VerMonsterRV
Gotta Be Nuts
Ok, so here is my thoughts after about 4 years of owning an 1988 1120AF that we self converted to a camper. We've been traveling full time with it for about 3 years. We did upgrade the leaf springs to parabolics, sound dedended the cab and installed air ride seats. I also upgraded the turbo but have yet increased fueling (it already gives more boost sooner so more fuel is injected earlier, so a bit more grunt going up the hills). We also added a Dometic rooftop AC. These changes really "civilized" this old firetruck. Are we fast, nope, but once you leave North America most places limit trucks to 80kph so it is not an issue. We still get a bit of wind noise at "higher" speeds and I will probably look into if there is a better way to seal the doors with a better gasket.
Are these trucks right for you? Well i think it all comes more to are you right for the truck. These trucks are all old and will require work. In my opinion the owner that would be the happiest is one that can work on the truck themselves and are planning travel outside of North America/Europe. I say this because finding shops, especially in North America can be difficult and costly. An example, our center differential was leaking oil around the shaft seal from the input shaft. Here in Argentina getting a shop to change this isn't difficult but I changed it myself in a campground. The official Mercedes part wasn't available here but a few stops around town I found a suitable aftermarket one at Repuestos Miguel for $4. An afternoon later and now our leak is fixed. I also recently gave the truck a couple of "spa" days in a truck shop where they addressed a few smaller issues that have been on my list that I've not gotten around to. They cheerfully worked on the truck and were able to supply a fuel pump gasket right from their own stock. These are very basic trucks and we carry most tools that I have needed to fix most things, and we carry spares as we are, at times in remote areas. OM366 based trucks (or OM352) are very common in South America.
Our intention with this truck is to take it around the world, shipping in a couple/three years to southern Africa, where we have heard these trucks are also common.
So for parts, so far I have been able to find everything we need. Maybe not as easy as going to the local Mercedes parts department (well I have never actually gotten that to work), but a combination of aftermarket using the MB part number, or looking at the actual specifications of the MB part and searching that way (the way I just found the shaft seal). I recently changed the rear shocks again (we seem to eat rear shocks like candy and I'm looking for some high quality ones), but I think one of the Scania semi tractors use ones that work. I saw one on the exhaust shop we were just in (one of the spa days, new muffler and flexible exhaust section to help with any vibration) and I did some quick measuring and I think they would work.
Knowing what I know now, the best truck would have been an 1124AF with the split gear 6 speed. Anyone we have met with the 1124 doesn't have an issue with power (ours could be bumped to the 240hp now with just an injection pump adjustment, I am just a bit chicken to have it opened up since the truck is running so well now). The split gear 6 speed is very rare but gives you an actual overdrive gear. Which would be wonderful to lower the revs a little at 80kph, to help with mileage, wear and tear and noise. If our transmission ever gives us serious problems I'll probably try and swap to a split gear.
So given that we are from the USA (25 year rule), intended to take this truck around the world, and I am pretty comfortable fixing most things I still thinks t we made a great choice. If we didn't have the 25 year rule I would have tried for something in the early 2000's to avoid complicated emissions as fuel quality is a real concern.
Are these trucks right for you? Well i think it all comes more to are you right for the truck. These trucks are all old and will require work. In my opinion the owner that would be the happiest is one that can work on the truck themselves and are planning travel outside of North America/Europe. I say this because finding shops, especially in North America can be difficult and costly. An example, our center differential was leaking oil around the shaft seal from the input shaft. Here in Argentina getting a shop to change this isn't difficult but I changed it myself in a campground. The official Mercedes part wasn't available here but a few stops around town I found a suitable aftermarket one at Repuestos Miguel for $4. An afternoon later and now our leak is fixed. I also recently gave the truck a couple of "spa" days in a truck shop where they addressed a few smaller issues that have been on my list that I've not gotten around to. They cheerfully worked on the truck and were able to supply a fuel pump gasket right from their own stock. These are very basic trucks and we carry most tools that I have needed to fix most things, and we carry spares as we are, at times in remote areas. OM366 based trucks (or OM352) are very common in South America.
Our intention with this truck is to take it around the world, shipping in a couple/three years to southern Africa, where we have heard these trucks are also common.
So for parts, so far I have been able to find everything we need. Maybe not as easy as going to the local Mercedes parts department (well I have never actually gotten that to work), but a combination of aftermarket using the MB part number, or looking at the actual specifications of the MB part and searching that way (the way I just found the shaft seal). I recently changed the rear shocks again (we seem to eat rear shocks like candy and I'm looking for some high quality ones), but I think one of the Scania semi tractors use ones that work. I saw one on the exhaust shop we were just in (one of the spa days, new muffler and flexible exhaust section to help with any vibration) and I did some quick measuring and I think they would work.
Knowing what I know now, the best truck would have been an 1124AF with the split gear 6 speed. Anyone we have met with the 1124 doesn't have an issue with power (ours could be bumped to the 240hp now with just an injection pump adjustment, I am just a bit chicken to have it opened up since the truck is running so well now). The split gear 6 speed is very rare but gives you an actual overdrive gear. Which would be wonderful to lower the revs a little at 80kph, to help with mileage, wear and tear and noise. If our transmission ever gives us serious problems I'll probably try and swap to a split gear.
So given that we are from the USA (25 year rule), intended to take this truck around the world, and I am pretty comfortable fixing most things I still thinks t we made a great choice. If we didn't have the 25 year rule I would have tried for something in the early 2000's to avoid complicated emissions as fuel quality is a real concern.
