1986 Mercedes 1017a camper PRICE DROP. 10k need sold ASAP

Trestle

Active member
Doing the math between the original spec tires for the German army, top speeds with those tires (10r/22.5), and the revs per mile difference (from Michelin’s tire specs) with the replacement tires (395/85r20), the vehicle should hit 61mph at redline. Tops of the green zone on the tach is 2400 rpm, and comes out to 52.3 mph. That is probably the happiest top cruising speed for the rig if longevity is important. You have to go over the green zone to 2525rpm to hit 55. My guess is you loose 1 to 2 mph as the tires wear, so adjusting for that likely puts the truck redlined at 60mph. I saw some MB ring and pinion part numbers somewhere. Wonder how much a re-gear would come out to in order to get it sitting between 2200 and 2400 rpm holding 60mph. This way you don’t loose too much bottom end when you have to pull 10 metric tons through the slop.
 

Victorian

Approved Vendor : Total Composites
Doing the math between the original spec tires for the German army, top speeds with those tires (10r/22.5), and the revs per mile difference (from Michelin’s tire specs) with the replacement tires (395/85r20), the vehicle should hit 61mph at redline. Tops of the green zone on the tach is 2400 rpm, and comes out to 52.3 mph. That is probably the happiest top cruising speed for the rig if longevity is important. You have to go over the green zone to 2525rpm to hit 55. My guess is you loose 1 to 2 mph as the tires wear, so adjusting for that likely puts the truck redlined at 60mph. I saw some MB ring and pinion part numbers somewhere. Wonder how much a re-gear would come out to in order to get it sitting between 2200 and 2400 rpm holding 60mph. This way you don’t loose too much bottom end when you have to pull 10 metric tons through the slop.

You can't kill these engines with red lining them. The same ones are used as generators all over the world with higher RPM. The ones in the 1017 and 1300 Unimogs are dialed down.
Cheers
 

mog

Kodiak Buckaroo
Speed -Some real-world data (all speed via GPS). I have a 1979 1017AF (firetruck version, with an unmodified OM352A) and with 395/85-20s it is very happy to cruise along at 55 mph. The sweet-spot is 62 mph. On the flats, it can hit 65 mph but really works for that and is not a maintainable speed. My friends 1017A (ex-military) also on 395/85-20s with an OM252A modified with an intercooler, larger aftermarket turbo and 'tweeted' fuel pump has a top speed of 55 mph and cruises at 50 mph. Based on this very limited pool of two trucks, I think that the axle gears (most firetrucks have 'fast axles') have a much greater influence on the cruise and top speeds than power. On course both our truck on 'hills' are in the 30-40 mph range.

MPG - on my truck is generally in the 11 mpg range. On trips without hills, it can get into the 12-13, with hills then 9-10 range. The worse I have seen is 8 mpg and the best 14.7 (all downhill )

Weight - as a triplecab ex-firetruck in flatbed configuration 13,940 lbs, with my ex-Unimog camper (heavy) on top of the flatbed is 16,660 lbs. The truck with a bare frame (remember triple cab, not a single cab) is 12,480 lbs. All weights via a commercial truck scale.
 
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I soon will no longer continue parking this at it's current location, and don't want to start paying for rv storage, as it is astronomical in my town. Dropping to 14.5k to hope to sell before it has to go into storage.
 
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