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My expedition rig has been featured numerous times by other media & channels. Here is a selection of videos.

Mercedes Unimog & Overland Expedition Trailer (Retired May 2021)

Extended overland travel is a complicated proposition. Visas, carnets, border crossings, food sourcing, fuel availability, route planning - and not the least of which the vehicle or mode of transport & sleeping accommodations are critical to the success of any trip.

For this extended Across The World journey we have chosen two pieces of highly customized equipment to both be our means of transport & our sleeping/camp setup. The Mercedes Unimog & our matching overland expedition trailer have both been in our stable for many years- thus they both have been extensively tested, reworked, and tested some more. Are they up to this enormous challenge?

The following details we list for the truck geeks out there and in the hope that we might inspire the rest of you and show that it can be done by “amateur mechanic/builders”. Specifications are subject to change as we are always tweaking our builds as we discover ways to improve our setup. Where possible, we have listed brands and resources so that if you are interested in a product you might spend less time finding it than we did. As always, don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you are curious about something or want advice based on our experience.

We have provided plenty of pictures and will be adding more in the future.

The Vehicle (Retired May 2021)

Make & Model:

• 1979 Mercedes Unimog U1100 416 DOKA "UNIversal MOtor-Gerät", Gerät being the German word for machine. DOKA being short for Doppelkabine (4 door crew cab) This vehicle is a former Swiss Police Mountain Unit personnel carrier.

Engine:

• Mercedes OM352, 5.7 Liter 6 cylinder inline marine Turbo Diesel (Fuel economy 12 mpg)

Transmission:

• 6 speed forward & 2 speed reverse (1st gear 94.7:1 final drive ratio). Vehicle equipped with fast axles (top speed 68mph, normal cruise 60mph)

Mechanical:

• ZF power steering, 4 wheel hydraulic disc brakes with air brake assist, 24 volt electrical system, front & rear hydraulic system, front & rear PTO drives. Torque tube suspension, coil springs, portal axles, front & rear differential locks.

Stats:

Ground Clearance: 19.5 inches under differentials

• Tire size: 43 inches (about $400 a piece)

• Fuel capacity: 58 gallons (220 liters) Tank Range of 700 miles

• Water Fording Depth: 35 inches (we have done more!)

• Winch: Superwinch 5 ton hydraulic rear mounted winch

Custom Features:

• Onboard hot water shower system (80 gallon water tank, freshwater & filtered)

• Vehicle installed Propane camp cooking system

• Rear camp gear box & roof mounted bike storage system custom designed

• 100% LED Lighting including Headlamps & tail lamps for improved visibility, 360 exterior camp LED lights, cabin lighting & dash lights

• Aviation Head set system for passenger comfort & communication- linked with SiriusXM radio, iPod, CB & Ham radio

• Roof mounted solar panels with Morningstar MPPT charge controller

• 2500 watt power inverter. On board 24 volt dc, 12 volt dc & 110 ac power supplies

• ARB Refrigeration & freezer systems

• Extended range custom fuel tank (58 gallons – 700 miles)

• Recaro seats, custom headliner & vehicle sound deadening insulation.

• Custom designed overhead switch & lighting console

• Electronic anti theft system & satellite vehicle tracking. Back up camera system. Dual iPad GPS system & Garmin Overlander

• Eberspacher diesel powered cabin heater & battery box pre-heater

• Raised air intake & raised custom exhaust system. 3” raised cab to accommodate turbo system upgrade.

• Dual 24v battery system with (4-12 volt batteries), Battle Born Lithium Ion house batteries, starter battery isolation control

This Mercedes has been designed & custom set up to be used as a vehicle dependent overland adventure vehicle. It is specifically engineered to endure harsh conditions in Africa, the Arctic & other parts of the world where road conditions are poor & facilities are few & far between.

Unimog Photos

Photos of the 1979 Mercedes Unimog U1100.

Note that one of the unique features of this vehicle is the ability to easily swap out the rear bed for various other options. (See Video Here).

We custom fabricated a rear storage box, complete with a spare tire mount, hot water shower system, an on board water storage tank & plenty of room for our gear. This rear box will be the set up used in the Across The World journey.

A full walk around video is coming before we set outon the trip. For now, here is a (Great Video) shot a couple years back with our friend Jason Koertge from Swellrunner.

The Trailer (Retired May 2021)

Make & Model:

• 2018 Unimog Xpedition Trailer (UXT 1102). Based upon a Schutt US Military M1102 HMMWV Trailer, designed, fabricated & outfitted completely at Drive The Globe.

Mechanical:

• Unitized body construction using aircraft grade aluminum and chromoly steel. Fully independent progressive rate trailing arm suspension, tubular steel axle. All aluminum framed structure with aluminum exterior skin. Extended tongue with locking battery box, tongue storage box & two 20 pound propane tanks. R10 insulated living quarters, sleeps two for extended travel.

Stats:

• Ground Clearance: 16 inches under full load

• Tire Size: 37 inches, 37x12.50R 16.5 Goodyear MT with run flats.

• Electrical System: 24 volt, all led lighting

• Maximum rated trailer weight (original spec) 4200 pounds.

• Brakes: Hydraulic surge with automatic breakaway actuation

Custom Features:

• On demand propane fired hot water shower system with expansion tank, marine 24 volt pump system & full hot & cold sink.

• Cassette toilet with self contained black water tank

• Vehicle supplied 80 gallon fresh water tank with pick up filter, inline filter & the ability to draw water from tank, river or domestic hookup.

• Acuva UV-LED water purification system for clean drinking water conversion

• Propex marine heating system. 6500 BTU propane fired , externally vented, multi speed blower fan and thermostat

• 3000 watt power inverter, on board 24 volt dc, 12 volt dc & 110AC power supplies. Ample USB charging ports

• Alu-Cab 270 degree shadow awning

• Dometic 65 quart expedition refrigeration system

• Grey water tank & ability to hook up to campground sewer ports

• 3 source electrical replenishment system: 120 volt ac trickle charge connect, solar panel & vehicle alternator

• Built in desk & work area for off grid video production

• Electronics include: Back up camera system, Sirius XM radio, indoor-outdoor thermometer, remote monitor for vehicle ARB Fridge, Propane gas & carbon monoxide detectors

• Redarc charge controller for vehicle to trailer charging

• Five 115 watt 24 volt roof mounted solar panels with Renogy Rover MPPT solar controller with Blue Tooth Battery Monitor

• Two auxiliary 200 watt P3 Military spec 24 volt solar panels (38 volt at 5200mA)

• 300 amp hour Battle Born Lithium Ion phosphate battery system at 24 volt (6-12 volt batteries) with Blue Sea battery shut off & Blue Sea fuse block

• Sterling Pro Charge Ultra, Global A/C Input & Active Power Factor Correction with 50amp shore power hook up

• Dual D/C 60 amp power converters 24v to 12v

• 360 degree exterior LED camp lighting

• Marine grade Interior LED lighting system

• Exterior ambient light system, blue tooth controlled and can be programmed to any color combination

• Portable Air Conditioning from Zero Breeze

Expedition Trailer Photos

Photos of the 2018 Unimog Xpedition Trailer (UXT 1102)

The trailer was designed, fabricated & outfitted completely at Drive The Globe from a base military M1102 HMMWV Trailer that we acquired new and unused in May 2015 after the US government began releasing them from service. The original acquisition stickers were still on it indicating the government had paid $18,500 for it from Schutt Industries, the manufacturer. Needless to say we got it for pennies on the dollar.

The build took nearly 3 years to complete. The framing and design were the most labor intensive and thus the most time consuming. This is a one of a kind expedition trailer.

The photos are in progress order beginning with current condition first.

Check out the INTERIOR HERE in a video we produced in the Fall of 2019.

Our on board water system for hot showers & safe drinking water is featured IN THIS VIDEO

The Unimog Through The Years

We purchased the Unimog in 2008 to replace the gasoline powered Land Rover Forward Control 101 that we had used as our heavy adventure truck since 2000. The goal was to switch to a diesel power plant for more overseas travel while keeping a similar platform & size. The first trip that the Unimog was built for (Across The Americas (Tierra Del Fuego to NYC) never came together due to a number of circumstances.

Although the vehicle was in excellent shape when we imported it from Switzerland (a former Swiss Mountain Patrol vehicle), work immediately commenced to turn this into a true overland vehicle capable of long sustained periods on the road.

Some of the major modifications include: larger fuel tank with extended travel range, solar recharging system, a new custom storage back box, hot water shower system, upgrade to turbo diesel, super fast axle gearing swap, and of course we painted it our signature Orange color!

Read more about our project Unimog. The links below are from blog entries as we were building the vehicle out.

Designing A New Fuel Tank

Adding Super Fast Axles

Rear Body Removed For The First Time

Life In The Fast Lane- Testing New Gears

More Fabbed up Stuff

Rear Cargo Body Takes Shape

The Painting Begins

Photos Taken At Completion Of Truck Build

Back To The Drawing Board - Rear Damage

THE LATEST FROM OUR INSTAGRAM @DRIVETHEGLOBE