New Zealand - Go Orange auction 6 x 5023 Buses

[sAsLEX]

For those in New Zealand, and looking for a Unimog chassis, Go Orange are selling their 5023 based buses.

Late Model Mercedes Unimog Bus Tender Closing Monday 3rd May | Wiri | Turners

Turners – Looking to buy or sell at auction in Wiri. A better way to buy and sell.

www.turners.co.nz

Good oppurtunity to pick up a deal .

 

[Blowby]

Be interesting to see what those go for!
Definitely low mileage and looking to be in great shape.

 

[Sitec]

I've had a look around one of these when I saw one a few years ago in Queenstown. From memory standing room is only just. They are a smart looking rig though. Begs the question why 6 late model Mogs are up for sale and not being used...

 

[Wyuna]

There is a clear reason why these aren't being used and on the market, Covid19 killed the overseas market for these tour groups in NZ, its a bit hard repaying finance on 6 new unimogs without clients.

someone is going to get a reasonable bargain, as with 6 being offered at the same time will dilute the bidders final price.

 

[Sitec]

Oh yeah! Covid. I'd kinda forgotten about that!

 

[sAsLEX]

I've had a look around one of these when I saw one a few years ago in Queenstown. From memory standing room is only just. They are a smart looking rig though. Begs the question why 6 late model Mogs are up for sale and not being used...

Yeah I wouldn't have thought the coachwork would work for a proper camper, but it might be a cheap way to get the chassis!

And as others have stated, Go Orange is haemorrhaging money with the borders shut to their main market of international tourism.

 

[Wyuna]

the coachwork would take a fair bit of remodelling, but for the right price it may be worth it.

Im surprised that all those mogs are manual, i would have imagined that for a tour company it would be easier to use have ordered in the automatic models for employing drivers.

 

[b dkw1]

Im surprised that all those mogs are manual, i would have imagined that for a tour company it would be easier to use have ordered in the automatic models for employing drivers.

Almost everyone down there can drive stick. Sticks haven't disappeared down there like they have in the US.

 

[Blowby]

Almost everyone down there can drive stick. Sticks haven't disappeared down there like they have in the US.

I would agree as I was brought up with a stick as auto's were very uncommon back in the day.When I go home I always rent a stick as you get a far better rental price.
If I was at home at the moment I would love to get one of those mogs as it would be a great expedition vehicle to play with!

 

[charlieaarons]

You guys: modern Unimogs have electro pneumatic shifting controlled by a paddle, not a conventional stick. There is a clutch pedal.
There’s a very common popular option called EAS (electroautomatic shifting) code G48. It drives like an automatic minus the torque converter. The emergency backup clutch pedal is folded up out of the way, normally. It works extremely well and has a switch M/A. In M it will NOT shift into another gear without driver input. “A” mode is disabled in the lower gear ranges (working, crawler). You just briefly nudge the paddle and it shifts.
Two Unimog aftermarket outfits (Atkinson Vos/UK and Atlas in Germany) do sell this modern UG100/8 gearbox, with or without working/crawler gears (working gear ratio choices 3.19 or 5.76; crawler another 9.70 multiplication) with a conventional stick. But it (the old style stick) ISN’T an option on UGE/UHE or even my 2005 UGN.
Alles klar?

PS autoshifting manuals are becoming popular in the heavy truck business. Everyone including Eaton/Roadranger makes them.
A danger in using the clutch pedal in a Mog with ultra low gearing: you put it in 1st working gear, top speed 0.9mph in my application @ 2200. Depress the clutch on a steep downgrade, get rolling to 8mph, pop the clutch. Engine/flywheel wants to go 20,000 rpm. Explosion!!
I haven’t done this personally.
Good reason to stay in M mode with pedal folded up off-road.

 

[Wyuna]

Nice post Charlie, thats a lot of info i didn't know about the newer mogs, i would assume then these would have the EAS option from a employer point of view.

I have to agree with the others, but most people 40+ in NZ have grown up using a stick, it's slowly changing there, but thats the case most places, due to more people owning more autos

I've lived there for quite a bit, awesome country, awesome people, i can't wait to go back there and explore it full time for a year