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Old 04-27-2020, 07:28 PM   #1
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Unimog 404 bus conversion

Hello folks, I bought two 404 unimogs, one as a truck and one to convert to camper.

First thought about getting a camper shell and putting that on but after thinking about it more I think that it is sturdier to go with a bus body.

The body has to come of a SRW so that the body width fits nice in the unimogs width.
In the pic of the unimog without the bed and that has an open cabin the dimension from the top of the front windshield to the back of the cab is 42". From there to rear axle is 78".

I am planning on taking the whole bus part of a van style bus and take the door out so that the front end reaches over the Unimog cab.


So here are the questions....
Any body seen or knows of a 6 window SRW bus with partially aluminum body? I am hoping for a newer style giardin ( rounded sides) since the interior height is good. The side windows are taller..

As in a van bus the plan is to hard connect the shell to the cabin of the mog. And mount the whole on a two hard points and a swivel in the back since a 404 frame flexes a lot and that would stress the body.

Please comment..

Johan
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Old 04-27-2020, 07:39 PM   #2
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Sorry I can't help but THAT'S AWESOME! I'm so excited to see your build! Unimogs are the coolest.
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Old 04-27-2020, 08:36 PM   #3
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You found not one but two Unimogs for sale in PA?!
Gotta ask how much?

Are you saying you prefer an aluminum bus body to steel?
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Old 04-27-2020, 09:12 PM   #4
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ArizonaZack, Thanks, it will be fun, I hope.

David, These came from California and had ben sitting in the desert for 15 years.
Only needed one but because of the transport and that he had two for sale it became two..... So one is now a camper project.


Our small Thomas bus is partially aluminum, no rust and lighter, Our larger Dory bus is also partially aluminum.
for this Unimog experiment I want aluminum as well , it is lighter and less top heavy.
Was wondering if the giradin= bluebird has an aluminum floor, our e350 Thomas has an aluminum floor with aluminum C channels under it.


Anybody with a girardin / bluebird micro can enlighten me?
The girardin / bluebird is 74" height inside, the thomas 73"



Thanks, Johan
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Old 04-27-2020, 09:24 PM   #5
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Johan, great find and must say making a skoolie out of one would sure be unique. Camper shells just do not hold up, been there done that. I really can not answer the questions but do want to keep track of your progress on this.

Do you have any idea of what the road speed is one these?
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Old 04-27-2020, 09:48 PM   #6
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Hi Ronnie,

very slow... only has 82Hp when new, about 55 mph on flat.... Not that I need another skoolie or bus but the way this poor one is sitting without bed and roof it sure would be fun to make something out of it. They are available with radio boxes but then you cannot standup.

Got the first one running and the bare one almost there. It is sure fun to see how extreme these mercedeses are made. It is not to hard to throw a mercedes OM617a ( turbo in it) Then you can run larger tires and get a little more speed but speed is not the thing for a unimog.


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Old 04-28-2020, 05:57 AM   #7
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I want a unimog!
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Old 04-28-2020, 05:59 AM   #8
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Is the original engine a 617 non turbo? Seems I remember something about that on the Mercedes forum. I did put a turbo off a 617a on my 616, and retuned the injection pump, and very important make the nozzles in the pre chamber bigger. On the 616 I machined the head to except the pre chambers out of the 617a, and also made the holes about .010 bigger. Sure made a big difference. I was running 16 lbs boost on it.
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Old 04-28-2020, 04:58 PM   #9
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Hi Ronnie, No the original is a mercedes gas engine M180 6 cylinder 2.2Liter with 82 HP.. From an interior noise perspective that might be a lot better then a diesel. Just got the second one running today, so no absolute ned to go to diesel at this moment, but I have a bunch of 617A and 616 sitting around. I have no clue how this stuff drives but it seems fun to put a bus body on it.


Anybody has a bluebird van based bus that can tell me if the floor is made of aluminum or steel and also if what the floor channels are made of.
Thanks

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Old 04-28-2020, 05:30 PM   #10
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This would be thee bus body I like to use and graft it onto the unimog 404.


Anybody has a bus like this or anybody has a nice side view picture so that I can scale / cut and paste to see who it fits on a MOG.


Any skoolie people can help?


Thanks Johan
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Old 05-01-2020, 05:31 PM   #11
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Thank you peak bus for your help. My oldest daughter found some side view pictures of bus and unimog and scaled them based on known wheel base.


The actual bus I am interested in is 74" inside and so about 6" taller then the one used in the picture.


The canvas roof in my unimog is gone and expensive to replace so I would extend the overhang and close it of to the cab of the Mog.


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Old 05-01-2020, 06:13 PM   #12
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how would the grafting hold up under the cab to body flex?
i wouldnt be happy with it but maybe a version of canvas connector to handle the flex?
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Old 05-01-2020, 07:04 PM   #13
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That is the million dollar question. There are 404 with a full body van style.
My hope is that I can disconnect the rear cab mounts and weld in an extension similar as people do when they make a 4 door version out of a two door. They then seem to use the first two bed mounts. In the rear I would use a swivel to allow frame flex.
But the cab and bus body would be hard connected. Have not seen that with any mog camper so maybe I am missing something?


the problem with Mog and fuso conversion in my opinion is that the camper and truck are two different area with no connection. That costs a lot of living space. In this design i want to get swivel sets for the driver and passenger and so the usable space will be much larger .


Time will tell, just bought the girardin bus as in the picture with the handicapped side doors, may be a slideout??


All suggestion welcome



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Old 05-01-2020, 08:20 PM   #14
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I like the idea.
I would think mounting the body to the chassis same as done for any large ladder frame type 4x4 from my Scout to a Suburban...

1" rubber body pucks on each side of the frame using ½" grade 8 bolts and washers. If the Unimog really flexes more than any other 4x4 than you'd find special mounting hardware for the versions that came with crewcabs and ambulance bodies...
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Old 05-04-2020, 02:58 AM   #15
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No help from me on your real questions ... but I do admire your imagination and gumption. I'd sure love to see your shop setup!!!
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Old 05-04-2020, 06:02 AM   #16
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Not sure I like the idea of letting the frame flex. I would be more inclined to go rigid and let the suspension do its job of flexing.
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Old 05-04-2020, 09:54 AM   #17
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Quote:
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Not sure I like the idea of letting the frame flex. I would be more inclined to go rigid and let the suspension do its job of flexing.
If it didn't flex it would crack...

A lot of Jeepers box in their C-channel frames so the oem frame doesn't flex.
This usually leads to cracks unless the builder has a very good sense of what they're doing and adds an appropriate suspension mods.
Softening the suspension this much usually means a jeep that can't be driven on the road -- only off-road...

In the case of a Unimog I shudder to think what custom or aftermarket (if they exist) suspension items would cost...

Budget and fabrication skilz have to be considered.
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Old 05-04-2020, 11:29 AM   #18
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Flexing leads to cracks. Take a piece of metal and keep bending it back and forth and what happens it cracks and breaks.

Boxing Jeep frames I can see leading to cracks from welding. Rock crawling jeeps are taken to extremes, I do not think Johan will go to that extreme?
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Old 05-04-2020, 12:00 PM   #19
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Flexing leads to cracks. Take a piece of metal and keep bending it back and forth and what happens it cracks and breaks.
SNIP...
Yes, this is also true also...
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Old 05-04-2020, 05:32 PM   #20
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Hi folks, the unimog 404 frame is specially designed to flex. Also the mitsubishi fuso 4x4 has a frame design like that.


Frame flex with the combination with the coil springs gives it extreme articulation. I like to keep that the way it is since they have a very long and reliable reputation based on flex and three / four point design s of the cabs on top.


Will see where it goes, just another way of having fun building something unusual, hope not unusable .


The girardin bus is supposed to come in next week somewhere. Still lots to do, working on brakes, tanks, fuel pumps. Got both engines running pretty good. most of that with pictures is on steelsoldiers.



https://www.steelsoldiers.com/thread...og-404.195463/


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