Moggin’

Once we committed to go adventuring, we had to decide what would be the ideal vehicle. Some of our ideas included a Dodge Cummins diesel with a camper on the back or a camperized Toyota landcruiser. Both of these options appeared practical. In the end, we decided to float the boat a little further and buy a Mercedes-Benz Unimog and put a camper on the back! These are unique vehicles with specific advantages and disadvantages. Anyone thinking of owning one of these should be prepared to do their own repairs and pay a premium for parts and diesel!

Where to find one? The Unimog Shop and the Unimog Exchange are great websites for buying in North America. Another option is to contact an importer and have them import one from Europe on your behalf. This is the more expensive and risky option, but could result in a much better quality Mog. After nearly a year of searching we found a 416 in Portland, Oregon. It was selling for a fair price, although it needed some work.

After brokering a deal, we flew down to Portland, drove the Mog south to Oakland and spent the next three days doing some essential repairs before we could drive it North to Canada. This gave us a Mog with a back window, working lights and wiper blades, and a speedometer. After these repairs and some general maintenance, we felt we had a Mog that could drive us the 2000+ km journey home. A flat battery, a flat tyre, and many hours later we arrived home!

We spent an additional five weeks working on the Mog to get it into shape for a trip. We removed the hydraulic dump box and replaced the sub-frame, built a new deck and plumbed in an Alaskan camper.  We also did a rear brake job, built the entire hand-brake system and replaced the old 44’ tyres with 46’ ones.

With the above work done, we were antsy to take the Mog on its maiden voyage. A quick stop in Calgary to attend a wedding and then we headed west…….