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

[VerMonsterRV]

Mine is spliced into the the flow and return to the heater box under the dashboard.

If I open the grill at the front then pipes are there right in front of you and easy to access and splice into.

From memory they are 18 mm steel tubes, I Tee'd into them at the bottom in the rubber section.

Obviously to pre heat the engine you need to introduce a pump into the circuit on the engine side

I added an extra pump on the heater circuit side too , so that I could pump hot water around the heating and calorifier without having to turn the heater on.

Eberspacher said if apply an additional power source the the existing pump it may feed unwanted power back to the control panel, so I kept it all separate

Its worked perfectly.

I have put a valve on all 4 ports on the heat Exchanger.

Neil

Thanks Neil, one question. I was sort of thinking that if I put the T near the heater box it would be outside of the thermostat. Obviously it works but how does it get by the thermostat? I have a separate circulation pump ready to go. Our furnace is mounted in one of the under body storage boxes. I need to drop that so I can drill the needed holes, plus I need to add an air intake vent for the furnace.

Two issues with the starter. One is the bendix drive is not retracting the gear. That's a lube/wear issue. The other is a sticking/welded solenoid contact set. Both can probably be addressed by you on a bench. Both sound different, and typical a stuck bendix is will eventually retract on its own.

The final option is a sticking ignition switch, or sub relay if used. You would need to test with a meter when this happens to determine.

Thanks Jonathon, I think the ignition is sticking a bit and might have contributed to the problem. Not sure how to fix that one, guess I need to pull it apart and see. There is a local auto electric shop, plan is to swap in the new starter I have on order and have him look into rebuilding the old one to an HD spec. He is also looking into a quality replacement as a possible alternative. I plan to travel with a spare alternator and starter.

 

[Neil]

The heater box is on the right side of the thermostat to tap into.

It works perfectly.

Once the engine is hot, I flick the switch on the dashboard to turn on the pump.

This pushes water through the calories loop

It takes 20 mins To heat it 15 ltr to max .

If I also turn the rear pump on it pushes it around the radiators in the cabin.

Neil

 

[VerMonsterRV]

We have been spending time in eastern Oregon, which we have come to realize is pretty remote. The scenery is fantastic and with fall in full swing the camping areas are much less crowded. So here are a few recent pics.









On the slowly evolving truck build I have ordered up some parabolic front springs from Germany. With any luck they will show up this week. We have the hope that they will help soften the ride on dirt roads. Today we worked a bit more on adding the plumbing for the Webasto to be able to pre-heat the engine, which given that is starting to be below freezing in the morning it over due. The turbo upgrade is still in the works, we are awaiting the last bit of info from the guy we are getting it from in Germany.

 

[Sitec]

More fantastic pics! That last pic of your truck really shows how far it has come. It's a great looking rig! So, with that in mind it's question time from me as I'm still mid build and can make changes...

Now you guys have covered some decent km's in the truck, and have spent many a night living in the truck, what (if anything) would you change or do differently, and what are you really pleased with? What wouldn't you change, but would recommend to others? Anything you have purchased that's been better than you thought, and anything that you would throw in the bin? What did you stow/carry that you've never used? Just curious...

 

[Madoxen]

Looking forward to a detailed reply to this one

 

[VerMonsterRV]

More fantastic pics! That last pic of your truck really shows how far it has come. It's a great looking rig! So, with that in mind it's question time from me as I'm still mid build and can make changes...

Now you guys have covered some decent km's in the truck, and have spent many a night living in the truck, what (if anything) would you change or do differently, and what are you really pleased with? What wouldn't you change, but would recommend to others? Anything you have purchased that's been better than you thought, and anything that you would throw in the bin? What did you stow/carry that you've never used? Just curious...

Thanks for the compliment, we really do like our truck . Oh, I also forgot to mention I replaced the winch cable for the lift with rope and a 4 part tackle. The little winch struggled a bit near the top of the lift but now it seems happy. I need to do a short video of it. Still have a couple more small mods to it and then it will be "perfect".

So a general report card starting with the "goods"
1. the 1120 is a great chassis for us, I do wish for a bit more punch up hills though and an overdrive gear
2. insulation of the box is fantastic, plus the interior white walls make the small space brighter and feel larger.
3. the Tern windows are nice with good screens and shades, plus we love the amount of windows we have letting light in.
4. MaxxFan is on pretty much 100% of the time when we are parked
5. Webasto heat has so far been rock solid, way more reliable than the Hurricane one we had on the sailboat
6. Tires and wheels so far have kept us out of trouble and seem to be wearing ok while being fairly quite on tarmac
7. we both really like the interior layout and finish of the interior. Only a couple small changes like 4 drawers in the galley instead of the 3
8. upper and lower rear view cameras. The upper is our "rear view mirror" while driving
9. although a bit of a pain, we still think the composting head is the best option for what we are doing.
10. queen bed is perfect for us. we both sleep well in it.
11. having a washer/dryer onboard is a nice luxury
12. we really appreciate having a dry bath, for full time use it makes things easier
13. Lithium house bank has worked well
14. propane tank has lasted for months on a fill (don't remember last time we filled), but we are at about 1/4 tank so starting to look for fill station
15. a truck like this attracts a lot of attention in the USA. Need to be prepared for lots of questions and curiosity. Great way to meet people.

Now the not so goods
1. the Renogy inverter/charger is crap and although still "working" occasionally overheats on medium loads (both invert and charge). I will likely replace this next year once the funds recover from the front leaf springs/turbo upgrades
2. I would not get the Tern roof hatches again. They are still ok, but I would seek out a more robust option, though they would likely be way more expensive. These we will probably change out down the road.
3. I would probably install a heating mat on the gray water tank (the only external water tank), might do this down the road but it is a pain to drop.
4. although I can not detect yet a power drop one of our solar panels looks to be degrading, never seen this with glass panels.
5. the oven/range is just ok. It looks really nice but does not work as well as the one on our sailboat. Plus they riveted the thing together making repairs time consuming.
6. sourcing truck parts from Europe is time consuming and expensive
7. although I am no speed freak the truck could use a bit more power. Some of the hills we really crawl up. Hopefully the turbo upgrade will help this.
8. The truck rides a bit rough on corrugated roads. With any luck the parabolic springs will help this.
9. an overdrive gear would be nice.
10. I would now go with a larger lithium house bank, 400ah is working but does not allow for many cloudy days.
11. a truck like this attracts a lot of attention in the USA. Need to be prepared for lots of questions and curiosity. Sometimes feels like you are driving a parade float ;-)

So what is left to get to our "perfect truck"?
1. cab roof rack that will integrate air horn mount, small start battery solar panel, AC guard, light bars facing forward and to each side and a small platform. I am guessing I will mock it up using PVC tube and get it built out of tubular aluminum
2. finish the onboard air system by tying in the engine air compressor to the aux tank that is also filled from the 24v dc compressor
3. finish the center console for the cab
4. small changes to the motorcycle lift
5. and maybe once all these are done and finances settle down a custom front bumper with an integrated winch. Still not sure we even need or want this though.
6. the equiflow system between the 2 fuel tank still eludes me (it is not so equal). Will probably pull it out and put in a remote valve switchable from the dash

I am sure there are heaps of things I am missing so if you have any specifics just let me know.

 

[gregmchugh]

There is no question that these trucks attract a lot of attention wherever you go. You get inquisitive people at every stop so you might as well accept that you will either need to take the time to talk about your truck or alternatively come off as a jerk by not interacting with all the people who want to know about it.

Standard questions...
Is that a Unimog?
Is that an Army truck?
What is that?
Are you a prepper?
Are you ready for the zombie apocalypse or Armageddon?
How much did that cost?
How many MPG?
Etc...

The only thing that bothers me are the drivers who pull out their cell phones and take pictures as they drive by, usually weaving outside their lane in the process...

 

[Sitec]

That's a great list! Cheers for taking the time to write it. I'll be printing it off tomorrow!

 

[VerMonsterRV]

There is no question that these trucks attract a lot of attention wherever you go. You get inquisitive people at every stop so you might as well accept that you will either need to take the time to talk about your truck or alternatively come off as a jerk by not interacting with all the people who want to know about it.

Standard questions...
Is that a Unimog?
Is that an Army truck?
What is that?
Are you a prepper?
Are you ready for the zombie apocalypse or Armageddon?
How much did that cost?
How many MPG?
Etc...

The only thing that bothers me are the drivers who pull out their cell phones and take pictures as they drive by, usually weaving outside their lane in the process...

Yup that is a pretty accurate list, but here are some of the funnier questions I have heard
A little girl walking by with her father "Daddy, is that a garbage truck?".
Then of course was a lady in a parking lot that walked up to me and said very slowly syllable by syllable "What country are you from"

MPG is the most common question, and once I tell them we built the truck "how long did that take".

 

[Neil]

We have often thought of having a list answers painted on the door like

England
By boat
12 to 15
3 years
Ex Miltary
Not a Unimog
Another 5 years at least
Canada

This would Answer most questions

Neil

 

[Geo.Lander]

First off, great thread and website, I think i have read most of it 2 times over this weekend already! Oww, and last week i just bought a 1991 MB 1120 AF! Here she is, I will take delivery of her next week and probably start a new thread on the project and have a load of questions!

First one, what to do with the water pump and assembly? is there a market for these anywhere? I am based in Norway and the truck was used in the Norwegian fire service

 

[VerMonsterRV]

I have to say, I am a slow learner. Instead of using sea freight like we did on the rear leaf springs, we opted for UPS expedited air service. Strangely enough it was comparable in price! Now I mention slow learner because UPS broke 2 counter tops and crunched our oven while doing our build. So, the 3-4 day service started on 10/14. Some of the stuff just arrived today, 10/27... I say some because DFF taped the U Bolts to each leaf spring. Because of the weight of each spring they were sent separately (60kg each). So what is marked as delivered? One leaf spring minus the U bolts (one package), and one U bolt minus the leaf spring (the second package). I mean "What can Brown do for you?".

On a happier note, the center console project is nearing completion. It is awaiting paint and upholstering the lid, which I picked up the foam and glue today. Once finished I will post a pic, pretty pleased with how it is turning out. Here are a couple of pictures from another visit to the Snake River.

 

[wfv56]

Love your blog on the website. You guys have done a wonderful job of documenting your build and travels. Sorry for the shipping fiasco. Some pics from the Kit Fox tour would be cool. Thanks again Bill

 

[VerMonsterRV]

Love your blog on the website. You guys have done a wonderful job of documenting your build and travels. Sorry for the shipping fiasco. Some pics from the Kit Fox tour would be cool. Thanks again Bill

Thanks on the blog compliment, my wife does the writing and she enjoys doing it. Good way to keep friends and family up to date where we are.

You know,I was so distracted looking at the planes that we did not take a single picture. Bit disappointed as they really do some good work and the tour was interesting. Since visiting KitFox I have come across another strong candidate for a kit plane, the Rans S21. We are nowhere near Kansas (Rans factory) but just south of Salt Lake is a dealer, will see if they have one they are working on when we pass thru.

 

[wfv56]

I suspect you’ve
checked out the CubCrafters website?