The Machinist
New member
There was one for sale on unimogexchange or unimogshop in canada
WTB - "Box" (i.e., camper) for Unimog
- Thread starter Unimog435
- Start date
This may be a dumb question but why don't people put things like a northstar / lance flatbed truck camper on a unimog? Custom campers seem cool, but am i missing something? Sure the US commercial camper market does lower quality work, but they do sell 4 seasons campers and they're way cheaper.
Some have. Bill Caid did a unimog with (IIRC) an Alaskan hard-sided pop-up, then replaced that with a Hi-Lo pop-up trailer mounted on a MB 1117.
There have also been a couple Unimogs with a Bigfoot trailer mounted on the back (or maybe just Fuso / Bigfoot rigs? Same concept).
Cab-over type campers are more difficult because the cab of the Unimog is higher than the cab of a pickup truck. Of course, you could put a 'basement' under the camper to raise it up. Probably been done, but I can't think of any examples right off hand.
Or use a cab-over camper and mount it farther back, with a garage or storage under the cab-over section. Most famous example being the Hackney's.
I actually have a NATO spec Alu/foam/alu composite box for sale. It is made in Germany designed for the German Army spec Unimog U1300L and comes with all mounting hardware. Works great on the Unimogs, MB trucks and any flatbed. Will actually fit on a flatbed MB Sprinter. It is German military grade and is definitely expedition capable. Very rugged, well insulated and light weight for it's size. Currently it is just the stock box with the back door and window. No plumbing, furniture, etc so it still needs to be made into a camper but it is an awesome starting point. I'm asking $4,950 for it so even with the goodies like windows, fridge, water, furniture etc, it would come out less than a Lance or Northstar. If anybody is interested, PM me for more info.
In regards to using a domestic P/U style camper back, I think it has to do with what you want a camper for. If you are looking for a decent camper to get you out in the backwoods for the weekend and the occasional vacation, then a Lance camper is fine. However if you are looking for an expedition vehicle for more remote/extreme environments then you are going to need something more capable/durable than a Lance type camper. A vehicle is only as good as it's weakest link and if you go through the cost and effort of owning a Unimog it is sort of counter productive to throw a Lance on the back since that will become the limiting factor. Also camper backs designed for domestic pick-ups are not very space efficient on Unimogs or flatbed vehicles.
I've never owned a domestic camper back and don't spend too much time with them so I'm not an expert on them. However, after checking a few out at RV dealerships, I was not impressed. As you say they are definitely lower quality, but not just the fit, finish and aesthetics but the fundamental build design is pretty mediocre - I've seen many made out of 1x1 wood, fiberglass covered plywood and insulated with fiberglass batting! That is a pretty low bar and even the better ones are just not up to prolonged expedition type travel. Lots of light duty building materials and points of failure. I've found they are heavy (for their size), poorly insulated, and not very space efficient. They are really designed to spend their time on the back of a truck cruising down the freeway with the occasional foray on a rough road, track or tricky campground. For weekend get-aways a Unimog is overkill but likewise for serious expedition type travel, domestic pickup campers are just not up to the task.
I worked with a guy who put a Lance on a U1650. He spent a lot of time and money to try to make it work but it only lasted about two years before he ditched it. He had constant problems with it and everything kept breaking, leaking, cracking because of vibrations and body movement. I've been to lots of overland treffen in Europe and seen various caravans and campers grafted on Unimogs, Bedfords, Older MANS etc. They usually work ok in Europe but once they get to Africa or Asia most owners say they would have done it differently. Almost all said grafting on backs not designed for their type of vehicle was a poor compromise and that they wish they had either gone with a smaller, lighter vehicle with less capability but more flexibility and reliability (and cheaper) or they would have used a dedicated back well matched to the larger vehicle they had. Most people I've met with proper dedicated backs on Unimogs, MANS or similar are very happy but those vehicles are not cheap as others have pointed out.
In regards to using a domestic P/U style camper back, I think it has to do with what you want a camper for. If you are looking for a decent camper to get you out in the backwoods for the weekend and the occasional vacation, then a Lance camper is fine. However if you are looking for an expedition vehicle for more remote/extreme environments then you are going to need something more capable/durable than a Lance type camper. A vehicle is only as good as it's weakest link and if you go through the cost and effort of owning a Unimog it is sort of counter productive to throw a Lance on the back since that will become the limiting factor. Also camper backs designed for domestic pick-ups are not very space efficient on Unimogs or flatbed vehicles.
I've never owned a domestic camper back and don't spend too much time with them so I'm not an expert on them. However, after checking a few out at RV dealerships, I was not impressed. As you say they are definitely lower quality, but not just the fit, finish and aesthetics but the fundamental build design is pretty mediocre - I've seen many made out of 1x1 wood, fiberglass covered plywood and insulated with fiberglass batting! That is a pretty low bar and even the better ones are just not up to prolonged expedition type travel. Lots of light duty building materials and points of failure. I've found they are heavy (for their size), poorly insulated, and not very space efficient. They are really designed to spend their time on the back of a truck cruising down the freeway with the occasional foray on a rough road, track or tricky campground. For weekend get-aways a Unimog is overkill but likewise for serious expedition type travel, domestic pickup campers are just not up to the task.
I worked with a guy who put a Lance on a U1650. He spent a lot of time and money to try to make it work but it only lasted about two years before he ditched it. He had constant problems with it and everything kept breaking, leaking, cracking because of vibrations and body movement. I've been to lots of overland treffen in Europe and seen various caravans and campers grafted on Unimogs, Bedfords, Older MANS etc. They usually work ok in Europe but once they get to Africa or Asia most owners say they would have done it differently. Almost all said grafting on backs not designed for their type of vehicle was a poor compromise and that they wish they had either gone with a smaller, lighter vehicle with less capability but more flexibility and reliability (and cheaper) or they would have used a dedicated back well matched to the larger vehicle they had. Most people I've met with proper dedicated backs on Unimogs, MANS or similar are very happy but those vehicles are not cheap as others have pointed out.
quickfarms
Adventurer
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mervifwdc
Adventurer
That depends on how they are built. Ours has been an overland truck in daily use for over 4 years, the last 2 of those years by us. There is no flex in our camper shell as the unimog mouting system is basically a set of hinges that removes the chassis flex before it hits the camper. We've about 55k KM driven all over South America (meaning unpaved roads and rough terrain) and all is well!
You are right to be concerned, we have heard of quite a few horror stories, but I would say that most of the trucks we've seen are doing fine.
You are right to be concerned, we have heard of quite a few horror stories, but I would say that most of the trucks we've seen are doing fine.
Mervifwdc - You have a really nice Unimog it looks like it is serving you really well but it is based on a custom made back. I think the question was why not use a off the shelf American camper back as opposed to using something custom built. As you say it depends on how they are built and generally the American camper backs are not designed or built to take the kind of use and abuse that overland travel puts on a back. While the Unimog back does not transmit torsional flex through it's bed, there is quite a bit of flexing, vibration and bouncing that does get transmitted and that is what the off the shelf American camper backs do not hold up well to.
quickfarms
Adventurer
Nice truck
Interesting use of space for the bathroom.
I working on one right now and the plan is to have the wall of the shower stall fold down when not in use to create more counter space. Looking at your design gave me the idea of putting the porta pottie on slides so it is not in the way when taking a shower or can be used without folding up the counter in an emergency.
What are the dimensions of your shower?
The irony being is i asked a question and then ended up buying Merv's truck which has a custom built back camper instead of the premade US ones.
One possibility for this kind of application is to buy a custom large truck sleeper and install it on the flatbed.
Most of these have air-suspension setups (because big trucks really vibrate, even on smooth pavement, and come in all sorts of sizes. the longest one i've ever seen was 180 inches, and looked like a motor home inside: bathroom, kitchen, queen bed, desk, entertainment center, etc etc.
Of course there's a drawback: these things are REALLY expensive. But every now and then, the companies that build them (all in Indiana) get in used units. still not cheap, but at least reasonable...
Most of these have air-suspension setups (because big trucks really vibrate, even on smooth pavement, and come in all sorts of sizes. the longest one i've ever seen was 180 inches, and looked like a motor home inside: bathroom, kitchen, queen bed, desk, entertainment center, etc etc.
Of course there's a drawback: these things are REALLY expensive. But every now and then, the companies that build them (all in Indiana) get in used units. still not cheap, but at least reasonable...
Talk with Marc. I am designing a box with him right now that will be customizable for a 435-7. Check out the latter parts of my build thread "Adrift in the Green Room".