u1300l

[dave7]

Hello,

I'm new to this forum and I have a couple of questions please, I have a Unimog U1300L with stock tires
and stock rims, I want your advice on which sand tires I should get for my stock U1300L and which winch
I should get, I live in Kuwait and plan on using my Unimog for desert adventures we have soft sand here!
your advice would be appreciated !

 

[charlieaarons]

How much weight do you carry? What tires do you have now? Does your 1300L have central tire inflation? What size rims do you have? Stock would probably be 20X11" rims, 12.5-20 or 12.5R20 tires.
Do you have enough power to run taller tires?

Charlie

 

[dave7]

hi to all


my tire is 14.5r20 large drum stock rim carry 400kg or less my mog u1300l turbo the power is ok no ctis

 

[oonimog]

How about posting a picture of your Mog? What model tire do you currently have? Several different tires will work well, as long as they air down well (have flexy slide walls) and are used properly. I've used 14.5 Michelin XS on 11x20 rims on my 1300L37 in large dunes in Libya and Tunisia. They had a mild tread and a very soft carcass and worked very well but are no longer available in sizes for your truck. Conti MPT81's also air down well and there's the tried and true XZL.

Avoid stiff tires with overly-high load capacities (for what a 1300 can carry) like the big 395/85 Michelin XL. Of course, the off road champion, Michelin XM47 works very well in the dunes and in the larger 425 size, provides more floatation and retains the bead very well. You don't need deep tread on them so if you find a cheap, well used (but legal) set, they are worth considering.

As far as winches are concerned, I believe your truck is too heavy for an electric unit. PTO winches are simple and powerful but because Mogs have PTO's designed for driving implements (one direction), many are not able to power out reducing their effectiveness. I suggest a hydraulic unit with at least as much pulling power as the weight of your truck. One thing to consider though, how will you anchor the winch cable in the desert? If you have another vehicle, it's better to just use a kinetic snatch strap. If not, it may be better to do without the additional weight of the the winch and plan to dig instead.

Hope this helps,
Pete

 

[Tennmogger]

Hello,

Here's a good series of desert expeditions and much tire info is included. Look at the series of trips into the Altar Desert, at http://www.billcaid.com/.

Several of these guys have U-1300L's with various winches. They use those winches a lot, too.

Many U-1300's don't have PTO's or hydraulics. Does yours have either? If so, then the decision is easy, use what you have. If not, then an electric would be the easiest way to go. I agree that an electric winch is a poor substitute for either PTO or hydraulic winches, but any winch is better than none.

I was lucky that my U-1300L had a factory installed Werner, rear mounted, fed through to the front. I've used it many times on the farm, and on trail, and much prefer hydraulic winches.

Bob

 

[charlieaarons]

Consider Michelin XM47s (agricultural lug tire with good bead retention at low psi). Either 405/70R20 (42.6") or 425/75R20 (45.4").
They won't wear well at all on hot tarmac but are rated for 55mph. Check Google "Michelin Ag Tires" for more specs.
I have heard 2nd hand from numerous sources they are outstanding on sand.
Both will fit on 11" rims.

Charlie

 

[mhiscox]

My Mog expedition camper, which was built and used by the previous owner for Sahara travel, uses 385/65 x22.5 Michelin XZY treads. (The 22.5 inch wheel size was chosen to make the tire choices more extensive and less expensive.)

The XZY in floatation sizes is a good choice both for sand and for a long wearing tire that's good on the pavement. My Mog runs great on them and there are positive comments scattered around the internet.

 

[THE BIG BLUE]

Unimog doka 416

Hello,

I'm new to this forum and I have a couple of questions please, I have a Unimog U1300L with stock tires
and stock rims, I want your advice on which sand tires I should get for my stock U1300L and which winch
I should get, I live in Kuwait and plan on using my Unimog for desert adventures we have soft sand here!
your advice would be appreciated !

Hi I'm new in this forum and Im hapy owner of Unimog Doka :victory::victory::victory:an have a couple of questions about the Unimog Tires too.

I live in Cd Madero Tamaulipas Mexico. Madero have a Miramar Beach and Panuco River. I like Ride:smiley_drive::smiley_drive::smiley_drive: my Unimog in Sand And Dunes.

I like to know what is the best tire for Ride mi Unimog ::smiley_drive::smiley_drive::smiley_drive::smiley_drive: in Sand And Dunes??
and
I like to know what is the best tire for Ride mi Unimog in All terrain (Mud, sharp stone, terraceria, etc)??

Thank you

 

[Robthebrit]

Conti MPT81's are good all round tires, they are not great on ice and hard packed snowed and in soft sand they will de-bead if you really air them down and put a heavy side load on them. If you really air them when doing more rock driving/rock climbing you can easily spin the rim inside the tire. All my mogs have MPT81's but contrary to what the above post says the sidewalls are not that soft. I can lower the pressure in my 421 to 0psi and the truck will sit on the sidewalls, a 1300 is probably twice as heavy so will be able to squash the sidewall.

The XM47's are great in sand and angle of the sidewall makes them next to impossible to debead and when aired down the sidewall kind of folds back on itself so it protected, the entire tire is supple. I know a lot of moggers who use XMs including the guys who always go the the Altair and they have never lost a tire. I don't think they last as long on the road as 81's but you'll still get 20,000 miles out of them.

Of course there is always real sand tires, you can get them about 3 feet wide for a mog but you need special rims.

Rob

 

[unirover]

I've got a U1300L with turbo that I drove in Southern Africa running 14.5 Conti MPT 81. I was pleasantly surprised how well they did in the sand. The sand was constantly deep and went from beach course to fine fech fech. I couldn't air down excessively because of rock out crops and speed so I ran them at about 20-25 psi. The flotation was very good. I came across much lighter vehicles running various 16" tires aired down and I had better floatation.

I think the first thing for desert sand running is going to a 14.5 or even wider.That in itself will help almost as much as tire choice. The MPT 81 did great. As mentioned Michelin used to make the XS which was awesome. Hard to come by and pricey though. Other Michelins include XCL, XZL, XZY, XM47. I've run XCL in sand and that they were terrible. Michelin XZY are great desert tires - tough as nails. If you are mainly in soft sand they are good but not great. However if you get into sand with rocks and rocky areas, XZY are really good. They take a beating and allow you to air down without having to stress. The treads, even aired down, are extremely resistant to punctures and the sidewalls are pretty tough. Haven't used XM47. They seem to have good floatation but if you start digging it looks like you would sink fast.

For Conti's, besides the MPT 81, you've got the MPT80, MIL, HSO and HSO sand. The MPT 80 aren't great sand tires - not very forgiving and a bit aggressive. The MIL with their modified bar grip are actually pretty good all round sand tires. Not spectacular but certainly decent. This is one of the most common tires since it is what the German Army uses. I've been with several U1300 is sandy conditions and the MIL do pretty well. The biggest problem is I don't think they make them in 14.5 so you don't get the extra width and floatation. Haven't used the HSO series but the HSO Sand looks a lot like the Michelin XS and since it is a specialty sand tire, it reckons it should be good in the sand. Worth investigating anyhow.

 

[Robthebrit]

that makes sense, 20psi is about as low as I ever take my MPT81's. The guys popping beads in the soft sand had good side loads and probably down to <10psi.

Rob