MB 1120 Coming to America! Purchase, Build and Now Travel!

[VerMonsterRV]

Hi all, well it is now official. We are the new owners of a 1988 MB 1120 AF. Working on setting up the shipping date but hopefully in about 6 weeks we will be able to take delivery in Georgia. Can't wait. Plans are a Total Composites Box with Tern Overland windows, doors and hatches.

 

[Neil]

Jon
Looks fantastic

Neil

 

[Victorian]

Very nice! Congrats.

 

[EAB]

Congratulations, nice looking truck. I am waiting on one as well.

 

[Darwin]

Nice, care to indulge how much you paid for it or any other details? I know there are a few people that would be interested in that info and if it's possible to make some dreams a reality.

 

[VerMonsterRV]

Hi Darwin, what I intend on doing with this truck and build is to "open source" (I come from a software development background) the details. What this means to me is I will share all the details including costs and design in a format usable by others. So, the goal of my build will be to DIY by using a Total Composites/Tern Overland "kit". The box will be about 16'x8' and I have done the preliminary design using Sketchup. I also hope to source the major electrical items from Renogy (batteries, inverter/charger, step down transformer and charge controller). I have also created a fairly detailed spreadsheet of all the equipment/costs and sources. Although this is my first truck like this I have lived and cruised on a sailboat for years and the systems are pretty much the same. What I need to learn about is the truck itself. After literally 1.5 years of research (we have been sailing so research is all I could do) I really think these trucks are the best for an extended world travel vehicle. I have just now setup a skeleton website that will detail everything, I will not bother with a link until it has any usable into though. This site hopefully will help others that want to build a similar vehicle in North America (it will highlight the shipping, import and vendors used), but reduce the amount of research needed and be able to visualize a finished product. My goal at the end of it all is to have a truck that looks/works as well as one of the major European builders, but at at a DIY cost.

So, the truck with shipping to Georgia and registration in Vermont (6% sales tax) is roughly $25k. My goal with this build is to keep the overall costs at around $100k (though likely to go a bit above this). The only way to keep close to this goal is careful shopping and doing most, if not all, the work ourselves. The good thing is that we will be working on this build full time until finished so my goal is to have it ready for the summer of 2019.

Here is my first take at a floor plan

 

[EAB]

Hi Jon,
I was unable to see the floor plan not sure if it is me or the way you posted it. Do you have any more details on the truck? OM366, rear, front and center diff lock, etc

I am in the process off purchasing an 1124 and deciding if I should build it or not.

What part of the Caribbean are you at currently, we have some friends who have a place in Spanish Wells.

Eric

 

[VerMonsterRV]

Hi Eric, internet here in the boat (currently in St. Martin, leaving in an hour for an overnight sail to St. Johns) is at time a bit challenging. You should see the floor plan now. In a few weeks we will be in the Bahamas, not sure if we will get to Spanish Wells though. Any pictures of the 1124?

 

[EAB]

Hi Jon,
we are in the keys now so let me know if you are passing through. Here is a picture of the 1124

 

[thebigblue]

Hi Jon,
we are in the keys now so let me know if you are passing through. Here is a picture of the 1124

Looks spot on! Did you source the wheels in Germany? If positive any info on them... Thanks

 

[mog]

Hi Jon,
we are in the keys now so let me know if you are passing through. Here is a picture of the 1124

Looks great!
Wow, the Mercedes LKWs are multiplying like crazy here in the US.
Pretty soon they will be a common as Tacomas and we will have a hard time picking them out at the mall :sombrero:

I am looking forward to your build.

 

[Roverchef]

Congrats on the new family member! Be aware that the GA port is slow as $h1T. I think there is actually only one person doing all the paperwork for the 500 cars that pass through that port daily. Jaxport is super fast if you ever have to import or export again.

 

[nick disjunkt]

Congrats on the new family member! Be aware that the GA port is slow as $h1T. I think there is actually only one person doing all the paperwork for the 500 cars that pass through that port daily. Jaxport is super fast if you ever have to import or export again.

I shipped through Brunswick a few years ago and it was fine, the ship docked on Christmas eve but once the port had reopened I was out in a few hours.

 

[charlieaarons]

The best east coast port is Halifax. US ports are worth avoiding.

 

[VerMonsterRV]

Thanks for the advice, since we are actually purposely delaying the shipping having the truck sit there for a few days is not a big deal to us. As some know we are arriving back in the US by sailboat and will enter in FL. Jacksonville was our first choice but the shipping line went to Georgia. The plan is to rent a car to drive to Georgia to pick the truck up, haul the boat in N.C. to store it for the summer and then drive the truck to Vermont where we will begin the transformation.