U500 VS 2450/L38 (new vs. old)
- Thread starter LoRoad
- Start date
charlieaarons
Explorer
Are you planning on trying to register either one in the US? If so, you will be stuck with a pre-1988 U2450 (under the 25 year rule) vs. a relatively newer (up to 2006) North American spec U500.
Charlie
Charlie
mhiscox
Expedition Leader
The biggest consideration is that they are very different concepts, the U500 being a fully modern, technologically-advanced truck with the U2450's much-simpler design being 20+ years older. There are advantages to both depending on the proposed use, though the U500 would clearly be the better choice if travel involves signifcant U.S. highway use.
We had a modest thread about the U2450 camper EuroTrucks had for sale a while back:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/27268
that includes a link to pictures and specifications, should that be worth anything.
Having a double cab on any camper is a tradeoff. It's certainly nice to have the cabin room, but if you don't need it for more passengers, you'd probably rather have either 3-4 more feet of cabin space or a 3-4 foot shorter truck. If you want a U500, it may be moot . . . there were only a couple of NAFTA U500 DoKas, made by adding an expensive aftermarket fiberglass cabin and I've no idea where they went.
The number of U2450s in the US is pretty small; U500s aren't exactly plentiful but there are more of them here. U.S. U500s have an advantage in (at least theoretically) being serviced by Freightliner dealers; you will be more on your own with an older Mog.
Good luck with your investigations. I suspect that with the expertise of the people available here, we could write many pages on why you might want one or the other, so if you have specific questions, post them up and I'll bet they'll get answered.
We had a modest thread about the U2450 camper EuroTrucks had for sale a while back:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/27268
that includes a link to pictures and specifications, should that be worth anything.
Having a double cab on any camper is a tradeoff. It's certainly nice to have the cabin room, but if you don't need it for more passengers, you'd probably rather have either 3-4 more feet of cabin space or a 3-4 foot shorter truck. If you want a U500, it may be moot . . . there were only a couple of NAFTA U500 DoKas, made by adding an expensive aftermarket fiberglass cabin and I've no idea where they went.
The number of U2450s in the US is pretty small; U500s aren't exactly plentiful but there are more of them here. U.S. U500s have an advantage in (at least theoretically) being serviced by Freightliner dealers; you will be more on your own with an older Mog.
Good luck with your investigations. I suspect that with the expertise of the people available here, we could write many pages on why you might want one or the other, so if you have specific questions, post them up and I'll bet they'll get answered.
mogwildRW1
Adventurer
Well if you can figure out how to get it into the US, this one was legally brought into Canada:
http://alberta.kijiji.ca/c-cars-veh...timate-toy-for-the-big-boy-W0QQAdIdZ404692115
1998 U2450 L38 104500km's, $39,000CAD
http://alberta.kijiji.ca/c-cars-veh...timate-toy-for-the-big-boy-W0QQAdIdZ404692115
1998 U2450 L38 104500km's, $39,000CAD
Why are you asking on a forum how many seats you want in the cab?!?!? Surely you know how many people you'll be taking?! 
A USA spec U500 has a faster top speed than Mercedes designed the older mogs to go.
A U500 has a very slightly longer wheelbase as it comes, and dzzz on this forum has proven you can extend its straight chassis rails. The U2450 does not have straight rails (and does have torque tubes), and according to folks who should know on Benzworld its a much bigger deal to extend it.
You can have a 4m long camper on either without stretching which makes for a permanent double bed/dinette/shower room camper if thats what you want, a DOKA with less room means the permanent bed will no longer really be a possibility unless you put quite a big overhang on quite a (relatively) long truck . As with all things it will end up as a compromise, will a long wheelbase and long overhang and tall camper box compromise your reasons for looking at a Mog?
Broadly speaking without a chassis stretch or big overhang the DOKA seating leaves camper sleeping for only two inside. This camper is almost an exception since with a 60% max overhang the box could be 2' longer with spare tyre elsewhere, but it looks like a squeeze!
http://www.opensens.com/unimog.htm
Personally I would really like the benefits that a U500 brings like an auto (clutch) box and vario steering, but unless I would be planning on staying close to home I think they're an unneccessary liability. As is the big curvy screen. You can rebuild both trucks to the same mechanical standard, you'll need a similar inventory of spares to take with you, you'll have similar problems if something mechanical breaks, but one stays simple the other still has bells and whistles. On a quiet dirt road broken down miles from anywhere the diagnostics on a U500 could tell me a list of possible things to look at (as far as I know anyway), but the electrical stuff surely adds another layer of stuff to break in itself?
Being in the UK means I could have a new Euro 5 mog, or any other mog and maybe a wider choice of people to work on either, but I'd still go old
A USA spec U500 has a faster top speed than Mercedes designed the older mogs to go.
A U500 has a very slightly longer wheelbase as it comes, and dzzz on this forum has proven you can extend its straight chassis rails. The U2450 does not have straight rails (and does have torque tubes), and according to folks who should know on Benzworld its a much bigger deal to extend it.
You can have a 4m long camper on either without stretching which makes for a permanent double bed/dinette/shower room camper if thats what you want, a DOKA with less room means the permanent bed will no longer really be a possibility unless you put quite a big overhang on quite a (relatively) long truck . As with all things it will end up as a compromise, will a long wheelbase and long overhang and tall camper box compromise your reasons for looking at a Mog?
Broadly speaking without a chassis stretch or big overhang the DOKA seating leaves camper sleeping for only two inside. This camper is almost an exception since with a 60% max overhang the box could be 2' longer with spare tyre elsewhere, but it looks like a squeeze!
http://www.opensens.com/unimog.htm
Personally I would really like the benefits that a U500 brings like an auto (clutch) box and vario steering, but unless I would be planning on staying close to home I think they're an unneccessary liability. As is the big curvy screen. You can rebuild both trucks to the same mechanical standard, you'll need a similar inventory of spares to take with you, you'll have similar problems if something mechanical breaks, but one stays simple the other still has bells and whistles. On a quiet dirt road broken down miles from anywhere the diagnostics on a U500 could tell me a list of possible things to look at (as far as I know anyway), but the electrical stuff surely adds another layer of stuff to break in itself?
Being in the UK means I could have a new Euro 5 mog, or any other mog and maybe a wider choice of people to work on either, but I'd still go old
Attachments
evans.family
New member
Have you thought about a Daf?
Have you thought about a Leyland Daf?
Very low milage (500 to 20,000) 20 year old Ex military chassis available for approximately £5000 to £8000. My vehicle was like new!
Good Luck
Tony
Have you thought about a Leyland Daf?
Very low milage (500 to 20,000) 20 year old Ex military chassis available for approximately £5000 to £8000. My vehicle was like new!
Good Luck
Tony
tooFATtoDRIVE
New member
Hi,
Sorry for digging this thread out of the grave but would you be able to point me to the forum thread about this extension, if it existed?
dwh
Tail-End Charlie
Which extension? The U500 or the U2450?
Dunno about the 2450, but there was some discussion of the 500 here:
http://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/39700-Frame-Stretch
If I recall correctly, Don's U500 was stretched one meter in strict accordance with Mercedes' frame stretching specs. I seem to recall that was the max allowed in the manual.
tooFATtoDRIVE
New member
What publication is this page from?
Hi
There are quite a few companies that deal with new and second hand Mogs in the UK probably all of which could advise you on frame stretching possibilities. Mogs are very variable within each model type, so looking at quite a few may help, and Atkinson Vos have possibly the biggest yard with the biggest range and quantity of both for sale Mogs as well as customers trucks being worked on at that time if you wanted to spend a day looking. I've also been equally helpfully advised by South Cave Tractors and Arthur Ibbetts who both gave up half a day each, but when I visited they both had a couple whereas AV usually have 20-30ish to dribble over. AV aren't a Merc dealer though. You could also peruse Mobile.de in both the over and under 7.5t section as well as the camper (4x4) section to get an idea of what a Mog can be made into.
Sometimes the 2150 and the U500 are exactly the same vehicle. Don't and cant answer about them being DOKAS. The wheelbases come in 3350 or 3800 mm (L38).
Last edited:
Jostt
Adventurer
It is true the U5000 has from factory beter capatibilities to keep cruising speeds on hiway , but the engine simplicity of 2150 makes it much beter option for Expedition vehicle, I allready test a U5000 in gagenau museum and it is a modern vehicle , auto trans , softer stering ...and a lot of electrónic that can fail....for me this is the Main point , the real question is for what you want the vehicle...in any case the opttions to make the 2150 faster are expensive , but not imposible, whit the class Overdrive the 2150 can be fast as well in hiway as the u5000. Good luck , the two vehicles are fantastic, no drama
I think you misread the post.
it didn't ask about the U5000, it was the U500
if you get the right U500, it is the U2150, but only in the North American model Im sure since the import of it began in 2001..
It did come in both the short and long wheelbases.
.
the attachment will explain it clearer, and then apply the epc with the VIN.
(ignore the Freightliner thing. It obviously wasn't built here.)
.
http://mbepc.net/en/vin/wd6de2cs814197924
it didn't ask about the U5000, it was the U500
if you get the right U500, it is the U2150, but only in the North American model Im sure since the import of it began in 2001..
It did come in both the short and long wheelbases.
.
the attachment will explain it clearer, and then apply the epc with the VIN.
(ignore the Freightliner thing. It obviously wasn't built here.)
.
http://mbepc.net/en/vin/wd6de2cs814197924