RE: Mercedes Unimog: A real-life Tonka toy

[John Boy 616]

Some were produced after the war for farming and such like. So your man probably wasent on the russian front.

Tempest_5 said:

I should add I never asked how he came to drive a Kettenrad.

[MK1RS Bruce]

Some are registered as Tractors so zero rated car tax, can run red diesel if used for agriculture or forestry use, and as said before insurance is very cheap.



The one above is mine, it does 42 mph flat out.

[LMPanda]

We had one on a farm for hauling herbs to a processing factory and annoying the local boys in Fendts who thought they had the fastest grain-hauling machine... Had the fancy preselect gearbox, cruise control etc. T'was an ex-Heathrow one so only had a few hundred hours on it and a lot more comfortable/economic than the Fastracs!

Farols (the JD dealership) are the new distributors and held the event at Millbrook I think.

Edited by LMPanda on Tuesday 10th October 13:33

[Willy Nilly]

If you register it as a tractor it will be able to run on red diesel and the tax is zero as stated, you can gross 27.5 tonnes, no MOT, but you will be limited to 25mph, you can't haul anything for other people and I doubt that VOSA would take kindly to you using it as a weekend toy.

[OpulentBob]

paulyv said:

YES!

Such fond memories of my Dad starting his own agricultural business in early 80's Lincolnshire by buying 2 ex-West German Unimog military ambulances. I can still smell them now. They were petrol models so god only knows how much they gulped on regular trips to farms in their new 'Omega Seed Enterprises' livery as pictured below.

They both came from the surplus yard with ambulance backs, one of which became our garden shed, or my own personal den depending on who you asked. Living in the city I don't see them so often but would love to get one and run it off to Le Mans one year.

Not sure if it is different now but he didn't have an HGV license. Perhaps you do need one but 'country rules' applied...



I am confused however, where did the driving in this article take place? Is this a sales piece or is this somewhere we can all have a go? Oh, and surely a 100% gradient is 45degrees?!?

Edited by paulyv on Monday 9th October 12:46

My ideal number plate on that.

[Justin Case]

They needn't cost an arm and a leg, How about this for a weekend toy

http://www.machineryzone.eu/used/unimog/18768506/m...

[samuel-ja742]

I used to use this one in work, it was a blast to drive down twisty roads at 50mph feeling like you were about 20ft off the ground!

[OpulentBob]

samuel-ja742 said:

I used to use this one in work, it was a blast to drive down twisty roads at 50mph feeling like you were about 20ft off the ground!

Is that the Burnham on Crouch one? That's impressive coming past on blue lights.

[samuel-ja742]

Stationed at Malpas in Newport, South Wales.

[cml24]

We have a several Unimogs at work and they do look cool.

That is, until the KAMAZ trucks we also have park next to them, and then the unimogs look like Suzuki jimnys...

I'm not sure if the KAMAZ are actually better offroad, but their tyres / ground clearance / usable load space etc are all one and a half times the unimog.

When the going gets really tough, we have two Bandvagn 202s...

[MK1RS Bruce]

Willy Nilly said:

If you register it as a tractor it will be able to run on red diesel and the tax is zero as stated, you can gross 27.5 tonnes, no MOT, but you will be limited to 25mph, you can't haul anything for other people and I doubt that VOSA would take kindly to you using it as a weekend toy.

I could be wrong but I don't think they are limited to 25 mph as they have full suspension, I was under the belief that 25 mph was the limit for tractors with only a single suspended axle or no suspension. trailer braking is a separate issue and I think above 25 mph air brakes are needed but again I could be wrong. Agricultural vehicle legislation is a nightmare.

[Willy Nilly]

MK1RS Bruce said:

Willy Nilly said:

If you register it as a tractor it will be able to run on red diesel and the tax is zero as stated, you can gross 27.5 tonnes, no MOT, but you will be limited to 25mph, you can't haul anything for other people and I doubt that VOSA would take kindly to you using it as a weekend toy.

I could be wrong but I don't think they are limited to 25 mph as they have full suspension, I was under the belief that 25 mph was the limit for tractors with only a single suspended axle or no suspension. trailer braking is a separate issue and I think above 25 mph air brakes are needed but again I could be wrong. Agricultural vehicle legislation is a nightmare.

I'm almost certain that if you register it as a tractor (agricultural vehicle) and run it on red etc, it will be subject to a 25mph speed limit. They are type approved to be used as a LGV. That said, I know a concrete batch mixer that's on a Renault 8 wheeler chassis, grosses 45 tonnes, runs on red and is registered as "Plant" so doesn't even need Class 2 and our seed dressers have DAF lorries on red and registered as tractors, so bugger only knows!

[Ritchie335is]

Atkinson Vos is always worth a look for these. They often have extremely clean classics..

http://www.unimogs.co.uk/our-stock/unimogs

[Bonefish Blues]

Apart from this forlorn soul, who looks comprehensively shagged, bless!

http://www.unimogs.co.uk/our-stock/unimogs/u900-di...

[louiebaby]

This one for me please.



It even looks almost exactly the same as the Lego model...

http://www.unimogs.co.uk/our-stock/unimogs/u400-di...

[Blackpuddin]

New prices on these seem to be a state secret, I can't find any info anywhere.

[K50 DEL]

Blackpuddin said:

New prices on these seem to be a state secret, I can't find any info anywhere.

Well on the website mentioned above there's one for sale at £99,500 +VAT which is noted as being a "substantial saving on the new price"
So I'm guessing that, with all the options available, the sky's the limit!

[dinkel]

I want one. Just a pick-up.

[russell_ram]

Leins said:

Also reminds me I've these Tamiyas to build too. Christmas task now I think:

Nice, I keep thinking I should get a Mog shell for mine. The CR-01 chassis is massively capable out the box.



A 'few' upgrades on mine though.

[slider2]

helix402 said:

In England we have a driving licence. In America they have a driving license. I had a toy Unimog which was green.

It appears they prefer verbs to nouns over there