and nice leather air-ride seats would make it an even closer contest. The U1300L I saw had an ex-military radio box on the back which must have been quite heavy. Inside it had a fridge, table / bed, shower, sink, water tanks, battery array, toilet, etc. so was carrying a fair bit of weight. In spite of that, it was much livelier than I thought it would be. Although it wouldn't cruise down the hwy at 100 km/hr like the U100, I think it would still be fine.

In terms of off-road performance, I probably won't really know what I'll need until I'm actually out on my trip. However, at this point I'm thinking either vehicle would probably meet my needs. The increased capability of the U1300 is really nice, but then again, the smaller size, comfort and better fuel economy of the U100 is also a draw.

The fiberglass body that used to be on Greg's truck looks very nice and by the way, Greg is a very nice chap. How do you think a fiberglass body would stand up to the rigors on a long multi-year journey as opposed to one of the military radio boxes? It would obviously be much lighter and easier to carry around, but I'm not sure it would be a tough as the radio box. However, that's just my gut feel and not based on any previous experience with either type. Thanks for Mike's info. I'll try and get in touch with him and see if he knows where the body is these days.

Cheers

[oonimog]

I see you're located in Langley (me too), have you checked with Mross in Ft. Langley? Was the truck a turbo? Was the box a radio box or an ambulance? Did it resemble the shape of the yellow one in the photo or was it more square? These are ambulance bodies which are very heavy because they were designed to withstand a rollover at speed. Despite the weight, I really like them but they aren't tall enough to stand in. A friend in Germany increased the height of his (yellow) by adding the center raised section. The box on white 1300 also started as an ambulance and was stretched in length and height (located on Vancouver Island).

I expect the fiberglass body would be no problem as it was specifically built for the Mog. Mogs typically have a separate frame that the load body is mounted to. It uses a 3-point mounting principle to allow the truck frame to flex without stressing the load body.

Regards,
Pete

[mhiscox]

Thanks to Pete for discussing my fiberglass shell in my absence. Here's the link to the thread that was up when the shell was for sale:

http://expeditionportal.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=27257.

Lots of pictures and information there for anyone who needs it.

[Jolly Roger]

I see you're located in Langley (me too), have you checked with Mross in Ft. Langley? Was the truck a turbo? Was the box a radio box or an ambulance? Did it resemble the shape of the yellow one in the photo or was it more square? These are ambulance bodies which are very heavy because they were designed to withstand a rollover at speed. Despite the weight, I really like them but they aren't tall enough to stand in. A friend in Germany increased the height of his (yellow) by adding the center raised section. The box on white 1300 also started as an ambulance and was stretched in length and height (located on Vancouver Island).

I expect the fiberglass body would be no problem as it was specifically built for the Mog. Mogs typically have a separate frame that the load body is mounted to. It uses a 3-point mounting principle to allow the truck frame to flex without stressing the load body.

Regards,
Pete

Hi Pete

Nice to see someone else on the forum who's in my neck of the woods! I've emailed Mross a couple of times but haven't received replies to any of my messages. I also drove out to their location a few weeks ago but failed to find any sign of life. Consequently, I assumed they had perhaps shut down the business. Are they still going?

The box in question was a square one and the owner informed me it was from a radio truck. It felt VERY solid but I'm sure it was also quite heavy. The Unimog carrying it did not have a turbo engine. It was high enough to stand up in (I'm around 5'9" and had a couple of inches to spare), although if you spent a long time in it (as we plan to do), it may have felt a little claustrophobic. However, as you pointed out with the example photos, it could always be stretched in height and / or length.

Cheers

[Victorian]

I see you're located in Langley (me too), have you checked with Mross in Ft. Langley? Was the truck a turbo? Was the box a radio box or an ambulance? Did it resemble the shape of the yellow one in the photo or was it more square? These are ambulance bodies which are very heavy because they were designed to withstand a rollover at speed. Despite the weight, I really like them but they aren't tall enough to stand in. A friend in Germany increased the height of his (yellow) by adding the center raised section. The box on white 1300 also started as an ambulance and was stretched in length and height (located on Vancouver Island).

I expect the fiberglass body would be no problem as it was specifically built for the Mog. Mogs typically have a separate frame that the load body is mounted to. It uses a 3-point mounting principle to allow the truck frame to flex without stressing the load body.

Regards,
Pete

The white one was based in Victoria, close to Dallas Road... Met the owner and got a tour. Very nice Unimog! As far as I know, they sold their business and are now on a VERY long trip with the camper.

[dzzz]

What's the U100 GVWR? I can't see a 96hp truck move at a decent speed on a highway, much less the interstate.
Is the fiberglass shell on a truck, or are those old pics?
Those are some nice pics. Putting an extension on the radio cab roof was a good idea.
I don't see solar on any of the trucks. That's somewhat surprising.

[Jolly Roger]

What's the U100 GVWR? I can't see a 96hp truck move at a decent speed on a highway, much less the interstate.

Apparently the U100 has been tuned to 160ph.

[Jolly Roger]

Apparently the U100 has been tuned to 160ph.

Sorry, hp not ph

[dzzz]

Sorry, hp not ph

So if it's a 5500kg model it has 2500kg of payload. I expect it would be run somewhat overweight with a camper, even being careful.
The engine upgrade trades some life for hp, but that's probably acceptable if well done.

[rhodos]

A well constructed camper box in 2m by 3m comes with interior to 1000 - 1300 kg. For this you need a good constructed 3 point mounting frame (good constructed means some calculation on the framework and not throwing in steel to make it solid enough), box itself build from 50 mm sandwich panels and the interior from lightweigth plywood.

bye, Werner