To go with my 710k I now have a Unimog 1300L Any Tips???

Dreadnought · Post by **Dreadnought** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 7:29 am

Gentlemen, I hope the word Unimog is not dirty around here? I have thought that over near the Ukraine border where I will be living (hilly and high) It may sometimes get a little too much for a Pinz even with chains. So I have added to my stable (almost - get her next week) a unimog 1300L (Ex Bundeswehr with only 30,000kms on the clock) 8 speed g/box but standard axles (Top speed fractionally over 50MPH) She,s on standard 12.50x20 XZLs but when they wear out I will change them for bigger 14.50?x20 High speed agri tyres. So any tips? what to watch out for, does anyone on here also own a Mog1300L? Also does anyone have any Experience towing a Pinz on an A bar? Pinzmeister tells me they are not too stable when A barred? But the guy I,m buying the Mog from told me he used to A bar his pinz all over the UK behind the MOG....well I,m thinking of A barring my Pinz all the way to Poland.(about 3 days@50MPH) and the MOG will be laden so It will be a lot heavier than the Pinz. My Pinz is on Radial tyres and has those strange wide reversed rims and seems pretty stable. (I will carry out trials before I set off)(I intend to have a well engineered A Bar made up with no slack except the inevitable little slack around the standard Nato towing jaw on the Mog)

David Dunn · Post by **David Dunn** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 10:09 am

Congrats on the SBU. I had one for a couple years. Very nice trucks, but are slower than hell with the OM352 (non turbo'ed engine). You'll get 50mph on the flats. Later years. they got a turbo with the OM352A, and then OM366A.
Unlike the Pinzes, the factory options vary greatly from truck to truck.
If you haven't already found out, everything for those trucks are expensive....if not, you will.

Flat towing a Pinz has never been a good idea to me, because of the towing speeds people typically do. But with the 1300, I'd be surprised if you average 45mph towing..... mind you, you will reach 50, but the Mog will let you know about every hill.

14.50-20 tire will help the flat and downhill speed, but you will be slower on the grades with them, over the 12.50s.
I am assuming since you said it has standard axles, it is an early non turbo'ed engine, later on with the OM366A engine, fast axles were pretty much standard.
There are a few very good Mog forums on the web, and a email group.
Mog@tx4x4.com
http://www.mogmsgexch.com/
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/

Dreadnought · Post by **Dreadnought** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 12:21 pm

Thanks David, it is the non-turbo 130hp engine, before I set off on my epic journey, I will do some test drives with the Pinz in tow just to see what I can expect, hey...the way I can look at it is... there is no deadline, if it takes 4 days instead of three, we just get a better view of the scenery in Holland Germany and Poland. I am told that a company here in UK (Atkinson Vos) used to do a Turbo conversion kit, with intercooler if you felt you needed it. All things to check out in the future. After the journey I will probably post... phew!!!!!!MADE IT....after sleeping for 2 days solid. Towing the Pinz and loading up a ton or so of my goods and chattels may cost a bit more in Diesel, but will save in the region of £800 to have a removal/transport company do it for us. And we have to make the journey anyway in one vehicle or another, we still have a restored 1970 MG Midget and one vanload to have sent. Ah well, it will be worth it to live "The good life" I,ll be like Eddie Albert at Green Acres...except I,m not intending to farm except on a small scale (enough to keep us in vegetables etc and wood for the heating system) I,ll keep you all posted and some pics of the Pinz in the Snow.

David Dunn · Post by **David Dunn** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 1:00 pm

A warning on the OM352. There were changes from the early ones to before the OM352A (turbo) which included piston oilers that made upgrading the early engines less desireable to add turbos to.

Hope you get a manual with it.... there are more air hoses on the SBUs than roads in the UK

Almost everything is tied to the air pump... from service and parking brakes , to the transmission and and lockers, and even air pressurization of the portals and headlamps.

My 1300 had the OM366A engine, and fast axles with 14.50 tires, it cruised at 55mph comfortably, and did faster, but it's not worth it to raise the governor up to 3000rpm and above ... it just shortens the engine life

ScottishPinz · Post by **ScottishPinz** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 2:05 pm

Wow, was that the one for sale on Milweb?
If I ever wanted to go bigger I would get a Mog like that!
How's the plans for your move going? Have you set a date to leave yet?
Philip & Isia

Dreadnought · Post by **Dreadnought** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 3:00 pm

Hi Philip, No this one is the one for sale on e bay, the dark green 1300L (I haven,t actually got it yet, but almost as good as) if it is snapped up in the meantime I do have my sights on some others - maybe a more Agri Type one with PTO and rear linkage (so I could use a rotovator and a post hole borer) (If I have to go down that route I will buy one in Germany from a German dealer) We have decided to sell this house so, the property in Poland is all bought and waiting for us, as soon as this house is sold, we will make the epic journey.

dokatd · Post by **dokatd** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 5:34 pm

I cant recall seeing you on the benz board, so if not, here is the link. All the help you need. Alot has changed in the unimog world over the last 10-15yrs.

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/unimog/

Dreadnought · Post by **Dreadnought** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 1:52 am

Thanks dokatd, I will be joining soonest, I like to know all there is to know about any vehicle I own. I will be using this Mog to the limits of it,s abilities, where I am going to live there will be ample opportunity to do this.

ScottishPinz · Post by **ScottishPinz** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 2:55 am

Just remember a stuck 1300L will take a tank or something to pull out! At least if you get the Pinz stuck the mog should be able to free it

Dreadnought · Post by **Dreadnought** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 4:20 am

I am thinking on the lines of a large winch, maybe a hydraulic type. Unimog specific, so that if I ever change the Mog for a more Agri type Mog then the winch can be swapped too. (on the other hand a big 24 Volt Winch might suffice for both the Mog and the pinz if I can make a 'quick release' mounting plate, though it may be that anything powerful enough to pull out a stuck Mog, will be too heavy for the front of the Pinz.)