Unicorn on the Ocean - 1120AF Coming to Canada

[whomisi]

It took a long while, but I found my ideal spec truck. I haven't seen any other with this spec, and I couldn't be more excited it is on its way across the Atlantic. I'll keep a log of the build here, and share any useful knowledge I gain as I have learnt from others on this forum.

1992 1120AF Fire Rescue Truck from Lichtenstein. 15,000kms on the clock.
Shipped out of Belgium, it's landing in Halifax in about two weeks and I'll be driving it 5200kms back to BC where I reside.

The highlights of the truck, in order of importance to me:
1.5 Cab - Idea for our growing family of three, plus dog. I could have cut down a longer cab but I really wanted this style if I could find it.
GV4/65 - 6Spd gearbox with splitter from factory. On a 4x4, I didn't see this on any other truck for sale. With axle ratios 5.25, the overdrive that comes with the split will give us 4.36. Comfortable cruising and all of the gearing choices.
Immaculate and well looked after condition, it truly looks like new. I haven't seen it in the flesh, so here's hoping the pictures are telling the truth!

Other cool features:
Telescopic light mast, I'd love to keep this for playing with when out in the middle of nowhere. It's powered from a 30kw generator that I will remove, so I'll switch the lights to run from our house battery.
Crazy dual pulley, drum cable storage, hydraulic winch thing. Rotzler Treibmatic.
Auto Chain Slingers (will probably pull these off)
Lower storage boxes - I will try and save these to bolt back up to the habitation box subframe when I get that far.
I think it has a microphone and loudspeaker too, but I am not sure. That will be fun for a while until it comes off.
The usual rear and centre locking diffs.
OM366LA engine, probably not even broken in at this mileage.

The Build Plan:
Shooting for an 18ft box, so I will extend the wheelbase from the 3.65 up to around 4.2m. I have the facility for this, just need to source the steel.
Composite box on a 4 point subframe, I'm not far from Andreas at Total Composites and we swung by to visit him last year.
The fairly common 385/65/r22.5 super singles
Live and travel for as much of our time as we can manage!

 

[Geo.Lander]

Sweet! That is a beautiful truck! I might be biased thou
We have the same truck without your fancy split gearing (we have the 6 speed). 50,000Kms, ours was also like new but I found some rust under the passenger side floor liners and we had to renew most of the injector seals and top gaskets, nothing major of course. Looking forward to seeing your layout as you do not see many 1.5 cabs around, they are super rare these days.


Here she is just before her box was fitted:-

 

[whomisi]

She is a Beauty! Very nice work.
That is very helpful to know about the rust, I will check that area and perhaps apply a wax treatment even if there is no rust (yet).
Were your seals leaking just a little, or a lot? Did it stop you driving or just something you had to address? I've got 5000km before I am home with no Mercedes dealers on the way haha
I like your choice in Land Rovers, I used to work for them when I lived in the uk.

 

[DiploStrat]

Love the cab and a half. So wish we had one.

Some free advice. Don't fit a rear carrier/hoist for motor cycle or bicycles, simply expand the box to enclose them in a larger garage, perhaps with a ramp to the side. The overall length will be exactly the same, the engineering much simpler, and your bikes much safer.

Our box was made with panels from Andreas and we have had no problems.

 

[texasnielsen]

It took a long while, but I found my ideal spec truck. I haven't seen any other with this spec, and I couldn't be more excited it is on its way across the Atlantic. I'll keep a log of the build here, and share any useful knowledge I gain as I have learnt from others on this forum.

1992 1120AF Fire Rescue Truck from Lichtenstein. 15,000kms on the clock.
Shipped out of Belgium, it's landing in Halifax in about two weeks and I'll be driving it 5200kms back to BC where I reside.

The highlights of the truck, in order of importance to me:
1.5 Cab - Idea for our growing family of three, plus dog. I could have cut down a longer cab but I really wanted this style if I could find it.
GV4/65 - 6Spd gearbox with splitter from factory. On a 4x4, I didn't see this on any other truck for sale. With axle ratios 5.25, the overdrive that comes with the split will give us 4.36. Comfortable cruising and all of the gearing choices.
Immaculate and well looked after condition, it truly looks like new. I haven't seen it in the flesh, so here's hoping the pictures are telling the truth!

Other cool features:
Telescopic light mast, I'd love to keep this for playing with when out in the middle of nowhere. It's powered from a 30kw generator that I will remove, so I'll switch the lights to run from our house battery.
Crazy dual pulley, drum cable storage, hydraulic winch thing. Rotzler Treibmatic.
Auto Chain Slingers (will probably pull these off)
Lower storage boxes - I will try and save these to bolt back up to the habitation box subframe when I get that far.
I think it has a microphone and loudspeaker too, but I am not sure. That will be fun for a while until it comes off.
The usual rear and centre locking diffs.
OM366LA engine, probably not even broken in at this mileage.

The Build Plan:
Shooting for an 18ft box, so I will extend the wheelbase from the 3.65 up to around 4.2m. I have the facility for this, just need to source the steel.
Composite box on a 4 point subframe, I'm not far from Andreas at Total Composites and we swung by to visit him last year.
The fairly common 385/65/r22.5 super singles
Live and travel for as much of our time as we can manage!


View attachment 799660View attachment 799661View attachment 799662

Sweet find! Looking forward to following your developments

 

[VerMonsterRV]

Great find! Out of curiosity, could you share your VIN? I'd love to look up the gearbox and how many parts are different with our 5speed.

 

[Geo.Lander]

She is a Beauty! Very nice work.
That is very helpful to know about the rust, I will check that area and perhaps apply a wax treatment even if there is no rust (yet).
Were your seals leaking just a little, or a lot? Did it stop you driving or just something you had to address? I've got 5000km before I am home with no Mercedes dealers on the way haha
I like your choice in Land Rovers, I used to work for them when I lived in the uk.

Check the door frames from the inside first under the floor mats, that's normally the first place. Apparently from the inside out from salt on people's boots... So I was told..

The leaks were fine really, just something to keep an eye on, especially if she hasn't driven a great deal, which of course she hasn't. A little oil looks like a lot, and our injectors were only loosing droplets and were just dried out.

Thanks! I had some new disco 4+ 5 models in the past but I prefer the L322, and the disco 2 is just a reto treat!

 

[Geo.Lander]

It took a long while, but I found my ideal spec truck. I haven't seen any other with this spec, and I couldn't be more excited it is on its way across the Atlantic. I'll keep a log of the build here, and share any useful knowledge I gain as I have learnt from others on this forum.

1992 1120AF Fire Rescue Truck from Lichtenstein. 15,000kms on the clock.
Shipped out of Belgium, it's landing in Halifax in about two weeks and I'll be driving it 5200kms back to BC where I reside.

The highlights of the truck, in order of importance to me:
1.5 Cab - Idea for our growing family of three, plus dog. I could have cut down a longer cab but I really wanted this style if I could find it.
GV4/65 - 6Spd gearbox with splitter from factory. On a 4x4, I didn't see this on any other truck for sale. With axle ratios 5.25, the overdrive that comes with the split will give us 4.36. Comfortable cruising and all of the gearing choices.
Immaculate and well looked after condition, it truly looks like new. I haven't seen it in the flesh, so here's hoping the pictures are telling the truth!

Other cool features:
Telescopic light mast, I'd love to keep this for playing with when out in the middle of nowhere. It's powered from a 30kw generator that I will remove, so I'll switch the lights to run from our house battery.
Crazy dual pulley, drum cable storage, hydraulic winch thing. Rotzler Treibmatic.
Auto Chain Slingers (will probably pull these off)
Lower storage boxes - I will try and save these to bolt back up to the habitation box subframe when I get that far.
I think it has a microphone and loudspeaker too, but I am not sure. That will be fun for a while until it comes off.
The usual rear and centre locking diffs.
OM366LA engine, probably not even broken in at this mileage.

The Build Plan:
Shooting for an 18ft box, so I will extend the wheelbase from the 3.65 up to around 4.2m. I have the facility for this, just need to source the steel.
Composite box on a 4 point subframe, I'm not far from Andreas at Total Composites and we swung by to visit him last year.
The fairly common 385/65/r22.5 super singles
Live and travel for as much of our time as we can manage!


View attachment 799660View attachment 799661View attachment 799662

The 3.65 wheelbase btw is excellent! Turning circle better than most full size trucks of 11m. I would not extend the wheelbase personally, you will loose a lot of that dexterity.

 

[whomisi]

Love the cab and a half. So wish we had one.

Some free advice. Don't fit a rear carrier/hoist for motor cycle or bicycles, simply expand the box to enclose them in a larger garage, perhaps with a ramp to the side. The overall length will be exactly the same, the engineering much simpler, and your bikes much safer.

Our box was made with panels from Andreas and we have had no problems.

Yeah good thinking, I am trying to keep it as short as possible so some small e-bikes in a small garage was the plan. And possibly the spare on the cab roof, although I am undecided on that one. I don't love the centre of gravity being any higher than it needs to be.

Great find! Out of curiosity, could you share your VIN? I'd love to look up the gearbox and how many parts are different with our 5speed.

Emailed! Let me know what you find out, do you know if factory installed GV4/65 is as unusual as I think it is? I know a few people on the LN2 forum have done swaps, looks like a lot of work.

Check the door frames from the inside first under the floor mats, that's normally the first place. Apparently from the inside out from salt on people's boots... So I was told..

The leaks were fine really, just something to keep an eye on, especially if she hasn't driven a great deal, which of course she hasn't. A little oil looks like a lot, and our injectors were only loosing droplets and were just dried out.

Thanks! I had some new disco 4+ 5 models in the past but I prefer the L322, and the disco 2 is just a reto treat!

Ok I certainly will, when I get it and ongoing in the future too. Our winters are harsh in British Columbia and the drivers footwell is always rusty. It is a thing. Good to know the leaks were minor, nothing that stops me getting home I hope! I'm a little worried about old and dry fuel and air brake lines, so we'll have to see how they hold up.

That's a crazy good turning circle, and I do agree I wish I could keep it short. Saves a lot of work if nothing else. Our plans involve a family of 3, maybe one day 4, travelling full time even in Canadian winter. I think a 16ft (4.9m) box is already quite long for 3.65m with the 1.5 cab. I did some calculations and it looks like at 4.2m we go from 11 to 12m turning circle, which isn't so bad. But this gives us 5.5m box which gives room for bunk beds at the back, and a drop down big bed at the front.

I did think about an entire raising roof on a 16ft box, but I think the weight and reduction in durability and sealing makes it more work than it is worth.



There was a truck about 18 months ago on Expedition Truck Brokers that was the closest thing we've seen to what we want to build, I borrowed their picture below. This is pretty close to what we're shooting for, but we will have an extra foot of box length.

 

[DiploStrat]

Whatever you do, do NOT put the spare on the cab roof. You won't be able to tip the cab, the weight will damage the cab, even if mounted on a frame as ours was. Then, too, is the need for a crane. When I bought the truck the spare was on the cab roof. Looked cool and I even unloaded it with the crane. Terrible, terrible idea.

Simply make your box large enough. Extending the box is cheap and easy. Hanging a frame/carrier on the back or on the truck frame requires expensive fabrication. Probably weighs more as well.

And, more to the point, the actual vehicle length is the same. (Think about it until you get it.)
Now, if you want to mount the spare forward, either between the cab and camper, or fore and aft along side a pass through, those are all good ideas for weight distribution.

With lithium iron batteries, your heavy items are fuel, water (white and grey), and your spare.

FWIW - we use and love GoCycles, which live in our garage.

 

[charlieaarons]

About the subject of spare tires, if you have a common size like 385/65R22.5, a single decent spare is ok.
However, if you decide to use MPT/military 20” tires, I recommend carrying a second unmounted spare.
They aren’t common in any part of the world. If bad luck strikes and a tire is irreparably damaged, and you are thrust into a situation with NO spare tire, your trip transforms into a search for tires instead of a vacation. One of those “don’t ask me how I know” things.
Regarding DiploStrat’s roof rack on cab comment, I’d suggest a modification. I consulted the bodybuilder manual for my chassis, which has a hydraulic cab tilting ram built in (naturally I carry the 30mm socket required). The manual specified certain mounting points and and a max load of 80kg (<20kg/mounting point)
Unicat (the vehicle was in Germany at the time) built a lightweight rack and mounted 2 aluminum boxes which store bulky lightweight items: kinetic ropes and spare wastewater hose.
A spare unmounted tire would have exceeded the specifications.

 

[DiploStrat]

OK, maybe if you have a power tilt and lift cab AND the tire does not overpower it!

Mine is all manual and, heavy as I am, I still could not always get it to tilt.

 

[lucilius]

Love the cab and a half. So wish we had one.

Some free advice. Don't fit a rear carrier/hoist for motor cycle or bicycles, simply expand the box to enclose them in a larger garage, perhaps with a ramp to the side. The overall length will be exactly the same, the engineering much simpler, and your bikes much safer.

Our box was made with panels from Andreas and we have had no problems

Good point, I never thought that it might be easier to simply build a bigger box provided that weight is not significantly different. Is the recommendation for an enclosed garage vs a lift more from your experience with weather/road debris or theft, both?

 

[Geo.Lander]

Good point, I never thought that it might be easier to simply build a bigger box provided that weight is not significantly different. Is the recommendation for an enclosed garage vs a lift more from your experience with weather/road debris or theft, both?

In EU/Norway this is not an option if you do not want to extend the wheelbase, overhang is very limited to 60% of the wheelbase and it quickly will eat into your living space. There is a reason for the existing MC/carrier designs..

 

[DiploStrat]

The only lift I have is for the spare, which was relocated from the cab roof. But it is a lot of fabricated steel, which weighs more than the box. Of course, might have needed a hand or electric winch for a tire, even with a ramp.

Every eurocamper has a bike rack on the back. And all of them require some form of reinforcement to avoid damaging the rear wall. Bicycles are, of course, easier than motorcycles.

Having carried bicycles on cars, in the rain, and parked various places, I much prefer having my GoCycles inside, dry, and out of sight.

You have to watch legal overhangs, of course, but all I am advocating is that you consider the overall length WITH any rear carrier and that inside is better than outside. If departure angle is an issue, slope the bottom. My box is sloped, but in reality, it is high enough that it could have been square with no real world loss of departure angle. These beasts are not going to be doing the Rubicon Trail.