Unicat-like features discussion.

Converting Cargo Trailers into TTTs

Unicat-like features discussion.

Postby digimark » Sat Jan 16, 2010 5:02 pm

Unicat recently revamped their website:

Unicat (English site)

Unicat is the German company behind the unbelievably expensive expedition-class/overlanding RVs and trucks, including the Maximog, my personal dream machine. It's even better than the old Landmaster from "Damnation Alley" that I thought was so cool when I was a boy, not the least of which because they are real, even if I can't afford them. They'll take commercial truck chassis from MAN, Mercedes and others and rebuild it to the needs and specifications of their clients. These projects range from $200,000 to $5mil USD and you can't usually park them in your driveway.

The important thing to note is that they have posted several hundred pictures of the work they've completed on various clients' rigs. I spent a whole evening studying them in detail, making notes on apparent features and dimensions of the various interiors that seem to be common to their designs. (Although the MXXL-24 AH they built for some middle-eastern prince for millions of $$$ is over-the-top with a lot of original elements.)

The website's pictures are separated into broad categories of standardized products, individual customizations, professional machines for medical and disaster recovery uses, and "specials", basically the one-off unbelievable machines. A lot of the things they build into these overland machines are not really relevant to the discussion here, either because they are related to the cabs and engines of the integrated Class A/C nature of the rigs, or are related to the long-term range of the missions undertaken with them.

For me, it's interesting to see what they do with the space available. For instance, my trailer is 6'x10' with 1' chopped from the height. The Maximog trailer still has to fit on standard roads, so it can't be more that 8 1/2' wide, but it's 22' long and significantly taller, so they have the room to add all the toys we generally aren't interested in, like:

    Communications packages (local and global)
    Remotely-operated vehicles
    Fancy motor-operated door slides
    Office spaces
    NBC-protection (nuclear, biological, chemical)
    Long-term range capacities and redundancies


Speaking for myself, I'm not really interested in the fancy finishes used either. What I am interested in, is the way they organize kitchen and personal hygiene spaces, sleeping and some of the mechanicals and storage spaces. I also love how they use bunk beds to add sleeping space.

In one of my favorite machines, a 7'x12' bodied EX37 on a small Iveco chassis, Unicat put the outside door on the other side of the bathroom space, which I thought was brilliant. You can prevent tracking mud into the rest of the trailer, and it's a creative use of the limited space, where you usually have to find wall space for a privacy booth for the toilet and an outside door. (The bathroom wash bowl swings away to access the toilet but still works!) For our use, I can imagine just the trailer box pulled behind my truck, no cab or 4x4 underpinnings.

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Anyway, I was hoping to spark conversation on what we can learn from Unicat and build it into our trailers.
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Postby Prem » Sat Jan 16, 2010 10:13 pm

digi,

Oy vey! Your personal dream machine? (I won't get into the Third Reich vehicle / Freudian / Ashkenazi fantasy that this appears to be.) I'll just say:

Dude. Remember what you said: "-- My psychologist prescribed thinking about trailers as therapy."

Single axle trailers are mo-betta because they are simpler...with only six moving parts (4 wheel bearings, two tires).

What you have is far better than a UniMog or its latest apparition. Tow it with a beater Mercedes diesel or old BMW 7-series and you'll quickly lose the desire for a German dream machine.

Cousin Prem :wine:

P.S. Less complexity = More Freedom. (Like what Gonefishin did.) Camp more. It ain't about the vehicle. It's about the freedom, being in NATURE and, if you belong to a group, it's also about the people, the cooking and the campfires. Plus, the material compulsions are *way* cheaper:
http://www.ahappycamper.com/products/dutch_ovens/aluminum/index.html
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Postby Ageless » Sat Jan 16, 2010 11:01 pm

176 hp diesel pulling 6 1/2 tons? :o :o
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Postby Prem » Sat Jan 16, 2010 11:13 pm

And I'll rip some teak for you to have a yacht-like, slat walkway in your rig (like in the DeutchMog) if you want.

:roll:
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Postby High Desert » Sat Jan 16, 2010 11:38 pm

They do have some interesting ideas for the use of space in those rigs. I would agree, there are ideas to be garnered from their construction. They are surprisingly utilitarian in appearance for the price. But most of that is for the chassis it's combined with. They have to be tough as all get out to stand up to the forces put on them by a truck chassis in rough terrain.

The Mogs are pretty amazing as off road vehicles go, especially for their size. These rigs are designed for the traveling, not for the destination. That said, whatever chassis they showed, I couldn't help but think how top heavy they looked. But for those prices...well, I could buy another house lol.


Prem- I like old Mercedes diesels, got a few of 'em. But I'm with ya on the Bimmer. Any Bimmer.
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Postby Ageless » Sat Jan 16, 2010 11:42 pm

Best line about Beemers from a comedian in the 1980s . . . .


"My dream job is putting a $30,000 price sticker on a $3,000 car"
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Postby High Desert » Sat Jan 16, 2010 11:54 pm

Ageless wrote:Best line about Beemers from a comedian in the 1980s . . . .


"My dream job is putting a $30,000 price sticker on a $3,000 car"

:lol: and now it's a $70,000 price tag...on a $3000 car :lol:
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Postby Prem » Sun Jan 17, 2010 12:27 am

:o I know a homeless guy who sells blood plasma for cash who lives in his old 7-series Beamer. Not such a "luxury car" in this venue.
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Postby High Desert » Sun Jan 17, 2010 12:30 am

Prem wrote::o I know a homeless guys who sells blood plasma for cash who lives in his old 7-series Beamer. Not such a "luxury car" in this venue.

no kidding. And he probably has to spend his plasma money on it to keep it running :o
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Postby Prem » Sun Jan 17, 2010 12:48 am

And he probably has to spend his plasma money on it to keep it running.


Highly likely.
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Postby artwebb » Sun Jan 17, 2010 2:02 am

Just FYI, the Landmaster in Damnation Alley was a real vehicle, too. Custom made, but real, right down to that tri- wheel setup that actualy worked just like in the movie. only the weapons were non functional.
As for the Uni-cat, very cool, but what a lump! Just try to put it in your garage. (Same can be said for some 'normal' SUV's, though)
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Postby digimark » Sun Jan 17, 2010 2:32 pm

I'll grant you that the Unicats appeal to my "survive the end of the world" and "get away from society" fantasies. But leaving that aside, it's interesting to see what they (with all that money) do with roughly the same space we have. Also, they admit on their website that they are so expensive because they design in the best quality everythings. I think we can do similar things at a much reduced cost because we build for "good-enough" and for camping, not trucking around the world.

The other thing for me is that I get a lot of fun out of going overboard on my trailer. I have a history of doing this -- I put a $5,000+ audio system in my previous SUV just before I wrecked it. I really like it when people stick their heads in my trailer and go "whoa."

Prem is right though -- the more I look at those pictures, the more I come to understand that there isn't a lot more to be done on my trailer. I'm having a propane tank mount welded on the tongue. I want to add a propane heater to the inside, and I want to add some more shelving and drawers, a screen door, but basically everything's there now. Did you notice the Unicats don't appear to have microwave ovens in them?

The Landmaster is a real truck, but it was meant to be a movie prop, not a real RV. I'd be surprised if there is any interior at all, for instance.
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Postby Prem » Sun Jan 17, 2010 5:39 pm

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Postby digimark » Sun Jan 17, 2010 9:48 pm

Prem -- you had me! I thought I was going to see a pizza oven in your trailer...

Is that special-purpose CI or just a regular, large dutch oven? In any case, can I have the recipe? Thanks.
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Postby Prem » Sun Jan 17, 2010 10:25 pm

Gary,

LOL! Sure. Here you go:

http://www.scoutorama.com/store/category.cfm?cat_id=151
(I have the 10" one for regular cooking and the 14", which is the pizza oven. Sooooh much lighter and easier to clean than CI.)

Recipe:

http://papadutch.home.comcast.net/~papadutch/dutch-oven-recipe-campfirepizza.htm

I use two small cans of organic tomato paste with oregano, vegetable oil and garlic instead of "pizza sauce." I get pre-made, large pizza dough crust from Papa Murphy's or Boboli from the super market. You could get the high gluton flour and make your own also. I pour the olive oil on AFTER the pizza comes out of the oven. (Adds flavor!) Also (learned this trick from Dean & Joanie, master DO chefs), I put hi-temp parchment paper down in the bottom of the oven to set the dough on.

Oh...and add mutton to taste. ;)

Prem

P.S. I gave my CI Dutch oven away. The GSI hard anodized aluminum ones are fabulous. I'm going to get the 12" one eventually also. :thumbsup:
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