KiraVan

[DzlToy]

A technological marvel and yet such a complete waste of time, money and resources. Built by the same man who created MaxiMog, which, if I recall correctly, never went anywhere other than media events and ended up in a museum:

http://kiravan.net/

 

[Airmapper]

Ha ha I've seen that before. Yeah I used to think of stuff like that. When I was 12 years old.........

A solution looking for a problem it would seem. Cool but totally overkill. I guess you can get paid to do anything, I'm in the wrong line of work.......

 

[Iain_U1250]

Lots a technical features, but as an overall package, it doesn't work, too big and full of pretty useless gadgets. Maximog was the same, full of nice features, but it was never going to be used for what they proposed. This will be the same, they will use it only for publicity, not for anything in the real.

 

[Victorian]

Same owner also had a project going called : MaxiMog

Here are a couple of pictures the day we loaded it on a flatbed to be flown to New York.

 

[kmlacroix]

Much of what that company does is military/government, so it is not publishable. He built it to showcase what is company can do.

 

[Sitec]

Either way, they're both ugly as hell! Certainly not my choice! (says he who still has a huge aluminium gate as a bumper on his Merc! )

 

[DzlToy]

A video tour for those who did not make it to SEMA:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVk9WzRkXt4

 

[jostein]

Why use the worlds best offroad vechicle and make it into something like this semi?
A larger "bad road" 4x4 truck like an Atego would be a better and cheaper starting point at least.
And yes, this "dress" does not look good on the Mog.

If I had the time and money this guys have...

 

[erwin z]

This was not the only UNIMOG to get the glitz and glamour treatment.
The first one is actually useful.
However the money that was dumped into it was in the millions.
And its still useable today in California. It doesn't draw a trailer and its a 6x4.
Its roots started at of all places the Pentagon and the department of the interior. They had cash too.

This Kirivan may have been for an attention getter and for an elderly man to spend time touring with his grand daughter unless I researched it wrong. I highly doubt he got money from the US military but I may be wrong.

I don't see them dumping even more cash into the same type vehicle twice.

 

[DzlToy]

The young girl is his daughter, not grand daughter. He (Ferren) also built MaxiMog, as mentioned above and certainly was not used to "travel the world and see exotic places" IIRC.

Kira Van was allegedly built as a show piece, as defence contractors are not typically keen on showing off the work they have done for other clients to prospective ones.

Judging from what I saw at SEMA and the video above, there are easily multiple millions into this thing and tens of thousands of man hours. Surely, there must be a better way to demonstrate one's capabillties to a prospective client. Is that even an issue for these guys? It's not as if they are the new kid in town...

 

[erwin z]

Don't get me wrong. Being creative is cool. Its been going on for years. Im just not totally into it. Im just basic practical.

Im tickled pink he chose a UNIMOG, especially when you look at all the choices he had.
Im not looking at what he drags behind it, I just look at the power unit itself.
I call it glitz and glamour. Someone else might see something more than he did and could run with it.
Its just money and his to do with whatever he wants. He did put people to work after all.